PU hoops has new look as it seeks fifth straight Ivy title
By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
When the Princeton University women’s basketball team tips off the season 2 p.m. at Rutgers on Sunday, Kristen Helmstetter will be the only Tigers player back from the group that started last year against Rutgers.
Around the versatile senior will be four new starters, though even 10 days out, Princeton head coach Courtney Banghart wasn’t sure who would fill out the spots.
”Every day we get a little bit different and a little bit better,” Banghart said. “I think Rutgers is a great test, and it’s on the road, which is also difficult given that we have so much inexperience.”
The Tigers may not have starting experience, but with so many lopsided wins last year, plenty of players saw action. And with Princeton returning some key players from injury, they look better and better on paper.
”This is an exciting group,” Banghart said. “I think a lot of people won’t recognize some of the people that are going to be really important to us.”
Nicole Hung is working her way back to full strength after knee surgery that cost her 23 games last year after she opened the year as a starter. Juniors Alex Rodger and Jess Shivers are both back from injury and could contribute, and a fleet of sophomores are a year improved, while three freshmen are looking to make an immediate impact.
”We have a long way to go, but I think we have the potential to be pretty darn good,” Banghart said. “Maybe it’s because we can score. It’s fun.”
The Tigers are looking for their fifth straight Ivy League championship. Gone are two-time Ivy League Player of the Year Niveen Rasheed, Meg Bowen, Kate Miller and Lauren Polansky, but they were picked in the preseason media poll to repeat, even with all the changes to their lineup.
”The culture of the program won that vote,” Banghart said. “There’s enough people that saw our second five last year would have won the league. If we hadn’t been picked, I would have thought that’s an insult to these kids and what they do.”
Helmstetter figures to be joined in the starting lineup by Blake Dietrick, the junior who will take the point guard spot from Polansky and bring a lot more scoring, though not as many defensive steals, as did Polansky. Long, slashing freshman Vanessa Smith started at the wing in one of Princeton’s scrimmages, and the sophomore class has players that will contribute.
”I think the sophomore class that were freshmen last year, they all came back better, stronger, physically different, they’re more confident, they understand the rigors of our season,” Banghart said. “They’re more skilled. They are noticeably better.”
Jackie Reyneke is another New Jersey product out of Northern Highlands Regional High and along with 5-foot-8 Taylor Brown complete a strong freshman class.
”We just do what we do here,” Banghart said. “We reload. We have three players that are exactly what you want.”
The Tigers just have to get their new contributors up to speed and accustomed to playing regular, meaningful minutes at intensity they demand. That was easier in past years with so many familiar faces in the lineup.
”When you bring everyone back year after year, you’re ready before everyone else,” Banghart said. “I don’t know if we’ll be ready.”
Princeton will play seven of its first nine non-conference games on the road. The non-conference schedule is a minefield of tough games.
”No one else will play us except the top 30,” Banghart said. “I think the non-conference schedule is by far the hardest it’s been top to bottom since I got here. We have the NIT champion, we have a lot of postseason teams. The non-conference teams are no joke, and a lot of them are on the road so that will take leadership from me and from the upperclassmen to make sure we know we’re not based on a win or loss, we’re based on a process.
”We might have more losses than we’ve had going into the Ivy League season. These guys would rather be in a close game than win by 30. I think the non-conference is really important because it will force us to adjust to our holes quickly.”
The goals and resolve are the same for this group, Banghart said. With some inexperience will come some inconsistency, but she has liked what she has seen in the growth of this year’s squad.
”We just have to build the right base and build the right blocks defensively on the glass, the toughness points,” Banghart said. “If this team gains toughness on a daily basis, I like where we’ll be at the end of the year.”