06-23-2015, 06:39 AM
4-5 If Alanna is everything we hope she will be, I could almost imagine Tara figuring out a way to get Erica and Kaylee and Alanna in the game at the same time. But the problem with that is that we would have very little depth behind them. A healthy Kailee could make big strides, or Coffee could be a revelation, but at this point we have no reason to be overly optimistic. So I'm inclined to think that it will be Bird/Kaylee/Alanna rotating through the 4 and 5 with Coffee and Kailee getting some minutes in easy games early in the season to prove themselves. GOALS: Bird and Kaylee must develop their offensive moves so they become more than secondary scorers. Smith needs rapid all-around integration into the team both offensively and defensively. Coffee has to prove her rebounding and defensive potential.
3 If she is completely healthy, it is hard to see Karlie not starting, and given the number of short, quick, speedy guards we will have, the only logical place for Karlie is at the 3 where she can help create space with her three point threat. Brittany is logically also a wing, but she has to get better at the three point shot--she was reluctant to take them and shot them poorly last year (6/31). McPhee was wonderfully aggressive about going to the rim, but that won't fulfill the needs of the position if she is moving into the teeth of bigger, physical posts. GOALS: Karlie has to get her groove back and show she can shoot the three with consistency coming off her injury. McPhee needs to make her three point shot a real threat.
1-2 We have a surplus of speedy, short, point-guard types, so figuring out who will play at the shooting guard spot is not as easy as it sounds. Alexa Romano comes in billed as a a shooting guard, although she is just 5'9". Olson says one of her strengths is mid range. Tara said that Alexa can play the 1 or the 2, which means just about all of our guards can. Lili and Bri we know about--they both play the 1 or the 2. And Marta, who I have high hopes for, is most experienced as a 1. Whatever scheme we have really needs to take advantage of the fact that 4/4 of our healthy guards are all point guards (I'm calling Karlie a wing, instead.) They are all short, so the entry-pass is going to be difficult against tall and long guards like 6' Sydney Wiese, or 6'2" Gabby Green, or 6'1" Diamond DeShields. Remember when our shortest guard was 6'? GOALS: We need to figure out whether Lili is going to be the everyday point guard or play the 2 to maximize her offense. Can Bri or Marta handle point guard duties? It would be unusual for Tara to start a frosh point guard, but Lili's offense seemed to wear down a little as the season went on, and relying on her for absolutely everything seems like a bad strategy.
3 If she is completely healthy, it is hard to see Karlie not starting, and given the number of short, quick, speedy guards we will have, the only logical place for Karlie is at the 3 where she can help create space with her three point threat. Brittany is logically also a wing, but she has to get better at the three point shot--she was reluctant to take them and shot them poorly last year (6/31). McPhee was wonderfully aggressive about going to the rim, but that won't fulfill the needs of the position if she is moving into the teeth of bigger, physical posts. GOALS: Karlie has to get her groove back and show she can shoot the three with consistency coming off her injury. McPhee needs to make her three point shot a real threat.
1-2 We have a surplus of speedy, short, point-guard types, so figuring out who will play at the shooting guard spot is not as easy as it sounds. Alexa Romano comes in billed as a a shooting guard, although she is just 5'9". Olson says one of her strengths is mid range. Tara said that Alexa can play the 1 or the 2, which means just about all of our guards can. Lili and Bri we know about--they both play the 1 or the 2. And Marta, who I have high hopes for, is most experienced as a 1. Whatever scheme we have really needs to take advantage of the fact that 4/4 of our healthy guards are all point guards (I'm calling Karlie a wing, instead.) They are all short, so the entry-pass is going to be difficult against tall and long guards like 6' Sydney Wiese, or 6'2" Gabby Green, or 6'1" Diamond DeShields. Remember when our shortest guard was 6'? GOALS: We need to figure out whether Lili is going to be the everyday point guard or play the 2 to maximize her offense. Can Bri or Marta handle point guard duties? It would be unusual for Tara to start a frosh point guard, but Lili's offense seemed to wear down a little as the season went on, and relying on her for absolutely everything seems like a bad strategy.