WBB: Staley at SEC Media Days

Thursday was the women’s turn at the SEC Basketball Tipoff. Dawn Staley spoke late in the afternoon, and we have some notes from her turn at the podium.

- We’re talking about practice

Staley is extremely happy with how her team has practiced. Versatility has been a key word this preseason, and the players have embraced practicing at different positions.

“We have incredible balance and we have incredible unselfishness,” she said. “It’s something we talked about very early in the summer and moving towards actually practicing. I like the fact that we are open to pretty much anything the coaches are asking our players.”

- The freshmen

According to Staley, none of the freshman have separated themselves, saying, “They all stand out.” In particular what has stood out is their versatility and coachability. She has noted in the past, and again Thursday, that highly-ranked recruit aren’t always ready to fall in line once they are no longer a big fish in a small pond, but this group is different.

“They’re all playing different positions and they’re all bringing what they do best to the table,” she said. “It’s an incredible thing to witness. They’re coachable. They come in highly ranked, they come in having played basketball at the highest level, and yet they treat this like the most valuable experience they’re having, and that’s terrific. It helps us out a great deal as coaches knowing that whatever situation we put them in, they’re embracing it. They ask great questions, they want to watch film, they want to get better, and that’s very different from what we’ve had.”

Although they have gotten a lot of attention, the freshmen did not join a team where the cupboard was bare. The tendency is to look at last season as a disappointment, but the Gamecocks still finished second in the SEC and made the Sweet 16. The freshmen have to mesh with the returning players, and that, as much as anything will determine who players.

“It’s about combinations and who plays well together,” Staley said. “We’ve got some experienced players that have played in our program who’ve improved, so who works well with those players is who we’re going to put on the floor.”

- Finding a rotation

If there could be a downside to the freshmen all playing so well, it would be that it is making it harder for Staley to settle on a rotation. She hopes to settle on a consistent starting five and a steady rotation behind them, unlike last season’s mix-and-match rotation. She’s aware that it could lead to some hurt feelings, and may be the first real adversity the freshmen face.

“At some point we’re going to have to formulate a starting five and have them play more reps together,” Staley said. “We have to be ones that embrace our role. I don’t know who’s going to start today. We’ve got legit ten starters. Ten people could start for our team. They’ve embraced pretty much everything that we’ve thrown at them, but that will be a big one.”

Staley broached the idea of a rotation similar to the one used in 2014-15 during A’ja Wilson’s freshman season. That season, Wilson and Alaina Coates came off the bench, despite being two of the three most talented players on the team. That led to lopsided starter/bench splits, but it carried the Gamecocks to their first Final Four.

“Our bench is going to be incredible,” Staley said. “They may be even more productive than our starters, depending on how we strategize in who starts and who comes off the bench.”

- Look at LeLe

I’ve seen suggestions that LeLe Grissett may be the odd player out, who loses her minutes to the freshmen. The offseason idea to move Grissett from forward to guard lent credence to that. But Grissett has been a standout in practice, and adding guard duties has only increased her value.

“LeLe is doing a great job of leading by example,” Staley said. “LeLe by far works (harder) than anybody in practice. That’s a great thing when your experienced players are your hardest workers.”

- Herbert Harrigan poised for big senior season

Mikiah Herbert Harrigan had a breakout junior season, and solidified her reputation for playing her best in big games. But Herbert Harrigan couldn’t shake her inconsistent play or poor practices when she got down on herself. Staley had to re-recruit Herbert Harrigan after the season, and with player and coach on the same page now, Herbert Harrigan has displayed a consistency she never had before, with none of the mind games.

“She’s maturing at the right time for her,” Staley said. “KiKi wants to complete the task of putting an entire season together. It’s good to see players rise up to the challenge of playing ranked teams, but really good players play that way entire seasons. You’ll see KiKi play with a lot more consistency this year.”

Staley told a story to illustrate Herbert Harrigan’s commitment. The Gamecocks are using heart monitors in practice this year to measure how hard the players are working, as well as give the coaches an idea when to push a player harder or let up a little bit. They post the rankings of who worked hardest in each practice. The rankings tend to favor guards over post players, but Herbert Harrigan, who is famously soft spoken and of few words, was finishing last.

“I said, ‘KiKi, you’re last!’ and she said, ‘Well, to be honest, I’m not tired.’ and I said, ‘Yeah, because you’re not working hard!’” Staley said. “She came to me a few days later and said, ‘I’m not last.’”