By JIm Henry
jhenry@joplinglobe.com
At 6-foot, 1-inch, Nicole McCombs still spends a lot of her time during Pittsburg State's basketball practice looking up.
Looking up at 6-6 Lauren Brown, 6-4 Larissa Richards, 6-3 Aubrey Jones and 6-2 Tesia Danner.
“They definitely are giving me a run for my money,” McCombs said. “I have to work extra hard on my post moves, and hopefully I'm challenging them as well.”
The Gorillas, with McCombs and DePrice Taylor the two starters among 10 veterans off last year's 20-9 team, tip off their three-game exhibition slate at 2 p.m. Sunday at Kansas. Pittsburg State also plays Tuesday night at Nebraska and Nov. 9 at Kansas State before beginning the regular season Nov. 15 at home against Central Oklahoma.
“The biggest benefit of playing the Big 12 North schools is a chance for respect,” Gorillas' third-year head coach Lane Lord said. “We have a great opportunity to show how far we have come as a program at PSU.”
McCombs, a senior who spent two years at Drexel University before transferring to PSU, averaged 15.7 points and 7.2 rebounds last season. And while she is one of the top returning post players in the MIAA, she doesn't believe her second year in the league is any easier.
“As far as basketball-wise, I challenge myself,” she said. “I know what to expect just going through the MIAA ... player personnel, teams, atmosphere. I don't think it's any easier. I feel like last year I came in as sort of a wild horse, and no one really knew me. Now people know me and they know how to stop me, so I think it's going to be a lot tougher to try to counter everyone's scouting reports and still be as productive as I was last year.”
Lord has already seen improvement in McCombs — and not just in her basketball skills.
“Nicole has improved her shooting range from the perimeter as well as her ball handling skills,” Lord said. “We really feel Nicole can be a threat not only underneath the basket but also out on the perimeter. Nicole's biggest improvement has been her maturity as a leader and her focus and attention to detail.”
McCombs, who hit 54 percent from the field last season, was surprised by not only the caliber of play in the MIAA but also the atmosphere at some of the arenas around the league.
“At my previous school, not many people came to the games,” she said, “but at Pitt State we have fans, thousands of fans every night. And the caliber of players was just awesome. Even though I came from Division I to Division II, I feel like I was still playing Division I-caliber athletes.
“Coach Lord when he recruited me, he told me that even though this is Division II, there are a lot of players who will compete with me and who were in sort of the same position that I was. I felt it was an exciting move for me.”
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