By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – A No. 4 projection in the Ohio Valley Conference preseason poll? One might think that could be a slight to the Tennessee Tech women's basketball team as the Golden Eagles enter the 2024-25 campaign.
No, for head coach Kim Rosamond and the Tech roster, it's a mission statement. After all, with six straight winning seasons – with double-digit OVC wins in each year at that – the road to the conference championship is coming through Cookeville as it has many times before.
As Rosamond and graduate guard Peyton Carter spoke to media during the OVC's Basketball Media Day call via Zoom, the purple banners hanging from the Hooper Eblen Center rafters served as a stark reminder not to underestimate the Golden Eagles.
The 2023-24 campaign didn't finish the way Tech would have liked, posting a 16-15 overall record in defense of the 2023 OVC tournament title, but even then the Golden Eagles reached the tournament semifinals.
But they took those lessons to heart, taking note of what didn't work and addressing needs. As a result, the Golden Eagles have gotten stronger, faster, taller and whatever else adjective you want to throw in there.
It all starts with the 'Core Four' of Carter, junior Reghan Grimes, redshirt junior Reagan Hurst and graduate forward Anna Walker. The quartet has all been part of the team's recent success and provides a solid group to build around.
Carter and Grimes were both selected as OVC Players to Watch in lieu of the traditional Preseason All-OVC team. Carter averaged 7.3 points and 5.2 rebounds, while collecting 110 assists and shooting .386 from the floor. Grimes averaged 10.3 points and 5.5 rebounds with 68 assists and a .425 field goal percentage.
From there, Tech builds up with a talented group of transfers including senior forward Taris Thornton from OVC foe Eastern Illinois, sophomore Maddy Saracco from Southern Illinois and Trevecca standout Keeley Carter as the Macon County product comes to Cookeville for her graduate season.
On top of that, the Golden Eagles have five freshmen who look to make an impact on the roster with forward Megan Aulbert stepping in after a redshirt campaign, in addition to forward Amelia Pfeiffer (Alcoa), guard Chloe Larry (Bossier City, La.), Maddy Newman (Gatlinburg) and guard Angelika Girgenson (Zwolle, Netherlands). The group brings a lot to the table and gives Tech a whole new look than before.
The team was able to get some time to gel a little bit with their summer trip to Portugal before the school year started, allowing them to get a couple of games and a few extra NCAA-sanctioned practices under their belts.
Tech will also get to play a Division I opponent in Lipscomb for their exhibition contest on Oct. 29 for Purple Palooza as a charity game, giving the Golden Eagles an additional opportunity to warm up for the regular-season campaign, which begins at home on Nov. 4 with Emory & Henry.
The non-conference slate has in-state challenges with a visit to Chattanooga on Nov. 7, to Middle Tennessee on Nov. 19 and East Tennessee on Nov. 23. They'll also hit the road to Samford on Nov. 26 and Colorado on Dec. 3, while getting some home non-conference contests against North Alabama (Nov. 10), Jackson State (Nov. 14) and the University of the Cumberlands (Dec. 6).
The OVC slate will begin earlier than normal as the Golden Eagles hit the road to Western Illinois on Dec. 17 and Lindenwood on Dec. 19 before opening the home conference slate on Jan. 2 against defending conference champion Southern Indiana.
The Screaming Eagles took 200 points and 20 of the 22 first-place votes to lead the preseason poll, while UT Martin had 180 points and the other two first-place nods to claim the second spot. Eastern Illinois (145), Tech (140) and Little Rock (135) rounded out the top five, while Western Illinois (119), Lindenwood (81), SIUE (61), Morehead State (61), Tennessee State (59) and Southeast Missouri (29) closed out the projection.
Season tickets for Tennessee Tech basketball are on sale now – call (931) 372-3940, visit the Hooper Eblen Center ticket office or order online at TTUsports.com.
Photo | Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
