Katie McKim Oct. 28, 2008

Nikkel at the helm of Central women's basketball

PELLA--After a championship-drenched 29-year high school basketball coaching career and four years as a Central College women’s assistant, Jerry Nikkel said he’s still learning as he embarks on his first season as Dutch head coach. But experience has already provided him with one of the game’s fundamental insights: You can’t win if you don’t score.

Nikkel watched last year’s young Central squad soldier through a 4-21 campaign with just a 64.3-point scoring average. He’s convinced that if that average rises in 2008-09, so will the win total.

“This whole season has got to be about scoring points,” Nikkel said. “Our number one priority in practice will be putting the ball in the basket.”

That means changing the players’ mentality once they cross the half-court stripe.

“There are going to be a lot of green lights out there,” Nikkel said. “We’re not going to run the shot clock down a lot. We want to build confidence in every player that they can shoot it.

“We’re going to be smaller than a lot of teams and we’ve got to find ways to make up for that. If we’re not hitting shots, we’re going to be in trouble.”

Eight letterwinners return, including 2006-07 team MVP and first-team all-Iowa Conference guard Laura Porter, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first half of the opening game. With precious little experience elsewhere in the lineup, the Dutch season spiraled downward.

But the Dutch should profit from last year’s pain. It’s a more seasoned squad that Nikkel inherits, causing him to turn expectations up a few notches.

“Our first goal is to get to the (six-team) conference tournament,” Nikkel said. “If we get to that level, things get better in the future. To do that we have to finish ahead of three other teams, which means we have got to beat some teams twice and then upset some teams on our home court. But I think we’ve got the kind of team that can get on a roll and score a lot of points in a short time.”

Ashley GerstGuard

Junior Ashley Gerst (5-6) was thrust into a starting point guard role when Porter went down. She averaged 8.4 points and 3.2 assists but is a much more prepared floor leader heading into 2008-09.

“Ashley has improved so much,” Nikkel said. “She got thrown into the fire with not a whole lot of varsity experience. It was a season of learning, but by the end, she was the most improved player on the squad.”

Gerst should benefit from extensive summer league competition and Nikkel is hoping that helped her develop more of an offensive mindset.

“We need her to be strong with the ball and if she can give us a little scoring on top, so much the better,” Nikkel said. “She’s got very good foot speed. The question mark has been her defense. Hopefully that will improve as well. But she can run the floor and we are looking to push it, so that should be an asset.”

Porter (5-7) will likely split time between point guard and off guard as she battles back from injury and illness. She averaged 15.2 points and 4.1 assists in 2006-07 and that kind of production would give the Dutch a dramatic boost.

“She’s rehabbed well,” Nikkel said. “She worked hard in the summer to make (her knee) strong.

“Laura’s always been a go-to player and I expect her to be in that role again. She is somebody who plays within herself and knows her capability. She does not have great foot speed, yet she knows how to create separation and score.”

But just as Porter returned, the Dutch lost junior Brittney Carlson, who was Central’s second-leading scorer last year, as an off guard. Carlson suffered a career-ending injury in the preseason.

Some of Carlson’s playing time will likely go to rapidly improving sophomore Jordan Waddell (5-7).  She averaged 7.3 points, mostly in a reserve role, and was Central’s 3-point shot leader with 44.

“Jordan’s got one of the greatest attitudes on the team,” Nikkel said. “She’ll run through a wall for you. I think she’ll be a lot more consistent this year after having a year of learning in the college game. She’s got such a nice, quick release. It’s hard to defend her.”

Waddell saw time at both guard spots.

“She was pretty much interchangeable in using her at the wing and the point,” Nikkel said. “We’ll probably do a lot of that this year.”

Ashley Feldman, a 5-6 junior, is in the mix as an off guard, along with 5-7 sophomore Nicki Landt.

“Ashley’s a great hustler,” Nikkel said. “She gets a lot accomplished out there and is a great contributor.

“You can say a lot of the same things about Nicki. She’s a hard worker.” 

Rachel DavyForward

Nikkel said filling the small forward spot may be the key to the season but that a pair of unproven candidates are up to the challenge.

Megan Carman, a 5-7 senior, averaged 7.9 points in nine games after transferring to Central, but then had to sit out spring semester.

“I think Megan is ready to have a fantastic year,” Nikkel said. “She is a much better player than we saw last year. She’s really a nice shooter. She can jump, rebound, defend and shoot the mid-range jumper. She’s a good team player and a good passer who understands the game.

“Right before Christmas she was really coming on.”

Nikkel also likes 5-8 sophomore Katie McKim. She appeared in 20 games off the bench as a rookie.

“Katie’s a shooter,” Nikkel said. “If we can stay strong and be a threat on the inside, then I really think Katie is going to have a great season shooting the ball.”

Last year’s club was also hampered by the absence of forward Emily De Jong in the early going. One of the team’s top players the previous two years, the 6-0 senior was in Europe through the Central Abroad program in the fall semester. She returned to average 5.8 points and 5.2 rebounds in the final 14 games last season.

De Jong is one of Central’s tallest players, yet ranks fourth on the career 3-point goals list with 96. Comfortable as a small forward, she will be used more as a power forward this season.

“Emily’s really filled out and is very strong,” Nikkel said. “I think this could be the season for her. She’s always shied away from shooting but she should be a double-figures scorer. We also need her to battle on the boards. Rebounding has been a real Achilles’ heel for us and she can provide that.

“She’s pretty much been a four-year starter for us and brings a lot of experience. I think she’s going to be a key to our season.”

Rachel Davy, a 5-10 sophomore, averaged just over 8 minutes a game in 23 contests last year and is another power forward option. Davy closed the 2007-08 campaign with a 16-point outing at Luther and made additional progress through summer league competition near her home in the Twin Cities.

“Rachel came on so well,” Nikkel said. “She had a fantastic game at Luther. She’s got a quick release. You can pop her out at the high post and she shoots it very well. I think we’ll see a lot of her.”

           
Andrea ClarkCenter

Andrea Clark, a 6-2 sophomore, quickly became an integral part of the Dutch attack, earning team MVP honors as a freshman. Also a second-team all-conference pick, Clark averaged a team-high 13.3 points and 7.4 rebounds.

“She’s a real gem,” Nikkel said. “Andrea’s going to be a smarter player this year. Last year was a learning experience for her. She discovered college post players can block your shot and take you out of position. But she’s a big factor. People spend a lot of time trying to figure out ways to stop her.”

Clark is also among the nation’s better free throw shooters, hitting 83.0 percent last year.

“That really helps because if you play center, you’re going to get fouled a lot,” Nikkel said. “She can also step out to 15-17 feet and knock down shots. The big thing for us is just keeping her on the floor.”

Clark will get help from 5-10 sophomores MaKaylin Gooley and Stephanie Ruzicka, who each saw limited action last year.

“They’re both still learning, but they’re solid players,” Nikkel said. “They can back up Andrea and we may go with a smaller lineup at times.”

The Dutch will likely get some help inside and elsewhere from a promising freshman class.

“I really like the looks of some of our freshmen,” Nikkel said.

The season

Reaching the league tournament will be no simple task in a deep conference, Nikkel said. He labels Coe and defending champion Simpson as the early favorites, followed closely by Luther, Buena Vista and Loras.

Central will need to quickly adjust to a new coach to climb in the standings, but easing the transition is Nikkel’s four years experience on the Central bench.

“I know the players’ capabilities,” he said. “That helps an awful lot. I’ve got a pretty good handle on where they’re at. Now we need to mix the new ones in the right spots to give us the best opportunity to win.”

The staff is also strengthened by the addition of assistant Andy Campbell, a former graduate assistant at Iowa.

“Andy brings a wealth of knowledge of the game and has got some great ideas,” Nikkel said. “The biggest thing he brings is a good relationship with the players. He’s got a lot of ideas about developing leadership and he has great recruiting skills. He’s getting after it big time and hopefully can help us bring in a strong class next year.”

Campbell’s enthusiasm helps fuel Nikkel’s sunny vision of the program’s future, and that includes 2008-09. Nikkel piloted Pella Christian High School to three state boys’ high school championships and knows the route to the winners’ circle.

“The team that wins is the team that plays well together,” he said. “A lot of it is because of relationships. That develops off the court as well as on, and that will be one of our emphases.”