INDIANAPOLIS – In many respects, Cedarville’s women’s basketball program went through a changing of the guard in a busy offseason while getting ready for the 2016-17 campaign.
The Yellow Jackets ushered in a new coaching era with Kari Hoffman officially taking over for Kirk Martin, who announced his retirement.
Hoffman transitions from the assistant role, but as a former student-athlete in the program, has as good of an understanding as anyone how to move the Yellow Jackets forward.
Cedarville also graduated the conference’s all-time leading scorer in Kayla Linkous and is poised to see junior guard Abby Wolford take the next step in the lineage of Yellow Jackets’ standout performers that has included Raegan Ryan and Kayla Jenerette.
All of those transactions and offseason movement still shouldn’t deter Cedarville from making another serious run at another G-MAC Championship title.
The track record of the program speaks for itself and the Yellow Jackets gave all Ursuline it could handle in last year’s tournament final. The undesired outcome may have left a bitter taste, but Cedarville has turned the page and is ready to pen the next chapter.
Being picked second in the G-MAC Preseason Coaches Poll presented by Under Armour doesn’t really come as a surprise as the 2015-16 league runner-up. Cedarville was 22-8 and 12-2 in the league last season.
“I’m really excited about our staff and hiring some really good people that will help the program out,” Hoffman said. “I’m excited about having a new role in my players’ lives with more of a voice. I’m really enjoying it.”
“I think I know every facet of the program from being a player, assistant coach and head coach; just knowing what it’s like to be Cedarville women’s basketball player,” she added. “It’s a learning process for me for sure.”
Like many of their G-MAC counterparts that see a lot of familiar faces coming back as starters, the Yellow Jackets will need to adjust to life without Linkous and Kaysie Brittenham, established premier scorers who combined for about 24 points per game.
Cedarville had the best defense in the conference last year, allowing just under 58 points per game. The Yellow Jackets also had the best rebounding numbers and ranked in the top three of pretty much every offensive or defensive category.
Junior post player Breanne Watterworth is one of the best rebounders with 5.8 per game and had the second-best field goal percentage.
Wolford was ninth in the G-MAC scoring and says the team will be hard-nosed on defense and feature a lot of guard play.
“I think I’ll have more of a leadership role, a little more vocal and always working my hardest to make us better,” Wolford said. “We’ve been motivated and put in a lot of effort to not let that happen again (finish second in the league). I’m excited to see all of us (G-MAC schools) face up against each other again.”