It’s time to step up: Dynamic duos on the rise #3
Over the next week we will examine a few potentially dynamic duos that will need to step and lead their team in the upcoming year. This could be due to graduation, transfer or other circumstances that put a pair of…
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Continue ReadingOver the next week we will examine a few potentially dynamic duos that will need to step and lead their team in the upcoming year. This could be due to graduation, transfer or other circumstances that put a pair of players in a situation where they really need to have a good year to push their team/program to a higher level.
During the 2015-16 season freshman Ali Barisch was able to dress with the varsity team and be a part of the 23-4 season for the Triad Knights. As she enters her senior season Ali and Heather Rood hope to lead their team back to winning ways. The last two years the Knights have slumped to 13-13 and ;last year 9-16. If they plan to get back over .500 these two senior guards will need to lead the charge. They are the leading returning scorers with Barisch scoring 9.7 points per game and Rood scoring 9.3 before she suffered a season ending knee injury. Rood will begin working her way back to game shape in September. Barisch is likely to be the primary ball handler and does a good job of limiting turnovers. She was able to hit 39% of her shots beyond the 3 point line and hit 74% of her free throws during her junior season. One place Ali can become more efficient is in her ability to finish in the lane. She was forced to take difficult shots at times when Rood went down, but she will certainly need to take advantage of having Heather back on the floor this year. Heather is known as a good outside shooter but was only able to hit 26% from the 3 point line in her shortened junior season, so she hopes to get that number up in her senior campaign. She has proven she is a quality shooter with her 73% free throw percentage so she should be able to improve on her 3 point %. Just like Ali, Heather needs to be more effective in the mid range game and finishing in the lane. Both girls are strong defenders and rebounders as you can see by them both getting between 4 and 5 rebounds per game from their guard spots. The Knights will have a strong senior class that wants to bring the program back to the success of the past and these two will be the key to that goal.
The Gillespie Miners are trying to maintain their winning ways but are forced to replace a great scorer for the second year in a row. Two years ago Amanda Schmidt led them to a 16-12 record while averaging 17.7 points per game. Last year Paige Niemeyer led the team to a 13-12 record while scoring 17.1 points. With both of those girls gone it is up to Rylee Jarman and McKenzy Mix to step up their game. Jarman is a 5’9 senior that averaged 7 points per game last year and Mix is a 5’9 junior that scored 6 per game. Both are more than capable of scoring in double figures and will need to do so if the Miners expect to be over .500. Neither player was a threat from the 3 point line but both are capable shooters from the mid range. McKenzy has shown the ability to get all of the way to the basket and finish during her JV games as a freshman. She was much more effective at getting to the free throw line and needs to return to that type of play as she only shot 11 free throws last year. Obviously she played off the ball last year with Niemeyer leading the charge and was more of a spot up shooter. This year with her and Rylee taking over the offense the chances to penetrate should be more extensive. Both girls were good rebounders from their wing spots at 5 per game and should continue that role this year. Rylee excelled in the Miners pressure defense and was able to get over 2 steals per game last year which led to easy baskets. As a senior and the leading returning player, Rylee will need to step into the leadership role that has been occupied by Schmidt and Niemeyer the past two years and show her team the way to a winning record.