McMurry University's women's basketball team will have many new looks as it prepares to officially open the 2014-15 season on Saturday afternoon at home versus Texas A&M University-Commerce. Tipoff at Kimbrell Arena is set for 3 p.m.
 
The first – and perhaps most obvious – "new" aspect of the team will be the coaching staff, where the War Hawks will be under the guidance of interim head coach William Milton.
 
After Veronica Snow stepped down as head coach at the end of July - after going 3-23 last season – it was Milton who was tabbed to fill the coaching breach left by the late departure. Milton had served as the War Hawks' assistant coach under Snow in 2013-14.
 
Also new to the Maroon & White is interim assistant coach Ortega McDavid.
 
With just three returning players from last year's 3-23 team - Katlyn Tarbet, Taylor Russell and Adijatu Disu – Milton will be relying heavily on the 10 new faces that dot this year's roster.

"Our team's way different than it was last year size wise," Milton said. "But I think – across the board- we are much more talented. We're a little bit more athletic than we were last year, but we're much, much younger…which can play in our favor – and against us – at the same time.
 
"We are taller in the guard spots and the forward spots and we've replaced the people who left fairly well; just younger."
  
Of the returning players, Tarbet is in her fourth seasons with the War Hawks and Russell in her third. Disu was a junior transfer last year.  In 2013-14, Tarbet appeared in 19 games off of the McM bench and averaged better than 10 minutes per appearance.
 
Russell – who started 17 of 25 games played – has gained a reputation as a "blue collar" player, not unlike Kurt Rambis of the "Showtime" Los Angeles Lakers teams of the 1980s. Russell averaged 2.8 points and 4.6 rebounds (second on the team) during her 15.3 minutes of work per game as a sophomore, gaining a reputation for her hustle and work ethic that goes beyond statistics alone.
 
Disu, in her first season as a War Hawk, averaged 4.5 points and 3.5 boards per game primarily off of the McM bench (she did make four starts). Disu shot better than 36 percent (40-110) from the floor I 2013-14, after coming to McM from NCAA Division I Texas Southern University.
 
Among Milton's crop of newcomers are seven players who will be getting their first taste of collegiate competition: Ashley Hesseltine (5-7, Sr., G, Sinton, Texas); Tori Reyes (5-6, Fr., G, Plains, Texas); Haley Welch (5-6, So. G, Plains, Texas); Payton Billue (5-6, Fr., G, Santo, Texas); Erin Snider (5-7, Fr., G, George West, Texas); Arielle Bermudez (5-8, Fr., F, Houston, Texas), and; Kessha Bracy (5-8, Fr., G, Dallas, Texas).
 
Additionally, a trio of transfers will also bolster the McMurry lineup. The group includes Tayler Boroson (5-7, Jr., G, Bountiful, Utah/Iowa Lakes C.C.), Mishae Roper (5-11, So., F/C, Akron, Ohio/Dakota College at Bottineau) and Taylor Neal (5-10, So., G/F, Brady, Texas/Hendrix College).
 
It was Neal who had a big game for McMurry in its 69-43 exhibition game loss to NCAA I University of Texas-San Antonio back on November 1. Neal had a game-high 17 points, hitting 8-of-11 from the field.
 
In that exhibition contest at UTSA, Billue added seven points, while Bracy and Russell had six points, apiece. Russell grabbed seven rebounds to top McM's team in that category, while Roper roped in five caroms.
 
Milton also inherited a very challenging schedule for his War Hawks, transitioning back to NCAA III status. Among this year's games are 12 versus NCAA II teams and two NCAA Division I foes. The team will play five games in Colorado on two separate road swings.
 
"The excitement level is huge," Milton explained in preparing his team for battle in 2014-15. "But it's very focused on my part. With us being as young as we are, it's hard to keep the focus of the newcomers and try to veer away from the past seasons and really just keep a positive attitude.
 
"The 'three Ps's' I always talk about are: stay positive; stay in the present, and; take care of our process."