Judson will be quick on both ends
The Judson University women's basketball team is loaded with backcourt talent.
And that's just fine as far as third-year coach Jim Cook is concerned.
"Most of our players can play guard," said Cook, whose team has gotten off to a 2-0 start in 2007. "We're a very athletic group. The big thing right now is getting the team chemistry down right now because we've got so many new players. Once we figure out that team chemistry aspect we will be fine."
Judson does return 7 players from last year's outfit that went 11-18 and finished 4-4 in Division II of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference.
Senior Newark (Ill.) High School alums Kelly Friestad (5-6, G) and Theresa Larson (6-0, F) saw the most time last year, followed by 5-11 sophomore forward Alicia Rovertoni (Columbia, Ill.).
Friestad started 24 contests and averaged 4.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game and had a team-high 86 assists. Larson made 17 starts and is the team's top returning scorer and rebounder (7.7 points, 6.1 rebounds). Rovertoni made 11 starts and averaged 6.1 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.
Also back are senior Jaime Schaufel (5-9, F, Round Lake Beach, 1.7 ppg) and sophomores Crystal Goodall (5-5, G, Atlanta, 3.3 ppg), Kristin Johns (5-7, G, Belvidere, 3.0 ppg) and Candace Plantz (5-10, F, Des Plaines, 1.5 ppg).
Newcomers to the team include juniors Marissa Marshall (5-7, G, Austin, Tex.), Devonaye Henderson (5-8, G, Ellenwood, Ga.), Ashley Cheairs (5-9, F, Gary, Ind.) and Nathalie Romao (5-11, F, Montreal), along with freshman Heidi Rosenbaum (5-7, G, Dakota Dunes, S.D.).
"Our strength is going to be our speed," said Cook, who led Judson to the NAIA national tournament in his first season at the helm (2005-2006). "We're very quick and we're very aggressive. Once we figure out how each other works, we have a chance to be very good."
That speed will come in handy on both offense and defense.
"We run motion with different cuts off of it that they can score on," said Cook, who is in his final season as both the men's and women's coach at the university (he will continue with the women's team after this season).
"We're going to be up-tempo and try and push the ball with our speed. The big thing will be figuring out when to go and when to slow it down. On defense, we'll use that quickness to get to the ball. Understanding the defensive rotations will be the biggest thing."
Cook says the talent is there to improve on last year's finish.
"We should be a lot better," said Cook. "We want to win the conference or at least get in the top two. And beyond winning the conference, we would like to get back to the national tournament. We've been there before, but didn't get there last year. We can do it. If everybody works together, we have the talent here to do it."
Judson opened up with a win over nationally ranked Taylor and then followed that up with a triumph over Illinois Institute of Technology.
Two players who have been constants for Judson in the two victories have been Johns and Marshall. Johns had 12 points against Taylor and 10 against IIT. Marshall, a transfer student, had 12 points against Taylor and 15 against IIT. Rovertoni grabbed 10 rebounds against Taylor and a career-high 14 against IIT.
The Eagles, who have started the season 2-0 for only the sixth time in program history, return to action next Tuesday at home against Grace College.