By Robb Fenton
Quality, not quantity, seemed to be the case for the Lakeland Rustlers women's basketball team this past weekend.
Due to the weather in the area, the Rustlers only saw about half the players they planned for attend camp, but the ones who were there, really impressed.
“The camp was unbelievable. The level of talent we have in here is phenomenal, it’s definitely the most skilled camp I’ve seen since I’ve been part of the program,” Rustlers head coach Chris King said. “The weather has cut our numbers down, but that means the girls that are here just really want to be here and they’ve made a huge commitment to come out here.”
Around 15 Rustler hopefuls hit the court Saturday for two on-court sessions, as well as an in-class session, discussing not only basketball, but also what to expect academically.
The players were put through their paces in the morning, working more on drills and specific skills, where the afternoon saw more of a scrimmage style of practice so King could see how each player performed in a game situation.
“The morning we wanted to see where everyone was at skill set level. One of the big things we’re looking to do is run and attack the hoop,” King said. “We have a lot of long athletic girls and that’s going to be our new style of play, so we wanted to see how they fit in together.”
While skill is obviously important, King noted working hard is just as key to success in the ACAC and he was pleased with what he saw from that aspect.
“I was really pleased with the work ethic and defensively, a lot of these girls come from strong programs, so they’re defensive minded already,” King added.
With a handful of returning players, as well as some players already signed, King likes the way his roster is shaping up even though the season is about five months away.
“It’s a perfect situation right now. The girls we have coming back are competitive in nature and work extremely hard, so they are setting the tone for these young girls and the young girls aren’t backing down at all,” King said, adding he is very happy with everyone at camp. “That’s something we haven’t had too much of in the past.”
One of the recruits that King is very pleased with and excited about is Cameo McKerlie, who said it took a while to make it to Lakeland, but is happy she made the trip.
“It’s going pretty good, especially for not playing for a year,” she said. “I showed up a little late because of the weather, but we’ve just been playing some game situations to see how everyone plays together.”
Chemistry was something that was a strong point for the Rustlers last year and it should be just as strong next season as the girls are already getting to know each other.
“Getting to know them and play with them, you kind of get to know each other and how you play together. You can kind of build a relationship,” McKerlie said.
While the attendance didn’t go as planned because of the weather, King is confident he will find the right players for the 2010-2011 Rustlers team.
“We might hold another camp in the off-season, but the girls that are here we’re very interested in. I’ve been very impressed with every girl here, all 15 and I couldn’t ask for more,” King said.