11-19-2011, 03:55 PM
LIBERTY â The Casey County girls came up a game short of another trip to the Sweet Sixteen a year ago.
But with senior Megan¿Pittman healthy and leading the way, coach Randy Salyersâ team is gearing up for another run at the state tournament with a younger, but still talented squad.
Pittman, a 5-11 center and the only senior on the team, missed more than half the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, but came back to average 13 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocked shots in 13 games. She said a week ago that she feels 100 percent, which is good news for Salyers.
âI think she will be one of the best players, if not the best player in the 12th Region,â¿Salyers said of Pittman, who has scored 1,800 points and pulled down 1,000 rebounds in her career. âShe will draw a lot of attention from opposing teams. So for us to be successful, our other kids are going to have to be ready to knock down some jump shots when she is double-teamed.â
Salyers knows what heâs going to get out of Pittman, and he has a veteran point guard in junior Jasmine Johnson. The 5-5 Johnson averaged 8.0 points per game and had 40 assists and 49 steals.
âMegan and Jasmine Johnson are seasoned veterans for this team, with state tournament experience. So I hope their leadership guides us far into the regional tourney,â¿Salyers said.
Casey did lose four seniors from last yearâs 25-7 team, led by leading scorer and rebounder Nicole Coffman, and Salyers is counting on a young group to step in and fill those roles.
Freshmen guards Lakken Miller averaged 6.0 points and 2.0 rebounds per game and Christian Terry averaged 4.0 points and 2.0 boards. Junior forward Katie Douglas played in 28 games and sophomore Sarah Beard played in 20 games a year ago.
As usual, Casey is not shying away from competition, opening the season at Marion County on Nov. 28. The Rebels will also play in the Lexington Catholic tournament and Mercer Countyâs holiday tournament, as well as several other non-regional games against traditional state powers.
âThis may be one of our toughest schedules we have had in a while,â¿Salyers said. âBut if we can stay healthy, I tink we can contend for a regional title. We will need to do a better job of team defense as far as when to help and when not to help. We need to get more aggressive on the defensive end. This team needs to pay hard every trip down the floor.â
Keys to the Season
The biggest issue for Casey is that the Rebels are young. Pittman has been a mainstay and Johnson started 31 of the Rebelsâ 32 games.
But there are a combined zero starts for the other returnees, and only Miller and Terry played in more than 20 games. So getting his young team up to speed will be a the biggest challenge.
Player to Watch
Johnson played significant minutes on the Casey team that reached the state semifinals her freshman year, and she knows how to run a team. She will need to average more than eight points per game however, and cut down on her turnovers (80), but she can be that complement to Pittman the Rebels need.
Top Newcomer
Terry played in 30 games off the bench as an eighth-grader.
Biggest Concern
Aside from Pittman, the Rebels do not have a proven second scorer. But Salyers said this yearâs team may end up having a better percentage from the floor.
âI think we will be a better shooting team from behind the arc, which should help,â he said. âI think we will have a good inside-outside game.â
Top Returning Players
Sarah Beard, 5-4 So. G, 1 ppg.
Katie Douglas, 5-9 Jr. F, 2 ppg, 1 rpg.
Jasmine Johnson, 5-5 Jr. G, 8 ppg.
Lakken Miller, 5-8 Fr. G, p 6 ppg, 2 rpg.
Megan Pittman, 5-11 Sr. C, 13 ppg, 8 rpg.
http://www.centralkynews.com/amnews/spor...4290.story
But with senior Megan¿Pittman healthy and leading the way, coach Randy Salyersâ team is gearing up for another run at the state tournament with a younger, but still talented squad.
Pittman, a 5-11 center and the only senior on the team, missed more than half the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, but came back to average 13 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocked shots in 13 games. She said a week ago that she feels 100 percent, which is good news for Salyers.
âI think she will be one of the best players, if not the best player in the 12th Region,â¿Salyers said of Pittman, who has scored 1,800 points and pulled down 1,000 rebounds in her career. âShe will draw a lot of attention from opposing teams. So for us to be successful, our other kids are going to have to be ready to knock down some jump shots when she is double-teamed.â
Salyers knows what heâs going to get out of Pittman, and he has a veteran point guard in junior Jasmine Johnson. The 5-5 Johnson averaged 8.0 points per game and had 40 assists and 49 steals.
âMegan and Jasmine Johnson are seasoned veterans for this team, with state tournament experience. So I hope their leadership guides us far into the regional tourney,â¿Salyers said.
Casey did lose four seniors from last yearâs 25-7 team, led by leading scorer and rebounder Nicole Coffman, and Salyers is counting on a young group to step in and fill those roles.
Freshmen guards Lakken Miller averaged 6.0 points and 2.0 rebounds per game and Christian Terry averaged 4.0 points and 2.0 boards. Junior forward Katie Douglas played in 28 games and sophomore Sarah Beard played in 20 games a year ago.
As usual, Casey is not shying away from competition, opening the season at Marion County on Nov. 28. The Rebels will also play in the Lexington Catholic tournament and Mercer Countyâs holiday tournament, as well as several other non-regional games against traditional state powers.
âThis may be one of our toughest schedules we have had in a while,â¿Salyers said. âBut if we can stay healthy, I tink we can contend for a regional title. We will need to do a better job of team defense as far as when to help and when not to help. We need to get more aggressive on the defensive end. This team needs to pay hard every trip down the floor.â
Keys to the Season
The biggest issue for Casey is that the Rebels are young. Pittman has been a mainstay and Johnson started 31 of the Rebelsâ 32 games.
But there are a combined zero starts for the other returnees, and only Miller and Terry played in more than 20 games. So getting his young team up to speed will be a the biggest challenge.
Player to Watch
Johnson played significant minutes on the Casey team that reached the state semifinals her freshman year, and she knows how to run a team. She will need to average more than eight points per game however, and cut down on her turnovers (80), but she can be that complement to Pittman the Rebels need.
Top Newcomer
Terry played in 30 games off the bench as an eighth-grader.
Biggest Concern
Aside from Pittman, the Rebels do not have a proven second scorer. But Salyers said this yearâs team may end up having a better percentage from the floor.
âI think we will be a better shooting team from behind the arc, which should help,â he said. âI think we will have a good inside-outside game.â
Top Returning Players
Sarah Beard, 5-4 So. G, 1 ppg.
Katie Douglas, 5-9 Jr. F, 2 ppg, 1 rpg.
Jasmine Johnson, 5-5 Jr. G, 8 ppg.
Lakken Miller, 5-8 Fr. G, p 6 ppg, 2 rpg.
Megan Pittman, 5-11 Sr. C, 13 ppg, 8 rpg.
http://www.centralkynews.com/amnews/spor...4290.story
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