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Commodores Young but Talented 11-5-03 11/5/2003 By Jennifer O’Neill This year’s women’s basketball team has a different look than the team that lost in the second round of the NCAA tournament to Boston College to end last season. The Commodores now have seven freshmen on their squad. “We’re going to be very young this season,” said second-year Head Coach Melanie Balcomb. “We have seven freshmen, but they are a highly touted class that is ranked among the top entering classes in the country.” To familiarize the freshmen with college life and each other, they spent the summer on Vanderbilt’s campus attending summer school and playing pick-up games. “That was an important time for them where they got to study together and play pickup games with each other,” Balcomb said. “It helped spark team chemistry, which we wanted to get out of the way as soon as possible.” Although seven freshmen bring inexperience to the floor, the team has several upper classmen to lead the way. Senior forward Jenni Benningfield was named a Women’s Preseason Wooden Award All-America selection after averaging 16.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game last year. In addition, senior forward Hillary Hager and junior guard Abi Ramsey return. “We have a good mix of upper classmen,” Balcomb said. “We’re focusing on what we have now, and that’s senior leadership from Jenni and Hillary and their experience, and also everybody having a year experience with this coaching staff’s system.” Benningfield is expected to have the biggest impact for Vanderbilt. “You’ll see more leadership out of Jenni, and she’ll want the ball at the end of the game to make the big shot and come through for the team,” Balcomb said. Despite the seven new faces on the squad, the system played on the floor will remain the same as it was last season. “No changes have been made; we’re just hoping we’ll be more up-tempo than we were last season,” Balcomb said. “We hope recruiting seven players that fit our philosophy will help.” “We need two or three of our freshmen to make an impact, and we want the others to get their feet wet before the SEC schedule starts,” Balcomb said. If the freshmen get as much experience as Balcomb hopes, the Commodores may surprise conference opponents. “I’m hoping expectations will be low this season, so we can overachieve,” Balcomb said. “Our goal is to improve as the season goes on.” |
