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11-18-2011, 01:21 AM
Walton-Verona senior guard Kara Taulbee was initially shocked when she found out last spring that Cory Miller was stepping down as coach and then became worried about who the new coach would be and how much change there would be for her final season.
That worry came to a happy end for Taulbee and her teammates when they found out Mark Clinkenbeard, who had coached most of the players in AAU ball over the years, was named Miller's replacement.
"Everyone was freaking out about us getting some random coach who didn't know us and who we didn't know and ruining our senior year, but then we found out it was coach Clinkenbeard and it was a huge relief," said Taulbee. "He definitely knows the game and we know he's a good coach."
Clinkenbeard knows he has some big shoes to fill as Miller guided last year's team to a 25-9 record and its first ever girls' Sweet 16 State Tournament appearance. But he also knows he's inheriting a good situation, with every player but one returning.
"There's a good and a bad," he said. "The expectations are certainly high and they should be. But with that comes some pressure. But it's a great group I'm getting handed to me and I know them already."
Clinkenbeard must find a way to replace the only departed senior from last year's team, 5-foot-11 multi-talented forward Kelli Dixon, who averaged a team-high 14.8 points per game, was second in rebounding at 4.1 per game and shot 51.9 percent from the field. She also made 9 of 25 three-point attempts.
"Losing Kelli leaves a big void, no question," Clinkenbeard said. "What makes it such a huge void is last year they kind of had a three-headed monster with her and (5-11 junior forward) Courtney Sandlin or (6-foot junior forward) Michele Judy, because between them there were always two good- sized players in the game all the time and that's probably not going to happen this year."
In part because of that, and because it's the style of play he prefers, Clinkenbeard said he's going away from Miller's halfcourt style.
"I think it's important that I have my own staple, but a lot of the things that coach Miller put in I'm going to continue to do," Clinkenbeard said. Four starters return: Sandlin, who averaged 9.6 points and 6.0 rebounds per game and 2.3 assists per game; Taulbee, who averaged 9.3 points. 3.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game and made 70 of 180 three-point attempts; junior guard Molly Clinkenbeard, the coach's daughter, who averaged 3.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game and senior guard Jenalee Ginn, who averaged 3.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.
According to her dad, Molly Clinkenbeard is 100 percent healthy for the first time since the 8th grade after undergoing an offseason spine procedure, while Ginn is recovering from shoulder surgery.
Other returnees include Judy, who averaged 4.6 points and 3.0 rebounds per game, and senior guard Katie Slavey, who averaged 5.9 points per game and made 50 of 192 threes. Senior guard Lizzie Hoffa also saw significant action last season and sophomore guard Shelby Mullikin played in 32 of the team's 34 games.
NKY.com
That worry came to a happy end for Taulbee and her teammates when they found out Mark Clinkenbeard, who had coached most of the players in AAU ball over the years, was named Miller's replacement.
"Everyone was freaking out about us getting some random coach who didn't know us and who we didn't know and ruining our senior year, but then we found out it was coach Clinkenbeard and it was a huge relief," said Taulbee. "He definitely knows the game and we know he's a good coach."
Clinkenbeard knows he has some big shoes to fill as Miller guided last year's team to a 25-9 record and its first ever girls' Sweet 16 State Tournament appearance. But he also knows he's inheriting a good situation, with every player but one returning.
"There's a good and a bad," he said. "The expectations are certainly high and they should be. But with that comes some pressure. But it's a great group I'm getting handed to me and I know them already."
Clinkenbeard must find a way to replace the only departed senior from last year's team, 5-foot-11 multi-talented forward Kelli Dixon, who averaged a team-high 14.8 points per game, was second in rebounding at 4.1 per game and shot 51.9 percent from the field. She also made 9 of 25 three-point attempts.
"Losing Kelli leaves a big void, no question," Clinkenbeard said. "What makes it such a huge void is last year they kind of had a three-headed monster with her and (5-11 junior forward) Courtney Sandlin or (6-foot junior forward) Michele Judy, because between them there were always two good- sized players in the game all the time and that's probably not going to happen this year."
In part because of that, and because it's the style of play he prefers, Clinkenbeard said he's going away from Miller's halfcourt style.
"I think it's important that I have my own staple, but a lot of the things that coach Miller put in I'm going to continue to do," Clinkenbeard said. Four starters return: Sandlin, who averaged 9.6 points and 6.0 rebounds per game and 2.3 assists per game; Taulbee, who averaged 9.3 points. 3.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game and made 70 of 180 three-point attempts; junior guard Molly Clinkenbeard, the coach's daughter, who averaged 3.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game and senior guard Jenalee Ginn, who averaged 3.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.
According to her dad, Molly Clinkenbeard is 100 percent healthy for the first time since the 8th grade after undergoing an offseason spine procedure, while Ginn is recovering from shoulder surgery.
Other returnees include Judy, who averaged 4.6 points and 3.0 rebounds per game, and senior guard Katie Slavey, who averaged 5.9 points per game and made 50 of 192 threes. Senior guard Lizzie Hoffa also saw significant action last season and sophomore guard Shelby Mullikin played in 32 of the team's 34 games.
NKY.com
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