Columbus State women look to build upon last season's success
As an assistant coach, Columbus State women's basketball coach Jonathan Norton got an up-close look at how Jay Sparks kept the program at or near the top of the Peach Belt Conference during his 20-year stint as head coach.
Norton wanted to get the program back to that level when he took over in 2009.
The Lady Cougars have made it, winning back-to-back PBC tournament titles and last year's regular-season crown.
CSU advanced to the second round of the NCAA Southeast Regional before seeing its season end at 31-2.
It was the team's second-straight trip to the NCAA tournament.
Now the challenge for Norton is maintaining that level.
"I feel like we have gotten there. I saw what coach Sparks built and was fortunate to be a small part of that," Norton said. "He was successful long before I got here and was successful after I left.
"I feel like we have got it back.
"Now the challenge is can we do what he did and maintain that success year to year. That is what he was so great at was doing it year to year when everyone expected Columbus State to have a good team. We want to stay the hunted."
The rest of the PBC believes the Lady Cougars will, making them the unanimous choice to win another conference championship.
But for the 2015-16 edition of the Lady Cougars, who start the season at the Lumpkin Center tonight against Fort Valley State at 7 p.m., Sparks said they are not trying to repeat what the team did last season.
"We are not trying to have an encore," he said.
"This is a new team, new challenges, new schedule. We are trying to accomplish our own goals -- some of them are still the same in regards to the conference tournament, regular-season championship, making it to the NCAAs.
"But we want this team to try make its own identity and accomplish something special on their own."
Norton said the team has embraced the feeling of being the favorite.
"We have addressed that they have a bulls-eye on their back for sure," he said. "You are going to get every team's best shot.
"We should embrace that and actually take pride in it. People view you as being on the mountain top and want to knock you off."
The Lady Cougars will be led by record-setting guard Michelle Mitchell, a transfer from Troy. Last season -- her first at CSU -- Mitchell set team record with 644 points and 264 field goals made, 20.1 per game.
She was co-PBC Player of the Year and made numerous all-America teams.
Norton said Mitchell is not satisfied after CSU came up short in the NCAA tournament.
"She has really worked hard on her perimeter jump shot and her catch and shoot from 3," he said.
"She has gotten a whole lot more consistent. Last year she was almost all off the bounce and looking to shoot at about 15 feet, so this year she has added to her game.
"She doesn't get caught up in awards or anything. She is all about the team winning and doing what is best for the team."
Mitchell is one of four starters returning from last season. The others are Ashley Asouzu, Britteny Tatum and Eryn Cochran is a sophomore.
Gabby Williams, a junior college transfer from Florida State College in Jacksonville, will also start as the Lady Cougars go with a four-guard lineup.
Asouzu will step in to the post position to replace Carrie Washington, who led the team in rebounding and set a school record in blocked shots.
Norton said he expects to go four or five deep off the bench.
Those players are Brea Walker, Ashley Johnson, Alexys Woods, Tatiana Wayne and Erin Morrow.
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This story was originally published November 12, 2015 at 11:06 PM with the headline "Columbus State women look to build upon last season's success ."