2007-08 Women's Basketball Season Outlook

Scots Look to Continue to Improve, Despite Inexperience

Sophomore Kym Wenz looks to build off her 2006-07 NCAC Newcomer of the Year honor and lead the Scots this season.

After a promising 2006-07 season which saw The College of Wooster women’s basketball team compile its first winning campaign since 1992-93 with a 14-12 record and finish in a tie for fifth-place in North Coast Athletic Conference action (9-7), the Fighting Scots must rebuild due to losses from graduation as they look toward maintaining their status as a winning program. Attempting to reach that goal will be eight returning letterwinners and a three-member first-year class.

While Wooster is inexperienced overall, 11th-year head coach Lisa Campanell Komara can build around one of the best guards in the conference, sophomore Kym Wenz, the 2006-07 NCAC Newcomer of the Year. Aside from Wenz, who also received honorable mention on the all-NCAC Team, Campanell Komara is looking for steady contributions from the surrounding talent.

“Our consistency, especially from our younger players, is one of the factors for us to have a successful season,” she stated. “Everyone needs to step up and help lead the team on a regular basis, as we look to have a balanced scoring attack.”

Wenz finished seventh in the conference scoring race (11.8 ppg), including 33 three-pointers, while also contributing 4.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.7 steals for the Scots as a freshman. Wooster, which lost two-time first-team all-NCAC selection Carly Loehrke in the post along with three other starters, will look to push the tempo on the floor via a perimeter-oriented lineup in place this winter. Wenz will be flanked in the backcourt by junior Meredith Wilson, coming off a season in which she produced 2.9 points and shot .408 (11-of-28) from 3-point range, and sophomores Colleen Goodwillie and Priscilla Staples, the latter of which earned valuable playing time during stints last year.

Additionally, senior guard/forward Jennifer Copeland and sophomore Kelly Aughenbaugh, who saw time on the junior varsity squad, could give Wooster a boost on the perimeter.

Loehrke, who finished her career as the team’s second-leading scorer (1,338 points) and No. 3 rebounder (805), will certainly be missed, but a renewed focus on pushing the pace and sophomore Kaitlin Krister establishing her presence in the post should lessen that loss. Krister averaged 2.8 points and 2.8 boards during her initial season, while exhibiting the potential to be a top-tier starter at times. Copeland, Wenz, Wilson, sophomore forward Becca Hartsock, and a newcomer possess the size to help out defensively and with rebounding underneath.

Overall, Wenz, Krister, and Staples are expected to be the leaders of this roster, one of the youngest Campanell Komara has ever brought to the hardwood. She believes, though, the Scots have the potential for a breakout year, possibly even being in contention for the NCAC championship at the end of the season, through tireless effort and team growth.

“One thing we will strive for as a team is believing in ourselves and our ability to beat anyone out there,“ commented Campanell Komara. “Last year, we were competitive and beat some pretty good teams. If we can knock off some strong teams early on in the season, both in and out of the tough NCAC, we can learn and build off those successes.”

Wooster faces a variety of non-league opponents to prepare itself for NCAC action, with regional squads from the states of Indiana, Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania, all of which Campanell Komara believes will challenge her team and make them better for the competitive conference schedule.

The following is a more in-depth look at the 2007-08 Scots:

BACKCOURT

It appears that Wooster will be relying heavily on its guard play this season, led by Wenz. One of the most versatile players on the team, Wenz averaged nearly 30 minutes a game (29.9) last season and ranked second on the Scots in scoring, third in rebounding, and third in steals (44). She paced the team in scoring in 11 of 26 games, making approximately one-third of her 3-point attempts (33-for-102) and 75.5 percent from the free throw line (77-for-102), good for fifth-highest in the NCAC. An intense player, Wenz is considered one of the squad’s top defenders as well.

The others with significant playing experience are Copeland, Wilson, and Staples. Copeland, a leader on and off the floor, according to Campanell Komara, is the team’s lone four-year player this year and possesses 36 career games played. Wilson, potentially explosive on the offensive end, is expected to improve on her 3.6 career scoring average, as she has really gelled into a more complete player, according to the coaching staff. A 3-point threat, Wilson is one of the leading candidates to start at the shooting guard or small forward position, while Staples, who steadily ascended into the role as the team’s No. 2 point guard last year, could be a starter, too. She is hoping to build on her averages of 1.3 points, 0.8 assists, and 0.5 steals during 11.3 minutes as a freshman. 

Goodwillie and Aughenbaugh, who also is a contributing member of Wooster’s track & field team, give Campanell Komara two more veteran options in the backcourt. They gained most of their experience on the junior varsity level last year, but each did appear in two varsity games as well. Goodwillie is yet another 3-point threat for the Scots, in addition to possessing a pull-up shot, which will be effective in the quick offense, while Aughenbaugh’s scrappiness and speed make her a contributor on both ends of the floor.

There are two first-year guards joining the program – Taylor Keegan and Meghan Maines – who possesses the ability to push for immediate playing time during 2007-08. Keegan is an outstanding ball handler, along with a long-range ball, according to the coaching staff, and Maines is a quick-footed slasher who can also play the point.

FRONTCOURT

Wooster has less depth, but a more mobile frontcourt in place for this season, with Krister likely to get one of the starting nods. She started twice and appeared in all but one game last winter, as the six-footer totaled 69 points on a .419 field-goal percentage and .810 free throw percentage, as well as 71 rebounds, and 12 blocked shots, while logging 11.1 minutes of court time per game.  

Another option is Hartsock, who is a co-captain along with Copeland. Hartsock plays bigger than her 5-7 size, utilizing her defensive intensity to be a force in the post. She played in 11 varsity games as a freshman.