Is Sustained Success Still Possible for Ladyjacks?
Is Sustained Success Still Possible for Ladyjacks?
Seven straight years of 23-plus wins. Three appearances in the WNIT. Two appearances in the NCAA Tournament. 32-4 record in WAC play the past two seasons.
Former head coach Mark Kellogg had a phrase he threw around quite often.
“Sustained Success.”
Following an 18-12 record in his first season as head coach at SFA, Kellogg took the program on a seven-year stretch of sustained success. Coming off a 27-7 season in 2022-23, and an appearance in the WNIT second round, Kellogg got the call up to the Power 5 ranks, taking his sustained success mantra to Morgantown.
With Kellogg goes WAC Freshman of the Year Jordan Harrison along with 2022 WAC Tournament MVP Zya Nugent.
Angel Scott left the program for Missouri State. Avery Brittingham headed North to UT Arlington. And Aiyana Johnson ran out of eligibility. Four of five starters gone from a 27-win team.
So, can the Ladyjacks continue the ‘sustained success’ that has been prevalent in the program the past eight seasons?
Perhaps the better question is: will new head coach Leonard Bishop carry over what his former boss preached? Or will the Bishop have a different mantra he wants to instill in Nacogdoches?
It will most likely be a combination of both. Bishop has been the associate head coach over the past eight seasons next to Mark Kellogg. The winning or ‘sustained success’ has been in Leonard Bishop’s blood. When SFA athletic director Ryan Ivey handed the keys of the program to Bishop on April 14, 2023, it was a no-brainer.
If you didn’t see it, go watch the video clip when Ivey made the announcement to the team. Tyler McCliment-Call was pretty darn excited.
With that being said, and after losing four starters, plus a key piece of the puzzle, can Leonard Bishop keep that sustained success going?
McCliment-Call is the lone starter who returns. And while some doubt the Ladyjacks can replicate a 27-win season, there may be a possibility SFA is in the mix for a WAC title once again despite Kellogg’s departure.
Along with McCliment-Call, Destini Lombard, Kurstyn Harden and Kyle Deck return. Zoe Nelson and Avery VanSickle both return after seeing limited minutes in 2022-23.
Bishop and his staff brought in UC Riverside transfer Mele Finau along with three other Division I transfers Trinity Moore (Oral Roberts), Michayla Gatewood (Kansas State), and Jasmyne Boles (North Texas).
The Ladyjacks added a pair of JUCO guards to the mix, as well.
Yes, SFA may not have the most size in the league in 2023-24. Kurstyn Harden stands 6’3. But, after her, no other Ladyjack stands taller than 6’1.
But, expect the Ladyjacks to play fast, in transition, and push the tempo with a 94-foot full court press.
Seven straight years of 23-plus wins. With a new head coach and some roster turnover, making it eight straight will be challenging.
However, sustained success is the mantra and the SFA Ladyjacks have had no problem achieving that goal, especially with the Bishop roaming the sidelines.