2018-19 #HLWBB Preview: Wright State
Wright State Raiders
Last season: 23-11 overall, 12-6 Horizon League
Head coach: Katrina Merriweather (3rd year)
By Joey Yashinsky, Horizon League Contributor. Follow on Twitter @OneSeatOver
As a freshman, Emily Vogelpohl was named one of the top rookie players in the Horizon League. Last season, as a junior, she was voted to the All-Defensive team, courtesy of her conference-leading 85 steals. Now, heading into her final season as a Wright State Raider, Vogelpohl was given Preseason All-Horizon League first-team honors.
“If it is possible, I think you are going to see an even more determined Emily Vogelpohl this year,” said head coach Katrina Merriweather, entering her third season at the helm. “She brings so much energy, so much toughness, so much grit. Losing Chelsea (Welch), it’s no secret we are down over 20 points there, so Emily has definitely stepped up her offensive production during practice. She committed herself all summer to getting better.”
It’s never a bad thing to have seniors in the backcourt, and Wright State is fortunate to have another excellent fourth-year guard in Mackenzie Taylor. The 5-foot-6 Taylor dropped in 70 from downtown a season ago, second most in the Horizon League. She had one of the most dominant performances at Motor City Madness, sinking six 3s against Cleveland State on the way to 22 points. And Taylor is not just a volume shooter - she’s accurate too, connecting on 41% of her 3-point attempts in 2017-18.
Symone Simmons joins the stable of determined seniors on the Raider roster. Simmons is listed at 5-foot-10, might actually be an inch or two below that, yet she rebounds with the ferocity of a 6-foot-4 power forward. She snatched eight rebounds per game last year, third best mark in the league.
“To me, it’s about her effort, about her buying into what the team needs,” said Merriweather. “What we have are three really good players, seniors, that care more about the team than they do their own individual accomplishments.”
The graduation of Lexi Smith will be felt in the paint, but Merriweather hopes the trio of Tyler Frierson (6’4”), Imani Partlow (6’1”) and Teneshia Dixon (6’1”) can pick up the slack. Partlow comes over from Xavier as a graduate transfer, where she played 79 games over three seasons. Frierson was a dependable post option off the bench for the Raiders as a freshman.
“Tyler looks great,” said Merriweather. “She has a soft touch and she has really been committed to conditioning. I think people are really going to be surprised by her development from last year to this year.”
A pair of new faces in the backcourt will also see key roles for Wright State this winter.
True freshman Angel Baker could very well come in and grab starting point guard duties from day one.
“Angel is extremely talented and is probably going to play the majority of the minutes at the 1,” said Merriweather. “What she gives us is that natural and true point guard, which we have not had since Tay’ler Mingo. A lot of times, what we have done is just take our best players and put them at the point. But I am really excited now about having an actual point guard that is pass-first, and I think it will help us utilize all of our offensive weapons.”
Junior guard Michal Miller joins the Raiders by way of Trinity Valley Community College in Texas, and the year prior to that, she played in 28 games for the Arizona Wildcats in the highly competitive Pac-12.
“Michal is a very skilled player,” said Merriweather. “She can hit the 3, get to the basket, has a beautiful pull-up jump shot. She’s a great team player. Passes the ball really well, gets out on the break. Michal definitely gives us another component offensively and she is going to be a big part of what we do.”
By all accounts, the Wright State women had a tremendous season in 2017-18. They won 23 games, went 12-6 in the Horizon League, and advanced to the conference championship game. But don’t try and sell Katrina Merriweather on second place or moral victories.
“In my opinion, we underachieved a year ago. That’s how we view it. We had all five starters coming back, add a talented freshman; the expectation was for us to finish in first. And we did not play well enough to do that.”
This year’s group has the ability and leadership to reach the top of that mountain.
The senior trio of Emily Vogelpohl, Mackenzie Taylor and Symone Simmons will bring a wealth of experience from their countless Horizon League battles. Imani Partlow and Tyler Frierson could make a major impact on the glass and around the rim. And a true freshman in Angel Baker looks to be the genuine point guard and floor leader Merriweather has been craving.
All the ingredients are in place for this to be a special season for the Wright State Raiders.