CHARLOTTESVILLE — A lot of the names are the same, but the style may be a little different.
The Eastern Hancock girls basketball team returns five players that saw significant action on last year’s 13-11 club — the program’s eighth straight winning season — and another that appeared in over half the contests.
While the core group is back, a new style of play is in order.
Hoping to take advantage of their speed, and lack of size, Eastern Hancock plans to pick up the pace in 2019-20.
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“Our speed is our strength,” senior guard and last year’s leading scorer Jocelyn Duncan said. “We want to win the speed game, the aggressive game, the energy battle.”
Duncan, a 5-foot-6 guard, averaged a team-best 12.8 points per game a year ago. She also set a school mark for 3-pointers in a season with 61.
The team’s top three returning scorers are all guards. Junior Chloe O’Neal averaged 5.7 points and senior Aly Spaulding scored at a 4.4 clip. O’Neal had two double-figure scoring games. Spaulding scored in 23 of 24 contests. O’Neal (4.1 rpg) and Spaulding (3.5 rpg) are also the team’s top two returning rebounders.
“We plan to play a very fast, transition game this year,” Spaulding said. “A lot of us are in speed and agility training and we’re really working on our quickness skills and being in shape. I think that is going to make or break us this season, whether we’re in shape or not.
Spaulding added that the first week of practice was grueling with an emphasis on conditioning. “A lot of us are close to being in shape but we still have a ways to go,” she said.
Eastern Hancock graduated just two seniors, though both were integral parts of the team, in point guard Haley Best (8.9 points per game, 2.7 assists per game) and post Jenna Smith (8.3 ppg, 8.4 rebounds per game). Smith left as the program’s all-time leader in rebounds (604) and blocks (88). Best became the all-time leader in three-point field goals (188).
Senior forward Skyla Smith (2.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg) and sophomore guard Caroline Stapleton (2.3 points per game) also saw considerable action last year. Skyla Smith was one of five players, and three returnees, to play in all 24 games during the 2018-19 campaign. In her third high school game, Stapleton had 15 points in a win over Union.
Junior forward Delaney Collins played in 15 games last season and, along with freshman Alivia Coffin, is listed as the tallest Royal at 5-9.
One newcomer head coach Shari Doud sees as a key factor is freshman point guard Grace Stapleton. She’ll jump right in and be the team’s starter.
“We have five kids with experience coming back and Grace Stapleton is a freshman that will step in as a pure point guard,” Doud said. “She’s a good playmaker and sees north very well. She’s a great addition to our core group of five that comes back with a lot of experience.”
Doud has been a head coach for 16 seasons, including three at Eastern Hancock, compiling a 243-115 all-time record. The style of play is a little different for her, too. Other than a team she coached at Pendleton Heights, she has been more accustomed to a half-court offensive scheme.
“Size is not going to be our thing, but we feel we can counter with speed and athletic ability and grit,” Doud said. “We’re not going to be posting people up all game long. We’re going to hope to be on the move, a little more up tempo than normally my teams play.”
It’s going to be an adjustment, Doud said, of the style that she believes suits her team best. “They know our emphasis is speed, fast and get up and go, but they still need to work on recognizing when the speed is going to be countered and you have to be able to move the ball (in the half court).”
The Royals will be the first Hancock County team to take the court. The Royals open on the road tonight at Wes-Del. The home opener, and second game of the season, is scheduled for Nov. 15 against Centerville.
“I’m looking forward to watching them take the court,” Doud added. “I think they will be an entertaining team to watch.”
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Coach: Shari Doud
Last season: 13-11 (6-3 MEC), lost to Triton Central in sectional semifinal
Top returnees: Jocelyn Duncan, Aly Spaulding, Skyla Smith, seniors; Chloe O’Neal and Delaney Collins, juniors; Caroline Stapleton, sophomore.
Key newcomer: Grace Stapleton, freshman
What to expect: The Royals have a solid core group returning, led by last year’s leading scorer Duncan (12.8 points per game). Only point guard Haley Best (8.9 ppg, 2.7 apg) and post Jenna Smith (8.3 ppg, 8.4 rpg) were lost to graduation. Still, you can anticipate a different look, at least style-wise, from Doud’s Royals in the 2019-20 season. Lacking in size, Collins and frosh Alivia Coffin are listed as the tallest players at 5’9”, the veteran coach said her club will look to push the ball and rely more on team speed. It’s a different way to play for both the players, and coach, who has been more of a halfcourt-style coach in the past. There may be some growing pains early, but expect another strong year from a program that has eight-straight winning seasons.
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