Was down in St. Peter on this Sunday afternoon for the Gustavus Adolphus Black-Gold Intrasquad Scrimmage this Sunday afternoon. And even though my always and forever Los Angeles Rams were pulling off an improbable upset of the New Orleans Saints, I was glad to get a first-hand look at the Gusties before the upcoming season.
The afternoon's event was broken down into three separate 20-minute scrimmages; each with its own interesting flavor and twists.
1st Scrimmage
Black Team Starters
Eli Benz
Molly Geske
Julia Dysthie
Steph Comer
Amanda Iverson
Gold Team Starters
Abby Rothenbuehler
Liz Shay
Kelsey Florian
Abbey Arends
Colleen Ruane
Early on in this scrimmage, Arends was looking good for the Gold Team as she helped to propel them to an early 6-2 lead. The lead shortly ballooned to 12-2 before the Black Team finally got something going. Geske nailed a "3" at the 14:40 mark to cut the Gold Team's lead to 14-9 and then hit another at the 12:14 mark that cut the Gold Team's lead to 18-12. But the Gold Team would not let the Black Team get much closer than that. Gold Team reserve Britta Rinke knocked down a short jumper at the 11:20 mark. Consecutive buckets by Arends and a Rothenbuehler rebound at putback at the 5:40 mark pushed the Gold Team's lead to 29-20. Arends then finished inside at the 4:09 mark that gave the Gold Team a 35-24 lead and Ruane finished off the glass at the 3:44 mark for a 37-24 lead. Gold Team reserve Mia Sandstrom was able to finish off the glass with just :22 left to give the Gold Team its final margin of victory at 43-26.
2nd Scrimmage
Black Team Starters
Ruane
Dysthie
Rothenbuehler
Geske
Benz
Gold Team Starters
Iverson
Florian
Shay
Arends
Comer
In this scrimmage, the Black Team was able to get off to a quick 6-0 lead but the Gold Team was able to climb right back at the 17:25 mark to cut the Black Team's lead to 6-4. Benz then connected with a turnaround jumper at the 16:30 mark and then Rothenbuehler got a tough rebound and finish at the 15:45 mark and the Black Team was on its way. However, the Gold Team would not let this one go without a fight as Iverson made a sweet move inside and finished off the glass at the 14:11 mark and also knocked down a pair of free throws at the 13:43 mark. But the Black Team would continue its assault. Benz finished inside at the 12:53 mark and did likewise at the 10:18 mark. Then with 9:36 left Benz scored inside and was fouled in the process. Rothenbuehler also showed her stuff in this one as well with a finish in transition at the 8:09 mark and a "3" from the right corner with 2:48 left that got the Black Team to a 37-23 lead. Dysthie would do some late heroics in this one as well with a "3" at the 1:33 mark and a steal and layup the other way with :41 left that left the Black Team with a 45-28 win.
3rd Scrimmage
Black Team Starters
Shay
Geske
Rothenbuehler
Benz
Dysthie
Gold Team Starters
Freshmen Newcomers
The third and final scrimmage of the day had the Black Team going against the Gold Team that was comprised of the Freshmen newcomers; none of which I knew the names of yet save for FY player Emily Fitzsimmons from Maple River. Surprisingly, this one stayed scoreless until the 16:51 mark when Dysthie finished inside. The Gold Team was able to tie it up at 2-all before Benz scored on a lay-up at the 16:11 mark. But, very predictably, the dam then soon broke as the Black Team went on its much-anticipated tear enroute to an easy 26-9 win
So, what should we take from these three scrimmages? Well, I think you have to surmise that the Gusties have the potential to be very, very good this year. In fact, I will go as far to say that they SHOULD be right there with their arch-rival UST even though I give the Tommies a slight edge in the MIAC race. The Gusties are simply LOADED with talent. They have one of the top two or three PGs in the conference in senior Colleen Ruane; a very, very smart player who knows how to run the offense and get everyone involved. Perhaps even more important, they now have a post player who has the potential to be great in Abby Rothenbuehler. You can just tell how Rothenbuehler has improved so much over last year. She looks confident, poised and calm out there; ready to be one of the leaders for this squad. Oh, and we shouldn't forget senior Molly Geske who has the ability to do it all. Sophomore Eli Benz is ready to be a force inside as well for the Gusties as she looks very strong. Coming off the bench will likely be senior Ava Perry who can be deadly behind the arc and sophomore sensation Abbey Arends who will wow crowds (and opponents) with her play. The big question mark for the Gusties seems to be toughness - both mentally and physically - that may have cost them a shot at the MIAC title last year. Can they FINALLY get over that hump that has stopped them in years past and WIN the BIG ONE? UST would appear to be the only team standing in their way at the moment.
Los Angeles Rams
Monday, October 31, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Northwestern Practice 10-22-11
Was over at Northwestern in Roseville on Saturday morning to catch the Eagles practice that day. On this particular day, Head Coach Aaron Kahl had a special guest to help with the day's work - Tom Young who was lending his expertise on team defense. And this was the emphasis of the day as the Eagles were working diligently on a 2-3 zone defense while Young was explaining the finer points of how to utilize it at its utmost potential. Several repetitions were done with Young always adding encouragement and "Good job!" to the players. Young also had the team work on trapping defense as well which, when used correctly, can pose a lot of problems for opposing teams. The team then also worked on half-court trapping defense before winding things down for the day.
As far as the outlook for this team, Kahl is very uncertain how his team will fare this year. He has only one senior on his squad this season - Kristin Sczublewski - that he can count on heavily for experience and leadership. Beyond that, another player to keep your eye on this year may very well be sophomore Becca Kendrick whole older sister, Kaylee, was a key player for the program just a couple of years ago. Otherwise, there are a lot of freshman and sophomores that Kahl is going to have to work with and bring along. But Kahl insists that his team is working hard and is going to be competitive. As far as the UMAC is concerned, Kahl seems even more uncertain about how this topsy-turvy conference will shake out although Minnesota-Morris would appear to be the favorite at first glance. The Eagles do have a couple of scrimmages coming up next month: one at St. Olaf on November 9 at 6:00 P.M. and another one with nearby Bethel on Saturday 11-12 scheduled at 10:00 A.M. before things begin for real with a trip down Snelling Avenue to Hamline on Tuesday 11-15.
As far as the outlook for this team, Kahl is very uncertain how his team will fare this year. He has only one senior on his squad this season - Kristin Sczublewski - that he can count on heavily for experience and leadership. Beyond that, another player to keep your eye on this year may very well be sophomore Becca Kendrick whole older sister, Kaylee, was a key player for the program just a couple of years ago. Otherwise, there are a lot of freshman and sophomores that Kahl is going to have to work with and bring along. But Kahl insists that his team is working hard and is going to be competitive. As far as the UMAC is concerned, Kahl seems even more uncertain about how this topsy-turvy conference will shake out although Minnesota-Morris would appear to be the favorite at first glance. The Eagles do have a couple of scrimmages coming up next month: one at St. Olaf on November 9 at 6:00 P.M. and another one with nearby Bethel on Saturday 11-12 scheduled at 10:00 A.M. before things begin for real with a trip down Snelling Avenue to Hamline on Tuesday 11-15.
Friday, October 21, 2011
UST Practice - 10-21-11
Was over at UST's McCarthy Gymnasium this afternoon for their 4:00 P.M. practice. I was greeted in the lobby by Head Coach Ruth Sinn who was a most gracious host. She truly is one of the class acts of the MIAC. She provided me with a practice itinerary which was quite detailed with information and what the emphasis and focus would be with today's workout. I talked to Sinn before things got underway about this coming season and the disappointment of last year's finish in the MIAC Championship game where they basically got (deleted)-slapped by Concordia-Moorhead right there in Schoenecker Arena this last February. While the Tommies won the MIAC regular-season title, Sinn felt they weren't consistent enough during the season. "Consistency is the key for us. We are going to be consistent."
Today's emphasis on offense was "Win the 'slow' battle, posts-own the mid-line, and be strong with the ball on the perimeter" while defensively it was "Wall and TALL" with a message of "Be Present". The first order of practice had the team perform some incredibly tough dribbling drills that involved using two balls at once for each player (every possible manuever you could think of was done). Then it was time for the players to incorporate passing skills with the dribbling which is very hard. Shortly thereafter, the team broke into groups of three to do some short lay-up drills.
Then it was time for a Toughness Series Drill. And, yes, this is a tough one all right. This is where one player has to tap the ball off the glass three times, then pass the ball to the player near the "elbow", then come out to beyond the top of the key, come back and get the pass back from the second player at the "elbow" and then passes the ball back to the player who was at the elbow who finishes with a lay-up. Another fun one involved "perfection shooting"; where you have one shooter, one rebounder and one passer.
Then the team moved to an "O" Quick Strike Drill where four players go full court from out of bounds off a made basket. The goal of this drill per Coach Sinn is to get the post players to run the floor quickly. Also done was a half-court 3-on-2 drill that starts at the baseline and goes up to half court to start the 3-on-2 routine. The real fun one to watch, however, was a drill called "Oklahoma Shooting". Sinn would come over frequently to where I and two other guests were sitting to explain what was being done during practice and I was curious about this one. Basically what it incorporates is twenty layups, fifteen bank shots, ten free throws, and five "3" point shots. You have four to five players at a basket doing this. The losing groups have to do push-ups at the end of each set.
Some more drills were done before the grand finale - an "End Of Shot Clock Drill" where the emphasis is to be as efficient as possible with the shot clock winding down. Also "TM Perfection Shooting" where you have three players at a basket and the groups rotate at different baskets. When a team gets three in a row they'll yell "Got it!" and then they'll rotate to different baskets. The first set of this saw not enough baskets made by any of the groups which resulted in obligatory push-ups for everyone. The second set saw a group get enough baskets while the losing groups were treated to some more push-ups. Then it was finally time for a ten minute scrimmage between the black and purple squads. Coach Sinn would interrupt the scrimmage a couple of times with her whistle to explain some finer points that needed to be understood and done by her team but it was a fun scrimmage to watch with the black team coming out on top 12-8. The encore by the team was free throws before closing up shop for the day.
As far as the outlook for this team, well, what can you say? Most everyone has UST winning the conference and yours truly thinks that they should be the favorite as well. You've got three of the best players in the conference coming back in Taylor Young, Maggie Weiers, and MIAC 3-point shooting Queen Ali Johnson for her senior season plus a capable guard duo of Carolyn Dienhart and Kellie Ring. Oh, and a bench that is simply loaded won't hurt either. I posed the question of whether prognosticators such as myself should simply annoint the Tommies as MIAC Champs now to Coach Sinn who quickly poo-pooed the notion; sayng that they have to be ready to go for EVERY game. In reality, while the Tommies no doubt will have the inside track to the title, they showed last year that they're not totally infalliable, either. So, as Coach Sinn said, consistency will be the key for this team. The guess here is that they'll be the last ones standing when the MIAC Championship Game ends. The real question perhaps is can UST make a dent on the national scene as their counterparts on the men's side have already done and conquered.
Today's emphasis on offense was "Win the 'slow' battle, posts-own the mid-line, and be strong with the ball on the perimeter" while defensively it was "Wall and TALL" with a message of "Be Present". The first order of practice had the team perform some incredibly tough dribbling drills that involved using two balls at once for each player (every possible manuever you could think of was done). Then it was time for the players to incorporate passing skills with the dribbling which is very hard. Shortly thereafter, the team broke into groups of three to do some short lay-up drills.
Then it was time for a Toughness Series Drill. And, yes, this is a tough one all right. This is where one player has to tap the ball off the glass three times, then pass the ball to the player near the "elbow", then come out to beyond the top of the key, come back and get the pass back from the second player at the "elbow" and then passes the ball back to the player who was at the elbow who finishes with a lay-up. Another fun one involved "perfection shooting"; where you have one shooter, one rebounder and one passer.
Then the team moved to an "O" Quick Strike Drill where four players go full court from out of bounds off a made basket. The goal of this drill per Coach Sinn is to get the post players to run the floor quickly. Also done was a half-court 3-on-2 drill that starts at the baseline and goes up to half court to start the 3-on-2 routine. The real fun one to watch, however, was a drill called "Oklahoma Shooting". Sinn would come over frequently to where I and two other guests were sitting to explain what was being done during practice and I was curious about this one. Basically what it incorporates is twenty layups, fifteen bank shots, ten free throws, and five "3" point shots. You have four to five players at a basket doing this. The losing groups have to do push-ups at the end of each set.
Some more drills were done before the grand finale - an "End Of Shot Clock Drill" where the emphasis is to be as efficient as possible with the shot clock winding down. Also "TM Perfection Shooting" where you have three players at a basket and the groups rotate at different baskets. When a team gets three in a row they'll yell "Got it!" and then they'll rotate to different baskets. The first set of this saw not enough baskets made by any of the groups which resulted in obligatory push-ups for everyone. The second set saw a group get enough baskets while the losing groups were treated to some more push-ups. Then it was finally time for a ten minute scrimmage between the black and purple squads. Coach Sinn would interrupt the scrimmage a couple of times with her whistle to explain some finer points that needed to be understood and done by her team but it was a fun scrimmage to watch with the black team coming out on top 12-8. The encore by the team was free throws before closing up shop for the day.
As far as the outlook for this team, well, what can you say? Most everyone has UST winning the conference and yours truly thinks that they should be the favorite as well. You've got three of the best players in the conference coming back in Taylor Young, Maggie Weiers, and MIAC 3-point shooting Queen Ali Johnson for her senior season plus a capable guard duo of Carolyn Dienhart and Kellie Ring. Oh, and a bench that is simply loaded won't hurt either. I posed the question of whether prognosticators such as myself should simply annoint the Tommies as MIAC Champs now to Coach Sinn who quickly poo-pooed the notion; sayng that they have to be ready to go for EVERY game. In reality, while the Tommies no doubt will have the inside track to the title, they showed last year that they're not totally infalliable, either. So, as Coach Sinn said, consistency will be the key for this team. The guess here is that they'll be the last ones standing when the MIAC Championship Game ends. The real question perhaps is can UST make a dent on the national scene as their counterparts on the men's side have already done and conquered.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
St. Olaf Practice 10-19-11
Made the trek down I-35 to Northfield to catch this afternoon's practice at St. Olaf. Head Coach Dave Stromme was their to greet me at Skoglund Center and was an incredibly gracious host. In addition to getting a sheet showing what the team would be working on today - and a chair to sit, I would also get to learn a lot about how he teaches the game of basketball to his players. But even before practice began, I had a chance to talk to one of the leaders on the St. Olaf team; junior PG Mackenzie Wolter who, IMHO, is one of the top two or three PGs in the MIAC and is a definite candidate for conference POY; a very smart player who knows how to make her teammates better and one of the reasons why this St. Olaf program is on the rise. The team goal this year, according to Wolter, is to compete for the conference crown and secure a home conference playoff berth.
Stromme had his team start off with some challenging dribbling drills that really tests a players ability to do different things with the ball. Also done was a very tough passing drill where two players have two balls. One player does an overhead pass while the other one does a bounce pass at the same time. Needless to say, this has to be done just right or balls will be going all over the place. Also done is jumping rope and some stretching.
The team then delves into the main course of practice which begins with layup drills (both reverse and off the glass). Another fun drill to watch that Stromme has his team do is what is called "5-spot shooting" with two groups of five players making shots around the perimeter with the 35-second shot clock being used (the squad that lost got to do push-ups). Next was a 2-on-1 "set up" full-court drill, which, needless to say, makes the single defender work very, very hard against two players coming down the court at full speed. Also done was a 4-on-4 "shell" drill that incorporated a variety of finer items; i.e., dribbling, active hands, and communication. Also done was a complicated 5-oon-0 drill that featured two passers with baseline shots on both sides (this drill had cutter and post, post to post w/"flash", hi-lo, under & over/stop & read, and point flare).
After a round of free throws, the team then headed over to the south end of the gymnasium area as the mens team moved onto the main gymnasium floor to incorporate their drills. Stromme then had his team work on defense which included 3-on-3 defend line/defend cutter. Another 5-on-0 drill was done plus an interesting 1-on-1 drill with two passers and post defense being emphasized. Still another drill had three players going full court with one player having to go lower and wider on their treks down the court. Finally, the players had a free throw drill whereby, if a FT was missed, the team then had to do sprints (up the floor and back).
The thing I really, really enjoyed about this practice is that Coach Stromme constantly talks to his players in a very encouraging way. He won't yell at a player unless they really, really deserve it. Perhaps even more importantly, he TEACHES the finer points of the game to his squad and demonstrates how it should be done (FWIW, if they allowed it, Stromme could suit up and still probably play pretty well with the men's team). Even I was able to learn some things from what he was telling his players and it will help me watch the game and analyze the game better. Also cool was how he quoted Coach (that's what we UCLA people call the great one - John Wooden) during practice when he said, "Be quick, but don't hurry." You just have to like that.
Okay, so what is the outlook for this St. Olaf team this season? I think last year was something of a learning experience for this team that fell just short of making the MIAC playoffs after a promising start. They now have that year of experience under their belt and have developed the necessary team chemistry and have meshed quite nicely. They have a very, very good blend of size and athleticism that perhaps can only be topped by UST. With that experience, chemistry, and physical make-up, this squad SHOULD be ready to make a move into the upper-echelon of the MIAC. There are a couple of injury issues at the moment: sophomore Maddie Ehrich suffered an ACL injury late in the summer league and, although she is making some excellent progress, it's unlikely she'd be available until late in the season, if then. Also, sophomore post Elise Raney suffered a minor knee injury about four weeks ago but she is recovering nicely and although her participation in practice has been limited to non-contact drills, she hopes to be able to go full-bore next week. Although St. Olaf's margin for error is significantly larger than Macalester's, their chances of success will hinge upon staying healthy; they can ill-afford a season-ending injury to a key component on the team. Towards that end, the squad will be bolstered by the return of junior Kirstee Rotty after volleyball finishes up. Stromme feels his team has to prove itself yet when the opportunity presents itself. I feel that this team, led by Wolter, is primed and ready to make that big jump.
Stromme had his team start off with some challenging dribbling drills that really tests a players ability to do different things with the ball. Also done was a very tough passing drill where two players have two balls. One player does an overhead pass while the other one does a bounce pass at the same time. Needless to say, this has to be done just right or balls will be going all over the place. Also done is jumping rope and some stretching.
The team then delves into the main course of practice which begins with layup drills (both reverse and off the glass). Another fun drill to watch that Stromme has his team do is what is called "5-spot shooting" with two groups of five players making shots around the perimeter with the 35-second shot clock being used (the squad that lost got to do push-ups). Next was a 2-on-1 "set up" full-court drill, which, needless to say, makes the single defender work very, very hard against two players coming down the court at full speed. Also done was a 4-on-4 "shell" drill that incorporated a variety of finer items; i.e., dribbling, active hands, and communication. Also done was a complicated 5-oon-0 drill that featured two passers with baseline shots on both sides (this drill had cutter and post, post to post w/"flash", hi-lo, under & over/stop & read, and point flare).
After a round of free throws, the team then headed over to the south end of the gymnasium area as the mens team moved onto the main gymnasium floor to incorporate their drills. Stromme then had his team work on defense which included 3-on-3 defend line/defend cutter. Another 5-on-0 drill was done plus an interesting 1-on-1 drill with two passers and post defense being emphasized. Still another drill had three players going full court with one player having to go lower and wider on their treks down the court. Finally, the players had a free throw drill whereby, if a FT was missed, the team then had to do sprints (up the floor and back).
The thing I really, really enjoyed about this practice is that Coach Stromme constantly talks to his players in a very encouraging way. He won't yell at a player unless they really, really deserve it. Perhaps even more importantly, he TEACHES the finer points of the game to his squad and demonstrates how it should be done (FWIW, if they allowed it, Stromme could suit up and still probably play pretty well with the men's team). Even I was able to learn some things from what he was telling his players and it will help me watch the game and analyze the game better. Also cool was how he quoted Coach (that's what we UCLA people call the great one - John Wooden) during practice when he said, "Be quick, but don't hurry." You just have to like that.
Okay, so what is the outlook for this St. Olaf team this season? I think last year was something of a learning experience for this team that fell just short of making the MIAC playoffs after a promising start. They now have that year of experience under their belt and have developed the necessary team chemistry and have meshed quite nicely. They have a very, very good blend of size and athleticism that perhaps can only be topped by UST. With that experience, chemistry, and physical make-up, this squad SHOULD be ready to make a move into the upper-echelon of the MIAC. There are a couple of injury issues at the moment: sophomore Maddie Ehrich suffered an ACL injury late in the summer league and, although she is making some excellent progress, it's unlikely she'd be available until late in the season, if then. Also, sophomore post Elise Raney suffered a minor knee injury about four weeks ago but she is recovering nicely and although her participation in practice has been limited to non-contact drills, she hopes to be able to go full-bore next week. Although St. Olaf's margin for error is significantly larger than Macalester's, their chances of success will hinge upon staying healthy; they can ill-afford a season-ending injury to a key component on the team. Towards that end, the squad will be bolstered by the return of junior Kirstee Rotty after volleyball finishes up. Stromme feels his team has to prove itself yet when the opportunity presents itself. I feel that this team, led by Wolter, is primed and ready to make that big jump.
Concordia St. Paul Practice 10-18-11
Made the short hop from Macalester after catching a good chunk of their practice over to Concordia St. Paul to catch their practice on this Tuesday night which began promptly at 6:30 P.M. After working on some jump shots to get things going, Head Coach Paul Fessler then had his squad do a variety of stretching drills to get them loosened up for the main course.
The first part of practice saw the team divide into two groups - one group of eight players worked on dribbling and another group of five players worked on screens and proper movement without the ball. Both groups saw their drills get enhanced - the group of eight then had to deal with chairs being placed on the floor to test their dribbling skills. Then this same group did layups with assistant coach Gillian Bjerke-Letsche using a pad to try and "muscle" the players with the ball out of the lane. Then, they do push-ups!
After a 4-on-4 half-court drill where they objective appeared to be making it a priority to get the ball into the post player, there was also a 5-on-0 "shell" drill where the focus was on ball movement and how players should be moving without the ball. This same drill was slightly altered to involve setting screens as well. Additionally, a 5-on-5 half court drill involving plays with inbounds passes where some mistakes were made; much to the chagrin of Coach Fessler who, um, can make his displeasure known when he wants.
Another drill involved having players in three lines; with three defenders and three offensive players. The shot clock is utilized on this full-court drill where the emphasis is on defensive work and communication. Another drill was a 4-on-4 half-court where the emphasis was defensive/ball pressure. Finally, the real McCoy came late in practice: 5-on-5 full court which proved to be a very spirited scrimmage between the blue and gold groups. The Blue squad would wind up winning 30-29 in a very tight one.
In talking with Coach Fessler and his assistants, you get the feeling that the NSIC is really going to be something of a free-for-all this season; certainly a wide-open race. Wayne State may be the vote-getter among most of the prognosticators, but Fessler believes that this could be a year where you could possibly have as many as six or seven teams in the mix for the conference title and he definitely feels his Golden Bears will be one of those teams in the mix; hopefully/presumably right there at the end. This is a relatively young team with only two seniors on hand. Still, you have to like what Fessler has coming up with his young players. He has a nice blend of size and athleticism and his roster with be bolstered with the return of 5'10 junior Mandy Poke who is recovering from a concussion. Considering all the success Fessler has had at Concordia St. Paul and his ability to win big games when the chips are down I think it would be a huge mistake to overlook this team's chances at winning the NSIC.
The first part of practice saw the team divide into two groups - one group of eight players worked on dribbling and another group of five players worked on screens and proper movement without the ball. Both groups saw their drills get enhanced - the group of eight then had to deal with chairs being placed on the floor to test their dribbling skills. Then this same group did layups with assistant coach Gillian Bjerke-Letsche using a pad to try and "muscle" the players with the ball out of the lane. Then, they do push-ups!
After a 4-on-4 half-court drill where they objective appeared to be making it a priority to get the ball into the post player, there was also a 5-on-0 "shell" drill where the focus was on ball movement and how players should be moving without the ball. This same drill was slightly altered to involve setting screens as well. Additionally, a 5-on-5 half court drill involving plays with inbounds passes where some mistakes were made; much to the chagrin of Coach Fessler who, um, can make his displeasure known when he wants.
Another drill involved having players in three lines; with three defenders and three offensive players. The shot clock is utilized on this full-court drill where the emphasis is on defensive work and communication. Another drill was a 4-on-4 half-court where the emphasis was defensive/ball pressure. Finally, the real McCoy came late in practice: 5-on-5 full court which proved to be a very spirited scrimmage between the blue and gold groups. The Blue squad would wind up winning 30-29 in a very tight one.
In talking with Coach Fessler and his assistants, you get the feeling that the NSIC is really going to be something of a free-for-all this season; certainly a wide-open race. Wayne State may be the vote-getter among most of the prognosticators, but Fessler believes that this could be a year where you could possibly have as many as six or seven teams in the mix for the conference title and he definitely feels his Golden Bears will be one of those teams in the mix; hopefully/presumably right there at the end. This is a relatively young team with only two seniors on hand. Still, you have to like what Fessler has coming up with his young players. He has a nice blend of size and athleticism and his roster with be bolstered with the return of 5'10 junior Mandy Poke who is recovering from a concussion. Considering all the success Fessler has had at Concordia St. Paul and his ability to win big games when the chips are down I think it would be a huge mistake to overlook this team's chances at winning the NSIC.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Macalester Practice 10-18-11
Was over at Macalester and the Leonard Center to take in Tuesday afternoon's practice. Because the volleyball team was using the main gym, the team started off their practice in the Fieldhouse Area which is not a bad place at all by any stretch (would LOVE to play a match on that surface). After the players did the usual stretching/flexing exercises the assistant coaches had the team work on dribbling drills involving going up and down the floor with two balls (tough!).
While all this was going on, I had the pleasure of having a great conversation with Head Coach Ellen Thompson who I feel without question is one of the top coaches in the MIAC. What she has done at Macalester in the time she has been there is nothing short of amazing. She took a program that had been left in shambles and a mere four or five years later had the Scots at the top of the MIAC for a period of time; indeed they have been in the conference playoffs the last two seasons. She may not get the best or most athletic or "gifted" players but she makes the best of what she has and the results speak for themselves. In short, Thompson can flat-out coach - period.
While we were talking, she would from time to time bark out instructions to her players to improve their passing and to communicate better. When the team went into their weave drill, Thompson became quite displeased the the quality (or lack thereof) of the passing by the team and quickly aborted the drill as she then had the team focus of chest passes which is only one indication of the attention to detail she has.
Because this practice started up in the fieldhouse area, Thompson wanted to focus on breakdown work; i.e., focusing on the little things that need improvement. Some of the different drills the team did included:
1. free throws
2. sprints
3. bunny shots off the glass
4. perimeter shooting
5. baseline jump shots (two players on each side; not as easy as it looks)
6. 10-12 foot jumpers
7. more free throws!
Additionally, the team did a 5-person "shell" drill where the focus is on proper movement and setting good screens. There was also some 5-on-5 half court work plus a snappy 4-on-1 drill where the emphasis is on boxing-out and rebounding.
So what is the outlook for the Scots this coming season? The big thing, according to Thompson, is that they've GOT to stay healthy. They simply can't afford to have key players go down with injuries. On that front alone the Scots already have some red crosses. Audrey Mills, who would have been a senior on the squad this year, is out due to concussion issues. Erika Weimann, a sophomore, is out for the moment due to a heart condition but she's hopeful (and so is Thompson) that she'll be back in action in the first part of November. On the plus side, the Rene Sisters - Jessica and Shannon (I have a tough time telling those two apart) - are back for their senior seasons and they will certainly terrorize MIAC opponents from behind the arc as they have done for the past two seasons. Also back is a seasoned Holly Schiedermayer who is definitely more experienced and is primed for a good junior season. Maggie Wood is also back for her senior year and has the ability to make things happen. The other item that Thompson mentioned is that she's got to have one of her freshmen or sophomores to step up to take the place of Mills in the line-up. I'm not sure but my best guess is that sophomore Carmen Whitehead may fall into that spot. Whether the Scots can make another conference playoff run is tough to guess at the moment. The void left with Majra Mucic's graduation and Mills absence may be too much to overcome for this squad. Then again, I learned last year that you can never count this team out when they made a late run to get in. They will certainly be dangerous and with a coach like Thompson leading the way they will always be competitive.
While all this was going on, I had the pleasure of having a great conversation with Head Coach Ellen Thompson who I feel without question is one of the top coaches in the MIAC. What she has done at Macalester in the time she has been there is nothing short of amazing. She took a program that had been left in shambles and a mere four or five years later had the Scots at the top of the MIAC for a period of time; indeed they have been in the conference playoffs the last two seasons. She may not get the best or most athletic or "gifted" players but she makes the best of what she has and the results speak for themselves. In short, Thompson can flat-out coach - period.
While we were talking, she would from time to time bark out instructions to her players to improve their passing and to communicate better. When the team went into their weave drill, Thompson became quite displeased the the quality (or lack thereof) of the passing by the team and quickly aborted the drill as she then had the team focus of chest passes which is only one indication of the attention to detail she has.
Because this practice started up in the fieldhouse area, Thompson wanted to focus on breakdown work; i.e., focusing on the little things that need improvement. Some of the different drills the team did included:
1. free throws
2. sprints
3. bunny shots off the glass
4. perimeter shooting
5. baseline jump shots (two players on each side; not as easy as it looks)
6. 10-12 foot jumpers
7. more free throws!
Additionally, the team did a 5-person "shell" drill where the focus is on proper movement and setting good screens. There was also some 5-on-5 half court work plus a snappy 4-on-1 drill where the emphasis is on boxing-out and rebounding.
So what is the outlook for the Scots this coming season? The big thing, according to Thompson, is that they've GOT to stay healthy. They simply can't afford to have key players go down with injuries. On that front alone the Scots already have some red crosses. Audrey Mills, who would have been a senior on the squad this year, is out due to concussion issues. Erika Weimann, a sophomore, is out for the moment due to a heart condition but she's hopeful (and so is Thompson) that she'll be back in action in the first part of November. On the plus side, the Rene Sisters - Jessica and Shannon (I have a tough time telling those two apart) - are back for their senior seasons and they will certainly terrorize MIAC opponents from behind the arc as they have done for the past two seasons. Also back is a seasoned Holly Schiedermayer who is definitely more experienced and is primed for a good junior season. Maggie Wood is also back for her senior year and has the ability to make things happen. The other item that Thompson mentioned is that she's got to have one of her freshmen or sophomores to step up to take the place of Mills in the line-up. I'm not sure but my best guess is that sophomore Carmen Whitehead may fall into that spot. Whether the Scots can make another conference playoff run is tough to guess at the moment. The void left with Majra Mucic's graduation and Mills absence may be too much to overcome for this squad. Then again, I learned last year that you can never count this team out when they made a late run to get in. They will certainly be dangerous and with a coach like Thompson leading the way they will always be competitive.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Anoka-Ramsey Practice 10-17-11
Was up in Coon Rapids this afternoon to catch today's practice for Anoka-Ramsey Community College. This is a program that has had more than its share of success over the last several years and is coming off yet another National Championship from this last season. But, as you can imagine, Head Coach David DeWitt is not a man to let his team rest on its laurels. He demands the best from his team - and he usually gets it.
In any event, I arrived right on the dot at 4:00 P.M.; just as players were finishing up some pre-practice development work. The first few sets of drills the team underwent involved work on setting proper screens; something that is vitally important when running a motion offense that ARCC runs. After some defensive drills that include 4-on-2 work, the team then went into some old familiar drills that I remember from my days at good ol' Ed-Co; running the weave and 3 line "push". Still another interesting drill that was done was the 3-on-2 continuous drill where the full court is used that is incredibly challenging for the two defensive players.
After some positioning work and shooting drills, the emphasis then switched to the defense - something that the Anoka-Ramsey program has taken pride in under DeWitt's tenure there. Unfortunately, this is also where DeWitt's frustrations became apparent as more 5-on-5 work was being done. Whether the team was just not mentally "into it" on this day is possible but DeWitt had more than a few choice words for his team at various times today when mental lapses became glaringly apparent. At 6:00 P.M. when the men's team came into the gym to prepare for their practice, DeWitt sent his minions upstairs to the classroom with notebooks in tow. I have a feeling that he got his word across in that session.
Despite the lack of sharpness of today's practice, there's still a lot to like about this team. While the lack of true height may be a factor for this squad there is still a lot of speed and athleticism to help make up for it. The one thing I did notice in this practice is that sophomore Allison Ballstadt has stepped up into the leadership role for this team which is a very good thing, IMHO. She's a very good player in her own right and she's got a year of experience under her belt and knows something of the sacrifices it takes to win. Undoubtedly, this team will have a much bigger target on its back this year coming off a National Championship and it will be interesting to see how it handles that; particularly the new freshmen. It's a little early for me to make any bold predictions on how this team will fare this season. I think a repeat of last year is likely to be a bridge too far but you have to figure that they will at least be one of the top teams in the conference. It will likely come down to how well (and how quickly) they mesh and how good the competition is as well.
In any event, I arrived right on the dot at 4:00 P.M.; just as players were finishing up some pre-practice development work. The first few sets of drills the team underwent involved work on setting proper screens; something that is vitally important when running a motion offense that ARCC runs. After some defensive drills that include 4-on-2 work, the team then went into some old familiar drills that I remember from my days at good ol' Ed-Co; running the weave and 3 line "push". Still another interesting drill that was done was the 3-on-2 continuous drill where the full court is used that is incredibly challenging for the two defensive players.
After some positioning work and shooting drills, the emphasis then switched to the defense - something that the Anoka-Ramsey program has taken pride in under DeWitt's tenure there. Unfortunately, this is also where DeWitt's frustrations became apparent as more 5-on-5 work was being done. Whether the team was just not mentally "into it" on this day is possible but DeWitt had more than a few choice words for his team at various times today when mental lapses became glaringly apparent. At 6:00 P.M. when the men's team came into the gym to prepare for their practice, DeWitt sent his minions upstairs to the classroom with notebooks in tow. I have a feeling that he got his word across in that session.
Despite the lack of sharpness of today's practice, there's still a lot to like about this team. While the lack of true height may be a factor for this squad there is still a lot of speed and athleticism to help make up for it. The one thing I did notice in this practice is that sophomore Allison Ballstadt has stepped up into the leadership role for this team which is a very good thing, IMHO. She's a very good player in her own right and she's got a year of experience under her belt and knows something of the sacrifices it takes to win. Undoubtedly, this team will have a much bigger target on its back this year coming off a National Championship and it will be interesting to see how it handles that; particularly the new freshmen. It's a little early for me to make any bold predictions on how this team will fare this season. I think a repeat of last year is likely to be a bridge too far but you have to figure that they will at least be one of the top teams in the conference. It will likely come down to how well (and how quickly) they mesh and how good the competition is as well.
St. Kate's Practice 10-16-11
Wow. Here we go! Was at St. Kate's last night to catch their second practice of the season. And, right off the bat, I was struck with what an incredibly different team this is this year. Laura Kalbfell and Sonja Ellingson have moved on and only four players from last year's team return - senior Megan Zillmer, junior Adele Simerson-Wallfred, and sophomores Madison Pertler and Kristen Lee. The rest of the bunch - ALL newcomers but some of these newcomers have and show a LOT of promise and there's reason for hope and optimism at St. Kate's in the coming years. Also, Head Coach Gary Rufsvold has two new assistant coaches as well - John Motherwell who came to St. Kate's from UND where he was the recruiting coordinator there and former Wildcat standout post player Molly Peterson who finished her career at St. Kate's in 2010 - both excellent additions, IMHO.
Ironically, as some of the players were just arriving for practice, I spent about 15-20 minutes rebounding for one of the newcomers - FY player Sarina Baker who hails from suburban Plymouth and was an integral part of the Minnehaha Academy program in their last two state tournmemt appearances - which was fun. Once practice got underway, there were the usual running drills that the team started out with to help get loosened up. Then there were some of the basic drills performed that included doing layups and short jumpers. Also, there was an interesting drill that consisted of short, compact passing that included and emphasis on bounce passes - something that would make former Iowa Head Basketball Coach Tom Davis proud!
Then, things moved into a one-on-one type of drill where a player or players are at the top of the key or arc where the emphasis is good positioning for the defender. Then the team broke into different groups where each group did something different (dribbling between legs, around legs [very tough], dribbling across the floor while the defender had to stay with her with hands behind her back). Another neat little drill the team did was where they have four players positioned around the perimeter to promote awareness with the ball. The drill was then enhanced with defenders where the emphasis was to encourage good clean passes. Then the team broke into groups again where each group had one shooter and rebounder - plus a spare to feed the ball to the shooter which was neat to watch; it's interesting to see how efficient they can be to give each shooter several opportunites to put up the rock.
Then things evolved into having five players in a mock full-court drill with cones set up (two on each side of the court) that forces one player coming up the court to go very wide which encourages crisp, accurate passing. This same drill was then enhanced with clock usage to see how many points could be scored by each group in a 45-second span. The last drill was the real McCoy - 5-on-5 with each group getting a four-minute span to see what they could do.
So, what will this team be like this next season? While Rufsvold concedes that this is by all accounts a very young, inexperienced team, I think this is a squad that will be very competitive once they gain some confidence and get some practical game experience. The biggest challenge facing Rufsvold and his two assistants is getting everybody on the same page and developing some real team chemistry which is obviously a challenge when you have so many newcomers. IMHO, senior Megan Zillmer is going to have to grab the reins that were left by Kalbfell and Ellingson and become a true leader of this team - on and off the court and Rufsvold (and yours truly as well) thinks she has more than the ability to do so. Adele Simerson-Wallfred is really going to have to step it up a few notches this season as well and show what she's capable of . Kristen Lee has already shown what a deadly outside shooter she can be and presumably Madison Pertler is going to get more and more into the mix as well.
But these newcomers that Rufsvold has brought in are exciting to say the least. The one that REALLY caught my attention was Jule Muegge out of Carmel, CA (originally from suburban Hopkins) who is the real deal. She was on the German National team this last summer and her ability, skills and natural athleticism were apparent from the get go. Without question she is only going to get better as her career at St. Kate's progresses and she can be a potential MIAC MVP down the road as well - she's THAT good. Also grabbing my attention was Tiffani Pak who hails from San Francisco, CA and this girl; only 5'2", is just fast and quick and trying to guard her will be a lot like trying to guard smoke. Don't be fooled be her diminutive size; she can sneak in there and mix it up with the bigger girls as well. There's some others that I'll be interested in watching come along as well - 6'0" Sarah Mong from Page Arizona and 6'2" Kerrick Sarbacker (who is actually a sophomore as she spent one year at MCTC before that spineless institution unmercifully and wrongly trashed its two basketball programs). All in all, this group is going to be on that you'll want to keep a keen eye on.
Ironically, as some of the players were just arriving for practice, I spent about 15-20 minutes rebounding for one of the newcomers - FY player Sarina Baker who hails from suburban Plymouth and was an integral part of the Minnehaha Academy program in their last two state tournmemt appearances - which was fun. Once practice got underway, there were the usual running drills that the team started out with to help get loosened up. Then there were some of the basic drills performed that included doing layups and short jumpers. Also, there was an interesting drill that consisted of short, compact passing that included and emphasis on bounce passes - something that would make former Iowa Head Basketball Coach Tom Davis proud!
Then, things moved into a one-on-one type of drill where a player or players are at the top of the key or arc where the emphasis is good positioning for the defender. Then the team broke into different groups where each group did something different (dribbling between legs, around legs [very tough], dribbling across the floor while the defender had to stay with her with hands behind her back). Another neat little drill the team did was where they have four players positioned around the perimeter to promote awareness with the ball. The drill was then enhanced with defenders where the emphasis was to encourage good clean passes. Then the team broke into groups again where each group had one shooter and rebounder - plus a spare to feed the ball to the shooter which was neat to watch; it's interesting to see how efficient they can be to give each shooter several opportunites to put up the rock.
Then things evolved into having five players in a mock full-court drill with cones set up (two on each side of the court) that forces one player coming up the court to go very wide which encourages crisp, accurate passing. This same drill was then enhanced with clock usage to see how many points could be scored by each group in a 45-second span. The last drill was the real McCoy - 5-on-5 with each group getting a four-minute span to see what they could do.
So, what will this team be like this next season? While Rufsvold concedes that this is by all accounts a very young, inexperienced team, I think this is a squad that will be very competitive once they gain some confidence and get some practical game experience. The biggest challenge facing Rufsvold and his two assistants is getting everybody on the same page and developing some real team chemistry which is obviously a challenge when you have so many newcomers. IMHO, senior Megan Zillmer is going to have to grab the reins that were left by Kalbfell and Ellingson and become a true leader of this team - on and off the court and Rufsvold (and yours truly as well) thinks she has more than the ability to do so. Adele Simerson-Wallfred is really going to have to step it up a few notches this season as well and show what she's capable of . Kristen Lee has already shown what a deadly outside shooter she can be and presumably Madison Pertler is going to get more and more into the mix as well.
But these newcomers that Rufsvold has brought in are exciting to say the least. The one that REALLY caught my attention was Jule Muegge out of Carmel, CA (originally from suburban Hopkins) who is the real deal. She was on the German National team this last summer and her ability, skills and natural athleticism were apparent from the get go. Without question she is only going to get better as her career at St. Kate's progresses and she can be a potential MIAC MVP down the road as well - she's THAT good. Also grabbing my attention was Tiffani Pak who hails from San Francisco, CA and this girl; only 5'2", is just fast and quick and trying to guard her will be a lot like trying to guard smoke. Don't be fooled be her diminutive size; she can sneak in there and mix it up with the bigger girls as well. There's some others that I'll be interested in watching come along as well - 6'0" Sarah Mong from Page Arizona and 6'2" Kerrick Sarbacker (who is actually a sophomore as she spent one year at MCTC before that spineless institution unmercifully and wrongly trashed its two basketball programs). All in all, this group is going to be on that you'll want to keep a keen eye on.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Getting It Going Again....
Wow. Hard to believe it's been just a little over two months since I've done anything in here. Definitely time to get in here and dust off the cobwebs....
I have to apologize for not being on here a little more in the last couple of months. Doing the tennis still and then when football season rolls around makes my life a lot more hectic. Of course, with my Rams quickly going down the toilet and UCLA not doing much better (will be surprised if Neuheisel is back next year; he has to at least beat 'SC to have a chance at saving his job) I'm getting that much more antsy for hoops practice to start.
But before I do anything, I have to send out a HUGE congratulations to our very own Minnesota Lynx on winning their very first WNBA title. I have to be honest with you - after watching the Lynx flounder for so many seasons when there was reason for hope I was truly convinced that this franchise was cursed and would never win a damn thing. But owner Glen Taylor finally got it right when he brought in Cheryl Reeve as new head coach and drafted players like Seimone Augustus and Maya Moore plus the trade that brought Minnesota's own Lindsay Whalen home. Throw in some good role players like Rebecca Brunson and Taj McWilliams-Franklin and have some good players coming off the bench like Candice Wiggins and you had all the pieces of the puzzle to make it work. At the beginning of the year when many were already crowning the Lynx as league champs, I was a little more cautious and would have been happy to see them win A playoff series - then shoot for the moon the following year. But this team had vastly different ideas and once they secured the #1 seed in the Western Conference, nothing was going to stop this train. Fantastic job! Hope they can make a similar run next year.
Okay, so here we are; just a few mere days away from when practice starts for D2 and D3 schools (the D1 teams are ALREADY at it which is a good thing). Lucky for me, I'm on vacation the week of October 16 (YEEEE HAAAAA!!!) which will enable me to make some rounds on some of the MIAC schools as their practices get underway. I'm not going to divulge right now what my schedule is (you'll find that out all soon enough next week) but I want to get a feel for each team I visit before I go out and make predictions on the year.
Just a few short days away. I can tell you that everybody I know is just itching to get it going again!
I have to apologize for not being on here a little more in the last couple of months. Doing the tennis still and then when football season rolls around makes my life a lot more hectic. Of course, with my Rams quickly going down the toilet and UCLA not doing much better (will be surprised if Neuheisel is back next year; he has to at least beat 'SC to have a chance at saving his job) I'm getting that much more antsy for hoops practice to start.
But before I do anything, I have to send out a HUGE congratulations to our very own Minnesota Lynx on winning their very first WNBA title. I have to be honest with you - after watching the Lynx flounder for so many seasons when there was reason for hope I was truly convinced that this franchise was cursed and would never win a damn thing. But owner Glen Taylor finally got it right when he brought in Cheryl Reeve as new head coach and drafted players like Seimone Augustus and Maya Moore plus the trade that brought Minnesota's own Lindsay Whalen home. Throw in some good role players like Rebecca Brunson and Taj McWilliams-Franklin and have some good players coming off the bench like Candice Wiggins and you had all the pieces of the puzzle to make it work. At the beginning of the year when many were already crowning the Lynx as league champs, I was a little more cautious and would have been happy to see them win A playoff series - then shoot for the moon the following year. But this team had vastly different ideas and once they secured the #1 seed in the Western Conference, nothing was going to stop this train. Fantastic job! Hope they can make a similar run next year.
Okay, so here we are; just a few mere days away from when practice starts for D2 and D3 schools (the D1 teams are ALREADY at it which is a good thing). Lucky for me, I'm on vacation the week of October 16 (YEEEE HAAAAA!!!) which will enable me to make some rounds on some of the MIAC schools as their practices get underway. I'm not going to divulge right now what my schedule is (you'll find that out all soon enough next week) but I want to get a feel for each team I visit before I go out and make predictions on the year.
Just a few short days away. I can tell you that everybody I know is just itching to get it going again!
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