There will be some new faces on the benches of both Ball Statebasketball programs this season thanks to some off-seasonhirings.
WOMEN'S TEAM
Stephanie White and Duffy Burns both have many experiences inthe game of basketball, one as a player and the other a coach,respectively.
This knowledge and experience will be conveyed to the women'sbasketball team as the two take over as newly hired assistants.
"There isn't anything as a player Stephanie hasn't been through.She's had so many experiences from a playing standpoint that she'sthe kind of coach a player wants to play for," head coach TracyRoller said.
White was named 1995 Indiana Miss Basketball her senior year atSeeger Memorial High School, where she recorded a state record 886points in a single season.
From there, White excelled at Purdue University, leading theBoilermakers to their first national championship in 1999 whilebeing named national collegiate player of the year.
White was then drafted by the WNBA's Charlotte Sting with the21st pick in the 1999 draft and later traded to her current team,the Indiana Fever, for their inaugural season in 2000.
"I've had a lot of experiences at every level of competition onand off the court, and I think to be able to bring thoseexperiences to this team is going to be an advantage," Whitesaid.
Burns said he feels his knowledge of the game has not regressedin his 23 years of coaching, particularly since his arrival at BallState.
"When you have coached for 23 years you've kind of seen it all,but that doesn't mean I'm not here learning things," Burnssaid.
Burns graduated from Ball State in 1985 and then jumped aroundto six different schools as assistant coach until he settled in ashead coach at Cleveland State from 1995-2003.
"It means everything to me to return here to Ball State," Burnssaid. "To be back here seeing where not only women's basketball is,but women's sports are. It's a great thing to be part of."
Ball State also hired two new administrative assistants inJeanette Gray (Valparaiso '03) and Molly Watson (DePaul '02).
MEN'S TEAM
Howard Moore had a pretty good idea of what Ball Statebasketball was all about before he was hired as assistant coachover the summer.
Moore played basketball for Wisconsin under then-assistant coachTim Buckley, who now serves as current BSU head coach and was alsoa teammate of former Ball State assistant coach Tracy Webster.
"It just seems as if I've known about this place for a longtime," Moore said. "It's been a big help in the transition for mewith Tim being my college coach, he obviously had the bestintentions for me especially in the developmental stages of mycareer."
Moore served as team captain at Wisconsin his senior year andwas awarded Most Improved Player twice.
Buckley is pleased to be back in the same program as Moore, whowill be working with the centers and power forwards which were hispositions at Wisconsin.
"He contributes in a lot of other ways in terms of his knowledgeoffensively and skill development," Buckley said. "He always doesmore than what's required."
Moore feels his closeness in age to the players gives him anadvantage as a coach with the ability to more directly relate tothem.
"I'm not too far removed from these kids. There is always thesituation where they can connect with me, and I can definitelyunderstand where they are coming from," Moore said.
Moore comes from the Bradley University basketball program,where he began as an administrative assistant until being promotedto full-time assistant in 2000.
"He's a very responsible person and a great role model forstudent athletes not only in our program but here at Ball State,"Buckley said.
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