SLIPPERY ROCK — Morrow Field House remains quiet.

It won't be for much longer.

Slippery Rock University's women's basketball team has received the go-ahead to begin practicing Feb. 1 in preparation for the 2021-22 season — since the 2020-21 campaign has already been lost to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We can't wait to get things rolling,” Mars resident and SRU women's head coach Bobby McGraw said. “These girls are chomping at the bit to get the team together on the floor and get that team chemistry going.”

The Rock is coming off an 8-20 season — the worst in McGraw's six-year tenure — and will sport a few new faces. One is Butler graduate Jordan Kauffman, a guard-forward who averaged 10 points and six rebounds per game for the Golden Tornado last year before a torn ACL shortened her senior season.

Kauffman shot 81% at the free throw line as well.

“Us not playing this season may benefit Jordan in the long run,” McGraw said. “She would have been red-shirted this year for certain, so she hasn't lost anything there.

“She's off to a great start here academically, so she's not gonna need that fifth year to get her first degree. Her knee will be healthy next year and she will vie for minutes in her first year with us.”

Kauffman's goal now is to be able to join her teammates on the court come Feb. 1.

“I'm not cleared to play yet, but it's getting better,” she said of her knee. “I can run and shoot. I'm just not cleared for contact yet.

“I'm working toward that Feb. 1 date. I hope so. My first step is getting back into playing shape. That's what I'm working on now.”

The injury was the first of her athletic career.

“To have it happen my senior year really hurt me mentally,” Kauffman said. “After a while, I realized my basketball career wasn't over.

“Once I get my knee healthy and playing the game again, I'll work on playing well in college.”

McGraw has 15 players on the roster right now for 2021-22. Joining Kauffman as freshmen are guard Bella Long (Penn-Trafford) and Isabellah Middleton (Leesburg, Va.). Lindsay Frabotta (New Castle) is a red-shirt freshman.

Current high school seniors joining the SRU program next year are guard-forward Hallie Raabe (Slippery Rock) and forward Kelley McKnight (Villa Maria).

Raabe averaged 8.7 points per game for the Rockets last year and verbally committed to SRU as a sophomore.

“The night I went to see her, she took five charges against Erie,” McGraw said. “She could have been credited with a sixth. And that was on one of the hardest floors I've ever seen. That's the kind of player I want. I love players like that.”

Raabe said she takes pride in taking charges and that defense “is my favorite part of the game.

“Falling to the floor after taking a charge, hearing everybody go crazy ... There is no better feeling,” Raabe added.

McGraw insists that defense will be the staple of his teams moving forward.

“Losing games 82-81, those days are gone,” he said. “I compare Hallie a lot to LeeAnn Gibson when we recruited her out of Karns City.

“I knew LeeAnn would give us quality minutes as a freshman. Hallie is going to do the same thing.”

Hallie's brother, Colten Raabe, was an All-American offensive lineman for The Rock football team.

“Hearing him talk about his experiences at Slippery Rock, calling it the best years of his life, helped make the decision really easy for me,” Raabe said of coming to SRU.

She signed her official letter of intent in November. Raabe plans to major in chemistry.

Kauffman is majoring in chemistry as well.

“The goal of any player is to get to the playoffs and go far,” Kauffman said. “That's what I want for my team. For me, I want to stay healthy, make sure my knee is 100 percent.”

McGraw said his roster is intact and welcomes the extra time to get ready for next season.

“I can't wait for it to get here,” he said.