Grinnell 2011-12 women's basketball preview

The Grinnell College women's basketball team made huge strides in the latter half of the 2010-11 campaign, including posting some wins over perennial Midwest Conference powers.

The Pioneers are looking to pick up where they left off as they enter the 2011-12 season.

The team will be led by two seniors, 5-6 guard Ashley Jeannin '12 and 5-11 forward Megan Huey '12. Jeannin led the team in assists last season with 2.1 per game, while Huey averaged 3.0 points and 2.3 rebounds a contest.

"Ashley has been a starting point guard the last three years, and both she and Meg have matured in terms of leadership ability," said fourth-year Grinnell coach Kate Gluckman. "They've done a great job leading this team in the preseason. Ashley is a strong floor leader who runs our transition well. She's been working on shooting and we look for her to produce more points. Meg has become a more versatile player for us, and has improved her ball handling significantly. She brings a lot of energy, strength and rebounding skills to the team."

The Pioneers have seven juniors, led by 6-3 center Michelle Briggs '13. Briggs rewrote the Pioneer record book for blocked shots and even set a MWC mark when she rejected 12 shots in a game against Ripon College. Briggs is the team's top returning scorer after averaging 8.0 points a game, and also averaged 8.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocks an outing.

Other returning juniors are 5-9 guard Tolu Alabi '13, 5-7 guard Kelly Clarke '13, 5-8 guard Karen Gogins '13 and 6-1 center Elizabeth Burnett '13. Alabi and Gogins averaged 5.4 points per game each, while Alabi also averaged 5.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.4 steals. Burnett averaged 3.9 boards a game.

"Tolu improved leaps and bounds from her first year to last year," said Gluckman. "I'm seeing similar improvement this year. She's worked a lot on her ability to score, and is one of the most athletic players on the team. Michelle came on strong at the end of last year and led us in rebounding and blocks (the latter category she ranked among the nation's leaders). She is such a dominating defensive player and should be a force in the conference this year.

"Liz is going abroad second semester, and because of this is ultra-motivated to make an impact in the early season," Gluckman added. "She has the ability to finish in the paint and has matured as a post player. We are looking to get her the ball in the paint.

"Karen and Kelly are both abroad first semester," Gluckman continued. "Kelly is one of our top 3-point shooters and Karen is a talented scorer. Karen's court time in past seasons has been limited due to leg and knee injuries. We're looking forward to both of them joining us."

Junior newcomers include 5-7 guard Erica Tharp '13 and 5-9 guard/forward Isaballe Miller '13. "Erica is back after taking a year off, and brings great energy to our program," said Gluckman. "Isabelle is new to the program and brings athleticism and quickness to the court. I expect her to rebound well and score in transition."

Sophomores include 5-10 guard Rebecca DeGroot '14 and 5-4 guard Abby Jaeger '14. DeGroot averaged 5.7 points and 5.1 rebounds a game, while Jaeger averaged 1.5 assists an outing.

"Rebecca is a talented scorer who can work both inside and out," said Gluckman. "She's a great rebounder and we look for her to continue her success. Abby proved she has the ability to lead this team, as she started at point for us in the first semester last year. I expect Abby to continue to be effective in transition and to score on strong drives to the hoop. She brings a lot of energy to the squad."

Rounding out the roster are 5-8 guard Cristal Coleman '15 and 5-11 forwards Alex Plemmons '15 and Jordan Schellinger '15.  "I'm thrilled with our first-years' athleticism and basketball knowledge," said the coach. "They will add depth to the team and play critical roles for us this year. They are all solid players and we're looking forward to them contributing to the team."

Gluckman is looking to improve on last year's marks of 8-10 in the MWC and 9-13 overall.
"We have a lot of experience returning," said Gluckman. "Last year we lost a number of close games, but with our experience, I believe this year we will find a way to finish. Leadership is key for us. Meg and Ashley have done a great job and are looking to lead this team to a new level."

That level could likely be the MWC Tournament. "We were three wins away from qualifying last year, so making it this year is a main focus," said Gluckman. "We proved last year we can play with, and beat, some of the MWC's best teams."

As for teams to beat in the league, Gluckman said several squads remain strong. "St. Norbert, Monmouth and Lake Forest should all be good," she explained. "The conference is tough and we like that. There have been some perennial powerhouses, and this year we plan to shake things up a bit."