Buffalo Bulls Women's Basketball Preview: Sophomore center Cassie Oursler

After today, it's a week from #31 Cassie Oursler to #24 Karin Moss, and then things will really pick up in the Women's countdown.

The Basics

Number: 31
Year: Sophomore (? See below)
Position: Center
Hometown: Grand Island, NY
Height: 6-3

New Girl?

Kind of. (Transferred midseason from Robert Morris)

Before UB

Cassie transferred to UB midway through last year following a strong freshman season at Robert Morris, where her accomplishments as a freshman are impressive: 7.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks a game while shooting just a hair under 50% from the floor. She was named to the NEC All-Rookie Team and helped lead the Colonials to the NCAA Tournament.

Prior to Robert Morris, she's a former WNY Player of the Year at Grand Island.

Further Reading and Viewing:

Oursler back in local spotlight

Women's Basketball welcomes Stephanie Reid, Courtney Wilkins, Cassie Oursler

2015-16 Outlook

First things first: Oursler is listed as a sophomore. I'm not so sure. I'll quote myself from an April post:

Oursler transferred to UB from Robert Morris between semesters in 2014-15 and as a result has funny things going on with her eligibility. The rules are much easier to grasp when players transfer in the offseason. I pestered the always-helpful UB Compliance Office today and got clarification on three points:

• Cassie must sit out both Spring 2015 and Fall 2015, so she won't be eligible until next January.
• Of four seasons in which any athlete can compete, Oursler has used two (she played for RMU twice last fall).
• Of five years in which any athlete has to play four seasons, Oursler has used two.

My (possibly wrong) understanding is that if Oursler plays as soon as she's eligible this spring, that's another season and another year, leaving just a full senior year left, but if she sat out another year, she would have two of her five years and two of her four seasons remaining.

That situation would be functionally equivalent to Cassie formalizing her transfer today after a full season with Robert Morris and would maximize her time with UB, but I don't expect that to happen, as frustrating as the alternative is. Players want to play, and should play.

If she's used up two years of playing (freshman year at RMU and two games last year at RMU), she only has two left, so I'm not sure how she can be a sophomore. As I said in April, I could always be wrong, but this is my understanding of the situation after bugging Compliance back then.

Long-term status aside, she's not available for UB until the fall semester ends this year. On top of graduation, the Bulls also lost Alexus Malone from the frontcourt, and suddenly Cassie's the most experienced forward on the roster. I expect her in the starting lineup as soon as she's eligible.