Click HERE to watch Head Coach Bobby Cope preview his 2014-15 newcomers.

CLAREMORE, Okla. - As the Rogers State women's basketball program starts a new chapter under first-year head coach Bobby Cope, it will do so with six fresh faces added to the mix.  
 
"There is a lot of new to the program," Cope said after five years as an assistant coach. "There is still a lot of learning to do and a lot of changes to be made. We are still building our program and we are still building the tradition of Hillcat basketball. We are excited about our incoming players for this year. We've got four transfer players coming from NCAA Division I, four-year schools, and junior colleges as well as two freshmen."
 
The Hillcats welcome a local name back to the area as former Daniel Webster High School standout Jordan Evans transfers to RSU for her junior season after playing 42 games over two seasons at UMKC. Evans was named Most Improved Player for the Kangaroos in 2013-14 after averaging four points and five rebounds per game while leading the team in blocked shots.
 
"Jordan, played locally in Tulsa, and then went on to play at UMKC for the last two years. She is transferring in as a 6-2 post. She is going to definitely give us some height and defensive stopping ability on the inside," Cope added.
 
Two more players come to the Hill with collegiate experience from the junior college ranks as Amari Jones and Jalissa Felici transfer in from Blinn College and Des Moines Area Community College, respectively.
 
Jones, another Tulsa, Oklahoma native, returns closer to home joining the Hillcats following two seasons with the Buccaneers where she helped the team to a quarterfinal appearance at the NJCAA National Championships. She saw action in 52 games while starting 26 at Blinn averaging 6.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game as a sophomore.
 
"Amari had two very successful seasons at a very, very good JUCO program down in Texas at Blinn College. She is going to provide a lot of help inside as well, defensively and offensively," Cope said.
 
A second-team all-region selection a season ago at DMACC, Felici started all 32 games for the Bears in 2013-14 scoring 11.2 points per game, including a season-best 23. In her first collegiate season, she earned third-team all-region accolades and was an academic all-region honoree both years.
 
"Jalissa is already coming in with over 100 career made three's at the college level so definitely looking for her to knock down some shots and be a threat to score from the outside and just be solid all around," Cope added.
 
Taylor Koelsch joins the Hillcats after spending one year at St. Gregory's where she averaged double-figure scoring at 10.3 points per game. A former Owasso High School standout, she recorded four double-doubles while starting 26 of 28 games with the Cavaliers last season.
 
"Taylor had a very solid freshman year in the Sooner Athletic Conference," Cope said. "We hope that progresses over into the Heartland Conference as well and she is able to produce for us. She will play a bit inside and out, knock down some three's, and possibly post up smaller players when she gets the opportunity."
 
RSU also adds two players jumping to the collegiate scene straight from high school as Madison Dearmin and Kelsy Byrd remain in the state of Oklahoma coming from Balko and Ketchum, respectively.
 
Dearmin had a four-year career at Balko High School helping the Lady Bison to four district championships and two regional titles. As a senior, she was named OGBCA All-State, an OCA All-Star, and class valedictorian.
 
Byrd had similar success for the Lady Warriors of Ketchum High School winning four district titles as a four-year letter winner. She earned all-state honors a year ago reaching the Oklahoma Class 2A state quarterfinals and averaged double-figure scoring all four years.
 
"Madison is just blue-collar through and through. She is going to work hard and not afraid to step out and shoot. She also is not afraid to bang on the inside and go up against bigger and stronger players," Cope stated. "Kelsy, a lefty; you give her an open three in the corner and she is going to knock it down. She is continuing to learn and adjust to the speed and strength of the college game. We look for good things out of Kelsy and Madison both."
 
Coach Cope and the Hillcats face a demanding 26-game schedule squaring off against several regional rivals. RSU will play 14 of its contests in front of a home crowd at the Claremore Expo Center where it has a .663 winning percentage during its seven-year history.
 
"We have one of the tougher non-conference schedules that we've had here at Rogers State," Cope said. "We've filled it with a lot of solid NCAA Division II teams. We'll go and play at Texas A&M-Commerce, we'll play up at Northwest Missouri, for two very challenging road games. Then we do have a share of Division II home games for this year, luckily. We've got Northeastern State coming in. A lot of people in the area are really looking forward to that game. It's a potential rivalry being an hour apart. We go up head-to-head in a lot of recruiting battles, so it'll be good to get out there and test ourselves against a really good top twenty-five Division II team."
 
The eight non-conference games will give RSU a chance to get ready for the challenges of its second year in the Heartland Conference as a relative newcomer to the 10-team league. The 18-game conference docket gets underway Dec. 18 when the Hillcats travel to UA Fort Smith for the final game before a two-week winter break.
 
"We definitely learned a lot last year coming into the Heartland Conference," Cope added. "Our conference schedule is basically what we did last year. We are going to play everybody home and away. The Heartland Conference is a bunch of really good programs that are very well coached and programs that have been on the rise the last couple of years."
 
With a new head coach taking over and more than half the roster new to Rogers State, the program gets a chance to shape its future.
 
"Luckily, this year we are all going in the same direction at the same time. We are kind of building this as we go. That makes it easier because I have to ask the returners and the new kids, everybody together, to try to buy into what I want to get out of this program. Hopefully, we can put some w's up on the board as well as develop a team and a program that is going to get the job done in the classroom, and also be good students and kids as they leave this program," Cope concluded.
 
The Hillcats begin the 2014-15 campaign at home Nov. 15 as East Central makes the trip to the Claremore Expo Center. The tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. and can be viewed live on the Hillcat Network, along with all home contests, at www.rsuhillcats.com/live.