Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Women's Basketball Pushing for Another Patriot League Title
10/15/2009 8:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Oct. 15, 2009
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- Lady Luck did not smile twice on Bucknell women's basketball. A year after unexpectedly winning the Patriot League Tournament Championship, the Bison made an equally unexpected early exit in the 2009 quarterfinals. With the bulk of their players returning and an incoming group of athletic freshmen, they will have a second chance in 2009-10 to make another push at a league title.
While the Bison had a short roster last year, that has changed dramatically for the new campaign. Eight student-athletes return with game-time experience and five freshmen add to the team's depth on the bench. That will provide Bucknell with added versatility and balance throughout the lineup.
"It's probably going to be one of our deeper years ever. All of those kids are going to be on the floor," said Kathy Fedorjaka, who is entering her 13th year as the Bison's head coach. "Really if we go tomorrow, all of those kids could be on the floor. Not all are going to play 32 minutes, but sometimes you have years where they can all bring something to the table."
Adding to the depth is the quintet of freshmen including Alyssa Dunn, Lindsay Horbatuck, Brooke Lundy, Felicia Mgbada and Rachel Voss. The newcomers should be key contributors from the outset and play well to the Bison's team strengths.
"I think as a whole, I'm very excited about this class," said Fedorjaka of her newest recruits. "I think they bring a lot of size, athletic ability and speed."
Bucknell's inside game will get a nice boost from the incoming student-athletes as well as the extra experience of the team's veterans. Now juniors, Joyce Novacek and Cosima Higham have an extra year in the Bucknell system and a reputation as two of the Patriot League's top post players. They will be supported by returnees Le'Le' LeSeur, the team's lone senior, and sophomore Alison Nahra, as well as Horbatuck, Lundy and Mgbada. The Bison's game in the paint will certainly be a one of the high points for the team in 2009-10.
"I think certainly coming into the season based on experience and proven ability, our inside game is a huge plus for us," explained Fedorjaka. "Novacek and Higham both have had two really solid years and a ton of experience starting. In my estimation, they're two of the better post players in the entire conference and I think they've both still made huge improvements."
Bucknell's rebounding game looks to be as strong as ever. Higham and Novacek both ranked among the league's top five in total and offensive rebounds last year, and the freshmen have the height and ability to be forces on the glass as well.
"I feel very good about rebounding. Not only do I think it's a strength for us, I think we can be one of the best teams in the league at that," praised Fedorjaka. "I think we should be the best team in the league at that. I really think we can board the basketball."
Although not quite as deep as the post unit and still relatively young, the Bison backcourt has not been without its own success. Trisha Krewson is the reigning Patriot League Rookie of the Year and led all Bison freshmen in minutes played last year. She is joined by classmates Christina Chukwuedo and Morgan Wrightson, Taylor Phillips, who as a junior is the unit's elder statesman, and freshmen Alyssa Dunn and Rachel Voss.
The perimeter play will be a question mark for Bucknell in the early goings of the season while the current Bison adjust to big roles vacated by recent graduates Amanda Brown and Lauren Schober. Brown and Schober were the team's leading scorers and both reached the 1,000-career point plateau last season, meaning there are big shoes to fill.
"I don't want to say our weakness is our guard play because it very much may not be a weakness, but I would say an uncertainty is our guard play," said Fedorjaka. "There's all this potential but now they have to come and answer the call. We can't say coming into it, `We know what we're going to have from our `1' to our `3'. We know we're going to be getting 35 points a game out of those three slots night in and night out.' We very well could get it, but we don't know that."
One thing that will not change from years past is Bucknell's goal of pushing the tempo of its games. Always looking for her teams to play at high speed and get easy baskets in transition, Fedorjaka believes this team has the defensive skills necessary to make sure that happens.
"I actually think as we put the pieces together that our defense is going to be back to where it was a couple of years ago when we were ranked nationally (in scoring and field goal percentage defense)," said Fedorjaka. "There is no doubt in my mind we're a faster team than we were a year ago, and we'll be a better defensive team. Whether that happens on Nov. 14 (at the season-opening Iona Tournament) is unknown, but we will clearly be a better defensive team."
FRONTCOURT
Few would dispute the impact Novacek and Higham had on the success of last year's squad. The pair ranked in the top five in the Patriot League in rebounding - they shared the number two spot in offensive boards with averaging 3.0 per game against league opponents - and field goal percentage. As the team's top returning scorers, the Bison will rely on them to continue to build on their past production. Fedorjaka sees no reason to think the forwards will do otherwise.
"Sometimes you see kids going through their careers and they start to hit more of a max. I think both of them still have a ton of room to keep getting better," said Fedorjaka. "Both are tremendous rebounders. We're really going to be looking for great production from them on the glass. Sometimes you see kids who are great defensive rebounders, but they both rebound at both ends of the floor."
The two juniors have not been content with the status quo, however. Among some of the skills added in the offseason is a 12-foot jump shot for Novacek and a more well-rounded approach to offense for Higham.
"Joyce has added a legitimate 12-foot shot. I've seen in the early goings where I think she's really finishing that shot, which I don't think was really in her arsenal the first two years," said Fedorjaka. "She's worked hard on that piece and I think that's going to open up some potential for her.
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"She (Cosi) is going to be a little more of a playmaker. She really has developed offensively since arriving here," said Fedorjaka of her other power forward. "She used to be more of a put-back, finish in transition player. She's always very good at finishing around the bucket. Now she's become more of a go-to option."
Filling in at power forward are Horbatuck and Mgbada. Known as a rebounder during her high school career, Horbatuck is the classic Bucknell post player with both size and mobility.
"I would rate her from a running standpoint like a Novacek, maybe even faster because she's a little bit smaller. She really will get out and run. She will definitely be able to beat posts up and down the floor," the head coach explained.
Fedorjaka also describes Horbatuck as "one of the more blue-collar kids we've ever recruited" who is not afraid to scrap. Although not a power low-block player, Horbatuck, who averaged double-doubles at Avon High School in Connecticut, will get her scoring opportunities using her quickness and "crafty" style of play.
Mgbada is another forward with the speed to help her stand out on the floor. Fedorjaka calls the New Jersey native a bit reminiscent of former Bison Hope Foster in that she has a prime combination of height, mobility and defensive potential.
"She's extremely quick. She's going to be a tough match for a lot of forwards in this league," said Fedorjaka. "We've had a couple of Defensive Players of the Year in the league and she might be even stronger than them at this stage in her game. She'll definitely be a kid who I think will become one of the better defensive players in the league."
Before Mgbada can start collecting the awards, however, she will have some growing to do. She already possesses superior athleticism, including a team-best 26-inch vertical leap, good power and a solid 10- to 12-foot jumper. Her next step will be gaining experience and adjusting to the Division I level.
"There are times in workouts where she doesn't really know what she's doing yet, but athletically she'll make this huge move," said an impressed Fedorjaka. "I think what we're trying to get her to do right now is figure out what it takes at this level, but she's a great kid. She'll have to learn schemes and she'll have to learn not to rest on defense, but she's as talented as any kids I've ever brought it."
The foursome of Higham, Novacek, Horbatuck and Mgbada will provide the Bison with something it struggled with last year - the ability to rotate their junior forwards off the floor. The versatility should be especially beneficial as the season wears on.
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"We had to go a lot of minutes, especially with Novacek. We didn't get her off the floor a lot last year and I think there were times where mid- to late season, you saw a lot of that fatigue mentally as well of physically," recalled Fedorjaka. "Joyce still needs to be on the floor a lot, but 30 to 32 minutes a game playing her versus 38 or 39 over the course of a season can make a difference."
Helping to take some of the pressure off even more is a trio in Nahra, Lundy and LeSeur. Nahra saw limited playing time during her freshman campaign but showed signs of improvement throughout the season. Now a sophomore, Nahra had the biggest game of her career against Colgate last year. Stepping in after an injury to a teammate, she earned all six of her season points, four rebounds and two blocks in just 13 minutes of play.
LeSeur and Lundy will both start the season recovering from knee injuries. LeSeur, who was knocked out last January with an ACL injury, will have an advantage over her younger teammate, however, in that she already has three year's experience in the Orange and Blue under her belt. That history should make the mid-season comeback smoother for the senior. In the meantime, however, the Bison will rely on LeSeur for her leadership.
"I'm definitely leaning on her and looking for her to play that role. She's done a good job of that so far," said Fedorjaka. "I think as she returns, the key is going to coming off this ACL (injury) is her working extremely hard in rehab. Being that it's her last year might almost help. The fact that she knows it's her last year is going to push her a little bit there."
Once LeSeur is able to return to the court, she is expected to be the perfect sparkplug as the team enters Patriot League action. Known as an energy player, LeSeur will give the Bison the extra push needed as competition heats up and the know-how to work past any late-season hurdles.
"I think what she'll bring at that point in time is a lift. She's been on a championship team and a regular-season championship team. Really it's just the juniors and Le' who have experienced that championship season when it gets down to league play and the ups and downs. Even the championship year was an up-and-down year, so (she will know) how to plug through," said Fedorjaka. "This might be a team that is right there but has to plug through a little bit. Hopefully it's not, but we've got a lot of new kids. They're definitely going to learn some lessons along the way, and I think that's where Le's going to come up big."
Lundy is also expected to bring a mid-season spark after returning from her own knee injury. The late start to her Bucknell career could prove a bit detrimental to the freshman, but Fedorjaka sees little cause for concern in her athlete's ability to contribute to the team.
"I think the toughest thing for her will be coming back in at that time as a freshman, but she could be a nice boost for us right before Patriot League. She could just come in at that point, work herself in and give us something coming off that bench," said Fedorjaka of her hopes for Lundy's return."That's just a different type of kid to give us some good solid minutes by Patriot League play. She's going to set good screens, little things initially." While some of her teammates might be more finesse players on the block, Lundy is more likely to use her brute strength to get the job done.
"She's going to be that other piece of grinding it out on the block, with an `I'll go through you' attitude," said Fedorjaka. "She's so big and strong."
BACKCOURT
Like the frontcourt, the backcourt also has four players returning from last year's squad in Chukwuedo, Krewson, Phillips and Wrightson. Krewson saw the most game action at 24.6 minutes per contest and 18 starts. That game-day experience is crucial to the Bison in the new season.
"When you look at that perimeter, she's even though she's only a sophomore, she's got some of the most experience on the team returning and we'll look for her to score the basketball," said Fedorjaka, who then spoke on Krewson's areas of improvement. "I think she's got to get on the glass more this year. She's a six-foot guard. She's got some size. She's stronger. The weight room's been big for her and it's made a difference."
Krewson's success last year has given the sophomore an extra shot of confidence and comfort on the court. Combined with the offseason improvements made, Krewson's game has become that much more potent.
"To me, she might be the most different player (from last year). For me the biggest difference is the way she carries herself and her confidence," said Fedorjaka. "She had skills last year and she was a good player but she almost had a real tentativeness to her."
Like Krewson, Bucknell will look to Wrightson often if the guard unit is going to be effective. Wrightson battled with some inconsistency last year, which is to be expected of freshmen, but she showed glimpses of her scoring prowess at various points throughout the season, including a 20-point performance against Wofford early in the year. Fedorjaka expects Wrightson to be steadier in her sophomore campaign and capitalize on her offensive potential.
"I'm looking for huge jumps from her because she was a highly touted player coming out of high school, pretty heavily recruited. She had a very up and down year. She had some moments where she clearly showed what she's capable of doing, but she had the other extreme too. She was kind of more of your typical freshman - very up and down. She's looked much steadier in every way," said Fedorjaka of Wrightson's transformation. "She's a kid who's a key to coming back like that because she's got big-time potential to score the basketball in different ways. She showed that last year. People think of her as a shooter. She actually goes to the rim extremely hard. She's got a scorer's mentality. She's pivotal for the success of this season. We have to have another scorer on that perimeter. Morgan's one of first we look to."
Wrightson will also benefit from coming back to campus in stronger physical condition after a slightly unorthodox summer routine.
"She trained a ton in her basketball workouts, but she also did some triathlons this summer. Sometimes you might not want kids focusing as much (on other sports), but for her I was okay with it. I thought it might be a really good thing," said Fedorjaka. "She's definitely in much better condition and it's showing in her game. She's got more lift of her shot and she's a step quicker."
Capping off the trio of sophomores is Chukwuedo who will assume the point guard duties after backing up Brown last year. Chukwuedo had a solid 1.5 assist/turnover ratio as a freshman and has maintained her excellent speed that will be so important in the team's defensive scheme. The Bison will need her to be an even bigger offensive threat in the new year, however.
"We need her to score more than what she looked to a year ago, but that's not one of her primarily roles," explained Fedorjaka. "Where's she's got to score is to keep defenses honest and not let them double up. She's got to be able to step up and hit, which I think she can do. She certainly can go to the rim, and she certainly can distribute and handle pressure. She's proven that."
One area that Chukwuedo has made the biggest stride since last season is her mental toughness.
"Chuk's really different from a mental perspective," said Fedorjaka of her second-year guard. "The point guard position is a place where you have to be physically tough and gifted, but you have to be mentally tough too. I think last year, this whole experience of college and Division I basketball was so new to her. It was almost like she was so green to it that she kind of in this whirlwind all year, but when you look at her through workouts, she's mentally tough now."
Phillips rounds out the group of Bison returning to the perimeter and as a junior, she also brings the most time spent in the Orange and Blue. Phillips saw action in every game last year, earning five starts at the beginning of the season. Bucknell relied on Phillips off the bench later in the year and she produced, posting a season-best 10 points in 14 minutes at Colgate last January.
"She's a kid that a coach wants to be successful because she's got a great attitude. She's a great team player and she's got skills," said Fedorjaka. "Her first two years have been about putting the whole thing together. She's very much a mid-range player. Her forte is slashing, but she has more of a mid-range game."
Phillips has continued to improve her shot during the offseason, which, combined with her team-first mentality, should be a huge benefit to the Bison.
"Just in workouts, she's actually shooting the ball better than I've ever seen her shoot it in the two years previous. She'd be very erratic before. She'd shoot shots, but not necessarily make a lot of shots, where now she's shooting and making them," said an optimistic Fedorjaka. "I'm very hopeful because she's got a couple of years under her belt in the system, and she knows what I'm looking for. She's a very loyal kid. She knows what the program needs, what we're looking for."
New to the guard unit are Dunn and Voss. Dunn is expected to pair with Chukwuedo to run the point guard position and will have limitless speed to help her with those responsibilities. Combined with her solid decision making on the court, the National Merit Scholar Semifinalist's quickness will come in handy to the Bison in the open court.
"She's as fast as anyone in this league if not faster," said Fedorjaka. "She should really be able to get us some opportunities in transition, and she's going to if we can defend well enough, board and learn how to play together to get out. She should sneak out some opportunities on transition alone."
Dunn is also a proven scorer, although her outside shot may not be the most recognized part of her game. Even that skill has caught Fedorjaka's eye, however.
"She shoots it really well. I've been kind of impressed with her," said the coach. "I knew she'd be a slasher and a transition player. I knew she'd be awesome in our pressing game with speed and anticipating skills defensively, but she has surprised me a little bit."
Last but not least is Voss, who will likely split her time with the frontcourt as well. At six feet tall, Voss has the ability to battle inside but also distribute the ball from the perimeter, adding to the Bison's versatility.
"I project her maybe playing more at the `3' than at the `4', but can definitely play at the `4'. She's strong enough physically and she's tough enough to go in the paint," said Fedorjaka. "She can handle the ball and she's got size to feed over people. I'm excited."
No matter where she ends up offensively, Voss will be an integral piece to Bucknell's defense. Again, it is the Cincinnati native's size and athleticism that will help to make an up-tempo game possible for the Bison.
"She actually comes to us with a pretty good skill set. I've been really impressed with her footwork in the preseason," said Fedorjaka. "She's another really good defender, and she'll be a big cog in our defensive game in that pressing style. She's long and athletic. She can defend the ball. I think she'll rebound pretty well, and she's got good strength as a freshman. She's not a weak kid that you have to develop."
