2009-10 preseason outlook

Ashley Gerst

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


2008-09 overall record: 8-17
Conference record/finish: 4-12
Letterwinners lost: 3
Letterwinners returning: 9
Starters lost: 3
Starters returning: 2 (Andrea Clark-c, Ashley Gerst-g)

Outlook
The biggest off-season development for the many promising freshmen on last year’s Central College women’s basketball team was turning into sophomores.
               
Coach Jerry Nikkel expects several second-year players to fill significant roles for the Dutch in 2009-10 and that several months on the court and in the weight room have left them prepared to do so.
               
It will still be a young Central squad but also the deepest the Dutch have had in recent years. That’s a necessity for the full-court style that second-year coach Jerry Nikkel wants to employ.
               
“We want to be 12 deep, that’s our goal,” Nikkel said. “We want to get good, solid minutes for all 12.”
               
After inheriting a club that was 4-21 in 2007-08, the Dutch climbed to 8-17 last year. Nikkel’s expecting more, despite the graduation of three starters. Back are senior point guard Ashley Gerst and junior center Andrea Clark.
               
“We’ll definitely be a better team, especially in the front court with pressure,” he said. “We hope to be a lot better shooters. We’re going to have to be because we’re going to push to score a lot of points.
               
“We need people to get into a running game with us and then be able to convert on our end of the floor.”

Point guard
Gerst, at 5-foot-6, enters her third year as a starter after averaging 8.0 points with 2.5 assists last season.
               
“Running the point guard position is very important and having the experience to do that is a big plus factor,” Nikkel said. “Ashley’s also got the ability to take the ball to the basket and if there’s an opening, she’s going to do that.”
               
Jordan Waddell, a 5-6 junior, is a two-time letterwinner and can play either guard position. She averaged 5.8 points and was Central’s steals leader with 1.9 per game
               
“Jordan’s a streaky shooter and when she’s on she’s very good,” Nikkel said. “She has a lot of experience.”
               
Ashley Feldman, a 5-7 senior, and Cory Bacon, a 5-4 sophomore, are also possibilities. Both saw limited action last year.
                “Ashley has looked very good in practice,” Nikkel said. “Quickness and speed are her assets and she’s using them very well.
               
“Cory is much better than a year ago. She plays much bigger than 5-4. She’s got a lot of strength.”

Off guard-small forward
Sarah Paulson, a 5-8 sophomore, didn’t start last year but is Central’s returning scoring leader, averaging 10.0 points a game. A two-time Iowa Conference women’s golf MVP, Paulson was tops on the team in 3-point goals with 30 while averaging 4.2 rebounds.
               
“Sarah proved last year she can be a good scorer,” Nikkel said. “She has a good knack for the game. She had a really good freshman season and comes back with some experience, which will help. She leads well on the floor and has the desire, attitude and skills to go with it.”
               
Another sophomore, 5-7 Kelsey Schuring, appeared in 22 games last year.
               
“Kelsey is looking really good,” Nikkel said. “A year of experience has really helped her out. She’s shooting the ball very well in practice. You add that to what we already know is the great defensive game she brings.”
               
Returning after a year on the sidelines is 5-8 junior Katie McKim. She’s been slowed by injury in the preseason.
               
“Katie looked really strong in practice until she got injured,” Nikkel said.
               
Nikkel is also anticipating a big lift from 5-8 freshman Alyssa Schwartz.
               
“She brings a lot,” he said. “She’s a very good shooter and a very smart player. She’s been impressive. She’s going to score for us, I don’t think there’s any question about that from what I’ve seen in practice.”

Power forward
Central lacks size at power forward but has players capable of playing inside.
               
Melanie Hopkins, a 5-foot-9 sophomore, saw her playing time increase last year as the season progressed, appearing in 22 games.
               
“Melanie got a lot of experience last year,” Nikkel said. “She’s so much better this year. She’s quicker with her shot and she moves well on the floor. She’s strong inside as a rebounder yet she goes out and shoots the deepest 3’s of anyone on the team. She’s going to break out this season.”
               
AJ Baker, a 5-7 sophomore, appeared in 15 games off the bench.
               
“She returns much improved over last season,” Nikkel said. “In early practices she has been working as an inside player and also has the good outside shot.  She is another sophomore who shows lots of promise for this season.”
               
Nicole Strasko, a 5-foot-7 freshman from Roland, got a late start because of volleyball but could contribute.
               
“Nicole is going to be a factor,” Nikkel said. “She’s a good rebounder and scorer both.”

Center
Clark, a 6-2 junior, is a two-year starter who earned second-team all-Iowa Conference honors in 2007-08. She averaged 8.2 points and a team-high 6.8 rebounds last year, blocking 24 shots. She was again one of Central’s top free throw shooters as well, hitting 77.6 percent. Clark has been bothered by a preseason injury but is a much improved player, Nikkel said.
               
“Andrea has looked very strong in practice,” he said. “She’s quicker and stronger. She’s got a couple of years of experience of getting beat on by some of the bigger players in the conference and has learned some things she has to do differently. She’s a good rebounder and a good free throw shooter. We just need to keep her healthy and on the floor.”
               
Stephanie Ruzicka, a 5-9 junior, played in 19 games as a backup last season.
               
“Stephanie’s a little undersized but she learned to hold her own,” Nikkel said. “She can use her left hand as well as her right now and we’re hoping for a lot more from her this year.”
               
Haley Brillhart, a 6-foot sophomore, got another late start because of volleyball but last season she quickly made her presence felt, appearing in 12 games and starting seven. She averaged 7.3 points and 4.2 rebounds.
               
“We know what she brought last year,” Nikkel said. “She’s hungry and more ready to step in now. She knows what we run. She really moves well for an inside player and has speed that you just don’t coach.”
               
Nikkel thinks 5-10 freshman Steph Hasken has promise as well. She started late because of women’s soccer and is still nursing an injury.
               
“It may take a little time but from what I saw of her last year in high school, she can help us a lot,” Nikkel said. “She can really run the floor.”

The season
Nikkel does have worries. Even with the experience gained last season by this year’s sophomores, it will still be a largely untested unit, dominated by freshmen and sophomores. And while it’s an athletic group, there will likely be only two varsity players as tall as 6-0.
               
“A big concern I have is we don’t have the size to bang with people inside,” Nikkel said. “Rebounding will be something we’ll have to do by depending on positioning more than anything else. The other thing is, can we play strong enough defense to stop people away from the basket before they get to the basket?”
               
Nationally ranked Simpson College is Nikkel’s Iowa Conference pick, with Buena Vista and Coe challenging. Loras, Wartburg, Luther and Dubuque will be capable squads as well.
               
“Our goal is we want to get into the top six and get into the conference tournament,” Nikkel said. “Anything better than that will be a bonus.”
               
Nikkel didn’t back off in scheduling non-conference foes. Central is again in an Illinois Wesleyan tournament Nov. 20-21 with Washington-St. Louis (Mo.) and DePauw (Ind.).  Washington-St. Louis is ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Division III preseason polls and Illinois Wesleyan is No. 6 with DePauw No. 7. The Dutch also play host to Northwestern Dec. 19, the No. 2-ranked squad in the NAIA Division II.
               
“We’ve got some great non-conference games,” Nikkel said. “There are no gimmes.”

The freshmen
Nikkel is high on his freshman class.
               
“I love it,” he said. “We’ve got three really quality players and probably four others right behind them. They’re a bunch of fighters. We’ve got some kids who are going to help us this year and the others will get experience on the JV. They’re all going to play a lot of basketball. Nobody’s going to be sitting around.”