2010-11 Razorback Preview - The Sophomores
The sophomore class returns three players from a year ago and welcomes the addition of a transfer.
Quistelle Williams and Sarah Watkins lead the class and both players had a taste of success last year.
Williams played in 26 games and averaged 4.3 ppg and 3.8 rpg in her first season. She had 13 points and 11 rebounds – her first career double-double leading Arkansas to a school-record 18-point comeback at South Carolina and earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors for her efforts.
"Quistelle showed flashes last year as a freshman as to what she can become," said Collen. "You have to remember she sat out an entire year without playing competitive basketball and I think that showed up at times. When she did play well, we were a better team. She was very instrumental in our three-game SEC road winning streak.
"’Q’ has a soft touch from the three-point line but needs to be more consistent, Collen continued. "She is a fearless rebounder despite being a little undersized in the post – she doesn’t back down from anyone. She also has a knack for making the spectacular play either with a pass or scoring around the basket. Every post player on our roster must have a good year for us to be successful and Quistelle is a player we are counting on."
Watkins averaged 5.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg and 20.6 minutes per game in 2009-10. She had three games in double-figures to start the season but a recurring back injury slowed her at times. Watkins led the team in blocks with 40 as a freshman and just missed the single game record with five against Coppin State.
"There is no player on our roster more talented than Sarah Watkins," Collen said. "She has great size and strength, a soft touch and good shooting range. There were times last year when she looked like the SEC Freshman of The Year.
"She fought through several medical problems that persisted most of the year," Collen continued. "That tells me she is tough enough to play through pain which all great players do. She needs to be a focal point for us in the paint this year and I think she wants to show our fans and teammates that she can carry some of the load."
Robinson is a solid three-point shooter and has the ability to score off the broken play. She will redshirt this year as will transfer Kelsey Hatcher.
"We are really going to miss Dominique this season," said Collen. She has developed into our best on ball defender. She is just a tough-minded player that believes in herself and that’s important to any team.
"I think her performance in our first round SEC tournament game says a lot about what kind of a player she will be for us in the future," Collen added. "Hopefully she will recover quickly from her surgery and be back working out with us in the spring. It will be a bonus to get her back next season and have her for three more years. It will be like signing another great recruit in this class."
Hatcher returns to her home state after stops at Oklahoma State and Southern Methodist.
"I’m really happy that Kelsey has joined our program," Collen said. "We tried to sign her in our first recruiting class and she simply got away. She has stepped right into our practice setting and picked up things pretty quickly. She is a great shooter but also possesses the right kind of offensive skills to run our offense effectively. I really like her size for a guard as well. I wish we had her this year, but I’m sure it will be worth the wait."
