A change in offensive styles is the main thing new coach Nick Christy is bringing to the New Hope girls basketball team this season.
Christy knows that the Trojans played a “walk it down” style last year, taking advantage of the lack of a shot clock to get into things slowly. This year, though, things won’t be the same.
“Let’s get a rebound, and let’s run,” Christy said. “Let’s go down and see if we have numbers and we’re able to score. Score quick is what we want to do before the defense has an opportunity to set up on us.”
The Trojans have the personnel to switch to that kind of transition-heavy offense, particularly against teams that employ a zone and take a while to set it up.
“We’ve got some athletes that can run and get out, and we want to use that,” Christy said.
New Hope has several multisport athletes who also play volleyball or softball, according to Christy, and they’ll be part of the plan in executing his offense.
The Trojans won’t have center Julia Franks any longer, as she graduated and is now playing at East Mississippi Community College. The three seniors on the roster — center Juquala Sherrod and guards India Woods and Imoni Harris — will be tasked with leading the team, which went 13-16 but beat Rosa Fort in the first round of the MHSAA Class 4A playoffs.
With the Trojans’ move up to Class 5A this season, the Trojans are part of a district featuring West Point and Grenada — and crosstown rival Columbus, a rivalry which Christy said his players can’t wait to renew.
To beat teams like the Falcons, who enjoyed plenty of success in Class 6A last season, New Hope’s returners will have to adjust to Christy himself just as much as to his new style. That’s still an ongoing process, Christy said.
“They’re learning a new system, new terminology, a new way of doing things,” he said. “There’s definitely some learning curve there.”
That works both ways, though, as Christy’s still getting adjusted to the strengths and weaknesses of his team as the Trojans figure out how to practice and play.
“I’m still learning them,” he said. “They’re still learning me a little bit.”
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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