LANDIS — South Rowan’s girls basketball team lost 39 games the past two seasons, but could be headed back to the heights.
One thing’s for sure, the girls on this team have heads that stand at a very serious height. If you want to measure this crowd, bring yardsticks, not rulers.
Coach James Greene, a football and basketball star back in his prep days in Montgomery County, is no small man, but more than half his Raiders can look him in the eye. Even Greene’s new assistant coach, 6-foot-3 Tracy Connor, one of the greats in county history in her days at South, doesn’t tower over her players.
At times this season, Greene will field a lineup with a pair of 5-10 guards and a front line full of 6-footers. And then he’ll sub and get even bigger.
Entering his sixth season, Greene has the the sort of you-can’t-teach-it size coaches dream about when their heads hit pillows. And it’s size that has Greene dreaming of a return to the sort of records South enjoyed during his first three seasons. From 1997-99, the Raiders were 58-22.
A high school team with college dimensions has advantages and disadvantages. The plus, obviously, is who on earth — outside of West Rowan’s boys, maybe — can outrebound these lady trees?
The potential pitfalls are those things tall folks don’t always do as well as little people. Can the Raiders defend out on the floor? Can they shoot? Most important, can they get the ball up the court?
Greene says amen to that rebounding thing. And he says he’s convinced South can answer those other questions to the affirmative.
“I feel as good as I’ve ever felt about a team,” said Greene. “They’re working one through 12 and they truly have a team concept. A huge part of that is having Tracy back here. The kids relate very well to her.”
South suffered a blow when 6-1 senior Brittney Gaddy tore an anterior cruciate ligament at summer camp. Gaddy has scored 886 points in her three-year varsity career and scored 20 or more 11 times last season. She also hits the boards.
Greene says Gaddy’s absence — at least until the Christmas Tournament — will be felt. But at the same time, if there’s ever been a team equipped to deal with the loss of a premier post player, this is the one.
Alexius Blackwood, 6-1, averaged 5 points and double-figure rebounds as a freshman.
Sade (pronounced Shod-ay) Jordan, another 6-1 soph, was impressive when she joined the varsity late last season. She had 19 points in a 4A Central Piedmont Conference Tournament game against strong Mount Tabor. Jordan got better this summer playing against big-time AAU competition.
More post help comes from 5-10 junior Asisha Littlejohn and lanky 6-0 soph Keosha Mack.
“We have some post kids that everybody doesn’t know their name yet,” said Greene. “But they run the floor very well. They’ve heard people say they can’t play man-to-man defense, but some of them most definitely can.”
Greene’s wings will be tall and talented, too. They include 5-10 junior Nicole Parker, 5-11 soph Paris Rucker, 5-7 junior Ashley Billings and 5-9 senior Erica Brown.
Parker’s a shooter, which will be important against the numerous zones South’s likely to see. She joined the varsity at Christmas last season and scored in double figures four times, including a 19-point outing against West Forsyth.
The athletic Rucker, the sister of talented Marcus Rucker, who made a splash for South’s boys last year, is going to be a key. Greene won’t spill the beans about her, but the size of his smile whenever her name comes up gives him away.
For all its talent, South’s still young, which makes the play of backcourt veterans Katie Willett, a 5-10 junior, and Mandy Yost, a 5-5 senior, critical to the team’s success.
Yost is a hustler who would chase a loose ball from China Grove to China. She’s also a 3-point threat.
Willett will be counted on as the floor leader. She’s done a little of everything the last two years, but Greene says this time her role is clearly defined.
“Katie understands the game of basketball,” said Greene. “We had to throw her into the fire the last two years and she got smacked to the floor a few times. But she always got back up.
“Now she’s my lead guard come heck or high water. She has to set the example for the team. Her role is to lead, and she’s leading well.”
With Blackwood, Jordan, Rucker, Parker and hopefully Gaddy on hand, Willett won’t be under pressure to break presses, run the offense and try to score, too. That peace of mind should help her come into her own. She’s a top athlete, surprisingly quick and agile for her height. She’s already proven she’s a creative passer and an excellent foul shooter.
Quick sophomore Ellen Russell (5-8) gives the Raiders another capable guard.
The talent pool’s deep enough that Greene should have his best team since 1999, when the Raiders went 22-5 and won the CPC title.
“If we take care of the basketball and believe in this team, we can be tough to deal with,” Greene said. “Our goal is the top two in our conference. We just have to keep it simple. Pass it, catch it, make foul shots. We do that, we’ll have a real nice time.”
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Contact Mike London at 704-797-4259 or mlondon@salisburypost.com
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