2009-10 Girls' Basketball Preview
By Jason Eisenberg
RKA Lady Tigers
PSAL Bronx B West
Last year: 6-10
Head coach: Will Cushing
(1st year)
For the fourth consecutive year, the Riverdale/Kingsbridge Academy girls’ basketball team will have a new head coach. But the latest person-in-charge comes in the form of a familiar face, as RKA boys soccer coach Will Cushing steps in to take the helm.
Cushing will now look to do the same thing with these Lady Tigers that he did for the school’s soccer program a few years back: lead them to the city playoffs for the first time.
“Basketball was actually the sport that I really loved the most growing up, so I was immediately excited about this opportunity and am glad that I can jump right back into coaching after soccer season ended,” said Cushing. “This team has not made it to the postseason yet, and that is what we see as our realistic goal. It would certainly be really great for the program and the school.”
While there has been little stability in regards to the Lady Tigers’ coaching position, the opposite can be said about the team on the court, as RKA will return just about its entire roster from one year ago.
The only significant change is the loss of flashy point guard Hilda Gil, but the centerpiece of the team’s offense remains junior Imani Mcneil. The 6-foot-tall center was dominant last year while leading the Lady Tigers by a wide margin in scoring (13 points per game) and on the boards (15 rebounds per game). With another year of experience, Mcneil is capable of taking her game to an even higher level. The main question surrounding the team will now be whether or not the new point guard, junior Jennifer Lorenzo, can be as effective as Gil was at getting the ball down low to Mcneil.
Joining Lorenzo in the backcourt will be another talented ball handler in junior Ariel Torres, who is one of the few newcomers to this year’s squad. The other projected starters are senior forwards Nelyssa Rosario and Kimarii Dawes, both of whom have the size and ability to help Mcneil down in the paint when it comes to scoring and grabbing rebounds.
Coach Cushing believes that he has a number of girls up and down the roster that can fit into various different roles. As a result, he says that after Mcneil, most of the other starters will be part of a steady rotation, with players shuffling in and out of the lineup over the course of a game.
Substitutes that will see minutes off the bench include junior Melody Rojas, another post player who can score and rebound down low; junior Erica Wilczek, a quick, athletic guard and one of the team’s best defenders; and junior Frances Richburg, who will share power forward duties with Dawes. Rounding out RKA’s depth are senior Felice Schwarz, who showed she can put up a few points and rebounds during limited minutes last season, as well as a pair of new additions, sophomore Rosa Le and junior Jazmine Ruiz.
While the Lady Tigers will use a full-court press on occasion and can potentially be an effective fast-breaking team when their most athletic players are on the court, Coach Cushing plans to open the season with more of a half-court style of play, with emphasis on a motion offense and getting the ball down low to the posts.
The coach is well aware, though, that other girls are going to have to help take some of the scoring pressure off of Mcneil.
“Imani is a tremendous player, but I think a key for us improving this season is that we do not engineer our plays around her on every single possession, because it will lead to opponents overplaying in that direction, making Imani less effective,” said Coach Cushing. “This team has been losing a number of close games in recent years, so to turn those tight games around into wins, we will need other players to contribute and I think there are several girls here that have the potential to step up.”
JFK Lady Knights
PSAL Bronx AA
Last year: 12-5 (2-1 playoffs)
Head coach: O’Neil Glenn
(12th year)
Just as they do seemingly every season, the John F. Kennedy girls basketball team made it all the way to the final four of the PSAL city tournament in 2009, but ultimately came up two points short in a semifinal battle with South Shore.
But after experiencing a major roster overhaul, head coach O’Neil Glenn will now need several young and inexperienced players to step up if the Lady Knights are to have any chance of getting even that far once again in 2010.
JFK was already going to be without its top two scorers from last season, following the graduations of Teara Shaw and Robyn Jenkins. But the biggest loss came when 5-foot-11- inch power forward Iraida Santiago unexpectedly decided to leave the school after leading the team in rebounding, while averaging nearly six points per game, during her sophomore year.
With all of these departures, Coach Glenn was left with a roster that features just a handful of returning players and only one that logged significant starting minutes during the most recent playoff run.
This year’s version of the Lady Knights could potentially include four sophomore starters, with senior shooting guard Jazzarae Campbell being the only player in the lineup that was a regular last season. She will be joined on the court by sophomore small forward Leshauna Phinazee and sophomore point guard Deaisia Acklin, both of whom demonstrated the ability to play — and score — at the varsity level while receiving limited minutes as freshmen.
Other possible starters include 5-foot-10-inch sophomore power forward Chelsea Custodio, sophomore Sarah Vann, who transferred to Kennedy after moving from Alabama, as well as two additional newcomers, junior Isis Alonso and senior guard Danissa Smith.
The new look Lady Knights got off to a good start, winning their opening game of the season, 47-44 over Truman on Monday night, despite nearly blowing a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter. That’s certainly something that Coach Glenn, who prides himself on demanding a strong defensive effort, will work on with his players in the upcoming weeks.
Horace Mann Lions
Ivy League
Last year: 19-7 (0-1 playoffs)
Head coach: Edwin Santiago
(1st year)
Coming off another successful season, the Horace Mann girls basketball team will have a radically different look when they tip-off in Prettyman Gymnasium this week.
The changes start at the top, where Edwin Santiago takes over the head coaching duties after five years running the school’s junior varsity team, and continues throughout the roster, which lost three key starters to graduation.
However, even with the heavy turnover, the Lions fully expect to compete for one of the top spots in the Ivy League.
For that to happen, the team will need another big season from sharp-shooting sophomore guard Madison Gordon, who burst on to the scene last year to become Horace Mann’s top outside scoring threat as a rookie. The 5-foot-9-inch Gordon is a quality ball handler, an amazing three-point shooter, a strong defender and the kind of all-around player that makes her teammates better.
“Maddy is unbelievable, just from watching her in practice I am really amazed at what an overall great athlete she is,” said Coach Santiago. “In the girls’ game, you don’t usually see this level of talent from someone her age, so it is great to have a player like that. But she knows that this year we are really going to rely on her to take a bigger role in leading this team.”
In addition to Gordon, the first-year coach will send four other returning players onto the court, but each of these former bench players will need to show they can handle the increased responsibilities that go with being a starter. The quartet includes junior guards Clara Hill and Sam Schiff, as well as a pair of seniors, guard Mckenzie Foster and forward Belle Yoeli.
When the Lions go with a four-guard lineup, there will not be a single girl on the court over 5-foot-9-inches, but Coach Santiago is still confident that the group has enough speed, athleticism and fearlessness to make up for their lack of size.
When height does become an issue, Santiago has the option of inserting a pair of newcomers into the otherwise small lineup. According to the coach, 6-foot-1-inch freshman Rachel Lander and 5-foot-10- inch junior Danielle Ellison will both see a good number of minutes off the bench and could potentially be used as starters later in the season once they get more experience.
“We are going to press most of the time and use our quickness to play an effective transition game. But when we go up against bigger opponents I can definitely change that up,” said Coach Santiago, “These two girls [Lander and Ellison] can play, they can shoot and obviously they provide good size in the posts. I think they will turn out to be real big parts of this team as we go through the season.”
Also in the mix for playing time will be two other new additions to the roster, sophomore Maya Levine and freshman Conasia Watts, as well as a pair of returning senior defensive guards, Heather Delanty and Callie Bauer.
“We expect to be competitive in every game, contend for an Ivy League championship and go further in the state playoffs. That is what we want,” said Santiago, “I want it and the girls want it, so now we have to make it happen by playing as a team.”
Fieldston Eagles
Ivy League
Last year: 21-6 (1-1 playoffs)
Head coach: Randy Slaughter
and Mervin Rosa
(3rd year)
Despite falling short of a third straight NYSAIS B-Division state championship, the Fieldston girls basketball team still pulled off a major accomplishment last season by claiming their first-ever Ivy League title.
Now, the Eagles will look to keep their recent stretch of success going in 2010 and add some more hardware along the way, despite losing three key starters to graduation.
With the departures of Chyna Strickland, Brittany Thompson and Laura Blackwood, there is little doubt that Fieldston will live and die with the performance of returning point guard Jacqueline Schoninger. The Brown Universitybound senior is the team’s best ball handler and distributor, one of its top defenders and capable of racking up points from three-point range or while driving to the basket.
“We are a younger team, with some new faces and obviously our depth is not where it has been over the last few years, but the one constant is still Jackie as point guard,” said co-head coach Randy Slaughter. “Without question, she is going to have to carry even more of the offensive load, but we still need others to help out and I think we have some girls that can do it.”
Fieldston’s only other returning starter is 5-foot-11- inch sophomore center Kalijah Terelli, who proved she could score from the post during her freshman season, but more importantly, is the team’s best rebounder and shot blocker.
Joining Terelli and Schoninger on the court is a trio of returning players who will be thrust into starting roles. Junior guard Chelsea Dale is a deadly shooter from beyond the arc and has already logged significant minutes in big games late last season. Unfortunately for the team, she suffered an injury during a recent scrimmage and her status for opening night is not yet known. The biggest question heading into the season, though, is whether or not senior guard Amanda Mayfield and senior forward Meira McFarquhar will be able to fill the voids left by Thompson and Strickland.
“Chelsea is ready to be a starter, but Amanda and Meira will have to build confidence and grow into their new roles,” said Coach Slaughter. “We cannot just flip a light switch and turn them into Chyna and Brittany, but I really believe that Meira can be a mid-range scoring threat and a force on the boards, while Amanda is athletic, can handle the ball and shows an ability to attack the basket.”
Slaughter and co-head coach Mervin “Rock” Rosa are both excited at the potential they see in a pair of 5-foot- 10-inch freshmen forwards, Larissa MacPhee and Annie Fernandez. The coaches expect MacPhee to be the first player off the bench in most situations and they say that she could even start right away if Dale is not ready for the season opener, while Fernandez will provide additional size and yet another post presence when on the court.
Also in the mix for playing time as possible substitutes are sophomores Kate Miller, Lauren Weston and Julia Gray.
“I really feel like we have a legit shot to win the league again,” Coach Rosa said. “It will take some time for the communication and chemistry to develop because of the new players, but if everyone accepts their roles and is willing to do the little things and the dirty work, I think we are in for another great season.”
Riverdale Falcons
Ivy League
Last year: 9-12
Head coach: Carol Pouliot
(19th year)
After a handful of disastrous seasons, the Riverdale Country girls basketball program suddenly experienced an impressive revival in 2009 under the leadership of longtime head coach Carol Pouliot.
Despite finishing with a modest 9-12 record, the win total was triple the number of victories from the team’s previous three seasons — combined. Now, the team will look to take another step forward in the rebuilding process and post its first winning season in six years.
Leading the way for the Falcons will once again be the one-two punch of juniors Chelsea Baez and Morgan Brock-Smith. Baez and Brock- Smith were numbers one and two in scoring and rebounding for Riverdale one year ago and they will be expected to take their games to an even higher level with another year of experience under their belts.
The 6-foot-1-inch Baez is a good ball handler as well as an accurate shooter from all distances and areas of the court, while Brock-Smith — now listed at 6 feet 2 inches after growing another two inches since last season — is a nearly unstoppable physical presence on the offensive and defensive boards as well as threat to score just about every time she gets the ball in the post.
Baez and Brock-Smith will be joined in the starting lineup by returning junior point guard Lindsay Weissman, who is a good ball handler and passer, as well as a strong defensive player.
With the graduation of two starters, former team co-captains Ali Margolis and Zoe Greenfield, Coach Pouliot is hoping that a pair of sophomores can step into bigger roles and take on more playing time. Guard Rachel Copulsky and forward Tori Goodell were both injured for significant portions of their freshman year, but Pouliot says they are good all-around players and are primed for breakout performances this season.
Also back from last year’s squad are junior guards Anneliese Klein and Zoe Loveman as well as junior forward Katherine Coles.
The Falcons do not have any freshmen on the team this season after carrying six on the varsity roster three years ago, so there will be plenty of experience in the lineup despite the lack of a single senior.
Coach Pouliot believes that her team has a good balance of height as well as speed, and she says that the goal for 2010 is to improve their overall record, climb up the Ivy League standings and qualify for the postseason.
