Pebley, team paying no attention to rank
With eight new players and nine returning letter winners, USU women’s basketball is set to start another season. Summer went by fast for fifth-year Head Coach Raegan Pebley. Getting the team acclimated to what is expected in order to play Division-I basketball has been a major focus, she said. “What we’re seeing so far is that we’ve added athleticism and height to our team,” Pebley said. “The challenge now that we go into practice will be to see if they can make decisions at the pace that we’re looking to play at.” Media and coaches preseason polls ranked USU seventh in the Western Athletic Conference. The Aggies finished sixth out of nine last year and were picked to complete the year in last place. Concluding with a record of 11-18 on the season and 7-9 in the WAC, the Aggies are not focusing on the rankings for this season. Rather, their attention is on the improvements and strides made on the court, Pebley said. “(The preseason rankings don’t) go into any part of our planning, our practice, or how we would mentally go into a game,” Pebley said. “We feel we’ve got good players, and we feel we can compete with anyone in our league.” Among the three returning senior players is point guard Taylor Richards. Named WAC preseason second team, Richards averaged 11.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. Richards also holds the assists record at USU with 296. Richards has set her sight on working hard every day in the off-season, she said. Doing this, Richards said, helps her become a better player when the season rolls around. Confident the season will go well, Richards said she is interested to see how the team responds when it’s game time. “We definitely have a good bunch of girls, a lot of new assets and a lot of (returning players),” Richards said. “I think that this team is really going to come together when we need everything to happen.” Senior forwards Jenny Gross and Jamelah Brown will also be leading the team through the season. Gross set the bar for rebounding in 10 games and scoring in five last season, along with averaging nine points per game. “They’re great seniors,” Pebley said. “They’ve been a part of the program for a significant amount of time and have really invested a lot into the university and the community. I’m proud of them; they’ve prepared well.” The starting lineup for the Aggies is unknown for the time being. Only time and practice will tell which players will emerge ready to play during games, Pebley said. In the past, Pebley has looked to the bench to find some of her best players. She said starting is overrated. Pebley said she views this tactic as encouragement for the players to step up and work hard, knowing they’re being judged in every aspect of their playing. With so many good players, it’s hard to decide who will be playing a large amount of time in games, Pebley said. “They know they have to come in and compete,” Pebley said. “There’s not going to be a clear five players that are our best players. I think we have a lot of good players that can play.” Practice for the team began Oct. 13. One of the many elements put into making a successful practice is emphasis on being efficient with time, Pebley said. With 16 players, the task of giving everyone the knowledge of what they need to be doing can be daunting, she said. The Aggies’ first game, against the Utah Pride, occurs Oct. 31. With this in mind, the team will keep focus and stay healthy in their remaining week of practice, Pebley said. “I really do think that everyone in our conference is a team that we can beat,” she said. “But I also think every team in our conference thinks they can beat us. I, as a coach, think that’s a fun way to prepare, to know that every game is going to be a dog fight, and you have to really focus and prepare for every game.” – erin.wadsworth@aggiemail.usu.edu