AGGIE GUARDS     AGGIE FORWARDS AND CENTERS

One would aspect a 24-year coaching veteran like North Carolina A&T women’s basketball coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs to have memories and memories of memorabilia in her office. One would be incorrect.

Instead, there is numerous memorabilia signifying what was a tremendous 2007-08 season for the Aggies. It is obvious that the Aggies superb season from a year ago is not missed on Bibbs.

Behind her desk to the left sits a wooden drawer. On that drawer sits a gold trophy given to her by the Aggie Club for winning her 400^th win. Next to the trophy is a picture of her holding balloons with 400 stamped on them as she was being honored before an Aggies home game.

In front of the trophy and pictures are cards congratulating her on a great season or win No. 400. In front of the drawer, lays a laminated poster board with newspaper clippings from the 2007-2008 season glued to the board. To the left of the drawer, is another laminated poster board with clips about her 400^th win glued to it as well.

“It was such a great year,’’ said Bibbs, who saw her team break the school record for wins with a 25-8 record. In the process she won her 400^th career game and was named MEAC Coach of the Year. The Aggies also won the MEAC regular-season with a 15-1 record.

“My first year at A&T, we won nine games,’’ Bibbs continued. “Last year, we were the regular-season champions of our league. Keep in mind, we weren’t picked to win the regular-season. It was an unbelievable year.”

Indeed, the most recognizable collection in Bibbs’ office sits on her desk in the form of the MEAC regular-season trophy. But not as recognizable is a CD that sits close to her television. It is the video from 2008 MEAC tournament championship game the Aggies lost to Coppin State by two points. While the 2007-08 season was one of her proudest seasons, it also not missed on her what happened to the Aggies in the MEAC Tournament.

“The ladies need to realize the season starts over once the tournament starts,’’ said Bibbs. “They should be pleased with what they accomplished last year, but not satisfied. When you come up short like we did last year people automatically want to talk about unfinished business.

So much has happened to this program over the last few years, I feel like we’ve taken care of a lot of business. Sometimes you have to hurt before you realize what you need to do to get better. I know they realize what they need to do because I see the work ethic.”

The Aggies are picked to win the MEAC in 2008-09. They return all five starters, including senior star guard Amber Bland, the 2008-09 preseason MEAC Player of the Year and a three-year starter. Ta’Wuana “Tweet” Cook, a two-time all-conference performer and a former MEAC Rookie of the Year, heads into her third season as the Aggies starting point guard.

Junior power forward Lamona Smalley, who would have likely been MEAC tournament MVP had the Aggies won, is back for her third season as a starter. Senior Brittanie Taylor-James, another two-time all-conference performer, has been a part-time starter over the last three seasons.

Then there is sophomore Jaleesa Sams. She was a member of the MEAC All-Rookie team last season and was a starter most of the season. In fact, the Aggies lost just one senior last season and will welcome an impressive recruiting class that includes to top 100 blue chippers. Therefore, the expectations for the Aggies will be tremendous.

“We are not going to put a lot of pressure on ourselves,’’ said Bibbs, who is 51-40 as the Aggies head coach. “If you enjoy what you are doing, if you’re working hard and you’re doing the right things, the expectations will take care of themselves and the wins will come.”

The wins came in bunches a year ago on the back of a powerful offense that was sparked by opponents’ turnovers. The Aggies led the MEAC in scoring margin, field goal percentage, assists, 3-point percentage defense, assists-to-turnover ration and steals. In fact, the Aggies ranked second in the nation in steals. In addition, the Aggies broke school records in wins, conference wins, points scored, points per game, assists, steals, scoring margin, field goals made, free throws made and rebounds.

What bothered Bibbs about last season was her team’s execution on defense. Yes, they put up some impressive defensive numbers, but they were based on the fact that teams made mistakes even when the Aggies were out of position defensively. Once the tournament started, teams began making the Aggies pay for those mistakes.

Last season, they ranked just seventh in the conference. “We love to score,’’ said Bibbs. But we have to get our hands on the ball to score. We call ourselves a defensive team, but we’re not. Not where I would like us to be. We don’t go through things in practice just to be going through things. We have to retain things from practice to the game. This is a veteran team. When you’re a veteran team, you have to play like a veteran team.”

Another improvement that might advance the Aggies to the NCAA tournament is good free throw shooting. Bibbs hopes her veteran team can recognize the accomplishments of last year, while moving forward to what needs to be done this year. As the Aggies begin to put a memorable 2007-08 season behind them, there some things that are not tangible items in her office that she can take with her.

“What sticks out the most last year is that people recognized what we were accomplishing on the court,’’ said Bibbs. “When our ladies walked around campus with a Lady Aggies t-shirt, they had people coming up to them saying, ‘You guys are doing such a great job.’

It is gratifying when people recognize how far we’ve come. We have some happy Aggies. That’s the most enjoyable thing.”