In her first year at the helm of the University of Colorado women’s basketball team, head coach JR Payne has her work cut out for her.
Payne inherits a 2015-16 team that on the year was collectively outscored, out-shot and out-rebounded by opponents. And the list of shortcomings doesn’t end there.
“When people ask me how things are going my first response is it’s moving slowly, but in the right direction,” Payne said on Tuesday. “The hard thing about being a new coach is every single player on your team becomes a freshman again. Every drill that we’re putting in is brand new … it truly is like having 13 freshmen on your team.”
Payne did try to stay optimistic about the situation.
“But we’re working extremely hard, our team is buying into what we’re trying to do, and we are moving in the right direction. We still have a couple more weeks of practice, but we’re excited to get going for real here.”
As with the men’s team losing its top scorer and rebounder, the women’s squad have a similar hole to fill now that Jamee Swan has graduated. Swan averaged 13.5 points per game and seven rebounds per contest.
“Jamee is a big loss, I think she did more than people give her credit for just in opening things up, because she was so strong inside opening things up for the perimeter,” Payne said.
But Swan was the only significant player not to return to the team for this season. Sophomore guards Kennedy Leonard and Alexis Robinson, who were second and fourth last year in points per game, are back.
Both players had successful high school careers only to play as freshmen on a Buffs team that won seven out of 30 games while also remaining winless on the road.
“It’s frustrating not winning,” Leonard said. “I hate losing more than I like to win, so that’s been a tough transition. But I think that through it, I’ve learned that tough things make tough people. Good things take time.”
For Leonard, she was the team’s workhorse last season, averaging more minutes per game than anyone on the roster. She also led the team in shots attempted.
Robinson averaged 7.6 points per game for the Buffaloes last season, but was inconsistent; her .310 field goal percentage was lowest on the team.
“I definitely think [my shooting] has improved,” Robinson said. “[I’m trying] to get it more consistent and quicker so I can be able to shoot off a screen and in tough situations.”
Payne echoed the need for more effective team shooting.
“We’re working on footwork, the basics of pass-catch, hands and feet ready, hit people in their shooting pockets,” she said. “It really is just the basics for us, I think if we can conquer that, we’ll be able to take care of the ball better than we have and get high percentage shots.”
Along with Leonard and Robinson, the Buffaloes return two key seniors this season in guards Haley Smith and Lauren Huggins. Smith had the highest shooting and free throw conversion percentages on the team and Huggins served as the squad’s main threat from beyond the arch when she was healthy.
“I tell everybody I wish I had ten Haley Smiths,” Payne said. “She’s our kind of player, she’s very versatile, she can do a variety of different things, so I love that about her basketball. She’s also a kid that gives 100 percent effort in absolutely everything she does, which also fits our M.O. of playing tough and playing hard.”
Huggins has been injured and has not practiced very extensively during the preseason so far.
“She’s getting closer and closer to getting back to full strength,” Payne said. “She’s obviously a great shooter and has been her entire career, we’re going to ask her to do a little bit more this year.”
For Payne’s Buffaloes, the first stab at a successful restructure will come on Nov. 11, when the team heads to Greeley to play Northern Colorado in its season opener.
Contact CU Independent Head Sports Editor Justin Guerriero at justin.guerriero@colorado.edu and follow him on Twitter @TheHungry_Hippo
