Saturday, December 11, 2010
Season Preview
Melrose's girls' basketball teams have enjoyed remarkable success in recent years. They have won four sectional championships (2000, 2002, 2005, 2010) and won or shared the Middlesex League title in ten of the past eleven seasons.
Yet, with all that success, after graduating nine seniors, the team opens up Tuesday with optimism but limited experience. Coach Rob Ferrante faces the biggest challenge of his brief tenure, with the three-headed monster of:
Yet, with all that success, after graduating nine seniors, the team opens up Tuesday with optimism but limited experience. Coach Rob Ferrante faces the biggest challenge of his brief tenure, with the three-headed monster of:
- personnel decisions
- style of play choices
- a highly competitive Middlesex League
Without a lot of upperclassmen with extensive playing experience, the coaching staff will have to face the "learning curve" that often brings the potential for physical mistakes (turnovers) and mental errors (missed assignments, shot selection) that give coaches nightmares. But to develop players, coaches have to understand that holding the handlebars too tightly can result in sudden changes of directions or worse, and young players often respond to various coaching styles differently than veterans.
Personnel
There is considerable competition at every position. With Amanda Commito returning from injury, dynamic point guard Brooke Bell may get the opportunity to be the "lead dog" on the Melrose sled this season. Bell will have big shoes to fill following Colleen Hanscom's graduation to college basketball. At the 'two', co-captain Leah Limone has the most experience of the returning players and is the best shooter of the group. Seniors Kelsey Gilbert and Tory Wyland and sophomore Shannon Lahiff all having different skill sets as they compete for time. Gilbert may be the best defender of the group, Wyland the most athletic, and Lahiff the most basketball savvy.
Up front, it looks like an open competition, with Jill Slabacheski, Sydney Doherty, and Ashley Baldwin all well-suited to play the three, with 'Slabs' the best defender, and Doherty and Baldwin with solid offensive skills.
The four and five positions might have Alyssa DiRaffaele, co-captain Jennie McGee, and sophomore Kayla Wyland as competing for starting slots, with Emma Caffey and fast-developing shot-blocker Rachel Johnson looking for time.
Style of play
Historically, Melrose has played almost solely man-to-man defense, with a limited amount of full court pressure, and used transition off turnovers to supplement a half-court offense often filled by experienced post players. Last year's team had a superior inside presence well-suited to the "half court offense", quite different from this season's team. This year the team has no superstar (like All-scholastic Hannah Brickley), and can rely on athletic players that might flourish in an aggressive pressing style and transition game. How the coaches assemble the talent, map out team-specific strategies, and play situational basketball should be one of THE compelling storylines of the past decade.
In the past, Melrose often simply had the talent to overwhelm the opposition and put the games away early. Many of the teams had high average winning margins, even without pressure defense or second half fast break offense. Melrose's Middlesex League opponents might have long memories and seek to redress those experiences.
Middlesex League
Four teams generally are believed to head the pack - Reading, Stoneham, Winchester, and Woburn.
Reading has Coach Kim Penney gunning for a state championship, shifting Olivia Healey to point, and returning Carlene Kluge, Morgan O'Brien, and a healthy Melissa Dal Pozzo. Stoneham beat Reading in the season finale to gain a share of the league championship. They did that with pressure defense, denying the easy entry passes to the Reading bigs, and played great transition defense to deny Kluge the open-floor basketball that she craves. Like Reading, Stoneham had outstanding coaching, with Angela Billings doing a terrific job. Stoneham returns center Vanessa Bramante, Ariana Tucelli, and power forward Jen Geraghty and might be only a whisper behind Reading. Winchester has a powerful front line with slasher Shelby Santini and versatile Sam Mangano who can both be expected to average 15 or more points a game. How the team fares will depend on their guards ability to contribute and defend. Among the big four, Woburn may be the hardest to judge. They have an athletic and physical team that can give teams headaches at both ends. Shannon Maguire has the potential to be an All-League "big" and Woburn looked both strong and deep during summer league action.
You can find the schedule here.
Melrose's home opener happens Tuesday against Belmont at 5:30 at the Middle School Gym.
// posted by Ron Sen, MD, FCCP @ 12:57 PM 
Comments:
<< Home
Current Lady Raiders,
Going into this season, many people are not expecting big things from Melrose Girls' Basketball. They believe that this year is a rebuilding year with a young team with little varsity experience...and maybe they are right--it is hard for any team to bounce back after losing a senior class with 9 girls 5 of whom started at one point or another during last season.
So, you guys are the underdogs amidst a strong Middlesex League...who cares? It doesn't matter what the critics say now, it is what you believe and what you want the season to become. Having played on the varsity team myself I know that sometimes practice is not the place anyone wants to be but to get better and to show your true talents this year, work hard in practice and give it everything you've got.
There is one thing that any team can have, no matter the talent, no matter the experience; something that even the most successful of Melrose teams have lacked and that "thing" is heart. If there is one thing you can control in basketball it is the effort you put in day in and day out--in practice, at games, and on your own time. So this season, play hard, never give up, and always play with heart.
When you ask yourself, "Why do I play basketball?" the answer should not be, "to win," but should be, "to have fun."
So girls, have fun this season, good luck at Tuesday's game, and show Belmont and the rest of the Middlesex league what you can bring. I can't wait to come and see some games.
Once a Lady Raider, always a Lady Raider.
Post a Comment
Going into this season, many people are not expecting big things from Melrose Girls' Basketball. They believe that this year is a rebuilding year with a young team with little varsity experience...and maybe they are right--it is hard for any team to bounce back after losing a senior class with 9 girls 5 of whom started at one point or another during last season.
So, you guys are the underdogs amidst a strong Middlesex League...who cares? It doesn't matter what the critics say now, it is what you believe and what you want the season to become. Having played on the varsity team myself I know that sometimes practice is not the place anyone wants to be but to get better and to show your true talents this year, work hard in practice and give it everything you've got.
There is one thing that any team can have, no matter the talent, no matter the experience; something that even the most successful of Melrose teams have lacked and that "thing" is heart. If there is one thing you can control in basketball it is the effort you put in day in and day out--in practice, at games, and on your own time. So this season, play hard, never give up, and always play with heart.
When you ask yourself, "Why do I play basketball?" the answer should not be, "to win," but should be, "to have fun."
So girls, have fun this season, good luck at Tuesday's game, and show Belmont and the rest of the Middlesex league what you can bring. I can't wait to come and see some games.
Once a Lady Raider, always a Lady Raider.
<< Home
