2012-13 Big Sky Conference Basketball Countdown: Northern Arizona

The 2011-12 basketball season was one to forget down in Flagstaff.  Both Northern Arizona men's & women's basketball squads struggled for much of their seasons, with the women's team finishing 9-20 (4-12 in conference) while the men's team recorded a 5-24 record (1-15 in conference).  But things should be looking up for both squads, as they both hired new head coaches in the offseason.

WBB: Let's start with the women's basketball team.  Under former coach Laurie Kelly, the program made six conference tournament appearances and earned a trip to the big dance in 2006 during her nine-year tenure in Flagstaff.  Now, former Air Force head coach Sue Darling is in charge, after she had previously served as an assistant at Arizona.  The squad she inherits from Kelly includes four seniors, one of whom is guard Amy Patton (pictured above).  Patton led the Lumberjacks in both scoring (14.6 PPG) and rebounding (6.5 RPG).  Other key players back for the Lumberjacks include junior Amanda Frost, who finished second in scoring with 8.6 PPG, and junior center Shay May, who was second in rebounds (5.4 RPG).

VERDICT: Last year's team endured a nine-game losing streak in the middle of the season, which dropped the 'Jacks to an 0-6 start in conference play.  It depends on how this year's team will respond to coach Darling's up-tempo offensive style that was used in Tuscon, and they can pick it up well, they might knock on the conference tournament door.

MBB: The 2011-12 season was a train wreck for the Lumberjacks men's basketball team.  The wheels began to fall off when head coach Mike Adras abruptly resigned just nine games into the season amid an investigation by the school and the NCAA.  Former women's head coach Dave Brown took over from there, and after going 3-1 in his first four games in charge, the Lumberjacks plummeted from there as they lost their final 15 games.  Now, Jack Murphy is the man in charge of the Lumberjacks program, coming to Flagstaff after serving as an assistant coach at Memphis.  He's got a huge rebuilding effort ahead, especially with a roster with six seniors.  One of those six seniors is Gabe Rogers (pictured above), who is the team's top returning scorer at 10.2 PPG.  The top returning rebounder back this season is sophomore forward Gaellan Bewernick, who averaged 5.1 RPG, as well as leading the team in field goal percentage, making 59.1 percent of his shots.

VERDICT: The Lumberjacks were picked by both the coaches and the media to finish the season dead last.  But preseason polls won't matter at season's end.  Still, I'm not expecting the Lumberjacks to make the conference tournament this season, but the program should be headed in a more positive direction in the years ahead under coach Murphy.

UP NEXT: Weber State

Photo credits: Northern Arizona athletics