The University of Mississippi Athletics
Sisk Embraces Role of Hometown Hero
1/9/2015 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 9, 2015
By Austin Miller, OleMissSports.com
OXFORD, Miss. - One of seven newcomers on this year's Ole Miss team, sophomore guard Erika Sisk was not an unfamiliar face to the Oxford community when she made her much-anticipated debut, and she has proved to be a difference-maker for her new team this season.
"I'm very thankful that she's a part of this program," head coach Matt Insell said. "I wish I had her last year with us. She's a difference-maker defensively, and she's becoming a go-to player for us offensively. She's a player, when she plays well, we play well. "
The Oxford, Mississippi, native led Oxford High School to a 33-0 undefeated season and a state title in 2012, before playing her freshman season at Murray State, where she earned Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year honors and earned OVC Freshman of the Week accolades a record nine times.
Sisk missed her family and friends and wanted to come back home. And her soon-to-be head coach and hometown welcomed her back with open arms.
"Coach Matt encouraged me," Sisk said. "He never got down on me. He told me when I got back, everything was going to be OK. He said he watched me at Murray State. He told he would me every day to get better and help me accomplish my dreams. That's what I needed."
Her decision to transfer meant she had to sit out the 2013-14 season due to transfer rules. She competed for the Ole Miss track team, while the women's basketball team went 12-20 in their first year under Insell.
"It was dreadful," said Sisk of sitting out the season. "Every day, I wish I was playing basketball. Every day, I wish I was practicing. As soon as that morning when I got back from SEC Track Championships, I was back in the gym, lifting weights and everything. Coach Matt encouraged me and helped me get back to where I was and then get better from where I was."
The most experienced guard in a young backcourt that also includes two freshmen in A'Queen Hayes and Shandricka Sessom, Sisk has started every game for the Rebels this season, making a difference on both ends of the court and providing valuable leadership for the Rebels.
Through 16 games, she ranks second on the team in scoring (9.5 points per game) and leads the team and ranks second in the Southeastern Conference in steals (2.75/game). She has also helped the Rebels lead the league in steals (13.1/game) and rank fifth in turnover margin (+5.8/game) this season.
"She's somebody that has to be a leader for us," Insell said. "She's playing with a lot of young guards back there with her. She's had a year of college experience, but she also took a year off, so it's taken her a little time to get the rust off. Every day, I see her improving and the rust coming off. She's taken a big leadership role and that's been a big difference with our team."
What has made Sisk successful, Insell said, is not only her athleticism, but also her work ethic and winning mentality. Her work on the defensive end are where all those strengths meet on the basketball court.
"I love defense," Sisk said. "I'm going to guard you, and I'm going to make it tough on you to score. If I don't do anything else, I make sure I defend for my team. We're going to score offensively, so we're going to need stops."
Insell said Sisk is the fastest player he has ever coached and has the potential to be the best defensive player he will have ever coached, and it starts with her mindset on that end of the court.
"Erika saw that was an area where she could be successful for our team," Insell said. "I talk a lot about her defense, but offensively, she's really good, too. Defensively, she knows that's where she can make a difference with our basketball team. If she will play hard-nosed defense and will cause havoc defensively, we have a chance to be really successful. She's taken ownership of that.
"She has said she will be the defensive stopper, be the point of the defense and make people work bringing the basketball up the court. To win on the road, you have to be sound defensively. That's why I feel like we have a chance to be successful this year in a lot of games, especially on the road, because you have someone like that leading you at the top of your defense."
With Thursday's win at Florida, Sisk and the Rebels have already matched last year's win total, and while league play has only just started, they remain in the conversation for the NCAA Tournament, which would be the program's first appearance since 2007. And it starts with Sisk, whom her teammates have nicknamed the Mayor of Oxford, who has also embraced the role of hometown hero.
"It's something that she cherished and something she cares about," Insell said. "She wants to see her school, the school she grew up supporting, get back to the NCAA Tournament. She wants to do it while she's here, and she wants to be a major part of it. She wants to do it this year."
Austin Miller is a writer and blogger for OleMissSports.com. He joined the staff in June 2013 after serving as sports editor of the Daily Mississippian. Follow him on Twitter @austinkmiller.
OXFORD, Miss. - One of seven newcomers on this year's Ole Miss team, sophomore guard Erika Sisk was not an unfamiliar face to the Oxford community when she made her much-anticipated debut, and she has proved to be a difference-maker for her new team this season.
"I'm very thankful that she's a part of this program," head coach Matt Insell said. "I wish I had her last year with us. She's a difference-maker defensively, and she's becoming a go-to player for us offensively. She's a player, when she plays well, we play well. "
The Oxford, Mississippi, native led Oxford High School to a 33-0 undefeated season and a state title in 2012, before playing her freshman season at Murray State, where she earned Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year honors and earned OVC Freshman of the Week accolades a record nine times.
Sisk missed her family and friends and wanted to come back home. And her soon-to-be head coach and hometown welcomed her back with open arms.
"Coach Matt encouraged me," Sisk said. "He never got down on me. He told me when I got back, everything was going to be OK. He said he watched me at Murray State. He told he would me every day to get better and help me accomplish my dreams. That's what I needed."
Her decision to transfer meant she had to sit out the 2013-14 season due to transfer rules. She competed for the Ole Miss track team, while the women's basketball team went 12-20 in their first year under Insell.
"It was dreadful," said Sisk of sitting out the season. "Every day, I wish I was playing basketball. Every day, I wish I was practicing. As soon as that morning when I got back from SEC Track Championships, I was back in the gym, lifting weights and everything. Coach Matt encouraged me and helped me get back to where I was and then get better from where I was."
The most experienced guard in a young backcourt that also includes two freshmen in A'Queen Hayes and Shandricka Sessom, Sisk has started every game for the Rebels this season, making a difference on both ends of the court and providing valuable leadership for the Rebels.
Through 16 games, she ranks second on the team in scoring (9.5 points per game) and leads the team and ranks second in the Southeastern Conference in steals (2.75/game). She has also helped the Rebels lead the league in steals (13.1/game) and rank fifth in turnover margin (+5.8/game) this season.
"She's somebody that has to be a leader for us," Insell said. "She's playing with a lot of young guards back there with her. She's had a year of college experience, but she also took a year off, so it's taken her a little time to get the rust off. Every day, I see her improving and the rust coming off. She's taken a big leadership role and that's been a big difference with our team."
What has made Sisk successful, Insell said, is not only her athleticism, but also her work ethic and winning mentality. Her work on the defensive end are where all those strengths meet on the basketball court.
"I love defense," Sisk said. "I'm going to guard you, and I'm going to make it tough on you to score. If I don't do anything else, I make sure I defend for my team. We're going to score offensively, so we're going to need stops."
Insell said Sisk is the fastest player he has ever coached and has the potential to be the best defensive player he will have ever coached, and it starts with her mindset on that end of the court.
"Erika saw that was an area where she could be successful for our team," Insell said. "I talk a lot about her defense, but offensively, she's really good, too. Defensively, she knows that's where she can make a difference with our basketball team. If she will play hard-nosed defense and will cause havoc defensively, we have a chance to be really successful. She's taken ownership of that.
"She has said she will be the defensive stopper, be the point of the defense and make people work bringing the basketball up the court. To win on the road, you have to be sound defensively. That's why I feel like we have a chance to be successful this year in a lot of games, especially on the road, because you have someone like that leading you at the top of your defense."
With Thursday's win at Florida, Sisk and the Rebels have already matched last year's win total, and while league play has only just started, they remain in the conversation for the NCAA Tournament, which would be the program's first appearance since 2007. And it starts with Sisk, whom her teammates have nicknamed the Mayor of Oxford, who has also embraced the role of hometown hero.
"It's something that she cherished and something she cares about," Insell said. "She wants to see her school, the school she grew up supporting, get back to the NCAA Tournament. She wants to do it while she's here, and she wants to be a major part of it. She wants to do it this year."
Austin Miller is a writer and blogger for OleMissSports.com. He joined the staff in June 2013 after serving as sports editor of the Daily Mississippian. Follow him on Twitter @austinkmiller.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballPRESSER | Yolett McPhee-McCuin (04-27-26)
Monday, April 27
PRESSER | Women's Basketball - Postgame vs. Minnesota (03-22-26)
Sunday, March 22
CONDENSED GAME | Ole Miss vs Minnesota - NCAA Tournament 2nd Round (03-22-26)
Sunday, March 22
PRESSER | Yolett McPhee-McCuin - NCAA Tournament Round 2 Preview (03-21-26)
Saturday, March 21