Husker Women Look to Next Year

[Mavric]

Four more seniors-to-be — Cady, Hailie Sample, Tear’a Laudermill and Brandi Jeffery — comprise the core of the 2014-15 squad. Junior-to-be Rachel Theriot is the point guard. Of that five, only Cady is a post defender. So her help must come from sophomore-to-be Allie Havers and two recruits with good size: forward Kaylee Page of Wamego, Kan., and post Darrien Washington of Oakland, Calif.

 

Havers’ development is worth watching. I suspect she’s better than the minutes she was given. She averaged 3.2 points and 2.6 rebounds in 10.5 minutes per game.

 

As a freshman in 2011-12, Cady played 30.1 minutes per game and averaged 9.9 points and 6.5 rebounds. Unpack Havers’ averages to 30.1 minutes, and you get 9.2 points and 7.5 rebounds. In the eight Big Ten games in which she played 10 minutes or more, she averaged 4.6 points and four rebounds in 13.8 minutes. Unpack that to the 31.8 minutes per Big Ten game Cady played in 2012, and Havers’ averages shoot up to 10.5 points and 9.1 rebounds.

 

Translation: Havers can put up good enough numbers to start and play significant minutes next year. That’s one post defender.

 

The 6-2 Washington, described as a “late-comer” to basketball, could nevertheless provide some helpful minutes in the post. Page, the five-star recruit, is versatile enough to play on the wing in Nebraska’s offense. But, again, she’ll probably pull some frontcourt duty on defense. Hooper’s departure leaves the Huskers younger in the paint, but four frontcourt defenders are better than three, even if two of them are freshmen.

 

Of course, NU can alleviate some of the frontcourt pressure if it can extend its defense with guard pressure, making entry passes harder. That’s how the Huskers have done it without dominant posts in the past.

OWH