Changes in off-season leave women's basketball at crossroads in 2000-01

After a 1998-99 season in which the Tigers were co-champions of their conference, the women's basketball team finished 9-19 last year, 6-8 in the Ivy League. Following such a mediocre performance, it stands to reason that any type of change would be a good thing.

For this Princeton team, however, change has come in many ways. The Tigers have a new head coach and a much-transformed team from the one that wore the Orange and Black last year.

This year's Tigers are also without two of the bright points of last year's season — All-Ivy forward Kate Thirolf '00 and second-team All-Ivy guard Maggie Langlas '00. Princeton will take the floor on opening night Nov. 21 with only one returning senior and two returning juniors.

In order to prove the experts wrong — Princeton was picked dead last in the preseason Ivy media poll — the Tigers will have to make a quick adjustment to their new coach and new style of play. Only if they can accomplish this can the losses of Langlas and Thirolf be mere bumps in the road on the way to a resurgent season.

At the end of the bench

Kevin Morris replaced Liz Feeley this August, after she left Princeton for Smith College. Morris came to Princeton after being the head coach at Fordham for seven years.

At Fordham, he helped revitalize a team that had not had a winning season in the 11 years before he arrived. That experience will be put into use as Morris hopes to turn the Tigers around.

Morris brings a different basketball philosophy to Princeton, one that focuses on defensive stops and has a more up-tempo offense.

Morris' personal style also brings change to the Tigers.

"Our relations with Coach Morris are much more relaxed," junior guard Hillary Reser said. "He's funny, and we can have a relationship that's outside of just basketball. It's a really nice change."

Offensively, the Tigers boast one of their few points of continuity from last season. Guard Jessica Munson, the team's lone senior, led Princeton last season in assists and steals among players still with the team.

Morris looks to her, as both an upperclassman and a point guard, to direct and lead the rest of the Tigers.

"She doesn't care if she scores zero, 15 or 25 points — she just wants to win," Morris said. "She has a tremendous responsibility, but she can handle it."

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At shooting guard, Reser and sophomore Allison Cahill look to expand on the roles they played last year. With Langlas gone, they will be getting more playing time. Cahill is the team's top returning scorer, even though she has never started a game. Both are long-range threats, so the Tigers will look to find them behind the three-point arc.

Stifling?

The defensive end of the court is where the Tigers will miss Thirolf the most. She provided muscle and strength under the basket, grabbing 108 defensive rebounds. Princeton will rely on junior forward Lauren Rigney to carry on that tradition. Reser, though not as tall, makes up for her size with strength and aggressiveness.

"Our greatest strength is our defense, and it is going to be the main focus of our games," Rigney said.

Height has been a problem for Princeton in the past. This year's Tigers have a good deal of it, but the tallest Tigers are members of the freshman class, none of whom Morris expects to start.

This Tiger squad has only three upperclassmen, further emphasizing the loss of Langlas and Thirolf. This lack of experience has been exacerbated by a variety of injuries that have struck the Princeton team. Freshman guard Eileen Powers will miss the entire season with a knee injury, and Rigney is currently nursing a bad back.

"When there are only eight players, and we have to play coaches in a full scrimmage, it can get tough," Morris said. "But I've been really pleased with the level of competitiveness I've seen so far."

"What this team lost in experience, it makes up for in a willingness to learn," he added.

"With all the injuries, everyone has had to play in scrimmages, so we've jelled quickly with the freshmen," Rigney said. "Everyone's getting playing time right now."

With all these changes, the Tigers figure to have a different season than the one they had last year. But, it will be up to them to ensure that these changes create a step forward and not backward.