Lady Birds: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
My Two Cents
Richard Silverman
Issue date: 11/6/06 Section: Opinion
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It was a bleak, windy, snowy October day as I headed to the CRAF Center for my first look at the '06/'07 edition of the Lady Firebirds basketball team. After watching the women lose a close scrimmage to Sheridan College of Canada, the day didn't get any brighter.
Fortunately, this was only the 'Birds second scrimmage; so the women have a week to improve before they open the regular season at Glen Oaks CC Nov. 3.
And believe me, sports fans; there are many areas that need improvement.
For starters, this team needs to dress all 13 players if they want to play an up-tempo, fast-breaking, pressure defense type of game. For various reasons, four players didn't dress for Saturday's game. Because of that, the nine women who did play simply ran out of gas at the end of the scrimmage.
All 13 'Birds on the roster need a lot more playing time together before this group actually learns to play like a team. It was certainly evident to anyone who saw this scrimmage the women did not yet play as a team. Their fast-break was disorganized and ineffective. Their half-court offense was just as bad. The defense had its good moments but also had moments when it allowed easy, uncontested shots. Finally, three returning sophomores - Lizz Stempke (St.Ignace), Chelsey Williams (Houghton Lake) and Onica Jones (Rochester, N.Y.) - players who the 'Birds are relying for strong inside scoring, inside defense and rebounding - need to play much better than they did in this scrimmage.
Stempke, the most athletic and aggressive player, was benched for half the game with foul trouble. It's a problemshe had last year and that she must address this year if this team is going to be successful. Twenty minute games from Lizz won't do it. She needs to play more, and her teammates have to run their half-court offense so she gets the ball inside the lane. Once she gets it there, she can use her excellent short-range jump shot, or take the ball strongly to the hoop.
Williams is a very strong player who moves her feet well, and who could be a dominant rebounder, defender, and inside scorer. However, Chelsea has to work on developing a softer touch on her inside shots if the Lady 'Birds are going to be a winning team. She needs to stop rushing her inside shots and start taking that extra half-second to control and release the ball.
Fortunately, this was only the 'Birds second scrimmage; so the women have a week to improve before they open the regular season at Glen Oaks CC Nov. 3.
And believe me, sports fans; there are many areas that need improvement.
For starters, this team needs to dress all 13 players if they want to play an up-tempo, fast-breaking, pressure defense type of game. For various reasons, four players didn't dress for Saturday's game. Because of that, the nine women who did play simply ran out of gas at the end of the scrimmage.
All 13 'Birds on the roster need a lot more playing time together before this group actually learns to play like a team. It was certainly evident to anyone who saw this scrimmage the women did not yet play as a team. Their fast-break was disorganized and ineffective. Their half-court offense was just as bad. The defense had its good moments but also had moments when it allowed easy, uncontested shots. Finally, three returning sophomores - Lizz Stempke (St.Ignace), Chelsey Williams (Houghton Lake) and Onica Jones (Rochester, N.Y.) - players who the 'Birds are relying for strong inside scoring, inside defense and rebounding - need to play much better than they did in this scrimmage.
Stempke, the most athletic and aggressive player, was benched for half the game with foul trouble. It's a problemshe had last year and that she must address this year if this team is going to be successful. Twenty minute games from Lizz won't do it. She needs to play more, and her teammates have to run their half-court offense so she gets the ball inside the lane. Once she gets it there, she can use her excellent short-range jump shot, or take the ball strongly to the hoop.
Williams is a very strong player who moves her feet well, and who could be a dominant rebounder, defender, and inside scorer. However, Chelsea has to work on developing a softer touch on her inside shots if the Lady 'Birds are going to be a winning team. She needs to stop rushing her inside shots and start taking that extra half-second to control and release the ball.
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