Spartans Women's Basketball Spartans - Aurora University

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Meet the Assistant Coaches KEITH PARRIS Assistant Coach First Season Keith Parris enters his first season as an assistant coach for the Spartans. He comes to Aurora University from Edgewood College (Madison, WI), where he was an assistant coach in 2004-2005. “I am very excited to have Keith join my staff,” said Head Coach Michelle Roof. “Along with his knowledge of the game, he brings a great amount of energy and intensity to our program. I believe he will do an outstanding job of motivating and developing our post players, while also focusing on developing our team communication skills.” While at Edgewood, Parris helped guide the Lady Eagles to the Lake Michigan Conference championship and their first NCAA tournament appearance in school history. They also finished the year ranked 13 th in the country among all Division III women’s basketball programs in the category of “most-improved.” As a student-athlete, Parris played one year at Northland Community and Technical College, where he was a member of the divisional championship team in his first season. He averaged 12 points and six rebounds per game and was ranked seventh nationally in field goal percentage. Parris completed his eligibility at the University of Dubuque, where he was a two-time captain and averaged 13 points and six rebounds per game. He finished his career ranked as one of the school’s top field goal percentage shooters in history, shooting more than 50% for his career. “Keith comes from winning programs, both as a coach and as a player. He understands how much work it takes to establish a winning program and is committed to moving this Spartan program forward,” Roof said. In addition to his degree from University of Dubuque, Parris also holds a degree from Keller Graduate School of Management. He and his wife, April, live in Aurora with their son, Isaac Duane Parris. FRANK RAZO Assistant Coach First Season Frank Razo begins his first year as an assistant coach for the Spartans. He comes to Aurora University from Plano High School in Plano, IL, where he was the Head Girls’ Basketball Coach for the past two years. He was an assistant there for four years. While at Plano, Coach Razo guided the Reapers to a 21-10 record in 2005, which tied the school record for most wins in a season. They continued that success into the state tournament, where they won their second regional championship in the program’s history. Razo’s previous coaching experience includes Henry- Senachwine High School, North Boone High School, Clay City High School, Flora High School, Newark High School, Clinton High School, Ashland High School and Washington High School. Razo has worked with some of the top coaches in the country, instructing camps at University of Illinois (under former Coach Lou Hensen), Indiana University (under former Coach Bob Knight), Western Illinois, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, Cincinnati and Dick Baumgartner Shooting Camp. “Coach Razo brings a great amount of coaching knowledge and experience to the staff,” said Head Coach Michelle Roof. “Not only has he been coaching the game for the past 27 years, but he has also attended a great number of camps and clinics around the country every year. He has a true passion for what he does and brings some great ideas and strategies to our Spartan staff.” JESSICA EHMLER Student Assistant 2005-2006 AU Women’s Coaching Staff 2 AU Women’s Basketball
2005-2006 Season Preview The Aurora University women’s basketball team has a new look in the 2005-2006 campaign, with Michelle Roof assuming the duties as Head Coach. Roof takes over a Spartan program looking to establish a strong foundation of discipline and pride within the team. “I plan on challenging these young women to expect more of themselves and each other, both on and off the basketball court,” Roof said. The Spartans were 7-20 last season but have been to the NCAA Division III Tournament twice in the past four seasons. Roof stated, “Our coaching staff has set the bar very high for these ladies, and I think that if we can focus on the little things and learn what TEAM basketball is all about, we will turn a few heads this season. We are in the process of teaching our players what it means to give an all-out effort every time they step on the floor, while taking satisfaction and feeling good about themselves for the hard work they put in.” AU returns several key contributors from last season. Junior guard Beth Plucinski (Vernon Hills, IL/Vernon Hills HS) is the Spartans’ top returning scorer (9.9 points and 5.44 assists per game), while junior forward Laura Wiesner (Des Plaines, IL/Maine West HS) (7.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game) provides the Spartans with a presence in the post. Also returning to the AU program is the lone AU senior, guard Deisy Mena (Cicero, IL/Morton West). Mena averaged five points and shot 29% from three-point range last season. Junior foward Stephanie Kiger (Momence, IL/Momence HS) returns to add veteran leadership for the Spartans. Sophomore guards Rachael Blanton (Vernon Hills, IL/Vernon Hills HS), Lexi Pioli (Oglesby, IL/LaSalle-Peru HS) and forward Beth Sandon (Plainfield, IL/Plainfield HS) had substantial playing time for the Spartans in 2004-2005. Several newcomers will be key contributors to the AU program and will provide Roof with a deep and versatile club. “I believe our biggest strength this season is our athleticism and quickness, as well as our versatility and depth. Because we have a good nucleus of players with a wide variety of talents and skills, we will be capable of throwing many different looks at our opponents. We should also be able to wear teams down Building a New Tradition with our subbing rotations and high level of conditioning,” Roof said. The top newcomers for AU are a pair of transfer guards, Kisha Miller and Naomi Guise. “Miller brings quickness and athleticism to the point-guard spot and has a great ability to see the floor well and push the tempo, which is exactly what we need to get our offense going,” Roof said. “Guise has great penetration and passing skills and can also knock down the outside shot. Although her athleticism will be tough to match, I believe her biggest strength is her versatility. She has the ability to play anywhere on the floor and will be looked to as a major contributor.” Joining Miller and Guise as the newest Spartans are freshmen forward Tiffani Guest (Loves Park, IL/Christian Life), guard Meagan Re (Belvidere, IL/Belvidere HS), guard Kathleen Thanas (Plainfield, IL/Plainfield HS) and junior center Misty Mitchell (Chicago/Mother Guerin HS). With a new head coach comes changes, including the style of play Spartans fans can expect to see in the upcoming year. Roof said, “AU fans should expect an exciting, up-tempo style of basketball. We will push the ball up the floor and attack the basket in transition and in our half-court offense. We want to put the pressure on our opponents offensively, forcing them to stop us, while also pressuring and creating turnovers defensively.” AU once again will play a demanding nonconference schedule leading up to the Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference schedule. “In order to win in the NIIC, we must put together an entire 40 minutes of smart, aggressive basketball, and we must be able to do this night in and night out. I do feel like our tough, nonconference schedule will help prepare us for the competition we will face within the NIIC,” Roof stated. With a new style of play and a first-year head coach building a strong foundation, expectations remain high for the Spartan women’s basketball team. AU Women’s Basketball 3
Page 1 and 2: “BUILDING A New TRADITION” Spar
Page 3: AU Media Outlets Meet the Head Coac
Page 7 and 8: Meet the Spartans #30 RACHAEL BLANT
Page 9 and 10: Meet the Spartans #11, KISHA MILLER
Page 11 and 12: 2004-2005 Season Results (7-20 over
Page 13 and 14: The NIIC AU NIIC Honors TEAM NIIC R
Page 15 and 16: Team Records MOST POINTS: G: 111 vs
Page 17 and 18: This Is Aurora University When you

Spartans Women's Basketball Spartans - Aurora University

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