Erin Blasinski
Editor-in-Chief
November 5, 2004
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Kari Stout, Leah Seevers, Elizabeth Henter and Lacy York discuss team strategy with Coach Rich Aubrey. There are only 10 players on the team this year. |
-Photo by Erin Blasinski |
After a chuckle and a smile, women’s basketball head coach Rich Aubrey described
his team with one word: female. He explained that of all the team sports he has
worked with, “females are more group oriented, and I think that’s one of the
strengths of this year’s team.”
With only ten players, this year’s Lady Buffs seem to be more group oriented.
“They really are focused on group success,” said Aubrey. “One of the things I’ve
said about coaching females is that when chemistry goes bad it’s hard to fix,
but when it’s good, it can make them better than they should be, and I’m
counting on that for this years team.”
Senior Ann Marie Gardner credits the good chemistry to having a small team that,
through scrimmages, has come to depend on each other.
During the off-season the team worked hard and learned how to depend on each
other in more ways. Aubrey hopes that the team maintains that attitude of group
success because good chemistry can help raise the team to levels no one thought
was achievable and “maybe to levels we don’t even know about yet.”
Junior Leah Seevers said that the team’s unity is strong both on and off the
court. One of the reasons for this unity is that everyone has the same goal of
improving from the season last year and making the team better.
Senior Ginny White believes the players have the same unified mindset and goals
this year in contrast to years past when the team was more individual oriented.
The goal, she said, especially for the returnees, is to make this season better.
“We know we’re capable of doing better, and we want to prove to everyone we are
better, and more than that we want to prove to ourselves we’re better,” White
explained. “We want to live up to that goal because we know we’re capable of
that.”
Even though only ten names make up this year’s roster, the team has depth.
“We have great point guards, great wing players and great post players,” Gardner
said.
Seevers noted that the team is ten deep this year instead of previous years
where the depth stopped at five or six. The depth of the team will improve both
its offense and its defense.
White said that as a whole the team has improved, due in part to everyone
seeking to improve their own individual play, which contributes to the team’s
overall play.
“Offensively, there is no question about the fact that Kari (Stout) is a weapon.
She is a very good all-around player,” Aubrey said. “She can shoot threes, score
off the drive and set other teammates up for shots.”
According to Aubrey, White is also a weapon with her three-point shooting, and
inside the paint senior Lacy York “is ready to have her best season ever.” He
also noted that Seevers is stronger than last year, and freshman Ashley Stidham
can score in the paint and will add strength and help balance the team.
“(Stidham) is a nice asset to our team,” Seevers said.
Aubrey is counting on his seniors to help lead the team this year. He said he is
looking for Gardner to “be disruptive on the defense end” and be a strong
rebounding guard.
Aubrey said the seniors will play a big role, but he hopes there are lots of
leaders on the team.
“(Leadership) won’t just fall on one person. Everyone is willing to step up and
be a leader if they have to, everybody is prepared to fill that role,” White
said.
Gardner agrees that there won’t just be one leader for the team, but everyone
will work together.
“We all play different roles on the team,” Gardner said. “I try to set a good
example, and I like to work as a motivator. I like to get people motivated. I
want to win more than anything, and I hate to lose.”
Aubrey said the conference this year will “be tough from top to bottom.”
“We’re not going to be able to take any nights off and get away with it, we’re
going to have to come out every night and play,” he said.