WICHITA, Kan. – Four returning starters from a team that won the most games in six years means the table is full for head coach Dean Jaderston's sixth season at the helm of the Friends University women's basketball program.
The Falcons finished last season 23-7 overall and posted a third-place showing in the KCAC at 19-3 in the conference. Friends advanced to the KCAC postseason semifinal round, where it was tripped up by second-seeded Saint Mary.
"There is a good energy with our team right now," said Jaderston. "Our spring practices were a huge help in getting our guards on the same page at both ends of the court, and the improved chemistry is apparent. We also have more depth this season and our practices are much more competitive this year. It also helps that we see ourselves differently. Over the past three years we've either had a 20+ win season or made it to the conference tournament championship. That experience and consistency has built a level of expectation and preparation we expect to pay off this year."
Included in those returning starters are KCAC Defensive Player of the Year Taylor Jackson, first-team All-KCAC selection Rayland Garner and the league's top newcomer Lauryn McIver.
So Jaderston not only has veterans to lean on, but high-end talent back and energized to take another step in 2024-25 after falling one game short of the program's first NAIA National Tournament appearance since the 2017-18 season.
Jackson, the Falcons' modern-era blocks leader, reached the 1,000 point milestone this past season while leading the KCAC in both rebounds (11.5 rpg) and blocks (2.5 bpg) and scoring 14.9 points per game. The Houston, Texas native also enters this season just four rebounds shy of 1,000 boards for her career.
Garner, a versatile forward, was the Falcons leading scorer (17.5 ppg) last year while pulling down 6.9 rebounds.
McIver immediately gave Jaderston a consistent distributor of the basketball and finished tied for first in the league with 4.6 assists per game.
Another starter returning for the Falcons is Kori Babcock, who announced her arrival on campus by hitting a single-game record tying (modern era) eight threes in the season opening victory over Barclay College (Oct. 31). Babcock went on to finish with a team-leading 63 threes on the season.
"Success always starts with returners," Jaderston noted. "Having three returning all-conference players is a great foundation to build on. Taylor is obviously at the heart of our defense, and Ray and Lauryn provide a lot of firepower, especially now that we have Lauryn playing at her natural position on the wing. Kori had a great summer and has added some pieces to her game and will help us spread the floor better this year. Their experience playing together should help us start the season much more quickly."
Additional returners that saw extensive action last year are Natia Hagan, Jadyn Glasgow, Sadie Hopman, Madison Schmidt, Anna Sant'Anna and Ashlyn Ryall.
Jaderston also brought in multiple new additions to the team, highlighted by a few he expects to contribute instantly to the Falcons' 2024-25 campaign.
"There are a number of newcomers who will be a big part of our rotation," said Jaderston. "Abigail Barr returns from an ACL injury and a year off to give us even more athletic ability up front. Ella Brown is a 6-3 center who will give us depth up front and can play both inside and out. Kyla Frenchers is a transfer from Regis University and KK Peeler, a freshman from Edmond North High School, will both provide depth at the point."
The Falcons will begin the season at home against Haskell Indian Nations University tomorrow evening (Oct. 25) at 5:30 pm inside the Garvey Center. Friends also hosts Dakota Wesleyan University in non-conference action on Nov. 2.
KCAC play begins on Nov. 16 at Evangel University, with the conference home opener set for Nov. 23 vs. York University.
The Falcons were picked second in the KCAC preseason media poll and tied for second in the coaches' poll, so the high expectations are not solely internal.
"Our schedule is probably the toughest we've had since I've been here," said Jaderston. "We open up with Haskell who's always tough early in the season. We'll play Dakota Wesleyan, Texas Wesleyan, and Columbia, all of whom were nationally ranked in the last couple of years at some point. Our conference has so many returners this year, many of whom are fifth-year players. I think it is also the deepest when it comes to talent and experience since I've been at Friends. It should be a lot of fun.
The expectations were already there before the preseason picks came out. We know the talent we have, so now the goal is to become more than just a good basketball team. We want to be a championship team and so we are trying to push each other to that level of commitment and intensity every day."
Below are a few notes on the Falcons' season opening matchup tomorrow night:
The Dish on Haskell: Haskell Indian Nations University was 10-19 overall last year and 7-5 in the Continental Athletic conference. Haskell lost it's leading scorer (Marilyn Goodman) from last season, but Mahpiya Irving returns after ranking second on the team in both points (11.6 ppg) and assists (2.5 apg). Haskell also loses its leading rebounder (Justine Butterfield, 5.5 rpg) and leading distributor (Janae Kalama, 2.6 apg) from the 2023-24 season.
The Series: The Falcons won the only matchup on record between the two schools in 2017, besting Haskell 83-75 at a neutral site in Winfield, Kan. That season, the Falcons went on to win their most recent KCAC championship with a sparkling conference record of 20-2.
Season Opening Numbers: The Falcons have won seven of their past 10 season openers.
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