Women's basketball coach
Nell Fortner is speaking before
Gene Chizik. Here's what she's had to say:
- Reneisha Hobbs tore her ACL. She'll miss the season. That's two ACL tears for Auburn already this year. Morgan Jennings injured herself in the summer.
- Fortner says the team is still going to run, even with the injuries and losing point guard Whitney Boddie to graduation.
- KeKe Carrier and Pascale West will be the big players in the post. They stand 6-foot-7 and 6-foot-8.
- Fortner says this year's freshman class is outstanding.
- Alli Smalley is going to be asked to score more this year. Fortner said her leadership has improved tremendously.
- She said there's a lot more teaching this year than last year with all the freshmen. "But they're picking up things fast," she said.
- Jordan Greenleaf is back after injuring her knee last year. "We missed her last year," Fortner said. "She has a presence about her when she's on the floor."
- Freshman Morgan Toles will be the point guard. Fortner is pleased with her progress but says she has a long ways to go. She said Toles is highly fit and can go all the time like Boddie used to be able to.
- Smalley is the backup point guard.
- She thinks the league is wide open. If she had to pick a favorite, she said she'd go with Mississippi State, which returns eight seniors. "Outside of that, it's up for grabs," Fortner said.
- Fortner thinks Carrier is as close to being in the best physical shape of her career. "KeKe has to decide what Keke wants to do," she said. "A kid has to decide in her heart how good she wants to be."
- Last year's disappointing finish still lingers for the returning members of the team. "You're looking at a team that's ready to prove themselves."
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