November 7, 2011
2011-12 SUNY Potsdam women's basketball season preview
SUNY Potsdam women's basketball coach Tara Ruckh and her team
feature a fresh outlook for the 2011-12 season. The Bears add five
newcomers to the mix and the seventh year head coach is looking
forward to the new beginning.
"This year is a big one for us in terms of rebuilding," said
coach Ruckh. "We have five new kids, combined with a solid group of
returnees, who are excited about the possibility of being
successful."
In order to find success, Coach Ruckh has stressed an
improvement on the offensive end. The Bears struggled to put points
on the board last season as they averaged just 48.1 points per
game. They will look to be more efficient with the ball in their
hands. The team was stagnant at times and the coaches would like to
see the Bears be more aggressive and make plays.
"We have to find ways to put the ball in the basket," said
Ruckh. "I would like to see a balance of inside and outside looks.
We'd also like to push the ball up the court more to create easier
looks and increase the tempo."
Defense was the strength for Potsdam last year. The team
finished fourth in the SUNYAC in points allowed during conference
games. The stingy "D" only permitted conference foes to score 58.8
points per game, which trailed only the conference champion
Geneseo, runner-up Oneonta, and fourth-place New Paltz.
"We have to continue to get better on the defensive end,"
Ruckh said. "We want to be a solid man-to-man defensive team that
is tenacious and pressures the ball."
To find improvement, the Bears are going to rely on a solid
combination of returners' experience and newcomers' skill. The new
roster will be counted on to overcome the losses of Aimee Kellicutt
and Brittany Whitton, the team's first and third leading scorers
last year. The duo combined for 20 points and 7.6
rebounds-per-game a year ago with Kellicutt garnering third-team
All-SUNYAC honors.
"We have a good amount of depth and more scoring options this
year, which we're excited about," said Ruckh. "We will probably
play eight or nine girls per game and they are going to have to
earn time in practice."
The leader of the aforementioned scoring options is junior
guard Katy Briedis (Canton, N.Y./Cushing Academy). She was the
team's second-leading scorer last year, averaging 8.2
points-per-game. However, the team lost two point guards from last
season and Briedis will be shifting to the point for the first time
in her collegiate career. Coach Ruckh has already noticed an
improvement in her ball handing and is excited to see her running
the offense.
The team also returns a pair of versatile sophomores who hail
from the same home town. Lefty Hannah Kmiecinski (Webster,
N.Y./Webster-Thomas) and shooter Jessica Kouzan (Webster,
N.Y./Webster Schroeder) both saw action as starters at times last
season. The two combined for 21 starts and chipped in with 9.2
points and 6.7 rebounds-per-game. Kouzan also knocked down 20
three-pointers.
The Bears will also rely on a group of solid inside players to
help out on the boards. Seniors Kaley Arsenault (Syracuse,
N.Y./Westhill) and Sophie Parks (Athens, Ga./North Oconee) as well
as junior Adedoyin Akingba (Brooklyn, N.Y./Midwood) will play in
the frontcourt. The group has experience, 152 games worth for their
careers, but will need to pitch in on the glass as the Bears
struggled to control rebounds last season. Coach Ruckh has asked
the group to perform more consistently and thinks they are ready to
respond to the challenge.
Senior Stephanie Marcotte (Willsboro, N.Y./Willsboro) and
sophomore Chenice Russell (Moria, N.Y./Brushton-Moira) bring solid
veteran experience to the court.
Coach Ruckh hit the recruiting trail this past offseason and
came back to campus with an impressive group of freshmen, which she
has high hopes for. The group features a diverse set of players led
by Bailey Weigel (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville-East). Weigel
is a smart player who is a solid shooter and rebounder. Joining her
is slasher Colleen McNamara (Guelph, Ontario/Our Lady of Lourdes),
described by Coach Ruckh as a "sparkplug". Carli Reynolds (Long
Lake, N.Y./Long Lake) will stretch the defense with her shooting
ability, which will benefit the aggressive game of Veronica Sapp
(Massena, N.Y./Massena). Sophomore transfer Diamond Simmons
(Henrietta, N.Y./Rush-Henrietta) rounds out the group and can
expect to see time at the point guard position.
The team will face a daunting schedule this season. Aside from
their rugged conference slate, the Bears will take on a host of
challenging teams, scheduled by Coach Ruckh due to the similarity
of their play to conference foes.
Potsdam begins the season with Empire 8 powers Utica College
and Ithaca College sandwiched around the SUNY Canton Tournament.
Also on the docket is a road game at Hamilton College. The
Continentals have posted winning records seven of the past eight
seasons. As usual, the Bears will see their three North Country
rivals and would like to repeat the 2008-09 season, where they
swept SUNY Canton, Clarkson and St. Lawrence.
Potsdam begins the conference season with a road trip to Oswego.
They will take on the defending champion Blue Knights on Dec. 10,
at home and travel to Geneseo on Feb. 17.
With a clean slate and a talented roster, Coach Ruckh is
energized for the season.
"We're excited about the new possibilities," said Ruckh. "It's a
new year and there is a refreshing feeling right now. With the new
personalities and the veterans, we all have high expectations for
the season."
