Women’s Notebook – Coaches Column #3 and the start of the post season
By Stephen Zerdelian
We finally made it – it’s March, and with that comes the madness, or at least a mild case of it. All three conferences have (or are about to) embarked on their playoff pathways, with champions to be crowned this weekend and the NCAA field finalized on Sunday night.
Before a look at those topics, here is the third (and final) edition of the Coaches Column. This one centers on the end of the regular season, start of the post season and a little beyond. As a reminder, for privacy, the coaches’ names will not be revealed, although it is worth noting that none is currently employed at an East Region Division II institution.
Here are the questions and answers for this segment…
- What are your major challenges as the regular season winds down and post season looms?
Coach A
Continued focus on the goals. The outside distractions such as classroom, campus excitement, media interest and weather changes seemed to usually be potential issues.
Coach B
As the regular season winds down, you must (1) keep the team fresh and not have team burned out (fresh legs) and (2) you need to shorten practice – more shooting and skill work and less 5-on-5 in practice
Coach C
Balancing the need for rest against the requirement to prepare for upcoming games. Try to keep the team centered on the overall picture but keep details to a manageable degree. It’s easy to overload them if you’re not careful – by this point, they need to know you trust them and can execute a gameplan.
- Is there more specific opponent prep as post season play approaches/begins?
Coach A
We would do our best to prepare for one opponent at a time. However, as the playoff tournaments start, and the turnaround was quicker, we were forced to look ahead. The coaching staff would keep this completely separated from the players. The focus for the players was always the next opponent.
Coach B
Adjustments may be made – you can add in a couple of special plays or make some small defensive adjustments (trap ball screens, zone out of bounds plays, etc.) or you can make a major adjustment such as adding a press or a gimic defense (such as a box and 1).
Coach C
Some of it, but generally we try to keep the focus on the process and not specifics, at least until we get to a final (if we get to a title game). We always thought it was important to treat all games the same, at least our underlying principles, but tweak when necessary.
- Do expectations change based on how the team has fared in the regular season?
Coach A
Expectations meant nothing to us. Fulfilling our team goals was our main driver.
Coach B
Expectations are usually like the ones during the regular season; however, a team can have a second life and make a great playoff run.
Coach C
Not really, we try to keep things in perspective and not put any unnecessary pressure on the players. They have their own internal expectations but as far as external, we try to keep those out of mind.
- When and how much do you begin to think about the off-season (recruiting, camps, etc.)?
Coach A
Off-season discussions would not start until the end of the year result had time to settle. The emotions are so high when the seasons end. A reflection period was critical before any discussion about what was next.
Coach B
Off-season is in the back of your head, as you are planning who you sign and how you get them (and who leaves the team).
Coach C
There is some of that at times but with a busy season nearing an end, we usually shelve them for the last few weeks. Hopefully a lot of work has been done by then, especially with recruiting, but you must adjust if something comes up unexpectedly.
The latest NCAA regional poll was released today, reflecting records through Sunday (February 27). With only a handful of games since then (NE10 and CACC quarterfinals), it’s a representative feel for how the committee sees the region. Here it is, with some personal notes attached…
- Southern New Hampshire – The Penmen slipped in the NE10 quarterfinals against Southern Connecticut and there is a chance it might cost them the regional top seed/host. Without Gyanna Russell and Meg Knollmeyer since the Bentley game on February 12 due to injury, Karen Pinkos’ team has done well, going 4-0 before losing to the Owls. Nonetheless, SNHU is hopeful that things work out in their favor, and they get to welcome the regional to Stan Spirou Fieldhouse for the first time.
- Chestnut Hill – Jim Connolly’s unit is the #1 overall seed in the CACC and has picked up useful wins over Sciences and Jefferson in the last few weeks. CHC faces the Rams again in the CACC semifinals this weekend but if they can win out, they will put considerable pressure on the committee to make them the #1 seed. The Griffins would likely have to use another venue as opposed to their usual home court (Sorgenti Arena) but if the regional is in Philadelphia with three local teams competing, it would be a sweet spectacle.
- The University of the Sciences – It is such a shame that the Devils are finishing up their final season before being taken over by, and becoming part of, St. Joe’s, but that is the reality facing Jackie Hartzell’s team. They won their last-ever game at Bobby Morgan Arena last night to advance to the CACC semifinals, so their NCAA spot is secure. By the way, Bobby Morgan Arena is huge loss for the region, as it is one of the best in the area – it’s clean and modern but with a touch of old-school to it, also. It will be missed, as will the program. They will be a tough out in the NCAA’s thanks to the magnificent Hartzell and CACC Player of the Year Jess Huber.
- Pace – It seemed at one point that the Setters might be the top seed/regional host but their reliance on Lauren Schetter hampered their overall resume and a few losses this month (at Southern Connecticut, at AIC and at home against Stonehill in the NE10 tournament) sent them tumbling. Schetter played only four minutes against Stonehill after taking a shot to the nose (she should be fine for the NCAA’s), and it showed how much the team relies on her. Despite that, Pace has enough juice to deserve a spot in the NCAA field and can be an awkward opponent.
- Le Moyne – The toll of the season showed on a relatively thin roster in February, but the Dolphins have coped decently and haven’t allowed any losses to multiply. They survived the NE10 quarterfinals against Saint Anselm thanks to a great game from Saeeda Abdul-Aziz (25 points, six three-pointers) and host Bentley tomorrow night for the right to host the title game. The Dolphins are out of the picture for hosting the regional but could rise a few notches, especially if they end up as NE10 champions. In any case, rest and recovery are more valuable for LC that seeding.
- Jefferson – Balance has been the staple for the Rams, which is nice, because they have several players that can step up and decide a game. They are 3-2 since their eight-game winning streak was ended by Chestnut Hill on February 15 but should be safe for a regional spot unless upsets happen across the region. Tim Shirley’s club is unlikely to garner a seed in the top half of the bracket unless it wins the CACC by beating Chestnut Hill and Sciences but that’s not impossible since they have played both close all season (1-3 combined) and have the chops to win out.
- Bentley – It’s a little bit uncomfortable for the Falcons right now, as they are just above the bubble cut line. C White’s team missed out on the chance to gain quality wins when games against Sciences, Molloy and Daemen were scrapped mid-season, but they have some good victories on the resume just the same. Bentley must hope Post doesn’t win the CACC or that either Stonehill or Southern Connecticut wins the NE10 – either (let alone both) might send them crashing out of the NCAA field. Defeating Le Moyne in the NE10 semifinals would help quell nerves quite a bit.
- Stonehill – Trish Brown’s Skyhawks keep on truckin’ and they may just sneak into the bracket. A nice road win at Pace in the NE10 playoffs was a shot in the arm and they get to host SCSU tomorrow night in the semis for the chance to defend the NE10 crown they won in ’20. A 10-2 mark in their last dozen games (with losses to Pace and SNHU on the road) makes them one of the hottest teams in the region, which would’ve been hard to fathom when they were 3-4 at the holiday break. Discount Stonehill at your peril.
- Daemen – The Wildcats are the pick of the bunch in the ECC, but they are under real pressure to win the playoffs and earn the league’s automatic bid. There is little to no chance that the ECC will get any NCAA at-large bids this season, so the tension is heightened in the ECC tourney, which Daemen will host (the final four, anyway). Challenges are sure to come from St. Thomas Aquinas (who dealt Daemen their only loss since the end of November) and Molloy, but good part is that they know what it takes to win playoff games and have the ECC’s best in Katie Titus.
- Saint Anselm – The Hawks have no chance for an at-large NCAA bid and, since they lost to Le Moyne in the NE10 tournament, they have no shot at an automatic-qualifier, so the season is done. At least this gives me one more chance to laud NE10 Player of the Year Peyton Steinman, who wrapped up her career with a program-record 1,781 points, a dozen more than her former teammate Shannon Ryan. Steinman had games of 40 and 43 points this season, two of five 40+ point games in the region (thus far*). She will be missed by all, except maybe opposing coaches.
* I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the others that hit the 40-point mark here. Huber set a Sciences record with 45 against Goldey-Beacom on February 15, so she seems rather secure in keeping that mark for eternity… D’Youville’s Sara Pfeiffer reached that level twice, the last time a 45-point explosion against Molloy of February 26. Pfeiffer made an ECC record 11 three-pointers in that game, topping her 40-point outing against Bridgeport in December, when she hit ‘only’ six triples.
Notes – As we look at conference tournaments right now, things are relatively (but not totally) clear… The ECC is almost definitely a one-bid league, so it’s all about the tournament. One wonders what might happen if Daemen does not win the AQ – would the committee grant them an at-large, anyway, even though their resume doesn’t warrant it? All other ECC teams know that it is win or go home time… In the CACC, the three Philadelphia schools are all but in (Chestnut Hill, Sciences and Jefferson) with Post trying to upset the applecart as the interloper in the league’s final four. It’s been a good season for the CACC, as the North Division was a lot better than in recent seasons, and the 4th and 5th place teams in the South Division (Georgian Court and Holy Family) more than solid. It also says something when three teams from a seven-team division (South) are well-placed to earn NCAA bids… Finally, the NE10 does have something at stake in their remaining contests. Bentley, as referenced above, would really benefit from winning at Le Moyne, as it would help the resume and give them the chance to host Sunday’s championship game. The survivor of the Southern Connecticut at Stonehill game will hit the road for the finals, with SCSU only having the AQ as a chance to reach the NCAA field. Stonehill, though, can make things even more interesting with a victory tomorrow night; should Bentley lose and then the Skyhawks fall to Le Moyne, would there be a chance that Stonehill pips Bentley to the last spot (which would be the 7-seed, at the least, since the ECC titlist will be surely below them)?
Lots of questions are still looming out there, which is what we like during conference tournament week. The NCAA field will be revealed on Sunday night, so the questions will be answered then. Until that time, enjoy the fun.
Any feedback is more than welcome, so feel free to reach out at Anfield13@aol.com and let me know what you think about this, or any, of my columns.