UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- For the Penn State Lady Lions, Oct. 14 did not only mark the start of its official practices, but it also revitalized a squad that had been forced to train in separate groups up until this point.
"It definitely has picked up the intensity now that we're all allowed to be together and train together," sophomore Anna Camden said. "There's a lot more energy and juice. It's really just a great atmosphere with getting the entire time together, showcasing our talent and getting to know each other's games."
Prior to the team's return to normalcy, players were divided into small groups and restricted to training for a specific number of hours per week. Now, however, head coach Carolyn Kieger and her staff have complete authority to proceed with what their practices would typically consist of.
"We've been playing more five-on-five and more scrimmages," graduate transfer Kelly Jekot said. "All of the live play has certainly contributed to more intensity in practice, and it's been a lot of fun."
The NCAA Division I Council recently approved a Nov. 25 start date for the 2020-21 men's and women's basketball seasons. As each day passes by, the excitement levels in the gym only continue to elevate.
"The start day for the season is approaching, and there's a palpable energy in the gym right now," assistant coach Ginny Boggess said. "Having games to look forward to and having the momentum of all of the work that we've done up to this point is exciting."
So, without further ado, let's take a look at five things we learned from week one of official practices for Penn State women's basketball.
Defense is the Main Priority
For a team that allowed an average of 76.2 points per game last season, Kieger's staff has placed a firm emphasis on the defensive end of the court in practice thus far.
"We've really been spending a lot of time implementing our defensive principles," Boggess said.
The Lady Lions have been working relentlessly on both their individual and team defense, embracing the accountability of staying in front of their individual assignments, preventing dribble penetration, and making opposing offenses uncomfortable.
"We want to pressure the ball a lot and keep the ball out of the paint as much as possible," Camden said.
The old adage "defense wins championships" could not hold more true for this particular group of young players and coaches, who are focused on creating easy buckets off of turnovers and contested shots- and in turn, sparking a bounce-back year for the program from its 2019-20 output.
Kelly Jekot is a Certified Bucket
Jekot, an experienced transfer from Villanova who suffered an ACL injury, has yearned for the opportunity to step back onto the floor.
"I have not played a game in almost two years, so it's been extremely exciting," Jekot said.
So far Jekot has become quite acquainted with her new team, seizing her long-awaited chance to contribute.
"I never really got to see her play until we've been going live these past couple weeks and she's just very impressive," Camden said. "The hardest worker in the gym, a super-competitor, which is obviously amazing to play with."
In her last season with the Wildcats, 2018-2019, Jekot tailed 13.8 points per game and 4.6 rebounds per contest, while shooting just under 50% from the field, and 40.3% from beyond the arc. Those numbers would have have placed her second on the 19-20 Lady Lions in points per game and led the team in 3-point percentage.
As the Lady Lions look to make up for the losses of its two leading scorers from a year ago, Kamaria McDaniel (19.8 ppg) and Siyeh Frazier (13.4 ppg), Jekot's ability to put the ball in the basket will prove to be even more significant.
Jekot's game has expanded since her time in the Big East. The combination of her elite shooting and improved playmaking will not only make her a lethal scorer, but will also create more spacing, and therefore more opportunities, for her teammates.
"We knew [Kelly] was a scorer when we recruited her, but she has really developed her versatility," Boggess said. "Her mid-range looks fantastic, her handle is on point, and she's able to make passes and do things with the basketball that she wasn't able to do when she first got here."
"[Kelly's] someone that I cannot wait to get on the floor with her when the season starts," Camden added.
Coach Kieger Wants to Play with Pace
As mentioned, the team has harped on imposing its will on the opposition defensively. In doing so, the Lady Lions will prospectively force turnovers and sprint out into transition, looking to convert easy buckets and speed up the pace of the game.
"We're a very fast team so we're going to want to push the pace and score within the first 15 seconds of the shot clock if we can," Camden said.
"We've been working hard since early on, even without the full team, on just passing the basketball and running hard," Boggess added. "You can't play fast if you don't sprint your lanes, so we're putting all of that into play now that we're going live."
Through just over one week, the team has participated in a plethora of drills that simulate prototypical fastbreak situations. From outlet passing, to filling lanes and attacking the rim, Kieger is stressing the importance of forcing opposing teams to play at their pace.
"Coach Kieger is an exceptional teacher and makes the game seem really simple, so she's been breaking that down and that will allow us to play faster," Boggess said.
The Freshmen Class is Talented
This year's squad consists of eight freshmen guards who will all be competing for playing time. Thus far, in terms of personnel management, the first-year players have not made it easy on Kieger's staff.
"The freshmen are really talented," Boggess said. "It's kind of that puzzle for us as a staff of teaching and drilling, but also making sure that they're not overthinking the game and that they're just playing ball."
The transition from high school to Division I college basketball is certainly difficult, let alone the fact that an irregular year has forced teams across the country to adjust on the fly. Factor in how the Lady Lions only have three returning players that saw court time a season ago, and it's easy to see how the freshmen have been dealt a challenging adjustment.
"Obviously, the jump from high school to college is massive, and there's only so much you can do to prepare for that," Camden said. "I've been really impressed so far with their commitment to the team and ability to pick up concepts and the pace of the game as quickly as possible."
"I know that when I was an underclassman, I had a lot of upperclassmen to look up to, and there's only a few on this team, so they have to rely on each other," Jekot said. "And I think they've done a really good job sticking together and working towards common goals that this team has set up for them."
The Lady Lions have Strong Team Chemistry
Throughout weeks upon weeks in quarantine, the Lady Lions tapped into each other's minds and really got to know each other.
As a result, relationships that were built in the midst of a global pandemic have translated onto the court, and figure to serve as one of the team's biggest strengths this season.
"Because of COVID-19, we've had a lot of time to get to know each other off the court, and I think that's helping us on the court," Jekot said. "The vibes are really good, we're building those connections day-by-day, and we're getting better."
With many moving parts and new pieces, a strong foundation of close relationships will ultimately prove to be the Lady Lions' biggest weapon this season, regardless of X's and O's,
"This team loves each other and they're very close," Boggess said. "They're a really fun group, but they're also talented, now we just have to break down all of those little details and buy into the discipline that's going to take us from a good team to a great team."
