2010-11 Women's Basketball Season Outlook

The 2010-11 season will begin a new era for The College of Wooster women's basketball team, as first-year head coach Ashley Reid will look towards six returning letterwinners, and immediate contributions from several newcomers, to have the Fighting Scots competing in the North Coast Athletic Conference and make up for the production lost by the program's only All-American selection, Kym Wenz.

Since 2006, Wooster has looked to Wenz and her program-record 17.1 career scoring average, to set the tone offensively. Wenz did it all a year ago, leading the team in points (20.8 ppg) and steals (2.6 spg), while burying a school record 72 3-pointers and pulling down 5.2 rebounds per game.

"It's going to be tough to replace Wenz and the other seniors who contributed last year," admitted Reid, who was named just the sixth head coach in the team's 45-year history back in April, and prior to that had been an assistant coach with Wooster for three years. "But we have some solid letterwinners coming back, and we are all excited to see what are newcomers can do."

Two returning players that will likely play a big role this season are junior Kristen Schwartz and sophomore Jessica Wingen, who both burst onto the scene a season ago, as the former saw her first collegiate action after suffering a season-ending knee injury as a freshman, and the latter was a first-year.

"Kristen and Jessica are both big, strong players, but they also bring very different skill sets to the table," explained Reid. "The one thing that they can both do, though, is get up and down the court, and that will help us as we try and move to a more up-tempo approach."

Schwartz scored 6.7 points per game last season, doing almost all of her damage underneath the basket, as evident by her impressive .541 field goal percentage. Wingen, who averaged 5.4 points and 4.3 rebounds, has a bit more range on her shot, and also appears likely to rank among the league's leading shot blockers.

While previous starting experience is limited in the year's group, lone returning senior Taylor Keegan will be an asset, as she brings back versatility, having played most of the positions on the court a season ago. While she is likely to see more time as a guard this winter, being 5-7 allows her to slide into the post when need be.

"Taylor can play both inside and outside," said Reid. "We think she is going to do even more for us offensively this season. She is a 3-point threat out there, and she really knows how to stretch a defense. I can see Taylor scoring a bit more this season."

Last year, Keegan contributed 5.8 points per game, and connected on 29 3-pointers. She also pulled down 3.7 rebounds and averaged about a steal each contest.

Also back is junior Keshia Butler, who is the team's only returning point guard, and appears poised to have a breakout season at the position. Butler has led the team in assists the previous two years despite only seeing limited time as a starter, and her speed will be put on display this season as Wooster looks to score more in transition.

"Keshia has really stepped up during the offseason," said Reid. "We already know she can be a great passer and can make plays with her speed, but this year she wants the ball in her hands more. She can drive to the basket, and she has worked on her outside shot. We are going to depend on her to put pressure on our opponents, both offensively and defensively."

The Scots have just two other returning players in junior forwards Samantha Sulzer and Kinsey Walker, who each will add depth in the post. Kinsey's sister, Karley Walker, is one of seven newcomers on the team this season vying for playing time.

"It's going to take some time," admitted Reid. "This group has a strong work ethic. As long as they play hard and communicate, I think we have what it takes to surprise some people."  

Below is a more detailed look at each position:

BACKCOURT

With just Keegan and Butler returning in the backcourt, Reid will look to a host of first-year players to help shoulder the load. Among those players likely to see minutes are guards Suvi Puripattarapan and Walker, who have both impressed the coaching staff in practice.

Butler will quarterback Wooster's offense, and should easily raise her career 2.7 assists average. Although she has started just nine games in her career, she has averaged about 20 minutes per game on the court, and has proven to have playmaking ability. She also has been Wooster's most reliable ball handler over the last two seasons with a 1.3 assists to turnover ratio.

Without Wenz back in the fold, Keegan is clearly the team's top returning 3-point shooter, having knocked down the sixth-most shots (84) from behind the arc in program history. She also has proven to be a solid all-around contributor, averaging over three rebounds and almost a steal per game a season ago.  

FRONTCOURT

The Scots may appear a bit shorthanded in the post this season, with this year's roster dominated by guards, but barring injury, the frontcourt should be in good hands. In an effort to keep post play at a high level throughout the game, Reid plans on rotating Schwartz and Wingen, rather than playing them together, and then complimenting the "big-two" with fellow returners Samantha Sulzer and Kinsey Walker.  

Sulzer, a junior, brings back experience, as she started nine games a season ago, and shot at a .435 clip (20-of-46). She averaged 4.2 rebounds in the games she started, and also showed the ability to matchup with both bigger posts, and quicker guards, by utilizing her athleticism and versatility.

Walker, who missed last season with an injury, is likely to return to action in mid-November and add solid contributions to the frontcourt rotation. Reid believes she can be an asset to the team when she returns, bringing hustle and a hardnosed attitude off the bench.