Augsburg vs Anoka-Ramsey Scrimmage Recap 10-29-15

Hurried out to Anoka-Ramsey after getting home from work to take in this scrimmage between visiting Augsburg and Anoka-Ramsey.  This would be my first look at the Auggies under new Head Coach Ted Riverso so I was quite interested to get a look at them and their new players as well.  For Anoka-Ramsey, I wanted to see how well they could recover after battling Macalester on the previous night.  I got settled in in the final three minutes of the first ten minute scrimmage and, without any score being displayed I had no idea how the first scrimmage went.

The second scrimmage of the evening proved to be a battle of the post players.  Golden Ram sophomore Daron Mainville helped Anoka-Ramsey draw first blood with 9:14 left when she muscled inside for a score and the Auggies struggled a bit early on in their offensive sets.  But two lanky freshmen finally helped Augsburg get untracked:  Carlee Kobow connected with a lay-up with 7:26 left and then Megan Quam got into the paint for another score with 6:54 left that gave the Auggies a 4-2 lead.  Mainville would answer for the Golden Rams with 6:23 left when she connected with a tough shot off the glass that knotted the issue at 4-all but the Kobow/Quam duo then propelled Augsburg on a decisive 6-0 burst.  Kobow snared an offensive rebound for a putback with 4:36 left and then Quam sneaked into the paint for another score with 3:56 left.  The Auggies then took advantage of some sloppy ball handling by Anoka-Ramsey and got into a transition opportunity that was finished off by a Kobow lay-up with 3:20 left for a 10-4 Augsburg lead.  A Kobow free throw with 1:52 left maintained that six-point cushion at 11-5 before the Golden Rams made one last gasp in the form of a "3" from the right top area by sophomore guard Laya Sath with just :02 left that had me tallying the final score at 11-8 in favor of Augsburg.

The final ten minute scrimmage of the night featured running time to speed things along.  But Kobow picked up right where she left off when the nightcap got underway.  With 9:09 left she slithered into the paint for a score and got fouled in the process and her free throw promptly gave the Auggies a 3-0 lead.  Anoka-Ramsey still had difficulty getting the ball inside as Augsburg did a very good job of clogging up the middle.  Sath was able to get the Golden Rams on the board with her free throw with 7:45 left but that would be as close as Anoka-Ramsey could get in this one.  Auggie freshman guard Alaina Quaranta's free throw got the lead back to three with 7:16 remaining and the score stayed 4-1 Augsburg for the next six minutes.  Auggie junior guard Erin Bolden finally dusted the cobwebs off the net with her offensive rebound for a putback with 1:07 left for a 6-1 Augsburg lead.  Anoka-Ramsey would get its only field goal in this one with :49 left and two late Auggie scores; capped by a lay-up by Kobow with just :03 left made the final in this one 10-3 Augsburg.

Riverso was quick to admit afterward that a LOT of work remains for his squad before the start of the regular season.  The Auggies currently have five players who are currently involved in other sports and senior guard Jenna Orth is dealing with some concussion issues at the moment.  Presumably, however, once those hurdles are cleared, this Auggie squad should be a good one.  Another important piece to the puzzle was added this last summer when former Rogers and Anoka-Ramsey standout Maria Loughlin transferred to Augsburg after spending one season at UM-Crookston.

Anoka-Ramsey vs Macalester Scrimmage Recap - 10-28-15

Battled traffic on I-94 from the northwest suburbs in the late afternoon to get over to the St. Paul side of town again and over to Macalester College to watch my first scrimmage of the year featuring host Macalester against visiting Anoka-Ramsey.  I managed to get settled in with 7:10 left in the first ten minute scrimmage but, since there is typically no score kept on the scoreboard for scrimmages I was clueless as to what the situation was.  But Anoka-Ramsey was struggling with turnovers and miscues on offense and this gave the Scots several opportunities to cash in.  Sophomore guard Vivi Gregorich cashed in with a lay-up in transition at the 6:13 mark and, despite a three-point bomb by the Golden Rams with 2:03 left, savvy senior guard Erin Murray got two late scores for the Scots towards the end of the first scrimmage:  one jumper in the lane with 1:16 left and another from the left corner just inside the arc with :19 left.

That strong finish by Murray towards the end of the first scrimmage seemed to be the cue for the rest of the squad to pick up their game as well once the second scrimmage got underway.  Two quick scores in the first minute by lanky junior forward Park Masterson - a "3" from the right top area with 9:26 left and a lay-up after a steal with 9:10 left gave the Scots an early 5-0 lead and Anoka-Ramsey Head Coach David DeWitt called a quick timeout to give his team an earful.  But the Scots were far from finished.  Two more quick scores by willowy sophomore forward Leah Gray - a "3" from the right wing with 8:51 left and a rebound and putback with 8:02 left - put Macalester up 10-0 and a lay-up by junior point guard Grace Dickman who was wearing a protective mask over her face for this one now made it 12-0 before the Golden Rams finally settled down on offense and started to make things happen.  One score in the paint by sophomore forward Daron Mainville with 7:08 left and a steal and lay-up the other way the Golden Rams with 6:50 left trimmed the deficit to eight points.  Trailing 14-4, Golden Ram guard Laya Sath made a drive into the paint for a finish and got fouled in the process as well and the ensuing free throw cut the Macalester lead down to seven at 14-7.  Anoka-Ramsey cut the Scot lead down to six at 15-9 with 4:45 left but a lay-up after a steal by senior guard Katelyn Kack pushed the Scot lead back to eight at 17-9.  Still, Anoka-Ramsey had one last push left in them to draw tantalizingly close.  A three-point shot off of an inbounds pass with 3:27 left and a lay-up with 2:52 left cut Macalester's lead down to four at 18-14.  Scot sophomore reserve forward Emilie McGuire connected with a lay-up with 1:47 left that made it 20-14 but another Golden Ram score in the paint with 1:33 left and a lay-up with just :02 left had me counting the final in this one at 20-18 Macalester.

The last scrimmage of the evening featured running time to move things along.  Anoka-Ramsey drew first blood in this one with a "3" from the left corner with 9:49 left but that was answered by a "3" from Scot junior reserve guard Lauren Clamage from the left corner as well with 8:57 left.  Anoka-Ramsey; looking a bit more comfortable on offense in this third scrimmage, was able to score on a lay-up with 6:26 left to forge a 5-3 advantage.  Macalester struggled a bit more offensively in this third scrimmage but was able to cut the deficit to one when Gregorich connected with one freebie after being fouled with 3:10 left.  A score in the paint by Anoka-Ramsey with 1:41 left gave the Golden Rams a 7-4 lead and Macalester tried to answer when McGuire connected with a score in the paint as well with :25 left.  The Scots Masterson looked to be going down for the winning lay-up with scant seconds remaining but she was fouled as time expired and no free throws were given making the final score 7-6 in favor of Anoka-Ramsey.

While the final scores aren't so important scrimmages, overall execution and improvement are and Macalester Head Coach Kelly Roysland seemed pleased with her squad's performance in this outing although she was quick to agree when I felt that they arguably left some points on the table with missed free throws.  They're still awaiting one player to join the team yet - sophomore post Regan Fruh who is currently on the volleyball team at Macalester.  Roysland feels very excited for the season to begin and I got the impression that she also thinks that her squad is primed to improve on last season's bumpy road.  I also visited with Anoka-Ramsey Assistant Coach James Fassett afterward as well.  He noted that the numerous turnovers committed by the Golden Rams on this day were not the result of Macalester doing anything special on defense but rather because players were simply trying to do too much at the wrong time; i.e., improvising when they really didn't need to improvise.  With several new faces on the squad, it may take some time to get everyone on the same page.  Fassett also pointed out that the team scrimmages at home against Augsburg tomorrow (Thursday) night and he wished that the scrimmages were a bit more "spaced out" so that they could have some extra time to work on the things he thinks that they need to work on.

St. Kate's Practice 10-23-16

Got up early on my day off from work to drive over to the St. Paul side of town for the Friday morning (9:00 A.M.) practice at St. Kate's.  I got over there early to catch up with both Head Coach Sean Pinkerton and Assistant Coach Tim Kjar.  Both are excited for the upcoming season and the challenges that lay ahead as they seek to make amends for a disappointing 2014-15 season.

After I get settled in, one of the first things Pinkerton has the squad work on is on lay-ups in transition opportunities.  This is a squad that definitely has the athleticism to get out and run but the overall work in the drills is not to Pinkerton's liking and not a good way to get this Friday morning practice started.  As a result, full-court sprints are in order for the squad and they get an earful of Pinkerton's displeasure as well.

The next drill keeps the focus on transition as well.  Here, one group of players are lined up on the baseline and two more groups are lined up along each sideline.  Off of a mock rebound, one player from each group go down the court in a transition situation to finish with a lay-up.  On the trip back down, a screen is set and the idea is to get the ball kicked out to the point guard.  A similar drill is performed a bit late with three players going down the court in a mock transition opportunity but on the trip back, one of the players turns into a defensive player to represent a 2-on-1 situation.

After the team is split into two groups that allows the players to do a little one-on-one work, the focus then switches to defense in a 2-on-2 drill where the emphasis for the defenders is moving with the ball.  This later morphs into a 3-on-3 half-court drill where the emphasis appears to be setting a good screen and coming off the screen as well.  Later, a 5-on-4 half-court drill is done and the emphasis here is defensively moving with the ball.

The team then gets to do more work on lay-ups as they are split into two groups but in this drill, each player comes off of a screen set for them.  Then, one of the last big drills of this morning workout is some 5-on-5 half-court work where the starters are on offense and the reserves are on defense.  The starters definitely get the best of their understudies but, to make things halfway fair, the roles are later reversed where now the starters are on defense and the understudies get to show their stuff with the ball.  Very good to watch and it gives the bench players a chance to showcase their skills.  Finally, with fall break going on during the week, Pinkerton wraps up this morning practice as he has the players work on both their three-point shooting and their mid-range jumpers as well.

Outtakes:  I've always felt that St. Kates is a team that you should keep your eyes on as they have the coaching and the athleticism to "topple the applecart" so to speak; i.e., spoil the hopes of another team's playoff chances and sneak into the MIAC playoffs.  To do that, though, two things need to happen:  (1) They have to, without question, stay healthy and (2) they have to find some consistency as they endured a nine-game skid from mid-January to mid-February last season.  The twin sister duo of Audra and Meg Clark is more than just a fun show to watch.  They work incredibly well together and they're only sophomores.  Sharpshooting senior forward Shauna Horsch has developed into a true leader for this team and she's shown one more than one occasion that she can be a game-changer with her three-point shooting ability.  Junior forward Mari Lee has blossomed into a very solid player and I expect big things from her this season.  Junior guard/forward Kennedy Jennings is a very versatile, athletic player and, oh, let's not forget about junior guard/forward LaShay Holt who can single-handedly electrify a gym floor with her sensational ability on both ends of the floor.  On the downside, depth again will be an issue so it'll be crucial for the reserves to develop as much as possible between now and January once the 'Cats delve into the meat of their schedule.  Again, it's going to come down to (1) staying healthy and (2) finding consistency some consistency along the way.  And it wouldn't hurt if they were able to steal a game or two that they're not supposed to win on paper.    

Anoka-Ramsey Practice 10-16-15

Had this Friday off from work - and thankfully so as I was still very much hungover from UCLA's Thursday night debacle up at Stanford.  Nevertheless, I was able to make the 0900 Friday A.M. practice for Anoka-Ramsey and to see what Head Coach David DeWitt has for his 2015-16 squad.  One thing is for sure - there are a LOT of new faces on the squad but there is also a lot of talent and athleticism as well and while the refined product will obviously take some time to reveal itself there's a sense that this program can get back to its winning ways and have a solid shot at getting back to the National Tournament as well.

After an initial "sit-down" meeting on the floor to discuss things such as getting better and playing hard as well as the upcoming jamboree on Saturday, DeWitt has his team doing its first drill which consists of having three players at a basket as the players move to different areas on the perimeter to work on their perimeter shooting.  DeWitt stops the drill about a third of the way through as he not pleased with the lack of talking and communication between the players during the drill.  Specifically, DeWitt wants his shooters yelling for the ball.

The next significant drill has one player from the baseline pass the ball out to a player near the top of the key and then the baseline person has to come out and defend the shot at the top of the key.  A bit later, DeWitt has his squad do a 3-on-0 "shell" drill that emphasizes setting a good screen.  Unfortunately, however, the drill is not going anywhere near the level that DeWitt expects and he vents his displeasure to his squad which in the end results in two sets of sprints.

After working on a variety of passes, DeWitt then has his squad in a 3-on-2 half-court drill that emphasizes ball movement and defending on a transition opportunity.  Another 3-on-0 "shell" drill is done afterward that emphasizes crisp passing and movement.  But again, the drill is not done to DeWitt's liking and he lets the team know about it under no uncertain terms.  To have his squad fully understand what he wants, he has his team "walk through" the drill at a slow pace

Another 3-on-2 half-court drill and a 3-on-3 full-court drill are performed that emphasize defense and movement to the ball.  Then comes a 5-on-0 "shell" drill where movement and positioning is emphasized.  Several times during the drill, however, DeWitt has to stop the action to point out mistakes made by players coming off the screen that was set for them.

Finally, it's time for some 5-on-5 full-court action and this is where I got my first glimpse of the team's potential.  But DeWitt has to stop the action several times again to point out various deficiencies that have to be corrected.  And again, being that this is only mid-October, I fully expect that.  Particularly when you have, for the most part anyway, a whole new group of players getting used to a new system.  As I've told DeWitt myself on more than one occasion, "Rome wasn't built in a day."

DeWitt wraps up the morning practice by having the players work on their perimeter shooting some more before a short team meeting and having the squad set up things for the Saturday jamboree.  Again, I think this squad has a ton of potential and the ability to make up for last year's disappointing season.  The big thing for me that I want to see is who/whom develops as a leader for this squad.  It becomes an interesting question considering that you have at least two players that are sophomores that transferred into Anoka-Ramsey after playing their first season on other teams.  Chemistry is another thing that has to be developed as well although I think that will take care of itself as the season progresses.  Certainly Anoka-Ramsey has to be considered one of the favorites in the MCCC along with Rochester and possibly Minnesota West.  

Another Season Is Upon Us!

And how appropriate is it with the Minnesota Lynx closing in on another WNBA title at Target Center!!  Yes, tomorrow (Thursday) is that magical date of October 15 when practice officially begins for all DIII teams.  And I'll be out visiting some of these early practices over the next few weeks to try and get a feel for how these teams will fare in the upcoming 2015-16 season.

Get ready!