When rival teams in America East look at the 2009-10 Boston University women’s basketball team, they aren’t scared anymore. Four players out of the Terriers’ starting five from last season graduated. The class of 2009 was the most decorated class in the history of the program and garnered more accolades than there is room for in this paragraph. They leave in their wake a team with only two seniors and players with little to no game experience.
America East coaches picked BU to finish tied for fourth in the conference this season on the assumption the Terriers are going through a rebuilding phase. No one seems to think they will be very good, except BU coach Kelly Greenberg.
‘We kind of expected to be right around fourth or fifth [in the poll],’ Greenberg said. ‘We are very well aware that most of the programs in our conference did not graduate a lot [of players].
‘I love where we were voted. Not one coach in the conference asked me, ‘How’s your team looking?’ I think they just assume we’re not going to be good and I love it because I really think we have the ingredients to be pretty good.” ‘ ‘
Rival coaches might not recognize many names on the Terriers’ roster, but success tends to trickle down from the top of a program, and BU boasts one of the most respected coaches in America East. Greenberg is the first coach in school history to win 20 games in consecutive seasons and has taken BU to four out of the last five America East Tournament championship games. And she thinks this year’s team can turn some heads.
‘It’s going to be nice to be in a role where we will catch people off guard,’ Greenberg said. ‘I’m looking forward to when all of a sudden in November and December, [America East coaches] are looking at our scores saying ,’Wow, what’s going on up at BU?”
If BU wants to make a splash in America East this season, it has to grow up fast. The Terriers have five freshmen on their roster and senior tri-captain Aly Hinton is their only returning starter.
‘We’re really getting a lot out of all of our freshmen,’ Greenberg said. ‘We’re very excited about all five of them. Our three freshmen guards [Kristen Sims, Chantell Alford and Caitlynn Moran], we really think are going to help us quite a bit. Certainly as the season goes on and on and hopefully by the time America East play does come around I really think they’ll be a part of our rotation ‘-‘- all three of them.’
‘I just feel like [the freshman class] can add to [the program’s recent success],’ Alford said. ‘We’re all capable of continuing to make this program a success.’
Last season, senior guard Christine Kinneary quarterbacked an offense that ran the floor and played a fast, up-tempo style. She also went down as one of the greatest players to ever dawn the Scarlet and White.
Greenberg, however, thinks her team still has the ability to play fast.
‘We feel we have great ingredients to keep our up-tempo style,’ Greenberg said. ‘Certainly with [senior tri-captain] Maggie [McKemie] and Aly understanding what we’ve done in the past, and they’re ready to roll this year as well. [Junior] Kerry Cashman is in unbelievable shape as a post player. And all of our guards can really shoot the 3 ‘-‘- they can all really handle.’
Kinneary dominated the playing time at point guard last year, but this year the Terriers will feature a rotation that includes sophomore Alex Young, junior Kat Briggs and any of the three freshman guards.
‘We think that in a lot of ways we’re going to be even better in some areas than last year because we have some guards who can do a lot of things,’ Greenberg said. ‘Last year Christine was our point guard. This year, we’re going with a three-headed point guard. We’re going to attack with any one of our guards because they all have the ability to do so.’
The starting five hasn’t been set in stone, but for now Greenberg wants to roll out Hinton, Young, Briggs, Alford and McKemie. Young, Briggs and McKemie will have to make the transition from role players to starters and carry the load last year’s seniors left.
‘We were able to take in a lot [last year] ‘-‘- understand how Coach wanted us to play and this year is an opportunity to step up,’ Young said. ‘I don’t think it’s nervous. I think it’s more excited than anything, and just ready to start. I think we’re all capable of stepping into the roles.’
‘There’s not really a line between the bench and who’s playing,’ Briggs said. ‘It’s kind of like everyone’s there and everyone’s excited for everything.” ‘
The thought of a rebuilding year hasn’t entered Greenberg’s mind once since she has seen her 2009-10 squad work together. The only thought on her mind is adding to her legacy as the most successful coach in the program’s history.
‘At this point, when I compare our practices to last year’s practices, we’re actually ahead of what we had been offensively and defensively, in all honesty,’ Greenberg said. ‘Our new-comers have been great and they’re picking up things pretty well.’
The Terriers open their season on Friday against the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Ky.
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