Ladyjacks Set For Success in Third Season Under Coach Kellogg
11/7/2017 12:56:00 PM | Women's Basketball
SFA picked to finish third in Southland Conference Preseason Poll
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Stephen F. Austin women's basketball team looks to build on last season's successful 25-win campaign during 2017-18, in what will be head coach Mark Kellogg's third season at the helm. Three starters headline a group of seven returners from last year's team, including 2016-17 All-Conference Selection Stevi Parker.
Kellogg has a track record of success, no matter the level of competition, and his first two seasons in Nacogdoches have seen the 'Jacks compile 43 wins, reach the 2017 Southland Conference title game and become one of just eight NCAA Division I programs to eclipse 1,000 wins. With 250 wins to his name before coming to SFA, Kellogg enters the season just seven wins away from 300 career victories, a mark that by all appearances should be reached quickly this season.
After posting the second highest scoring average in the Southland Conference at 73.2 points per game, the Ladyjacks will look to replicate those numbers without the services of the departed Taylor Ross, who led the team with 19.2 points per game last season and was named the 2016-17 Southland Conference Player of the Year. Kellogg hopes that a more balanced scoring approach will help to make up the lost scoring of Ross and a few other departures, and will count on a group of players to increase their scoring efforts this season.
"Really this time of year I don't really try to necessarily dictate who that might be", explains SFA head coach Mark Kellogg. "I kind of want them to feel it out, let us feel them out, and let those roles establish themselves rather than me establish the role for them. I've said this all along – everyone asks about Taylor Ross in particular – you just don't replace the kid. She's a talent, a player of the year type player, and we don't have a Taylor Ross here. She scored 18 or 19 points a game. Through other people we will find a way to score those 19 points."
The top returner scorer for the Ladyjacks is Parker, who tallied 11.2 points last season to finish third behind Ross and guard Brentney Branch (14.3). Riley Harvey (6.5), Kennedy Harris (5.6), Chanell Hayes (5.2) and Taylor Jackson (4.7) all make up a group that ended up in the middle of the team in scoring and will each be looked to for a higher scoring output.
"All of those kids that are returning are all four or five point per game kids that we would like to see two or three of them figure out how to get into the range from eight to 12", Kellogg added. "If we can do that we've made up the Ross points, the Branch points and we've probably got it even a little bit more."
Returning several players with starting experience to the fold is a good indicator for SFA's success this season. Parker and Harris each started all 33 games last season, while Jackson and guard Lovisa Brunneberg started ten and eight games, respectively, and have the experience to start if called upon this season. Despite that, the team's starting five is not set and is liable to change as the season progresses, or until players set themselves apart and earn a starting role.
"Taylor Jackson as a sophomore at the junior college became an All-American and just completely took off, so the goal is that she does that again now as a senior. Lovisa is gaining confidence. She had an unbelievably good summer so I expect her to be a much different player, Kennedy has improved as well. And Chanell (Hayes) hasn't started games but she's made some big shots in some games too, and we'll look for more of the same from her."
With only 12 players on the roster, five of which are newcomers and four of which are freshman, there is some uncertainty as to what the Ladyjack's identity will be in their rotations, and how well they can utilize their reserves to help the team win.
"We're going to have 10 or 12 kids that can all play and contribute and we're going to have a fairly deep rotation, especially early until we figure out who really does solidify those roles", added Kellogg. They all score it in different ways and it's going to about defensively which groups defend best and who plays better together."
A consistent starting lineup was one thing working in SFA's favor last season, and one several contributing factors to a 14-game winning streak the Ladyjacks strung together from November to January. That streak elevated SFA from 1-2 on the season to 15-2, and required strong team play and maybe even a little luck to keep going.
"It's very hard to do something like that", Kellogg added. "That's the first time we've done it since I think 2001 or 2002, so that lets you know that it's not easy to win 14 games in a row. Probably some sort of luck plays in to that as well but we also played in and won the close games. We made the big plays during that stretch and that builds confidence, and when the players start to believe, the buy in from the team is just a little bit better."
Winning teams normally have a good balance between generating a healthy amount of looks on offense while also maintaining a respectable field goal percentage. Selecting –and making—high percentage looks was an area in which the 'Jacks excelled at last season, ranking second in the Southland and 38th in the nation with a 44.1 percent shooting percentage. In trying to maintain the level of offense the 'Jacks posted last season, emphasis on shot quality over quantity is a balance the team will always have to work on.
"I'm a shot selection guy so I like to see the 44, 45, and 46 or higher field goal percentage", Kellogg said. "We have to find ways to score easily in transition. We talk about paint touches and we're always working through the paint whether it's post-up or off the dribble, it can be anything off a pass or a cut. We have got to get paint touches and that's what usually leads to good shots. Our teams have traditionally shot the ball very well and at a really high percentage, and I could see us doing that again. Overall, I'm excited to see what we can do offensively, because I think we could be pretty explosive."
Establishing a presence in the paint on the offensive end will be a major factor for the Ladyjacks this season, as they look to score more points in the paint and at the rim. Without an offensive presence in the paint last season, SFA received the bulk of its scoring in the paint from penetration via Ross and the other guards. With improved size down low and dedicated post players with polished offensive skillsets, Kellogg feels he has the tools to reverse that trend in 2017-18.
"Aaliyah and Imani Johnson will both spend time down there in the paint, as will Riley Harvey, Kia Fisker and even some of our bigger guards", Kellogg explains. "We feel like we have a couple kids that can go in there with their backs to the basket that can get you points if you get the ball in to them and let them go to work. Where last year we relied on Ross to get to the rim a lot of times, this year we will pass the ball in, seal and go get a layup."
SFA doesn't plan to rely solely on play in the post on offense this season, however. A major shift on offense for the Ladyjacks will be the ability to space the floor with shooters at all five positions, something that they hadn't had in years past. Being able to pull opposing "bigs" out of the paint and out to the perimeter will allow the Ladyjacks more flexibility on offense, and allow the offense to naturally create mismatches down low and outside.
"Being able to space the floor with shooters should open things up offensively", Kellogg adds. "I think we are an unbelievable passing team, and I would like to see that trend continue to improve. I think we are unselfish and we just need to work on that skill set just to be a better passing team, because we will create mismatches on offense."
Possessing the athletes and skill sets that lend themselves well to transition play, the Ladyjacks will look to play the game with pace and turn their opponents over. The team ranked fifth in steals in the Southland last season, and will look to generate offensive scoring chances with quick hands and solid defense to generate turnovers.
"The preferred method is to play with pace", Kellogg remarked. "You know traditionally we are going to pressure, we're going to play man defense, we're going to play zone, I don't see that changing a ton. On offense, we will never just walk it up the court and slow it down. We don't have that type of group. We are going to shoot it, we are going to look to take great shots, we will look to turn people over and we want to play fast."
With a group of four freshman on the team out of a total of just twelve players, it seems likely that the quartet will have chances to carve out a substantial role on the court this season. A trio of guards in Alyssa Mayfield, Marissa Banfield and Brioenne Burns, along with center Aaliyah Johnson, represent a group of newcomers that Kellogg is excited about.
"Marissa Banfield is going to play because she is our backup point guard", Kellogg detailed. "She is an unbelievable three point shooter, she can just flat out play, she gets it, great passer, really good three point shooter, she has some midrange to her game. Alyssa Mayfield has impressed us a ton early, but here there are going to be fewer amounts of shots so she is going to have to work on the quality of the shot. She is a kid that will get to the free throw line a ton and attack the basket. Her three-point shot is good enough to keep the defense honest, and she can end up being a really good defender as well. Brioenne Burns has been nicked up and has missed some play, but she's a left-handed kid we are really excited about. She has some length, is a really good three-point shooter and can also be a good defender as well. Then Aaliyah is a really skilled kid in the half court, great hands, good feet, good finisher, can face up and shoot it. She has range out to 18 feet and will even make some threes as well. She has tremendous basketball IQ and will continue to come along and improve for us."
Opening the season at Big 12 foe Kansas State isn't an easy spot to be in, as the Wildcats have qualified for the NCAA tournament in back-to-back seasons. The Wildcats also boast 10 players that are 6'0" or taller, which will pose a unique problem for the Ladyjacks, as Kansas State will boast the most size of any school on the schedule.
"Kansas State is going to be a tough test right off the bat", explains Kellogg. "They're a well run and coached program, they've made it two the NCAA Tournament two seasons in a row and I have a lot of respect for them. They will just challenge us in a different way. We haven't played a team that's going to be a long as them, they are going to be 6'7, 6'4, 6'3 on that back line. We will never play anyone the rest of the year with that length."
The season opener will feature two historic women's basketball programs, as Stephen F. Austin is one of eight institutions with 1,000 plus wins in program history, and Kansas State is one of a handful of schools quickly approaching that plateau, with 914 wins and counting.
The remainder of the non-conference slate features several notable matchups, with the Ladyjacks home opener against Coppin State on November 14th, followed by a home tilt against Howard Payne on the 18th. Two games in as many days against Alabama State and Alcorn State will await the Ladyjacks at the Southern Miss Tournament on November 24-25th, followed by a return to William R. Johnson Coliseum on November 28th against Central Baptist College.
SFA will open December with a grueling stretch against three solid programs in South Dakota at home on December 2, followed by a long road trip up to Montana and Montana State on December 7 and 9, respectively. The 'Jacks will then close out the non-conference schedule with a pair of home matchups against Division II Texas A & M Commerce on December 19, and Central Christian College as a final tune-up before the conference opener against Southeastern Louisiana on December 28.
In the Southland Conference Coaches Preseason Poll released on October 16, the Ladyjacks were selected to finish third overall, receiving a total of 244 votes to finish behind Lamar (279, 18 first-place votes) and Central Arkansas (260, six first-place votes). Parker was named to the Preseason All-Conference Second Team after finishing last season as an All-Conference Third Team choice.
-SFA-
Kellogg has a track record of success, no matter the level of competition, and his first two seasons in Nacogdoches have seen the 'Jacks compile 43 wins, reach the 2017 Southland Conference title game and become one of just eight NCAA Division I programs to eclipse 1,000 wins. With 250 wins to his name before coming to SFA, Kellogg enters the season just seven wins away from 300 career victories, a mark that by all appearances should be reached quickly this season.
After posting the second highest scoring average in the Southland Conference at 73.2 points per game, the Ladyjacks will look to replicate those numbers without the services of the departed Taylor Ross, who led the team with 19.2 points per game last season and was named the 2016-17 Southland Conference Player of the Year. Kellogg hopes that a more balanced scoring approach will help to make up the lost scoring of Ross and a few other departures, and will count on a group of players to increase their scoring efforts this season.
"Really this time of year I don't really try to necessarily dictate who that might be", explains SFA head coach Mark Kellogg. "I kind of want them to feel it out, let us feel them out, and let those roles establish themselves rather than me establish the role for them. I've said this all along – everyone asks about Taylor Ross in particular – you just don't replace the kid. She's a talent, a player of the year type player, and we don't have a Taylor Ross here. She scored 18 or 19 points a game. Through other people we will find a way to score those 19 points."
The top returner scorer for the Ladyjacks is Parker, who tallied 11.2 points last season to finish third behind Ross and guard Brentney Branch (14.3). Riley Harvey (6.5), Kennedy Harris (5.6), Chanell Hayes (5.2) and Taylor Jackson (4.7) all make up a group that ended up in the middle of the team in scoring and will each be looked to for a higher scoring output.
"All of those kids that are returning are all four or five point per game kids that we would like to see two or three of them figure out how to get into the range from eight to 12", Kellogg added. "If we can do that we've made up the Ross points, the Branch points and we've probably got it even a little bit more."
Returning several players with starting experience to the fold is a good indicator for SFA's success this season. Parker and Harris each started all 33 games last season, while Jackson and guard Lovisa Brunneberg started ten and eight games, respectively, and have the experience to start if called upon this season. Despite that, the team's starting five is not set and is liable to change as the season progresses, or until players set themselves apart and earn a starting role.
"Taylor Jackson as a sophomore at the junior college became an All-American and just completely took off, so the goal is that she does that again now as a senior. Lovisa is gaining confidence. She had an unbelievably good summer so I expect her to be a much different player, Kennedy has improved as well. And Chanell (Hayes) hasn't started games but she's made some big shots in some games too, and we'll look for more of the same from her."
With only 12 players on the roster, five of which are newcomers and four of which are freshman, there is some uncertainty as to what the Ladyjack's identity will be in their rotations, and how well they can utilize their reserves to help the team win.
"We're going to have 10 or 12 kids that can all play and contribute and we're going to have a fairly deep rotation, especially early until we figure out who really does solidify those roles", added Kellogg. They all score it in different ways and it's going to about defensively which groups defend best and who plays better together."
A consistent starting lineup was one thing working in SFA's favor last season, and one several contributing factors to a 14-game winning streak the Ladyjacks strung together from November to January. That streak elevated SFA from 1-2 on the season to 15-2, and required strong team play and maybe even a little luck to keep going.
"It's very hard to do something like that", Kellogg added. "That's the first time we've done it since I think 2001 or 2002, so that lets you know that it's not easy to win 14 games in a row. Probably some sort of luck plays in to that as well but we also played in and won the close games. We made the big plays during that stretch and that builds confidence, and when the players start to believe, the buy in from the team is just a little bit better."
Winning teams normally have a good balance between generating a healthy amount of looks on offense while also maintaining a respectable field goal percentage. Selecting –and making—high percentage looks was an area in which the 'Jacks excelled at last season, ranking second in the Southland and 38th in the nation with a 44.1 percent shooting percentage. In trying to maintain the level of offense the 'Jacks posted last season, emphasis on shot quality over quantity is a balance the team will always have to work on.
"I'm a shot selection guy so I like to see the 44, 45, and 46 or higher field goal percentage", Kellogg said. "We have to find ways to score easily in transition. We talk about paint touches and we're always working through the paint whether it's post-up or off the dribble, it can be anything off a pass or a cut. We have got to get paint touches and that's what usually leads to good shots. Our teams have traditionally shot the ball very well and at a really high percentage, and I could see us doing that again. Overall, I'm excited to see what we can do offensively, because I think we could be pretty explosive."
Establishing a presence in the paint on the offensive end will be a major factor for the Ladyjacks this season, as they look to score more points in the paint and at the rim. Without an offensive presence in the paint last season, SFA received the bulk of its scoring in the paint from penetration via Ross and the other guards. With improved size down low and dedicated post players with polished offensive skillsets, Kellogg feels he has the tools to reverse that trend in 2017-18.
"Aaliyah and Imani Johnson will both spend time down there in the paint, as will Riley Harvey, Kia Fisker and even some of our bigger guards", Kellogg explains. "We feel like we have a couple kids that can go in there with their backs to the basket that can get you points if you get the ball in to them and let them go to work. Where last year we relied on Ross to get to the rim a lot of times, this year we will pass the ball in, seal and go get a layup."
SFA doesn't plan to rely solely on play in the post on offense this season, however. A major shift on offense for the Ladyjacks will be the ability to space the floor with shooters at all five positions, something that they hadn't had in years past. Being able to pull opposing "bigs" out of the paint and out to the perimeter will allow the Ladyjacks more flexibility on offense, and allow the offense to naturally create mismatches down low and outside.
"Being able to space the floor with shooters should open things up offensively", Kellogg adds. "I think we are an unbelievable passing team, and I would like to see that trend continue to improve. I think we are unselfish and we just need to work on that skill set just to be a better passing team, because we will create mismatches on offense."
Possessing the athletes and skill sets that lend themselves well to transition play, the Ladyjacks will look to play the game with pace and turn their opponents over. The team ranked fifth in steals in the Southland last season, and will look to generate offensive scoring chances with quick hands and solid defense to generate turnovers.
"The preferred method is to play with pace", Kellogg remarked. "You know traditionally we are going to pressure, we're going to play man defense, we're going to play zone, I don't see that changing a ton. On offense, we will never just walk it up the court and slow it down. We don't have that type of group. We are going to shoot it, we are going to look to take great shots, we will look to turn people over and we want to play fast."
With a group of four freshman on the team out of a total of just twelve players, it seems likely that the quartet will have chances to carve out a substantial role on the court this season. A trio of guards in Alyssa Mayfield, Marissa Banfield and Brioenne Burns, along with center Aaliyah Johnson, represent a group of newcomers that Kellogg is excited about.
"Marissa Banfield is going to play because she is our backup point guard", Kellogg detailed. "She is an unbelievable three point shooter, she can just flat out play, she gets it, great passer, really good three point shooter, she has some midrange to her game. Alyssa Mayfield has impressed us a ton early, but here there are going to be fewer amounts of shots so she is going to have to work on the quality of the shot. She is a kid that will get to the free throw line a ton and attack the basket. Her three-point shot is good enough to keep the defense honest, and she can end up being a really good defender as well. Brioenne Burns has been nicked up and has missed some play, but she's a left-handed kid we are really excited about. She has some length, is a really good three-point shooter and can also be a good defender as well. Then Aaliyah is a really skilled kid in the half court, great hands, good feet, good finisher, can face up and shoot it. She has range out to 18 feet and will even make some threes as well. She has tremendous basketball IQ and will continue to come along and improve for us."
Opening the season at Big 12 foe Kansas State isn't an easy spot to be in, as the Wildcats have qualified for the NCAA tournament in back-to-back seasons. The Wildcats also boast 10 players that are 6'0" or taller, which will pose a unique problem for the Ladyjacks, as Kansas State will boast the most size of any school on the schedule.
"Kansas State is going to be a tough test right off the bat", explains Kellogg. "They're a well run and coached program, they've made it two the NCAA Tournament two seasons in a row and I have a lot of respect for them. They will just challenge us in a different way. We haven't played a team that's going to be a long as them, they are going to be 6'7, 6'4, 6'3 on that back line. We will never play anyone the rest of the year with that length."
The season opener will feature two historic women's basketball programs, as Stephen F. Austin is one of eight institutions with 1,000 plus wins in program history, and Kansas State is one of a handful of schools quickly approaching that plateau, with 914 wins and counting.
The remainder of the non-conference slate features several notable matchups, with the Ladyjacks home opener against Coppin State on November 14th, followed by a home tilt against Howard Payne on the 18th. Two games in as many days against Alabama State and Alcorn State will await the Ladyjacks at the Southern Miss Tournament on November 24-25th, followed by a return to William R. Johnson Coliseum on November 28th against Central Baptist College.
SFA will open December with a grueling stretch against three solid programs in South Dakota at home on December 2, followed by a long road trip up to Montana and Montana State on December 7 and 9, respectively. The 'Jacks will then close out the non-conference schedule with a pair of home matchups against Division II Texas A & M Commerce on December 19, and Central Christian College as a final tune-up before the conference opener against Southeastern Louisiana on December 28.
In the Southland Conference Coaches Preseason Poll released on October 16, the Ladyjacks were selected to finish third overall, receiving a total of 244 votes to finish behind Lamar (279, 18 first-place votes) and Central Arkansas (260, six first-place votes). Parker was named to the Preseason All-Conference Second Team after finishing last season as an All-Conference Third Team choice.
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