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THE TIMES-DELPHIC
OCT. 29, 2012 | Page 6
Sports TD Basketball Preview: Everything you Bulldogs debut new style as Baranczyk era begins Taylor Soule
Sports Editor tdsportsed@gmail.com
Second. That’s where the seventh-seeded Bulldogs finished after making an improbable run to the 2012 Missouri Valley Conference Championship. After losing to Creighton 53-38 in the 2012 MVC Championship, the Bulldogs look to repeat as the Valley’s dark horse in 2013. With a new season, new leadership, new players and a new system, the Bulldogs and the Bulldog faithful alike face new questions. Who will pace the Bulldogs without MVC Player of the Year Rachael Hackbarth? How will the Bulldogs adjust to a new system? Where will Drake fall in the MVC standings? Though uncertainties loom, the 2012-2013 Bulldogs won’t worry yet about standings, statistics or starters. Instead, learning a new system under new leadership tops their to-do list. Oct. 8 marked Drake’s inaugural practice under the new “uptempo” system courtesy of first-year head coach Jennie Baranczyk.
“I don’t know if we’re really to the point of setting goals for this specific team,” Baranczyk said. “More so, we talk about the goals in the program, and it goes back to the three things we won’t compromise – on up-tempo style, rebounding, communication. So, right now, those are our goals, and that’s all we need to focus on, those three things.” Drake’s overhauled system contrasts the tempo set by former head coach Amy Stephens. The 2011-2012 Bulldogs slowed play to allow Hackbarth to score inside. Without Hackbarth, though, the Bulldogs will rely on their versatility. “Our offense isn’t just going to depend on a low-block post player,” Baranczyk said. “They’re going to have to be versatile, and that’s the strength of our team.” The well-rounded Bulldogs return four starters. Sophomore guard Kyndal Clark is Drake’s top returning scorer after averaging 9.8 points per game as a freshman. The Bulldogs return a defensive powerhouse in junior forward Morgan Reid. Reid tallied 39 steals last
season. Drake’s roster features a sole senior in forward and center Stephanie Running, who led the Bulldogs with a .870 shooting percentage last season. Five newcomers complete the Bulldogs’ new roster. Drake’s lineup features four freshmen in guards Dilonna Johnson and Alexis Eckles, forward Ashley Bartow and center Emma Donahue. Junior guard Mary Pat Specht also joins the Bulldogs after playing two seasons at Johnson County Community College in Kansas. Baranczyk expects several Bulldogs to pace Drake’s inside attack. “Stephanie Running, obviously, as our lone senior and leader, she definitely is going to have to step up inside and score,” Baranczyk said. “I think Morgan Reid is getting more comfortable down low. I think (sophomore forward and center) Cara Lutes is getting more comfortable. I think you’ll see a lot from our freshman post player, Emma Donahue. (Sophomore forward) Symone Daniels is back. I
mean, there are a lot of different options.” To reach MVC-readiness, the versatile but inexperienced Bulldogs must mature quickly. “We have an entire team of freshmen,” Baranczyk said. “It’s not just the new players.” As the Bulldog freshmen adjust to new demands, a new system and a new campus, Baranczyk praised their early strides. “It’s always an adjustment, and it’s always a bigger adjustment than any freshman ever realizes,” Baranczyk said. “But, I think the more and more we’ve gone, the more and more they’ve learned and the more and more they can see the bigger picture.” Before that “bigger picture” takes shape against MVC foes, the Bulldogs must adapt to the new system. “I think that we are making adjustments really well,” Running said. “We’re just making adjustments, and we’re starting to figure it out. We’re getting really good chemistry, better flow in our offense. Our rebounding is getting better. Overall, we’re making good improvements
in every part of the game.” Though questions linger after Hackbarth’s departure, Running dismissed any doubts. “If we all step up our game a little bit, it will be a more even and w e l l rounded team, and we’ll be just fine,” Ru n n i n g said. Drake opens the season in an exhibition contest against Quincy at 7:05 p.m. on Friday at the Knapp Center. Despite uncertainty about standings, statistics and starters, the Bulldogs boast new leadership, a new system and new zest. “It’s just going to be fun to watch,” Running said. “We’re going to be up-tempo. I think you’ll be able to see how much we love each other, we love Drake, and we love bas-
Meagan Flynn
making sure that her younger teammates do exactly that: step up their game. “A part of my role is being a leader and an encourager since I am an upbeat and energetic person,” she said. “I need to be there for my teammates. On the court, Running’s versatility will be essential to the Bulldogs’ success. She’s looking to increase her presence in as many offensive and defensive aspects as pos- s i b l e . As a ju-
ketball.”
Five reasons why the Running anchors Drake women will win the MVC Eduardo Tamez Zamarripa Copy Editor eduardo.tamezzamarripa@ drake.edu
Why the will win:
1. A new era
The Jennie Baranczyk era has the Bulldogs excited and ready to build off on last season’s improbable run to the MVC Championship. Baranczyk’s hire has given the program a ‘shot in the arm’ and the first-year coach has her players believing that they can win, even without Rachael Hackbarth. With a nearly identical team from the team that finished second last season, the Bulldogs are looking to surprise people again. 2. Kyndal Clark 2.0 Sophomore Kyndal Clark had a sensational freshman campaign, finishing second
on the team in points per game at 9.8 and often being counted on to take the final shot for the Bulldogs. Learning how to run the point is the toughest task in basketball and a season of experience will make Clark even more dangerous.
3. Anyone can win
After their tournament run as a No. 7 seed last season, Drake is living proof that the MVC is up for grabs. Conference champion Creighton will have a strong season with the return of Carli Tritz, but Drake proved that it can compete with the likes of Wichita State, Missouri State and Northern Iowa. As long as you get to the tournament peaking at the right time, anything can happen.
4. Defense
Drake finished third in
the conference in scoring defense, and three-point field goal defense allowing a meager 59.9 points per game. It’s no secret that defense has been the staple of Drake’s success in the last few years and with junior Morgan Reid anchoring the defense, the Bulldogs should have another stout defense this season.
5. New kids on the block
The Bulldogs boast a strong freshmen class that should contribute right away. After lacking reliable ballhandlers last season, Drake is hoping freshmen Dilonna Johnson and will help Clark shoulder some of the load at the point. Not only that, freshmen Alexis Eckles and Ashley Bartow bring athleticism and size to the wings, something the Bulldogs also lacked last season.
Five reasons why the women will not win the MVC this season Eduardo Tamez Zamarripa Copy Editor eduardo.tamezzamarripa@ drake.edu
Why they won’t win:
1. No Rachael Hackbarth The Bulldogs no longer have the presence of MVC Player of the Year Rachael Hackbarth in the middle. Hackbarth led Drake in nearly every major statistical category and even though Drake will likely fill the void of Hackbarth’s productivity, you can never fill the shoes of someone as dominant as Hackbarth.
2. Learning the ropes
Head coach Jennie Baranczyk is not only in her first year at Drake, she’s also in her first year as a head coach. Baranczyk certainly
BOTTOM LINE:
has the resume and experience to suggest that she will go on to have a successful coaching career. However, a first-time coach is expected to go through growing pains and Baranczyk will have to adjust to life in the MVC. Baranczyk is the secondyoungest woman head coach in Division 1.
3. A new system
Without Rachael Hackbarth inside, the Bulldogs will no longer rely on slowing down the pace and feeding the post. Drake will look to speed up the tempo and space the floor. The Bulldogs should take a while to adjust and learn their new offense.
4. Scoring
Other than sophomore Kyndal Clark, the Bull-
dogs lack consistent scorers. Drake will need senior Stephanie Running and redshirt sophomore Carly Grenfell to ‘up’ their game offensively. They will need junior Morgan Reid to continue to develop her offensive game and will need their freshmen to score right away.
5. Experience
The season will tell just how experienced these Bulldogs are. As of right now, the team consists of one senior, three juniors, five sophomores and four freshmen. The sophomore class is arguably the class that has the most experience under its belt, so it will be interesting to see if experience plays a role for Drake down the stretch.
Staff Writer meagan.flynn@drake.edu
“Is this gross? Is it bruising?” asks Stephanie Running of the protruding bump on her brow. It’s red and purple. Clearly bruising. Running rolls her eyes — yet another battle wound. She doesn’t even know what happened. “Maybe an elbow? Maybe I bumped heads with someone?” But she knows it happened in the paint, where the 6-foot-2 forward, and sometimes center, will be spending most of her time this season. She’s the only senior on the roster, though, so her role will extend far beyond grabbing boards and scoring easy baskets. “She needs to be a leader for us. She understands people – people naturally gravitate toward her,” said head coach Jennie Baranczyk, who is beginning her first season at Drake. “I think she’s really understanding the true heartbeat of this team.” The graduation of the MVC Player of the Year and leading scorer and rebounder, Rachael Hackbarth, left questions for the Bulldogs upon the start of the new season. But this year’s game plan is not necessarily to “replace” Hackbarth. “No one can fill her shoes,” said Running, “but if we all step up our play, thinking, ‘I’m gonna get two more rebounds,’ or ‘I’m gonna score four more points,’ we’ll be a really well-rounded team, and we won’t need to fill her spot.” And it will be primarily Running this season who will be a major instigator in
nior l a s t year,
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Running started 18 out of 24 games played and averaged 4.4 rebounds and 5.8 points per game. This time around, Running is well aware that
she will need to look to score more. Attacking the basket has been one of her major focuses at practice. “She’s a versatile player,” Baranczyk said. “We’ve been focusing a lot on her low post game, but we’re also giving her some freedom. She can catch and shoot, she can pass, and she’s done a great job of helping our younger players really understand what we’re looking for.” There are four freshmen on the roster this year, but Running said that their adjustment to the team has been smooth due to the tight-knit bonds that have carried over from last season among all the players. They have dinner together every night, they spend their weekends together, they’re a “family,” Running said, and Running sees herself in that “motherly” role. “Seniors are always someone you want to look up to,” she said. “Even though a lot of things are new this year, I do try to set an example so the freshmen have someone to look up to.” Running has high expectations for the season. An MVC championship is at the top of the list, and ultimately, Running hopes that the team can find their way into the NCAA tournament. “This is my last chance,” she said, “so we gotta go all out.” The Bulldogs will kick off the season on Friday at home against Quincy in an exhibition game. Barancyzk expects Running to have a “significant impact” on the team’s dynamic. “I’m really proud of her for stepping up and taking her role as the only senior very seriously,” Barancyzk said. “It’s not easy to be the only player from your class. She’s handling it with grace and confidence.”
Drake’s new, fast-paced system will catch MVC opponents off guard, but the Bulldogs will struggle to find offensive consistency.
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Predicted record : 15-14 (10-8 MVC) FOR BREAKING DRAKE NEWS, CHECK OUT WWW.TWITTER.COM/TIMESDELPHIC