MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama women’s basketball team will welcome four newcomers to its lineup for the 2010-11 season. Over the course of the summer, usajaguars.com has sat down with the incoming players so that fans have had an opportunity to get to know each of them off the court. The final student-athlete in the four-part series is Mansa El, a 5-9 guard from Tallahassee Community College in Tallahassee, Fla. El was one of three players to sign with the Jaguar women during the spring signing period.
While at TCC, El helped the Lady Eagles finish the season with a 20-9 record and advance to championship game of the FCCAA/NJCAA Region VIII tournament, falling to eventual national champion Gulf Coast CC. TCC also finished the year ranked 12th in the nation in the final NJCAA poll. In her only season at TCC, El led the Lady Eagles in scoring with 13.5 points per outing and hit a team-best 52 three-pointers. She also had a team-high 68 assists, 30 steals and shot 77.3 percent at the free throw line, connecting on 102 of her 132 of her attempts at the stripe.
The Houston, Texas native is already familiar with the Sun Belt Conference, as she played her freshman season at North Texas. During that season, El averaged 6.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg and became the only true freshman in school history to start 29 games for the Mean Green. She also hit 35.8 percent of her attempts from long range. Prior to her arrival at UNT, El helped lead Cy-Fair High School to its first-ever state championship, capturing the Class 5A title as a senior. That same year, Cy-Fair ended the season ranked fifth nationally by espn.com.
Where were you born and where else have you lived growing up?
“I was born in Philadelphia, Pa., but I have also lived in Maryland and Texas. I moved to Maryland when I was about eight and we lived there until the end of my freshman year of high school. Then we moved to Texas before my sophomore year and we have lived there ever since.”
What other schools did you have offers from or recruited you?
“From the Sun Belt, I was recruited by Troy, Western Kentucky, and Louisiana-Lafayette and then out of the Sun Belt, it was Providence, Rhode Island and George Washington among others.”
Why did you choose South Alabama?
“I chose South Alabama because of the people. (The environment) felt good and I have known the coaches for a while now. It was a hard choice (to decide on where to transfer), but ultimately it came down to the relationships I had developed with the coaches and the players.”
What are you majoring in at South Alabama?
“I am going to major in graphic design. I like the digital aspect of creating something.”
What are your goals for the upcoming season – both individually and for the team?
“I would really like for us to win the conference title and go play in the NCAA tournament. I think that it is really possible because of the roster that we have. Even though I missed a year (playing in the Sun Belt) I know the competition level of the league. I just want to make an impact anyway I can. That’s what I like to do and hopefully I can continue doing that.”
What do you believe to be a strength to your game?
“I feel that my basketball IQ helps me a lot. (As a player) I think a lot differently about the game than most players. I watched the Sun Belt tournament this past season on TV in Tallahassee. The level that I played at as a freshman and even last year in junior college is completely different. I picked up a lot of different things and the ability to see different players’ weaknesses and teams’ weaknesses.”
What about coach Pietri’s coaching style attracted you to South Alabama?
“It was more his personality that drew me to South Alabama. My freshman year (at North Texas) we only played South Alabama once, so I didn’t get too familiar with him or the offense other than the time we played against it. It was more of how he carried himself and his team that I noticed. The players really seem to like him and play well for him. He seems like a very strategic type of coach.”
How do you feel your time at North Texas and in junior college has helped you mature as either a player or as a person?
“I think the different settings have helped me. As a freshman, I had my older sister there on the team with me and helping me. She was a junior so I wasn’t really on my own, but at the same time, I was also close to home. Playing with a bunch of seniors that season really made me rise up as a player and work on the mental aspect of the game. Last season at Tallahassee, it was different and a little bit of a challenge. My team was younger and that was interesting. The living situation is also different. Instead of living in a dorm room with just one other person, we lived in a house together and that made you grow up also. I was on my own far away from home for that year. I feel (that experience) helped me, because I have seen what I can do on my own and I think I do a lot better on my own.”
What size family do you come from?
“I come from a big family. I have three brothers and two sisters.”
Who would you say has had the biggest impact on your life, either as a person or as a player?
“I would say my mom. She played basketball in college at Norfolk State and she didn’t want to go into the WNBA when it was created, so she turned them down. She has always been really determined. She had her own business for awhile, but then she decided that she wanted to pursue other things. Now, she is a high school referee and she is working on becoming a college referee.”
“She is a really strong person and has always been there for me. I just really look up to her.”
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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