The Iowa City West girls basketball team brings back nine seniors and playoff experience as they look to improve on their 16-6 record from a year ago.
Head Coach B.J. Mayer hopes that experiencing the playoffs will be a motivating factor for this year’s team and that they play with a “chip on their shoulder,” so this could be the year that West High girls basketball makes their first state tournament berth.
Mayer admitted that the offense could suffer after losing their top two scorers from last season, in Emma Krieger Kittle and Madison Sadecky, but he thinks that seniors Mackenzie Reed, Kristin Fomon and Courtney Fritz can replace last season’s scoring leaders.
Mayer also said that he plans to implement a new, up-tempo offense, with an emphasis on the three-point shot. That new offense should help to make up for losing last year’s top scorers as well as the lack of size on this year’s team. Mayer said Fomon will be a key component to this year’s offense, as the team’s best three-point shooter.
Mayer’s biggest concern is defending in the low post. He hopes to use a platoon of about ten players this season, running kids in and out to wear his opponents down and create “chaos” on defense. Mayer expects sophomore Tatum Klein, after playing varsity as a freshman, to lead his defense this season. Mayer is also excited about the rest of his sophomore group, as they should see a lot of varsity action this season.
West begins their season November 24, at Fairfield. Their first home game is against North Scott on November 28, before they begin their conference schedule, a conference that Mayer believes is the best in the state. December 18 highlights the conference schedule because West hosts in-town rival City High, a team that returns everyone from last season and is traditionally one of the most intense games of the year.
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