The scoring might come from just about anywhere for the State Fair Lady Roadrunners this season.
The 2014-15 squad got a lot of its scoring from Alecia Cooley, Zhanesha Dickerson and Erin Boothe. This year the team hopes to get everybody involved.
“As far as scoring, everybody on the team can score,” Dickerson said.
SFCC coach Kevin Bucher said the team has plenty of prolific shooters, including Dickerson, who has been shooting the ball well lately. He expects there are five or six players who could have high scoring averages this year, with several in the 20s and a few more in the 12-15 points per game range.
“At times they can hit in bunches,” he said. “I just think this year we’re going to be a much better team depth-wise. We brought the sophomore transfers in for leadership and then that freshman bunch will give us a lot as well.”
The Lady Roadrunners have three players returning — Sierra Clayborn, Seara Clayborn and Dickerson — but also brought in several sophomore transfers to complement the group of eight freshmen.
In the low post, State Fair lost Alecia Cooley to graduation and to the Arkansas Razorbacks but bring in a pair of solid players — Kendra Boone and Kiante Johnson. Boone played for one of the top high school teams in the country at Ridgeway in Memphis, Tennessee. Johnson was the top-rated player in New Jersey after averaging 20 points and 17 rebounds per game at Lincoln High School in Jersey City.
“Our post is going to be fine,” Bucher said. “We can put Zhanesha down low. We have Amber Braxton who’s transferred in from a junior college in Louisiana. We’re still going to run a four-out and post in. I can rotate so many people in the spots that we don’t lose a beat.”
With that depth, the Lady Roadrunners can push the tempo more this season.
“We have some really good players who can attack the glass off the bounce,” Bucher said. “Our speed, that first step is very quick and then if they collapse, we’re able to shoot threes and we have those outside shooters as well.”
Ecenur Yurdakul, a transfer from Towson State, will handle point guard duties.
“She’s going to be there with that experience right off the bat,” Bucher said. “She’s done a good job.”
Dickerson said she’s seen a lot of potential from the freshmen in the team’s jamborees.
“Everybody came in wanting to play, wanting to be a Roadrunner, become part of a team,” she said. “I think we have a chance because this year everybody is wanting it more.”
One of those freshmen is Danae’ Cole, a 5-9 guard from Logan-Rogersville. She said the team is getting used to each other.
“We’re very easily catching on to everybody’s role on the team and what their strengths are and how to make them better when we’re guarding them and when they’re guarding us,” Cole said.
The Lady Roadrunners’ defensive style is nothing new to the new players. All come from teams that press and trap on defense, something Bucher looks for in recruiting.
“That way, when they step in, they’re used to trapping, they’re used to pressing, they’re used to the full-court game that we play,” he said. “It’s one of those things that, just effort and speed that we have, we’re going to be in ballgames.”
State Fair will open the season with the McDonalds Classic. The Lady Roadrunners will face Kirkwood at 5:30 p.m. Friday and Carl Albert at 5:30 p.m. Saturday.