2009 Pre-Season Coaches’ Roundtable
A year ago, DGB.com presented its first ever Pre-Season Coaches’ Roundtable. Head Coaches from four of our Pre-Season Top Five schools participated. The resultant article became a website highlight for the year and remains one of the best pieces of sports journalism to ever appear here. Wishing to repeat that success yet again, we approached all five head coaches of our 2009/2010 Pre-Season Top Five teams. A majority agreed to share their time and thoughts with us. What follows is a candid discussion of the forthcoming season. Unlike other forms of local media, the coaches were allowed – encouraged, even – to be detailed in their answers to our questions. We hope you enjoy the discussion. Hey! You might even learn a new thing or two!
The Participants, in alphabetical order:
Chris Jones – Hodgson Vo-Tech
James Kiger – Smyrna High School
John Noonan – Ursuline Academy
Marcus Thompson – Sanford School
On behalf of myself and the website visitors of DelawareGirlsBasketball.com, I thank you all for your generous willingness to participate in this discussion.
Let’s kind of start with where we left off last season. What is going to be the big surprise story of the year? Last year was full of surprises. Will this year continue in the same vein?
Jones: I'm not sure, I guess that's why they call them surprises... Just a few thoughts... St. Elizabeth's, Padua, Charter, Concord, Brandywine, St. Georges, Appoquinimink, Archmere, Howard, St. Thomas More, Delcastle, Caravel, Cape Henlopen, Lake Forest and Polytech come to mind. Absolutely !!
Thompson: Big surprise? I believe that for the second straight year the state title race is wide open. The title will come down to a couple of factors. Which team can remain healthy and which team will go on a run towards tournament time? Don't be surprised to see a team win it all with 4-5 losses. No team is unbeatable this year.
Noonan: We are not expecting any surprises this season. We feel like we know what we have to do to be successful and we can not worry about anyone else. We have to earn victory every day in practice.
Coach Thompson, you touched upon a very good point – healthiness of rosters. There is a lot of apprehension out there regarding Swine Flu this year. It's already shown up in some of our area high schools. Question for all of you, do you foresee any troubles with this? Could whole chunks of the season be cancelled? Are there any health/safety precautions that you are instituting on your team this year above and beyond what you would do in a typical year?
Thompson: The Swine Flu is definitely a concern for schools this upcoming season. I am proud to say though that both our athletic staff and our school administration have been very proactive concerning this strand of influenza. Our students and faculty have been trained well on the proper procedures to prevent the influenza from spreading throughout our campus. With all that being said, I wouldn't be surprised to see more Purex available at all games.
Noonan: We will follow school rules in regard to the Swine Flu. A lot of Purell and make kids wash their hands after practice. We always tell our kids: Nutrition, rest, and dress appropriately.
Kiger: We are very much aware of the potential of the Swine Flu this year. I will be extra cautious with water (everyone has their own bottle) and making sure our players are washing their hands. We emphasize good nutrition and rest as well.
Jones: The school and the district have done an excellent job of informing the students about the precautionary measures to take. We will continue to implement these methods in order to hopefully remain healthy. Best of luck to everyone concerning this matter.
You are part of this discussion because DGB.com believes you have an honest shot at the State Title in March of 2010. So, tell this website’s visitors why we’re right about your team. Give us a condensed “media guide” synopsis of why your chances are good and your team is strong. Include a word or two on any new student-athletes coming into your program.
Kiger: The Smyrna Women’s Basketball team is led by all-everything player Betnijah Laney. Right now, Betnijah has over 70 major colleges in contact with her on a regular basis. She was a member of the Gold medal winning USA 16 and under team this past summer. In my short time of getting to know her and watching her play, I have been impressed by her poise and unselfishness. Many times last year, because of depth issues, she had to literally carry the team to victory. Coming back to coach at Smyrna after a three year hiatus, I am excited at the prospects that surround Betnijah. Senior guard Quantay Hicks is a dependable 2-guard who has the potential to score and defend well. Jackie Jenkins is a pure 3-point shooter who took the pressure off of Betnijah last year with some timely shots. Underneath, we return 5’11” forward Jasmine Hillard, who is almost 100% recovered from a season-ending ACL injury last year. In addition, we have several other role players who will need to step up this year and contribute to the team’s success. We have added three new players who should make an impact this year. 6’4” Junior Crystal Ross comes to us from Philadelphia and should be the perfect compliment to Betnijah’s game. Also look for freshman point guard Alexis Fearington to be an early contributor to our team. Last, Kailey Brewer returns to basketball after a couple of years focusing on her field hockey career. She will give us much needed depth. I’m not sure if we are a contender for the state championship. However, I can promise you we will be one of the hardest working teams in the state and will play with pride and class every night out.
Jones: I am flattered by DGB.com’s suggestion. We've lost a lot of senior leadership. However, the returning players have demonstrated their ability to battle over the summer. This has probably lent to a difference of opinion about us. We must continue to work hard, play tough defense and rebound to reach such a lofty goal... I do believe this 2009-10 version of the Silver Eagles will get better as the season unfolds and play with a competitive spirit. Newcomers, Jazmin Johnson (Soph.) and Charnae Dixon (Frosh.) will provide needed strength at the guard position.
Thompson: Our team has a legitimate shot at winning the title for a few reasons. Firstly, our core group has been together for a few years. We have in excess of 7 girls who have been with the program for going on three years. They know each other and they know what to expect. Our biggest strength of this year's team is that we have strong guard play. Alexa Webb is a versatile guard who has started for three years now. She can play positions from the 1-3. Andrea Hines is a legit Division 1 point guard. In fact, she has received a few scholarship offers already and it seems that the sky is the limit for her. She can score, distribute, facilitate and defend. Amber Genwright is a strong guard for our team. Though she is coming off an injury, she is working hard to defend her title as one of the best defensive players in the state. Prior to her summer injury, Amber showcased a broad array of skills in the NCC Summer League. We are hopeful that she will be back to full strength soon. Our post play and swing play should also be vastly improved. Naiesha Brown has worked long and hard this summer to improve her play on the perimeter and the post. At 5'10", she is a difficult matchup for a lot of teams. Danielle Fleming emerged as an impact player last year as an undersized, yet skilled forward. Her knack for attacking the glass and finishing plays should aid the team this year with her increased playing time. Also, joining this group is senior swing player Olivia Peeke. Olivia has an extraordinary knowledge of the game. She has added to that knowledge improved perimeter and post play. Olivia could be an impact player this year. We are also happy to add more than a few girls to this year's team. Standing out among them will be Johanna McMillan and Anjaleace White. Johanna is another stellar guard who has an exceptional understanding of the game. Anjaleace, too, should stand out this year. At 6'2", Anjaleace has the ability to impact this year's girls hoop season as she is a gifted post player with a desire to be the best player she can be.
Noonan: We have improved depth, but we are lacking “star power.” We are blessed to have a lot of talented young ladies at Ursuline, but we do not have a “go to” player at this time. Kelsey Miller, Gab Perotti, and Mary Kate Williams are returning starters. We feel these three kids give us a nice mix of talent and experience. Casey Cox, Alex Witt, Caly Wendell, Austin Noonan, Audra Cranston and senior newcomer, Mariah Henley, should all log major minutes. Sophomores Jillian Lyons, Lauren Baker, Meghan Carter and Lindsey Henzes will all be key contributors to our 2009-2010 campaign. Brenna Williams and Mary Abrams are freshmen who have a chance to see action at the varsity level. It’s important to note that tournament games are not on our schedule. Playing at the Carpenter Center is not on our schedule. We need to earn our way to those games.
Coach Kiger brought up Betnijah Laney. Let me ask the rest of you, Laney looks poised to make a serious assault on the state’s career scoring record and the single-game record, which she already holds. (She’ll simply break her own record in that category.) Now, we know that she will be joined by a 6’4” post, Crystal Ross. With the additional help, who is going to be able to rein Laney in? And, does this make Smyrna an instant State Title contender?
Thompson: Betnijah Laney is the best high school player in the state. She will be joined this year not only by Crystal Ross but also a bevy of young skilled players. They will be poised to make a run at the title with their new coach. The key for them will be their development throughout the season. Time will answer the cohesion and development question but make no mistake, a team with Betnijah Laney can beat any team as she is a phenomenal player.
Jones: Betnijah Laney possesses obvious talent. The new addition (Crystal Ross) has played AAU basketball with her. Only time will tell if this is a good thing for their program or not. I'm sure Smyrna is optimistic.
Noonan: Smyrna is a contender. Look at the history of our State and you will find the team with the best player tends to be a force in deciding the State Champion. Elena, Khadijah, Michelle Albanese, Tyresa Smith and Val Whiting, just to name a few. Betnijah is certainly in that category. With the addition of a solid post player to their roster, Smyrna should be a tough out come tournament time. As far as records are concerned, she will most likely top her 52 points in a game. I had the opportunity to work with her at Nike Skills Academy last spring. She dominated drills and team play during the camp. With her USA experience over the summer, expect to see an improved version of what we saw last season. As for the State record? We are certainly proud of Elena’s record at Ursuline Academy. Something worth mentioning is that the level of competition Ursuline played against during Elena’s career. Smyrna is not playing the likes of Long Beach Poly, Narbonne, Cardinal O’Hara, Oregon City, Christ the King, Archbishop Carroll, Germantown Academy, Archbishop Wood and Chaminade Julienne.
Last year was a time of transition and rebuilding for most of the Catholic Conference schools. This year, though, St. Mark’s is going to field the best roster we’ve seen out of them for quite a few years. Ursuline looks to build on their out of the blue Cinderella season of last year. St. Elizabeth’s is starting to work in a nice player mix. Padua’s made a coaching change and has some good young talent coming up the ranks. What’s going on in this division? Will there be a Catholic Conference resurgence this year?
Kiger: In my experience, each of the Catholic and private schools are a force to reckon with. They are disciplined and well coached and always play great defense.
Noonan: We are proud to be part of the Catholic Conference! We respect every opponent we play and we certainly respect our Catholic opponents. St. Mark’s is an outstanding program! They epitomize Team Basketball. Excellent team defense; share the ball on offense; mentally and physically tough; well coached, and their strong sense of program pride. St. E’s and Ursuline have played in some terrific games over the years and we don’t ever want that to change. We love it! Rivalries and competition are what it’s all about. Coach Ferrier and Coach Cooney do a great job with their kids and we fully expect St. E’s to always be a championship caliber team. Padua is the question mark at this time. They have a new coaching staff and I am sure they will be well-prepared and ready to play. Our schools are two blocks apart and there is a strong competitive rivalry between the two institutions. We anticipate they will be a tough opponent and look forward to competing against them.
Thompson: The Catholic conference is as strong as ever. The only difference in these teams is that a few of the teams are younger than usual. This does not mean, however, that they are not as good as they once were. The frontrunner is obviously St. Marks. They are the senior of the teams and they are extremely talented. Rivituso and Zimny should lead this team to another great season. Ursuline will also be very good this year. The team is young but talented and driven. Any coach would tell you that last year's finish was not a fluke. Coach Noonan will have them prepared for a championship run. Padua and St. Elizabeth should be formidable as well. The teams will be younger than usual but they will be skilled and as all the other conference teams, they will be well coached.
Jones: The Catholic Conference retains a large percentage of experienced student-athletes from the CYM league. They will remain strong. Only a few public middle schools provide their student-athletes with the same opportunities.
You’re not allowed to name your own school. What one program do you worry about (or perhaps “respect” is a more accurate word) the most, and why?
Jones: I respect them all. Sanford, St. Mark's, Ursuline, Caesar Rodney and Dover are top teams because of their talent and coaching.
Kiger: In our conference, the title always runs through the state capitol. Both Dover and Caesar Rodney traditionally put out great teams that are well coached. When discussions come up on who to respect or fear, you have to always mention Caesar Rodney and Dover. We will have to play our best just to compete in our conference with several other strong Henlopen teams. (Sussex Tech, Sussex Central, Polytech, and Milford)
Thompson: I was taught, and therefore, my girls are taught, to respect everyone yet to fear no one. We will try to be prepared for every opponent. We will play each game against the ultimate opponent - perfection. We understand that we will never play the perfect game but will always strive to achieve that lofty standard.
Noonan: Tough question! To name one program in a small State is a mistake. In our conference, we truly worry about all these opponents. St. E’s is always going to be a close game. Padua appears to raise their level of play against Ursuline. St. Mark’s, because of their style of play. Statewide, you have to look at the job Chris Jones has done at Hodgson. I think they averaged a couple of wins a year before his arrival. Now they are a contender every year. Marcus Thompson at Sanford continues to get outstanding talent and he molds them into a terror on the court. From a long-term respect standpoint, I would have to say St. Mark’s because I played for Coach Fiorelli while at St. Mark’s. He has had long-term success after switching to the girls game. Their program is solid and they do things the right way.
Ostensibly due to the tough economy, DIAA has mandated a shorter regular season by two games. I’ve heard that there will be all kinds of repercussions from that change. Walk me through just how the shorter season might impact (or already has impacted) your own program.
Noonan: It eliminated our opportunity to return to the Nike Tournament of Champions in Arizona. Otherwise, we are not concerned with the shorter season because everyone is playing the same amount of games.
Thompson: The shorter season has definitely changed the way the season will be coached. As a coach, I have put a much greater emphasis on the early preparation of the team. There has been a premium on scheduling tougher scrimmages earlier during the preseason. Equally, the actual games will each have more significance this year, so tasks such as scouting will be more diligently monitored. Also, it is very important this year with a shortened season to remain healthy so we will be working in conjunction with our training staff to keep our players playing.
Jones: I look at this on a bigger scale, though I understand the reasons. Delaware kids will not be able to compete for scholarships, if we remain at a 20-game schedule. College coaches will gravitate towards other states who play 30, 35 or 40 game schedules. They'll be twice as seasoned. Internally, we'll play the same amount of games. The "point system" has and will impact which schools make the state tournament.
Kiger: I understand the DIAA’s stance with a shorter season. After coaching in the Middle School for the past two years, I’m actually going to have a longer season. Two games shouldn’t make that much of a difference in my mind on the flow of the season. In a good sense, we may have more time to scout other teams and actually give our players a break from a grinding January through February run.
Guys, this chat has been terrific! You’ve all given me new insights on this exciting season about to get under way. Let me wrap things up with a generic, and personal, question about coaching. Bobby Knight once said, “Do not get into coaching if you want to be liked.” One could also add, “Do not get into high school coaching if you want to get rich.” The pay is abysmal, the headaches many, the hours terrible. Yet, you have been in this a good while, at one level or another. What keeps you coming back? Why do you do it?
Thompson: To keep it short, I coach for the love of our youth, the love of the game and for the love of Sanford School. As a former student and a current parent, I believe in the emphasis that the school places on academics, athletics and the growth of our young people.
Kiger: When I first started coaching, I coached for the thrill of winning, building a team, and seeing if I could compete at a high level year in and year out. I collected the coach of the year awards and made the state tournament and had some pretty decent teams. As I have grown older, I’d like to think I’ve matured a bit and am coaching because it is the one area where I truly make an impact in a young woman’s life. To this day, I have several of my former players keeping in touch. Some are teachers, some are mothers, some are professionals. I value this part of coaching the most. Do I still want to win? Absolutely! Do I still coach hard and demand a lot from my players? You bet. But after having open-heart surgery this past August and flirting with not making it, I think my priorities have straightened out some. You may have to check with me on that when or if we go on a losing streak during the season!!! Hopefully, our team will learn how to compete in basketball and, more importantly, be successful in their lives.
Noonan: I coach because I love the game. Basketball, when played well, is a beautiful thing to watch. I enjoy helping young student-athletes reach their athletic goals. Sports have been an important part of my life and I value all of the friendships I have gained through athletics. Our kids are experiencing lessons in life through athletics. Hard work, dedication, teamwork, wins, losses, trust, respect, effort – just to name a few. I hope all of our student-athletes at Ursuline enjoy their experience while competing as a member of our Basketball Program.
Jones: After 26 years total, 6th at HVT, I love every aspect of the game. It teaches us all so much about life. It is both challenging and rewarding. I am honored to be in such a position as to positively influence, instruct and guide the student-athletes I encounter. The game of basketball has been great to me. I'm just trying to return the favor.......as I still learn.
Great job, gentlemen! Thank you!