ARTICLE BY CHRIS AMAYA: ODESSA AMERICAN SPORTS

After Franqua Bedell was hired to lead the Odessa College women's basketball team in July 2020, he had a little extra time to put together a roster for his first season with the program.

That's because women's basketball was furloughed for the 2020-21 season at Odessa College due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the school's search for a new leader after former coach Ara Baten was hired at South Plains College.

Bedell was able to put together a roster of 14 freshmen that will have their first chance to show what they can do at the collegiate level against Monroe College at 6 p.m. Thursday at the OC Sports Center.

The head coach said Tuesday it was the first time in two weeks he's been able to have most of his team practice together because of early injury issues.

Because the group is so young, it doesn't have anyone with prolonged playing experience at the NJCAA level and that means the players will need to mature at a fast pace to stand out against their competition over the 2021-22 campaign.

"They're all freshmen, so they're really learning what college looks like. Classes, the demand, the expectation," Bedell said. "Being here in Odessa is tradition and there's an expectation that the community and the college has because of the tradition.

"I'm trying to teach the freshmen what that looks like and feels like, so if they are able to grasp that and that maturation process happens quickly I think we have a chance. If it doesn't, then we're going to struggle a little bit because they don't have anyone to lead them that has been through it before so that's the biggest thing that we're trying to teach them right now."

Seven of the team's newcomers are representing countries from abroad, including Spain, China, Canada, Suriname, Senegal and Uruguay.

Players like Ornella Niankan, Taya Davis, Nahawa Diarra Berthe, Marchelle Bowden and Chloe Dallas have stepped up during practices to become more vocal leaders through the team's bonding phase.

"We have some that are truly trying to find their way, but if they keep searching they're going to find it and they're going to help us be better." Bedell said.

Niankan said it has been a tough transition to start for her and her teammates but the way Bedell and assistant coach Marija Pacar have been pushing the group is helping them grasp more of the concepts they need to learn.

She is actively looking to become a stronger leader for the young core of players as their first season at Odessa College gets underway.

"That's really what Coach got me here for," Niankan said. "Me and [Davis], we're trying to push everybody else to be the best version of themselves and I think it's going to work.

"It's the beginning of the year, for now we're not like where we want to be yet but I give us two months and we're going to be really good."

In two months, the Lady Wranglers will be closing out their nonconference slate of games and switching their focus over to Western Junior College Athletic Conference play.

Before Bedell was hired to take over the program, it had made the NJCAA National Tournament four consecutive seasons.

His expectations are no different from those set by Odessa College through its existence.

"My personal expectations year in and year out are to compete for a national championship," he said. "When you're playing for a national championship, all those things you're fighting for as far as a conference championship are important, but also developing our student athletes to go move on to the next level, mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically in all those aspects as well."

Odessa College athletic director Wayne Baker is ready to see the women's basketball program get things up and running after the year away, adding that he's excited to see what Bedell can do with his group of players.

"To have a well-rounded collegiate athletic program, you need to have both the men and women's (basketball) programs," Baker said. "So it's awesome to get started again, we never really quit. We furloughed for a little bit, got our coach and we had some scholarship girls last year we just didn't play any games.

"It's great to see us back out there and when we get to conference have two games."