The time has come for the Oregon women’s basketball team to grow up.
With six freshmen and one senior on last year’s 14-17 team (7-11 Pacific-10 Conference, seventh place), any growing pains have been acknowledged and improved upon. For the 2008-09 season, head coach Bev Smith’s players might not have as much room for error. The Pac-10 currently has three ranked teams – Stanford, Cal and Arizona State – that will likely reign supreme in the conference. Oregon is on a mission to find its place within the Pac-10.
“We may not be the most acclaimed team; we might not be the most talented player-for-player team; we might not be the tallest team; we might not be the quickest team. But we can absolutely be the hardest-working team,” Smith said before Thursday’s practice. “I think we really have a chance to get to the top echelon of the Pac-10.”
The Ducks begin their 2008-09 campaign without forward Mary Sbrissa (transfer to New York Institute of Technology), guard Tamika Nurse (transfer to Bowling Green) and Kaela Chapdelaine (graduation). Chapdelaine, as starting point guard, will be especially missed- her 170 rebounds (5.5 per game) led the team last season, as did her 127 assists.
Oregon held opponents to an average of under 60 points a game – a respectable number in a conference with great offensive talent – but the Ducks were outscored by an average of 1.4 points a game. They also committed nearly four more turnovers a game than the opposition.
“The biggest jump needs to be and will be scoring the basketball,” Smith said. “Our shooting percentage has to go up, and it will, given our experience.”
Junior guard Taylor Lilley was the Ducks’ leading scorer last season (12.7 points per game), and her scoring ability ranks up among the best in the conference. Smith’s worry is that, in accordance with what happened in several games last year, teams will key on Lilley and the offense will stagnate.
Her worry is allayed in part by the improvements of the team’s post players. Ellie Manou, Ellyce Ironmonger, Nicole Canepa and Victoria Kenyon combined to score 24 points and grab 16 rebounds in each game. The post players all passed the coaching staff’s conditioning test with high marks and are looking to improve upon those numbers significantly.
“We can run the court, we’re not going to be tired running down the court, and we can post up hard,” Canepa said.
Oregon’s other offensive facilitator didn’t play a game last season, but Rita Kollo’s role with the team this season will be important. Kollo is a 6-foot guard/forward who redshirted last year after spending the 2006-07 season with Oklahoma State. Before that, she spent two years playing at Colby Community College. The likely starter at the small forward position, Kollo employs a versatile offensive skill set; she mostly takes advantage of her perimeter jumpshot but has the size to post up on opponents.
“She brings what we need, both defensively and offensively,” Smith said.
Depth at the forward positions is of little concern to Smith at this juncture. Freshman forward Amanda Johnson has impressed with her shooting ability and work ethic. Kollo, freshman Jasmin Holliday, junior transfer Lindsey Saffold and sophomore Tatianna Thomas will be inserted into the lineup at forward and even shooting guard at various points. Smith expects immediate contributions from Saffold, who averaged 17 points and 9.5 rebounds for Delta Community College in Stockton, Calif. last season.
Guard is the one position where depth will be tested the most. Lilley is the starting shooting guard, and Micaela Cocks, fresh off a busy summer in Beijing (with the New Zealand national team in the Olympics) and Italy, will start at point guard. Nia Jackson, expected to see significant minutes at point guard this season, tore her ACL in her left knee, opening up playing time for freshman Darriel Gaynor.
Lilley will help shoulder some of the point guard duties, and she may see an increase in the 34 minutes a game she played last season.
During the summer, the nine upperclassmen on the Ducks (excluding the incoming freshmen and Saffold, per NCAA regulations) embarked on a 10-day venture to Italy, playing four games and visiting various tourist attractions across the country. The experience helped with cohesion, and Smith speaks highly of the experience even now.
“It was a great bonding opportunity for the coaching staff and the players,” Smith said.
In the last year of her contract, Smith’s challenge is to turn that cohesion into tangible results.
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