LIVINGSTON, Ala. -- Both University of West Alabama basketball programs began pre-season practice on Wednesday, Oct. 15 in preparation for the 2008-2009 season.

The UWA women’s basketball team eyes its 15th trip to the Gulf South Conference Basketball Tournament and a seventh under Head Coach Amanda Marks.

UWA returns four letterwinners from last year’s team that went 13-15 overall and 8-5 in the GSC East Division. Seniors Danielle Baldwin, Valerie Harris and Omeshia Frost along with junior Jenni Thomley are joined by seven newcomers. Jessie Clark, Kiara Parker, Erin Courington, Keira Middleton, Courtney McDonald, Tara Grayson and Melissa Little will begin their collegiate careers this season.

“I think we should be very talented, but we are going to be young and inexperienced this season,” said Marks. “I feel that if we develop chemistry early on, we could win some games.”

Harris, a Lake, Miss.-native, returns as the Tigers leading scorer and rebounder. Last season, Harris averaged 10 points and just fewer than five rebounds per game.

UWA opens the season on Saturday, Nov. 15 at Auburn Montgomery. Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m.  The Tigers host Delta State on Tuesday, Nov. 25 in their home opener.

On the men’s side, second-year head coach Eddie McCarter returns five players from last season’s 10-17 squad.  A host of new faces will don the Red and White, including nine junior college transfers.  McCarter brought Phillip Shumpert onboard as assistant coach.  Shumpert joins the UWA hoops program after serving as assistant coach at Lawson State Community College in Birmingham, Ala.  Senior Brian Murphy led the Tigers in scoring among the five returning players, averaging 9.4 points per contest. 

“We are very excited about starting pre-season practices.” Said head coach Eddie McCarter.  “I think we have a very talented group of men that want to get better everyday.  “One of the main things that will be stressed in the pre-season is getting the right people in position to be successful.  We have a lot of talent on the team; we just need to come together as a cohesive unit.”

The Tigers open the regular season against a long time rival Jacksonville State on Tuesday, Nov. 18 in Jacksonville, Ala.  UWA opens the 11-game home schedule on Wednesday, Nov. 19 against Huntingdon.