Lockwood takes charge

Good leaders in most endeavors are renowned for being determined, decisive, forthright and fair — for being the type of people that can be held up as a shining example of both accomplishment and character. So what does it mean for the women's basketball team if its captain is also the squad's worst thief?

Thankfully for the Tigers, stealing is a good thing in basketball. Senior forward Casey Lockwood, Princeton's captain this year, should therefore be lauded for leading her team in takeaways during the 2005-06 season. Her defensive tenacity is merely one of the many areas in which she excels, and is one of the traits that she hopes to impart upon the team this season.

Princeton basketball is undergoing a radical shift as the squad moves away from relying on its low-post game and adopts more of a run-and-gun attack. With the loss of Becky Brown '06 and Katy O'Brien '06, the Tigers have been stripped of their security blanket — not to mention roughly a third of the team's points, rebounds and assists.

"I have had to take some of that responsibility, but by no means all of it," Lockwood said. "The Class of '07 is great both in terms of work ethic and attitude, and there are also great leaders from the younger classes," Lockwood said.

Thankfully for the Tigers, Lockwood's leadership style would never be described as all talk but no action. She demonstrated her determination by returning from ACL injuries that had plagued her first and second years at Princeton. After returning for 15 games of her sophomore season, Lockwood started all 28 games at forward for the team last year.

As the team's leading wing player last year, Lockwood filled up the stat sheet in every category. Beside scoring in double-digits in eight games and posting multiple double-doubles, she also led the team with 54 steals (fourth in the Ivy League).

Defense is going to be a particularly crucial element for the Orange and Black in 2006-07. Without the steady and reliable Brown in the low post, the team will run a faster-paced offense that will make Princeton vulnerable to giving up more points on their own end of the court. Without O'Brien's masterful management of the offense, the team may experience difficult scoring droughts when the defense will have to ensure that the Tigers' opponent doesn't pull too far ahead.

Lockwood's defensive relentlessness has surely earned the respect of others, as has her lead-by-example attitude. She was quick to stress, however, that she is unafraid to speak her mind when necessary.

"In the past I have generally been more a lead-by-example type, though I certainly spoke up when I felt there were issues that needed to be addressed, and I have never been quiet when it comes to getting pumped up or being energetic in practices and games," Lockwood said.

One of the times when Lockwood becomes most vocal is when the team seems sluggish during practice or noncommittal during a game.

"One [of my primary responsibilities] is motivating the team and making sure everyone is on the same page and the right page mentally, especially if things aren't going our way," Lockwood said.

Indeed, since basketball is a game that turns so heavily upon which team happens to have the momentum, it is crucial for a leader to rally her troops when the going gets tough. Lockwood makes sure that her teammates never forget the importance of remaining focused and never giving up.

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"We also have to hold each other accountable to keep us progressing forward as a team," Lockwood said.

Lockwood certainly seems to know her role as captain. And if she steers Princeton in the right direction, there can be little doubt what the end result will be.

With Dartmouth having lost its best guards, the Tigers will have one of the best squads in a wide-open league. With a little luck and a lot of floor-burn, the Orange and Black may follow the example of its leader and steal away something for itself: the Ivy League title.

Thankfully, that kind of stealing is also a good thing.