New-look Winthrop women's basketball team in need of leaders

By Karl Lyles - klyles@heraldonline.com

Watching Winthrop basketball coach Bud Childers run his practices this season requires some patience. Drills take longer to complete with six new players.

With five freshmen and a junior college transfer on the team, Childers has transitioned from coach to more of a teacher in the first 12 days of practices. He said Saturday afternoon, after a three-plus hour practice, drills that took 10 to 12 minutes to complete the last two years now require 20, 25 or even 30 minutes to teach. He had a veteran team the last two seasons.

Saturday's practice session came to a halt for about 15 minutes as Childers pulled five guards aside for a talk. He wants a leader on his team.

Those kinds of talks are commonplace this season. It gives the coach a chance to tell his players exactly what he wants, and show them how to step into the role.

The guards are seniors Kathi Ryska, Shanice Cole, Shelly Hankins and Jessica Fansler, and junior transfer Lacey Lyons. They will make up the core of this team. Each of the seniors have played supporting roles in their career at Winthrop. The promotion to starter and/or mentor to younger teammates is new.

“The seniors, right now, need to be leaders on this team,” Childers said.

Childers, beginning his sixth season with the Lady Eagles, acknowledged his players are not unwilling to lead. He planned to do some more teaching on what it means to be a leader.

“We need seniors to show the younger players why we work on the drills in practice, and how they get us prepared for game situations,” Childers said.

Hankins is a redshirt senior who has previously played behind four-year starters.

“Me, Shanice and Kathi were always under Tiff (Tiffany Rodd) and (Ashley) Fann,” Hankins said. “We didn't have to lead the team. We have so much potential this year, but we need to push for that extra effort.”

There were times last year when players were angry about lack of playing time; then there were off-court issues. The tension spilled over into practices last year.

The tension is gone this season; replaced with enthusiasm.

“This season is just different. It's not bad, just a lot different,” Hankins said. “We all get along. We all want each other to succeed.”

Tuesday's workout wasn't the best. Childers wrapped it up with another team talk followed sprints.

“Everyone knew the system last year because we had all been here so long,” Hankins surmised. “This year all the new girls have come out of high school and they were the best on their team. We need to show them how much harder they have to work at this level.”

Those are the words Childers wants to hear on the court.

“You've got to be tougher,” Childers told Hankins in a casually urgent manner after Tuesday's practice. “You and the rest of the seniors, you have to be tougher.”

Childers is waiting for the practice where the seniors establish themselves. He would love to see the guards dictate the pace of play, score at will, play shut-down defense and force the newcomers to play up to their level.

Ryska has been a backup point guard for three seasons. She loves to play defense and prides herself on being the team's best at taking charges.

Hankins is the best defender on the team.

Cole is a hybrid guard who can play several positions and can get to the basket nearly at will in practice. Childers has talked about moving her to the point this season.

Lyons and Fansler are the most potent offensive players. Both can shoot the 3-pointer. Lyons transferred from Coastal Carolina where she led the Chanticleers in scoring (12.5 points per game) and 3-pointers (71) as a sophomore.

The makeup of this year's team is bigger, probably stronger overall, and more athletic than the 2008-09 team that finished 16-16 and played in the postseason Women's NIT. Whether those qualities will translate into a surprise run in the Big South Conference remains to be seen.

The Lady Eagles open the season with an exhibition game against Francis Marion at 5 p.m. Nov. 7 at the Winthrop Coliseum. The regular season begins with the preseason WNIT, where they will face Georgia Tech on Nov. 13 in Atlanta.