Lady Griz Basketball Wrap Up and Look Ahead (Part 3)

This is the third in a series of four posts on the Lady Griz basketball team, discussing the past season and a look ahead to next season. Part 1 Season Wrap up, Part 2 Look ahead: Bigs, Part 3 Look Ahead: Wing players and Part 4 Look Ahead: Recruits.

The Wings

The Griz look to be very deep at the shooting guard, and small forward, but I have serious questions at the point guard. The Griz will lose two time conference MVP point guard Mandy Morales (17 pts, 6rbs, 5asts), and all conference shooting guard Sonja Rogers (14 points, 3 rbs), but will return starting forward/ guard Lauren Beck (7 pts, 5 rbs). Beck should hold down one starting spot at the 2 or 3, but may get some competition. The other shooting guard spot should be an open competition between Stephanie Stender, Misty Atkinson, Tianna Ware and redshirt Alexandra Hurley. Of the lettermen Ware is the player I am most intrigued by, but I think Hurley has the chance to make big waves next year. Hurley has the ability to put up points and think that is something the Griz will really need. At the point, I guess it looks like it is 5-5 Shaunte Nance-Johnson who will, get the starting nod as the only true point guard on the roster with any D-1 experience. Nance-Johnson is a serviceable point but in a league where the most important players are point guard, she could be a weakness for the Lady Griz. Her back up should be redshirt freshman Ashley Ferda, as the only other true point guard on the roster.. I have heard the Griz coaches are extremely high on Ferda as there future star at the point guard position but she is coming off of knee surgery and is just a freshman, so she may need some time to develop. If Shaunte should falter though Ferda could get her chance. I would also expect Robin and his coaches to add another point this spring, with one of there open scholarships. Robin has only signed 1 JC recruit in the past 25 years so any point guard recruit might not be an impact player in 2009-10. The

Griz lost 41 points of offense (60% of their total output), and 18 rebounds (46% of their total output), with the graduation of their 4 seniors. While I feel the rebounds will be problematic, but solvable, with the player coming back, point production could be a real issue. With the exception of Sarah Ena there are simply not a lot of true scorers retuning among the veteran players. The freshman (true and redshirt) though do have some player who can score the ball so it could become interesting to see who emerges as the 2nd and 3rd options to Ena. Unless a couple players emerge to back up Ena I really could see very knock down drag out defensive team that wins games in the low 50’s.