Your future, our focus
Northwest College basketball will officially tip off Friday when the Trapper women take on the Bismarck State Mystics at the Miles Community College Tournament at 1:30 p.m. Friday.
The Trappers return six of the 11 players that led the team to an appearance in the 2013 Region IX semifinals, where it lost to Gillette by an overtime score of 81-74. Northwest was 17-16 overall last season.
Head coach Janis Beal said the playoff run (including her first two postseason wins as a coach) was a sign of progress that she hopes continues into this season.
“We were one shot away from being in the regional final,” Beal said. “It was definitely a huge stepping stone for our program.”
The returning players, however, might remember the sting of the loss more than the thrill of the victories, and use it as fuel going forward.
“That sophomore group we have this year kind of has that feeling of unfinished business,” Beal said.
The fifth-year coach hopes that postseason experience can power her team through no small amount of uncertainty. Despite the half-dozen sophomores, fans can expect to see a vastly different team this season, at least at the beginning of each game.
Beal is still looking for her starting five, though she said she is thankful for her team’s depth.
“I think we have a lot of kids who can compete for those spots,” she said.
Sophomore point guard Andressa Augusto is Northwest’s only returning starter, leaving Beal with lots of options, and even more questions.
The most pressing of which might be, “How will the team handle the loss of its two stalwart post players, Kennedy Allen and Leslie Thronburg?”
Allen led the team in the 2012-13 season with 14.9 points per game.
“Kennedy was an all-region post player for us,” Beal said. “You don’t ever replace a player like her.”
Instead, the Trappers will look to up the tempo of their motion offense and allow Augusto to control the flow of the game.
Northwest ball handlers will be tasked with reading the opponent’s defense and making quick decisions to exploit weaknesses.
Beal said Augusto sees the floor very well and plays the point guard position unselfishly.
“She’s a kid who looks to pass first a lot of the times,” Beal said.
But the Brazilian is too good of a shooter to always dish the ball elsewhere.
Augusto’s 44.1 3-point percentage was good for ninth in the nation, and fifth among shooters who averaged at least four 3-point attempts per game.
“If she has that shot we want her to take it,” Beal said.
A fast-paced offense could provide the 5-foot, 6-inch sharpshooter with even more open looks.
“Having a strong guard line that can run ... it’s going to force defenses to go out on the other kids (and) should open up some space for Andressa to shoot,” Beal said.
But Northwest is by no means abandoning the post, especially not if sophomore Imari Simpson has anything to say about it.
“Kids like Imari are going to demand the respect of the opponent,” Beal said.
Despite averaging only 14.5 minutes per game (seventh on the team) last season, Simpson ranked third on the Trappers in rebounds with 5.5 per game.
Thronburg was Northwest’s top rebounder last season with 6.5 boards per contest, but Simpson looks capable of besting that figure, at least on paper.
Extrapolated to 23.8 minutes per game, which is what Thronburg averaged (and .2 minutes less than what Allen played), Simpson’s rebounding rate would mean an increase to approximately nine boards a game.
“She’s going to be one of our best rebounders,” Beal said. “She’s so athletic and strong. When she makes her mind up to go get it, no one’s taking it from her. And we’re definitely going to expect that and need that from her.”
The Killeen, Texas, native will also look to help fill the scoring void left by Allen and Thronburg.
“(She’s) undersized in the post at 5’9” but she plays a lot taller than that,” Beal said. “She’ll be able to score in the post for us.”
Simpson is just one of a handful of sophomores that will provide valuable minutes despite not starting last season.
“Even though we lost four starters, some of those kids that are sophomores now for us still got a lot of playing time,” Beal said.
A group of Northwest newcomers will be expected to provide scoring, whether as starters or off the bench, as well.
“We definitely have a couple freshmen that can step up and score,” Beal said.
The coach has been impressed with how quickly the young players are handling the transition to college ball.
“I would say this freshmen group is a little bit further along (than those of years past),” Beal said. “They all have a great basketball sense.”
Northwest will have six freshmen on the roster, marking the first time in Beal’s tenure as coach the team has had an even split of sophomores and freshmen. She said the balance benefits the team both now and into next season.
“It gives you a good mix of kids that have been in the system for a year, know what’s going on, and they can teach those younger kids,” Beal said.
The Trappers will face a purposefully tough non-conference schedule early this season.
Northwest will face No. 2 Central Arizona Nov. 15 and No. 5 Southern Idaho Nov. 8 and again Nov. 14. All three games are on the road.
In fact, the Trappers don’t play their first home game until they host the Big Horn Federal Shootout Nov. 22-23.
“We’ll be battle-tested on the road,” Beal said.
The coach welcomed the challenge and said her team will use it as a way to better prepare for the regional tournament.
“The only way to get to that level and get better is to play some of the better teams,” she explained.
Northwest’s other returning sophomores are Sierra Williams (Provo,Utah), Estefania Vilela (Palmas, Brazil), Leanne Winterholler (Lovell) and Megan Lund (Edgerton). The incoming freshmen are Mandee Christensen (Sterling, Utah), Hatti Snyder (Beaver, Utah), Caitlin Clancy (North Bundaberg, Australia), TaNeil Clayton (Delta, Utah), Sarah Nielsen (Dayton) and Dana Bjorhus (Thermopolis).
Beal said this year’s team will be similar to all Northwest teams in terms of the way the Trappers conduct their business on campus.
“We’re doing it the right way with good kids that are working hard and taking care of academics,” she said.