December 16, 2011
2011/2012 Team Preview: |
 |
Junior Rayven Lucas averaged 8.1 points and five rebounds per game last season for Harrison. (Photo: Jason Bernstein) |
| Harrison Blue Tide Photo Gallery |
By Jason Bernstein Editorial Director |
|
|
Eleven wins might not be a big deal for some teams. But for Harrison that total was a reminder of just how far they progressed under first-year head coach Al Ruiz.
With a young core and a trio of returning starters, the expectations, while modest in comparison to other powers, are the highest they've been in recent memory.
"I wouldn't say they are as high as some other schools, but I do expect a couple more wins," Ruiz said. "We're really expecting a lot more maturing from our younger girls. We had a lot of freshmen and sophomores who played on varsity last year (who now will) take on bigger roles."
No place is that more evident than at guard where the Blue Tide will rely on sophomores Emmalee Lucas and Sarai Rivera as starters. Rivera, a 5-foot-6 shooting guard earned high praise from Ruiz for her improvements in driving to the basket in addition to being the team's top outside shooter.
Rivera and junior wing Rayven Lucas (Emmalee's cousin) are both capable of putting up 15 points in a given night. Rayven, who averaged eight points per game a season ago, is a potential matchup nightmare at 5-foot-8 and is developing a post game to go with her speed and slashing ability.
"We have a lot more speed than we did last year and defensively I believe we're a real physical team," Ruiz said. "I think that's going to help us out in terms of crashing the boards and just keeping people in front of us."
On a team with plenty of youth, Harrison has a pair of senior cornerstones in the pain with Bianca Martinez and Briana O'Donnell. Both are three-year starters and seemingly know what the other is doing on the court.
"They've been playing together for so long that they honestly know each other's every move," Ruiz said. "They're able to just work off each other. The communication sometimes doesn't even need to be there because they know the next move the other girl is going to do."
Harrison's depth will be tested early with wings Jenna Ferriero and Nicole Cunha sidelined for the first few weeks with injuries. Their absence will force the Blue Tide to rely heavily on sophomore guard Stephanie Flatley, freshman Amber O'Donnell and junior Yulissa Pereyra early on.
"Some girls who weren't expected to step up as much as we've need them to are going to have to step up now," Ruiz said. "We just need them to step up when they might not be ready. They're going to be thrown into the fire and hopefully they'll be ready to go."
Guards Ashley Rodriguez and Genevie Andujar will also be asked to provide added depth.
2011-12 Harrison |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
