Just sharing some thoughts on our current team, what was lost, what was added, and predicted potential for success.
First, I have to say that I think this is going to be a very competitive year across the board with the seniors being allowed the extra year. Every team is deep! The Big Ten is going to be a monster in the top half. Getting wins vs Mich, Mich St, OSU, NW, Penn St, as we have in recent years will be even tougher this year. Md, Indy, and Iowa continue to be problems for us depending on how well our posts have developed. If we can get steady offense in the post, we will be competitive with those teams. Md may just be too talented for us. They are championship calibre talent in a year where everyone is loaded.
Looking at what we lost from last season, .......scoring, toughness, leadership. Arella and Diamond are a lot of scoring to replace. Tekia was our do it all, give you some of everything, stat-wise and intangibles. All four players Mael included, played with a toughness that served us well. We were teased last year by seeing Zippy taking flight in the beginning of the season only to lose her to injury for most of the season. When she came back she didn't appear to be 100%. In effect, it was almost like we didn't have her for the year. This team got as high as what #18 or 19??? .........and were #21 when we lost to BYU. Not sure where we were in the final poll last season.
Replacing Diamond at point.....We can only hope to get close to the level of PG play, the steadiness that Diamond provided. When we got Shug Dickson, I felt a lot better about our ball-handling. Also, the addition of Victoria Morris helped us avoid putting all the pressure on our frosh, K. Sanderlin.
This year's team can potentially be better than last years. I think that the incoming transfers bring some toughness that will only be ramped up by CVS' system, Lasha, Shug, and Osh can give you double figures points that may combine to equal what Diamond and Arella produced. The other transfers can shoot it from deep which makes them valuable additions. They all provide experience which lends to leadership along with Tiya. Osh looks like the type of player that can provide a lot of the intangibles that Tekia Mack brought. Also, A Sidibe may surprise a lot of people this year. I think that once she adjusts to the higher level of play, she will be an impactful player in the T. Mack/ Sy Davis role at the back of the zone D. Also providing points.
Our prized soph class........It's their time. They should be comfortable with the system. Hopefully Sakima and Chyna are able to be a strong presence in the middle and most importantly, score. If they can give us the kind of offensive production that Stasha Carey did, we can be a top 20 team, for sure.
Tyia started to show flashes of being able to score more regularly. Hopefully, they all have worked on a 15-ft jumpshot.
We know Liz is ready to light it up from 3. She's a high bball IQ player with excellent court awareness.
Joyia is back and ready to bomb away. Hopefully, she is 100% and much stronger and quicker from training. Erica Lafayette is another who can play the back of that press....or the front. She's perfect for CVS'' style of play. The remaining players on the roster are quality players to have available to plug in when needed.
Bottomline, ......This team has so many good shooters, if they play as a unit (NYKnicks-style), selfless basketball, they should be able to be competitive with anybody. Teams with skilled bigs will be our toughest hurdles, as usual. I predict that we win a few of those games against the top half of the BigTen and end up no lower than 5th in the conference and we end up in the top 25.
First, I have to say that I think this is going to be a very competitive year across the board with the seniors being allowed the extra year. Every team is deep! The Big Ten is going to be a monster in the top half. Getting wins vs Mich, Mich St, OSU, NW, Penn St, as we have in recent years will be even tougher this year. Md, Indy, and Iowa continue to be problems for us depending on how well our posts have developed. If we can get steady offense in the post, we will be competitive with those teams. Md may just be too talented for us. They are championship calibre talent in a year where everyone is loaded.
Looking at what we lost from last season, .......scoring, toughness, leadership. Arella and Diamond are a lot of scoring to replace. Tekia was our do it all, give you some of everything, stat-wise and intangibles. All four players Mael included, played with a toughness that served us well. We were teased last year by seeing Zippy taking flight in the beginning of the season only to lose her to injury for most of the season. When she came back she didn't appear to be 100%. In effect, it was almost like we didn't have her for the year. This team got as high as what #18 or 19??? .........and were #21 when we lost to BYU. Not sure where we were in the final poll last season.
Replacing Diamond at point.....We can only hope to get close to the level of PG play, the steadiness that Diamond provided. When we got Shug Dickson, I felt a lot better about our ball-handling. Also, the addition of Victoria Morris helped us avoid putting all the pressure on our frosh, K. Sanderlin.
This year's team can potentially be better than last years. I think that the incoming transfers bring some toughness that will only be ramped up by CVS' system, Lasha, Shug, and Osh can give you double figures points that may combine to equal what Diamond and Arella produced. The other transfers can shoot it from deep which makes them valuable additions. They all provide experience which lends to leadership along with Tiya. Osh looks like the type of player that can provide a lot of the intangibles that Tekia Mack brought. Also, A Sidibe may surprise a lot of people this year. I think that once she adjusts to the higher level of play, she will be an impactful player in the T. Mack/ Sy Davis role at the back of the zone D. Also providing points.
Our prized soph class........It's their time. They should be comfortable with the system. Hopefully Sakima and Chyna are able to be a strong presence in the middle and most importantly, score. If they can give us the kind of offensive production that Stasha Carey did, we can be a top 20 team, for sure.
Tyia started to show flashes of being able to score more regularly. Hopefully, they all have worked on a 15-ft jumpshot.
We know Liz is ready to light it up from 3. She's a high bball IQ player with excellent court awareness.
Joyia is back and ready to bomb away. Hopefully, she is 100% and much stronger and quicker from training. Erica Lafayette is another who can play the back of that press....or the front. She's perfect for CVS'' style of play. The remaining players on the roster are quality players to have available to plug in when needed.
Bottomline, ......This team has so many good shooters, if they play as a unit (NYKnicks-style), selfless basketball, they should be able to be competitive with anybody. Teams with skilled bigs will be our toughest hurdles, as usual. I predict that we win a few of those games against the top half of the BigTen and end up no lower than 5th in the conference and we end up in the top 25.
