Los Angeles Rams
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Sunday, October 21, 2012
GAC Practice 10-20-12
With UCLA off on a bye week on this October Saturday I made the trip down to St. Peter to catch the Gusties Saturday A.M. practice. I was met by new Gustavus Head Coach Laurie Kelly and just spending time talking with her you can easily detect her passion and enthusiasm for not only the GAC program but for the MIAC in general and how much she wants to see the conference return to its glory days and prominence when she was a star player at UST. She certainly has inherited a solid, stable program that has a cupboard full of some very, very good players despite the losses of Molly Geske, Colleen Ruane, Ava Perry, and Liz Shay to graduation.
As I make my way into Lund Arena, I'm greeted by a familiar face - former Gustie great Angie Peterson-Potts who played for Gustavus from 2001-2004 (she played her freshman year at UST) and played an integral role in that fabulous 2002-03 season when GAC, Carleton, and CSB all wound up in a three-way tie for MIAC conference honors. Despite losing the MIAC Championship Game to Carleton in Northfield, the Gusties received a bid to the NCAA Tournament where they knocked off Wartburg at home in St. Peter before losing their second round game out in the Pacific Northwest. In retrospect, that GAC team was built for a deep run that year (as was Carleton) and it's a shame it didn't work out a bit differently for them. In any event, Peterson-Potts is volunteering for the Gustie program this year and her knowledge and experience will be invaluable to not only Kelly and assistants Dan Wolfe and Nate Otto but even more importantly to the players as well. She knows those important things on the floor to help make a player be as successful as they can possibly be. And when it comes to shooting the ball, well, there's no one better to learn from as AP had then - and has now - the prettiest jump shot you'll ever see.
After the normal warming up and stretching, the team moves on to a partner sideline passing drill that involves moving properly with pivoting. The intensity picks up on the next drill which is called a 12-person shooting drill and you can see the intensity and desire on senior post Abby Rothenbuehler's face as she shouts for a ball and contorts her face when a player is late getting her the ball. A transition 5-0 "shell" drill is also performed where the team splits into three different groups. Kelly is always making her presence known; whether it is in terms of correcting mistakes or rooting her players on. Transition defense is also worked on and this is where defense guru Wolfe gets a chance to help mold this squad into one of the top defensive teams in the conference. Positional breakdown drills are also done as guards, forwards and post players all work on their specialties.
Outtakes - From what I can tell, the Gusties are buying into Kelly's philosophy and I think that's important given what this program has gone through over the last 6-7 months. Obviously this program will have a somewhat different look than it did under the Haller regime but it remains to be seen how much. When I asked Kelly about who might fall into the starting point guard spot she seemed uncertain at this point stating that there are no "givens" at this stage of the season. The only "sure" deal at this point would appear to be Rothenbuehler at the post position backed up by Amanda Iverson. The guess here is that senior Steph Comer will probably get the nod at the PG spot but sharpshooting junior Julia Dysthie and sophomore Shelly Blashko could fill in there as well as Kelly wants to be as flexible as possible and doesn't want players to be nailed down to specific positions. One of the newcomers who really appears ready to step right in is Lindsey Johnson and she's only going to get better......This GAC team is too good and too talented to miss out on the MIAC playoffs but I don't know if it's good enough to actually make a serious run at the MIAC title. You have to figure that GAC along with both CSB and SMU will be jockeying for the 3rd, 4th and 5th spots respectively.
As I make my way into Lund Arena, I'm greeted by a familiar face - former Gustie great Angie Peterson-Potts who played for Gustavus from 2001-2004 (she played her freshman year at UST) and played an integral role in that fabulous 2002-03 season when GAC, Carleton, and CSB all wound up in a three-way tie for MIAC conference honors. Despite losing the MIAC Championship Game to Carleton in Northfield, the Gusties received a bid to the NCAA Tournament where they knocked off Wartburg at home in St. Peter before losing their second round game out in the Pacific Northwest. In retrospect, that GAC team was built for a deep run that year (as was Carleton) and it's a shame it didn't work out a bit differently for them. In any event, Peterson-Potts is volunteering for the Gustie program this year and her knowledge and experience will be invaluable to not only Kelly and assistants Dan Wolfe and Nate Otto but even more importantly to the players as well. She knows those important things on the floor to help make a player be as successful as they can possibly be. And when it comes to shooting the ball, well, there's no one better to learn from as AP had then - and has now - the prettiest jump shot you'll ever see.
After the normal warming up and stretching, the team moves on to a partner sideline passing drill that involves moving properly with pivoting. The intensity picks up on the next drill which is called a 12-person shooting drill and you can see the intensity and desire on senior post Abby Rothenbuehler's face as she shouts for a ball and contorts her face when a player is late getting her the ball. A transition 5-0 "shell" drill is also performed where the team splits into three different groups. Kelly is always making her presence known; whether it is in terms of correcting mistakes or rooting her players on. Transition defense is also worked on and this is where defense guru Wolfe gets a chance to help mold this squad into one of the top defensive teams in the conference. Positional breakdown drills are also done as guards, forwards and post players all work on their specialties.
Outtakes - From what I can tell, the Gusties are buying into Kelly's philosophy and I think that's important given what this program has gone through over the last 6-7 months. Obviously this program will have a somewhat different look than it did under the Haller regime but it remains to be seen how much. When I asked Kelly about who might fall into the starting point guard spot she seemed uncertain at this point stating that there are no "givens" at this stage of the season. The only "sure" deal at this point would appear to be Rothenbuehler at the post position backed up by Amanda Iverson. The guess here is that senior Steph Comer will probably get the nod at the PG spot but sharpshooting junior Julia Dysthie and sophomore Shelly Blashko could fill in there as well as Kelly wants to be as flexible as possible and doesn't want players to be nailed down to specific positions. One of the newcomers who really appears ready to step right in is Lindsey Johnson and she's only going to get better......This GAC team is too good and too talented to miss out on the MIAC playoffs but I don't know if it's good enough to actually make a serious run at the MIAC title. You have to figure that GAC along with both CSB and SMU will be jockeying for the 3rd, 4th and 5th spots respectively.
Macalester Practice 10-19-12
On this Friday afternoon I made the trek over to Macalester's Leonard Center to catch the 2012-13 version of Ellen Thompson's team in its early season routine. Without question this team has a different look to it without the Rene Sisters, Maggie Wood, and Holly Schiedermayer who have all moved on and Thompson is quick to admit that the younger players will have to step up from a scoring standpoint. In fact, the lone senior on the team is Kyanna Jones who hails from Osseo HS.
By the time I arrived, the team had got a head start on its flexing/stretching/footwork drills before Thompson moved things right along. The first few drills consisted of dribbling and lay-up work and then the emphasis then switched to passing as two players would go down the court doing both chest and overhead passes to keep these small but vital skills sharp. Another neat little drill that was done early on was where a player was fed a ball at the center of court who then had to go against a defender and had to finish with a jump shot.
The team then moved into drills that emphasized offense and positioning plus screen work. Transition work was also addressed as this is something that Macalester has always seemed to do well. Guards and small forwards also got into one group to do work on a variety of skills while the taller forwards and post players worked on things to help improve their game. Practice finally wrapped up with a short 5-on-5 scrimmage so that Thompson could get a better look at her team to see where they're at right now.
Outtakes - As I mentioned, this is a new-look Macalester team that won't have the Rene Sisters launching up bombs from behind the perimeter that usually terrorized opponents. Just from watching myself I'm not yet sure who/whom is going to be picking up where they left off. While the jury may be out on that front, one player who did catch my eye as far as improvement is junior Carmen Whitehead who hails from Greeley, Colorado. She just looks more confident and comfortable out there and I would have to think that she'll certainly see her share of playing time this year if she doesn't start. The other "big" item revolving around the Macalester program during the off-season was the transfer of Veronika Jakubovie from Hamline. This is certainly a tremendous addition to Thompson's program considering the graduation of Schiedermayer.....I'm thinking that this team could somehow find a way to be one of those "bubble" teams; in play for that 6th playoff spot but several things will have to go right for the Scots in order for that to happen. But Macalester is the last team you want to play if you need to count on a "W" as GAC found out late this last season.
By the time I arrived, the team had got a head start on its flexing/stretching/footwork drills before Thompson moved things right along. The first few drills consisted of dribbling and lay-up work and then the emphasis then switched to passing as two players would go down the court doing both chest and overhead passes to keep these small but vital skills sharp. Another neat little drill that was done early on was where a player was fed a ball at the center of court who then had to go against a defender and had to finish with a jump shot.
The team then moved into drills that emphasized offense and positioning plus screen work. Transition work was also addressed as this is something that Macalester has always seemed to do well. Guards and small forwards also got into one group to do work on a variety of skills while the taller forwards and post players worked on things to help improve their game. Practice finally wrapped up with a short 5-on-5 scrimmage so that Thompson could get a better look at her team to see where they're at right now.
Outtakes - As I mentioned, this is a new-look Macalester team that won't have the Rene Sisters launching up bombs from behind the perimeter that usually terrorized opponents. Just from watching myself I'm not yet sure who/whom is going to be picking up where they left off. While the jury may be out on that front, one player who did catch my eye as far as improvement is junior Carmen Whitehead who hails from Greeley, Colorado. She just looks more confident and comfortable out there and I would have to think that she'll certainly see her share of playing time this year if she doesn't start. The other "big" item revolving around the Macalester program during the off-season was the transfer of Veronika Jakubovie from Hamline. This is certainly a tremendous addition to Thompson's program considering the graduation of Schiedermayer.....I'm thinking that this team could somehow find a way to be one of those "bubble" teams; in play for that 6th playoff spot but several things will have to go right for the Scots in order for that to happen. But Macalester is the last team you want to play if you need to count on a "W" as GAC found out late this last season.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Hamline Practice 10-18-12
Made my way up Snelling Avenue after leaving UST's practice to catch the 6:30 P.M. practice that Haline was having that night. I arrived at Hamline in plenty of time and had an opportunity to chat with Head Coach Kerri Stockwell who was in her office with assistants Angel Leon, Dean Stambaugh, and Jon Hodge as they were preparing tonight's practice session. When I went into the arena I also got to chat with seniors Cassidy Vogt and Steph Pilgrim who both figure to play major roles in the success of this Piper program for this upcoming season.
In addition to myself, there were other visitors as well in the form of high school recruits checking out practice tonight as well as Stockwell has been hitting the recruiting trail hard. The really neat thing, though, was the presence of Steph Rice who is helping out with the team at practice this season as much as she can. Rice, of course, missed the last few games of her senior season last year but her knowledge of the game and her basketball savvy will be invaluable to this team. It's just a testament as to how much she loves this program and how she wants to contribute to its success. And, make no mistake about it, she'll be able to "ball" for a long, long time.
After getting loosened up, the Pipers get it going in earnest as they start with a 4-on-4 halfcourt drill where the emphasis here appears to be defense and communication. The next drill Stockwell employs starts out as a 2-on-1 and eventually morphs into a 5-on-4 drill where the emphasis appears to be defending transition opportunities.
For the next set of drills, the team divides into two groups at each basket to do what appears to be "give and go" work in the paint. Dribbling is added to enhance the drill and then later chairs are placed just inside the 3-point line that the dribblers have to go around. Another notable drill the Pipers perform is a lay-up drill whereby players are lined up at the ends and at the center where three players with ball go the full length of the court to do a lay-up. After doing the lay-up, they then have to do a long baseball-type pass to the center of the court to the next player. Stockwell also has the team do 5-on-5 halfcourt work to work on the offense.
Outtakes - This Hamline squad went through perhaps one of the most uncanny injury-riddled seasons I have ever seen any team endure and yet, through it all, they remained very competitive throughout. Obviously Stockwell does not hope for a repeat of the injury bugaboo and if the key components of this squad can stay healthy there's certainly no reason why this team can't be in the mix as far as a playoff spot is concerned. When sophomore standout Jordan Sammons returns from soccer, it will make this athletic and speedy squad even more dangerous. I'm also impressed with how senior PG Kara Poirier has taken on the leadership role for this team as well. Also keep your eyes on Je'Naya Brown and Mackenzie Lee this year as well.
In addition to myself, there were other visitors as well in the form of high school recruits checking out practice tonight as well as Stockwell has been hitting the recruiting trail hard. The really neat thing, though, was the presence of Steph Rice who is helping out with the team at practice this season as much as she can. Rice, of course, missed the last few games of her senior season last year but her knowledge of the game and her basketball savvy will be invaluable to this team. It's just a testament as to how much she loves this program and how she wants to contribute to its success. And, make no mistake about it, she'll be able to "ball" for a long, long time.
After getting loosened up, the Pipers get it going in earnest as they start with a 4-on-4 halfcourt drill where the emphasis here appears to be defense and communication. The next drill Stockwell employs starts out as a 2-on-1 and eventually morphs into a 5-on-4 drill where the emphasis appears to be defending transition opportunities.
For the next set of drills, the team divides into two groups at each basket to do what appears to be "give and go" work in the paint. Dribbling is added to enhance the drill and then later chairs are placed just inside the 3-point line that the dribblers have to go around. Another notable drill the Pipers perform is a lay-up drill whereby players are lined up at the ends and at the center where three players with ball go the full length of the court to do a lay-up. After doing the lay-up, they then have to do a long baseball-type pass to the center of the court to the next player. Stockwell also has the team do 5-on-5 halfcourt work to work on the offense.
Outtakes - This Hamline squad went through perhaps one of the most uncanny injury-riddled seasons I have ever seen any team endure and yet, through it all, they remained very competitive throughout. Obviously Stockwell does not hope for a repeat of the injury bugaboo and if the key components of this squad can stay healthy there's certainly no reason why this team can't be in the mix as far as a playoff spot is concerned. When sophomore standout Jordan Sammons returns from soccer, it will make this athletic and speedy squad even more dangerous. I'm also impressed with how senior PG Kara Poirier has taken on the leadership role for this team as well. Also keep your eyes on Je'Naya Brown and Mackenzie Lee this year as well.
UST Practice 10-18-12
Was over at the Anderson Athletic Complex on the campus of St. Thomas on Thursday afternoon to catch their Thursday afternoon practice. Head Coach Ruth Sinn along with assistants Chris Dalhed and Joshua Hersch were gracious hosts as they made me feel at home.
The theme for today's practice was "Win The Day" - each drill has an opportunity to win it! After getting stretched out with the usual routines, the Tommies went right to work working on ball handling and passing drills. These may seem like normal blah affairs but in reality these small things are critically important to the overall success of the team. From a turnover standpoint, they are absolutely crucial. Dalhed mentioned to me during this session that the turnover ratio was better last season than the season before. And, make no mistake about it - the Tommies do the small things well.
Coach Sinn keeps moving things along; she has the team transition into what she calls her "toughness series" which are definitely tough. One of the drills has 3 players at a basket whereby a player has to tip the ball off the glass six times before tipping the ball in the hoop for an easy put-in. Another drill in this series is called "Mikan work" for Minneapolis Laker legend George Mikan where the players have to put the ball off the glass for a basket while under the basket; definitely tough but players such as Maggie Weiers and Taylor Young do it with ease.
Sinn also has the team do the usual offensive and defensive work as well and it's no secret that the Tommies can be absolutely suffocating with their defense. Naturally, the returning veterans look comfortable and at ease with this work while the new faces need a period of "adjustment" before they feel comfortable. "Think basketball" as Sinn likes to call it. Despite the losses of the MIAC's 3-point shooting Queen in Ali Johnson along with Carolyn Dienhart to graduation (along with Sarah Smith and Haley Loesch), this team has more than enough weapons to make another run at the conference title along with a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
Outtakes - Sinn pooh-poohed the notion of the Tommies being infalliable despite running roughshod over conference opponents last year. She noted that the "peaks and valleys" the team went through last year were markedly better than the year before and she hopes to make that wavy line even smaller this season. Sinn was quick to concur to my notion that it was a travesty that GAC was left out of the NCAA Tournament this last March and that the conference has to take decisive steps that would allow more non-conference games (a MIAC/WIAC Challenge would be an EXCELLENT way to help open things up a little bit). From my perspective (and I didn't ask Sinn about this), it's difficult to say right now who the starting point guard will be although I can say that former Eastview standout Jen Dockter should get her chance somewhere down the road. Also impressive is junior Kelly Brandenburg who keeps getting better and better. The junior was probably the best 6th player in the league last year and it wouldn't surprise me at all if she starts this year. What else can you say about the dynamic junior duo of Weiers and Young? Weiers is hands down the best post player in the conference and Young the most dynamic and gifted player as well. While going through another stretch of MIAC play unblemished might be a bridge too far, they certainly have enough talent and tools to win the conference again and perhaps win the whole ball of wax as well. The Tommies do have an incredibly tough opening slate of games, however. They open up in Decatur, Illinois against MIAA powerhouse Calvin and then host school Millikin the weekend of November 16/17. Then the following Monday the Tommies host WIAC powerhouse UW-Steven Point so we'll find out a lot about this team early on.
The theme for today's practice was "Win The Day" - each drill has an opportunity to win it! After getting stretched out with the usual routines, the Tommies went right to work working on ball handling and passing drills. These may seem like normal blah affairs but in reality these small things are critically important to the overall success of the team. From a turnover standpoint, they are absolutely crucial. Dalhed mentioned to me during this session that the turnover ratio was better last season than the season before. And, make no mistake about it - the Tommies do the small things well.
Coach Sinn keeps moving things along; she has the team transition into what she calls her "toughness series" which are definitely tough. One of the drills has 3 players at a basket whereby a player has to tip the ball off the glass six times before tipping the ball in the hoop for an easy put-in. Another drill in this series is called "Mikan work" for Minneapolis Laker legend George Mikan where the players have to put the ball off the glass for a basket while under the basket; definitely tough but players such as Maggie Weiers and Taylor Young do it with ease.
Sinn also has the team do the usual offensive and defensive work as well and it's no secret that the Tommies can be absolutely suffocating with their defense. Naturally, the returning veterans look comfortable and at ease with this work while the new faces need a period of "adjustment" before they feel comfortable. "Think basketball" as Sinn likes to call it. Despite the losses of the MIAC's 3-point shooting Queen in Ali Johnson along with Carolyn Dienhart to graduation (along with Sarah Smith and Haley Loesch), this team has more than enough weapons to make another run at the conference title along with a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
Outtakes - Sinn pooh-poohed the notion of the Tommies being infalliable despite running roughshod over conference opponents last year. She noted that the "peaks and valleys" the team went through last year were markedly better than the year before and she hopes to make that wavy line even smaller this season. Sinn was quick to concur to my notion that it was a travesty that GAC was left out of the NCAA Tournament this last March and that the conference has to take decisive steps that would allow more non-conference games (a MIAC/WIAC Challenge would be an EXCELLENT way to help open things up a little bit). From my perspective (and I didn't ask Sinn about this), it's difficult to say right now who the starting point guard will be although I can say that former Eastview standout Jen Dockter should get her chance somewhere down the road. Also impressive is junior Kelly Brandenburg who keeps getting better and better. The junior was probably the best 6th player in the league last year and it wouldn't surprise me at all if she starts this year. What else can you say about the dynamic junior duo of Weiers and Young? Weiers is hands down the best post player in the conference and Young the most dynamic and gifted player as well. While going through another stretch of MIAC play unblemished might be a bridge too far, they certainly have enough talent and tools to win the conference again and perhaps win the whole ball of wax as well. The Tommies do have an incredibly tough opening slate of games, however. They open up in Decatur, Illinois against MIAA powerhouse Calvin and then host school Millikin the weekend of November 16/17. Then the following Monday the Tommies host WIAC powerhouse UW-Steven Point so we'll find out a lot about this team early on.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
St. Olaf Practice 10-17-12
Made the trek down to Northfield Wednesday afternoon to take in St. Olaf's practice at their Skoglund Center facility. The starting time was 3:15 and I got there perhaps 20 minutes before things were slated to get going and already most players were out on the floor working on various aspects of their game. After greeting junior Maddie Ehrich; now finally healed after nearly a year's worth of re-hab, I then located both Head Coach Dave Stromme and assistant coach Mike Ludwig. Stromme and I talked about last year and how it ended on a downer with the opening-round playoff loss to St. Mary's and the potential for this year's squad. In my mind, I thought the biggest thing for this team is the consistency issue; i.e., doing well at home but then turning around and losing on the road to lesser teams. Stromme broke it down further to shooting issues saying that they had games last year where they shot barely over 20% from FG range which obviously won't get the job done anywhere.
The first thing that caught my eye when I got myself situated in the gym was the number of new faces this program has - considering the fact that St. Olaf did not graduate anyone from last year. Last year when I attended St. Olaf's practice Stromme had perhaps ten healthy bodies to go with. This time around he has almost double that which is a good thing to have, IMHO. Interestingly, Stromme has a nice Colorado pipeline in place now as he has at least three players who hail from the state (it could be more than that; will know when he has the official roster up). I've already mentioned how Ehrich is now back and fully healthy. Now, junior post Elise Raney is well on the way to full recovery from knee surgery which is huge for this program. After being out on several occasions last year from nagging knee problems, Raney now appears poised to be an integral part of the formidable St. Olaf front line that includes seniors Erin Haglund and Ashley Menzel. Another young lady who has returned from the walking wounded is junior Brit Webber who was hit with the ACL bugaboo the year before. Both senior PG Mackenzie Wolter (who will likely be the best PG in the conference this season IMHO) and fellow senior (C'mon) Eileen O'Donoghue are looking healthy and as strong as ever. Just as important, both players are excellent leaders in every sense of the word for this relatively young team.
Dave gave me a practice itenerary of all the things that the team would be covering in this day's practice. He has the team start out working on some of the finer points of the game (dribbling, passing, short jump shots). What's really amazing when you watch one of Stromme's practices is how he's constantly shouting out instructions on how his players should be doing things properly. He aptly borrowed a quote from the greatest college basketball coach that ever lived, John Wooden (who, of course, coached at the best public university in the world, UCLA) when he said "Be quick but don't hurry." Another thing that Coach Stromme stressed to his squad is that "we HAVE to be faster" which I would concur to. But, unlike last year, he's got the talent to do just that. The other thing that stood out to me was how he manages to keep practice close to being on time; i.e., he has start times listed on his itenerary when he wants to focus on certain items and he does just that. Another item that Stromme made a special emphasis on was lay-ups; specifically uncontested lay-ups. "Don't miss uncontested lay-ups - make it important!" After moving to the south gym around 4:30 to allow the men's team to use the main floor, Stromme had a special rebounding ring placed on the rim cylinder so the team could focus on rebounding and boxing out. After some more defensive work, the team wound things down with free throw shooting as the team cheered after each FT made.
Outtakes - Just the number of new faces - and healthy returnees, has changed the dynamics of this team considerably. While the loss of sophomore Sheridan Blanford to an ACL injury was a downer (and she was doing mostly stretching/flexing at practice while wishing she could be out there with her teammates), having Raney, Ehrich, and Webber back fully healthy or nearly so is just simply HUGE for this squad. Another key senior returnee, Kirstee Rotty, will be with the team again once volleyball season is completed. So now, not only does St. Olaf have the regular chain-gang group back, Stromme now finally has depth at BOTH the frontline and backcourt positions which is a luxury he didn't have last year. That said, I think this St. Olaf team likely has the best chance of not only challenging UST for league honors but also being a team that can get into the "Big Dance" as well. Again, consistency will be the key for this team. They can't afford to have lapses on the road like they had last year at Augsburg and Macalester. Being that this is the last go-around for seniors Mackenzie Wolter, O'Donoghue, Haglund, Rotty and Menzel, if they're going to reach the lofty goals they've set for themselves than this is the year they absolutely have to do it. While Stromme obviously realizes the potential this squad has, he also expects strong challenges from both Concordia and SMU.
The first thing that caught my eye when I got myself situated in the gym was the number of new faces this program has - considering the fact that St. Olaf did not graduate anyone from last year. Last year when I attended St. Olaf's practice Stromme had perhaps ten healthy bodies to go with. This time around he has almost double that which is a good thing to have, IMHO. Interestingly, Stromme has a nice Colorado pipeline in place now as he has at least three players who hail from the state (it could be more than that; will know when he has the official roster up). I've already mentioned how Ehrich is now back and fully healthy. Now, junior post Elise Raney is well on the way to full recovery from knee surgery which is huge for this program. After being out on several occasions last year from nagging knee problems, Raney now appears poised to be an integral part of the formidable St. Olaf front line that includes seniors Erin Haglund and Ashley Menzel. Another young lady who has returned from the walking wounded is junior Brit Webber who was hit with the ACL bugaboo the year before. Both senior PG Mackenzie Wolter (who will likely be the best PG in the conference this season IMHO) and fellow senior (C'mon) Eileen O'Donoghue are looking healthy and as strong as ever. Just as important, both players are excellent leaders in every sense of the word for this relatively young team.
Dave gave me a practice itenerary of all the things that the team would be covering in this day's practice. He has the team start out working on some of the finer points of the game (dribbling, passing, short jump shots). What's really amazing when you watch one of Stromme's practices is how he's constantly shouting out instructions on how his players should be doing things properly. He aptly borrowed a quote from the greatest college basketball coach that ever lived, John Wooden (who, of course, coached at the best public university in the world, UCLA) when he said "Be quick but don't hurry." Another thing that Coach Stromme stressed to his squad is that "we HAVE to be faster" which I would concur to. But, unlike last year, he's got the talent to do just that. The other thing that stood out to me was how he manages to keep practice close to being on time; i.e., he has start times listed on his itenerary when he wants to focus on certain items and he does just that. Another item that Stromme made a special emphasis on was lay-ups; specifically uncontested lay-ups. "Don't miss uncontested lay-ups - make it important!" After moving to the south gym around 4:30 to allow the men's team to use the main floor, Stromme had a special rebounding ring placed on the rim cylinder so the team could focus on rebounding and boxing out. After some more defensive work, the team wound things down with free throw shooting as the team cheered after each FT made.
Outtakes - Just the number of new faces - and healthy returnees, has changed the dynamics of this team considerably. While the loss of sophomore Sheridan Blanford to an ACL injury was a downer (and she was doing mostly stretching/flexing at practice while wishing she could be out there with her teammates), having Raney, Ehrich, and Webber back fully healthy or nearly so is just simply HUGE for this squad. Another key senior returnee, Kirstee Rotty, will be with the team again once volleyball season is completed. So now, not only does St. Olaf have the regular chain-gang group back, Stromme now finally has depth at BOTH the frontline and backcourt positions which is a luxury he didn't have last year. That said, I think this St. Olaf team likely has the best chance of not only challenging UST for league honors but also being a team that can get into the "Big Dance" as well. Again, consistency will be the key for this team. They can't afford to have lapses on the road like they had last year at Augsburg and Macalester. Being that this is the last go-around for seniors Mackenzie Wolter, O'Donoghue, Haglund, Rotty and Menzel, if they're going to reach the lofty goals they've set for themselves than this is the year they absolutely have to do it. While Stromme obviously realizes the potential this squad has, he also expects strong challenges from both Concordia and SMU.
Anoka-Ramsey Practice 10-16-12
Was up at Anoka-Ramsey's Tuesday afternoon practice to catch a glimpse of the team to see how they're coming along so far. Actually, just going in the building was an eye-opener in itself as they've done considerable renovation of the facilites there. They have a brand-new fieldhouse/practice facility (which the team utilized on this day) along with a totally new lobby area and a VERY nice new weight room/workout area which is still not done yet. The main gym is slated to get new bleachers as well so when all is said and done, it's safe to say that Anoka-Ramsey will have state of the art facilities which is what you would expect for a program that has had the success that Anoka-Ramsey has had over the last several years.
After getting acquainted with the team, head coach David DeWitt held a pre-practice team meeting in one of the conference rooms upstairs (very nice new facility as well). Here, Coach DeWitt outlined some of the guidelines for his team to follow - both on AND off the court - and it's no surprise that Anoka-Ramsey has had continued success with DeWitt leading the way. Some of the points that stand out include:
(1) Never lie, cheat or steal.
(2) Don't whine, complain or make excuses.
A. Excuses are for losers.
B. Winners find way to be successful!
C. No matter how bad things may appear to be, somebody else has it worse.
(3) Communication is the key!
A. You must be able to communicate well with your teammates.
(4) Defense is the key - and our identity!
A. It is the hallmark of what we do.
B. In the early part of the year, it should be ahead of the offense.
C. Anticipation is critical to playing great defense.
D. Secure the defensive rebound!
(5) You play to be the best!
(6) Crash the boards!
A. It's a mentality that MUST be learned.
After that great pep talk, it was then time to head back down the stairs and into the new fieldhouse/practice facility as the team was able to spend 10-15 minutes getting loosened up and hitting some shots before Coach DeWitt assembled them for drills. The first few drills emphasized setting screens properly and position work as well. The focus then shifted to passing and this consisted of the time-tested weave, fundamental passing, SST (start stop turn) plus the 3-line push as well. It was during this time that Coach DeWitt had to admonish his team; particularly his post players to "PLAY HARD!" The reason for this was because assistant coach David Alto had the task of using a pad to bump against post players coming down the floor preparing to post up and Coach DeWitt; not happy with performance of his post players, told them "You'd better make him take two steps back when you post up!"
The second half of practice focused on the trademark of Anoka-Ramsey success - defense. The drills done here were labled as 4/4/4, cover down, "imaginary" defense, 4 on 2 - ballside/helpside, and then some 5 on 5 - both "shell" and live. Coach DeWitt is simply passionate when it comes to defense and he stresses some of the little things that help a player be the best defender she can possibly be. He stresses that you have to be able to sprint to the area where the ball is - not simply shuffle over. "Keep your hands up" is another phrase that was heard more than once.
Outtakes - Coach DeWitt has some very good incoming freshmen coming into this group; most notably Kelli Schramm who hails from Mounds View HS. She played one year at UW-Eau Claire before sitting out last season so that is a fantastic "get" for this program. I can visualize her playing either the "3" or "4" spot (she's that versatile) but she can post up as well. The other one that caught my eye is Park Center standout Nicole Schaub who played an integral role (along with her younger sister Hannah who is now a sophomore at Park Center) in the Pirates run to the Section Finals the last two seasons. Schaub is a pure shooter who can terrorize opponents if left open on the perimeter. It will be interesting to watch these two along with the other newcomers mesh with the returnees. Speaking of returnees, you would normally have to think that Anoka-Ramsey was primed for an easy repeat trip back to the National Tournament - that is until sophomore standout Maria Loughlin went down with a knee injury early in the fall that drastically changed the dynamics of this talented squad. From what I can tell, Coach DeWitt is not even close as far as settling on someone to inherit the coveted PG spot although he may have an idea in the back of his mind. Last year I said that a return trip to the National Tournament was probably "a bridge too far" considering all the great players he had lost from the National Championship team. Well, I was obviously wrong on that one although they had to survive a big scare in the Region Tournament. The thing about this year's squad is that it (in many ways) mirrors last year's team: They are not big by any stretch but they make up for that with unbelievable quickness and athleticism. The think tank here would have to surmise that, without question, they'll be one of the top two teams in the MCC. Beyond that, when it comes to the Region Tournament, my guess is that they'll have a harder row to hoe and their margin for error will be that much smaller. When I asked Coach DeWitt about all this he replied, "All I care about is my team being the very best they can be. Whether that includes Nationals or not I don't know."
After getting acquainted with the team, head coach David DeWitt held a pre-practice team meeting in one of the conference rooms upstairs (very nice new facility as well). Here, Coach DeWitt outlined some of the guidelines for his team to follow - both on AND off the court - and it's no surprise that Anoka-Ramsey has had continued success with DeWitt leading the way. Some of the points that stand out include:
(1) Never lie, cheat or steal.
(2) Don't whine, complain or make excuses.
A. Excuses are for losers.
B. Winners find way to be successful!
C. No matter how bad things may appear to be, somebody else has it worse.
(3) Communication is the key!
A. You must be able to communicate well with your teammates.
(4) Defense is the key - and our identity!
A. It is the hallmark of what we do.
B. In the early part of the year, it should be ahead of the offense.
C. Anticipation is critical to playing great defense.
D. Secure the defensive rebound!
(5) You play to be the best!
(6) Crash the boards!
A. It's a mentality that MUST be learned.
After that great pep talk, it was then time to head back down the stairs and into the new fieldhouse/practice facility as the team was able to spend 10-15 minutes getting loosened up and hitting some shots before Coach DeWitt assembled them for drills. The first few drills emphasized setting screens properly and position work as well. The focus then shifted to passing and this consisted of the time-tested weave, fundamental passing, SST (start stop turn) plus the 3-line push as well. It was during this time that Coach DeWitt had to admonish his team; particularly his post players to "PLAY HARD!" The reason for this was because assistant coach David Alto had the task of using a pad to bump against post players coming down the floor preparing to post up and Coach DeWitt; not happy with performance of his post players, told them "You'd better make him take two steps back when you post up!"
The second half of practice focused on the trademark of Anoka-Ramsey success - defense. The drills done here were labled as 4/4/4, cover down, "imaginary" defense, 4 on 2 - ballside/helpside, and then some 5 on 5 - both "shell" and live. Coach DeWitt is simply passionate when it comes to defense and he stresses some of the little things that help a player be the best defender she can possibly be. He stresses that you have to be able to sprint to the area where the ball is - not simply shuffle over. "Keep your hands up" is another phrase that was heard more than once.
Outtakes - Coach DeWitt has some very good incoming freshmen coming into this group; most notably Kelli Schramm who hails from Mounds View HS. She played one year at UW-Eau Claire before sitting out last season so that is a fantastic "get" for this program. I can visualize her playing either the "3" or "4" spot (she's that versatile) but she can post up as well. The other one that caught my eye is Park Center standout Nicole Schaub who played an integral role (along with her younger sister Hannah who is now a sophomore at Park Center) in the Pirates run to the Section Finals the last two seasons. Schaub is a pure shooter who can terrorize opponents if left open on the perimeter. It will be interesting to watch these two along with the other newcomers mesh with the returnees. Speaking of returnees, you would normally have to think that Anoka-Ramsey was primed for an easy repeat trip back to the National Tournament - that is until sophomore standout Maria Loughlin went down with a knee injury early in the fall that drastically changed the dynamics of this talented squad. From what I can tell, Coach DeWitt is not even close as far as settling on someone to inherit the coveted PG spot although he may have an idea in the back of his mind. Last year I said that a return trip to the National Tournament was probably "a bridge too far" considering all the great players he had lost from the National Championship team. Well, I was obviously wrong on that one although they had to survive a big scare in the Region Tournament. The thing about this year's squad is that it (in many ways) mirrors last year's team: They are not big by any stretch but they make up for that with unbelievable quickness and athleticism. The think tank here would have to surmise that, without question, they'll be one of the top two teams in the MCC. Beyond that, when it comes to the Region Tournament, my guess is that they'll have a harder row to hoe and their margin for error will be that much smaller. When I asked Coach DeWitt about all this he replied, "All I care about is my team being the very best they can be. Whether that includes Nationals or not I don't know."
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