MUSKEGON TWP. - Reeths-Puffer girls basketball coach Rodney Walker knew his team’s massive youth movement would require some time and patience.
A year ago, Walker broke in a group of six very promising but inexperienced freshmen and sophomores and put them at the top of the team’s rotation, ahead of several seniors.
He figured they would struggle for a while as they adjusted to the varsity level, but he also recognized their potential to form the nucleus of a special team in the future.
The struggling part came last season, when the Rockets posted a 5-17 overall record, with a 3-7 mark in the O-K Green conference standings.
There were glimpses of real promise, however, particularly in January, when they rattled off three straight conference wins over Byron Center, Jenison and Muskegon.
Raquel Walker
This season Coach Walker is expecting to see the payoff for that tough season, with improved play and more victories. The Rockets are still learning and growing, but he thinks they are well on their way be becoming a good team.
The Rockets’ new season begins on Tuesday when they visit Grand Haven.
“I saw a lot of progress with all the girls last season,” Walker said. “They really started to come together toward the end, and this summer they did a good job. We played a couple of games and did pretty good.
“I do believe we will be able to compete at a high level and win a lot of games this year, with the energy they bring in practice and the focus they have on on getting better. We have a huge amount of potential. The biggest thing for us is going to be chemistry. With strong on-court communication and consistent hustle, I expect us to pull through a lot of games.”
All six of the young players should show significant improvement this winter, after experiencing a full year of varsity basketball.
Ashlyn David
The list starts with sophomore guard Raquel Walker, who led the team with an 11.5 point per game average last season. She also averaged six rebounds and 2.2 assists and was a first-team All-Conference selection.
“Being a freshman playing point guard in our conference is extremely tough,” Walker said about his daughter. “But I feel like she is right on track to continue to get better. She loves to be in the gym and works out a lot. She was playing at a high level over the summer in AAU tournaments.
“We’re going to move her around a little bit to all five positions, because of her transition skill. She does a good job of passing the ball, getting everyone involved and creating opportunities. Finishing at the rim is still one of her biggest strengths.”
The Rockets’ second-leading scorer from last season, junior Ashlyn David, is also back after averaging 9.6 points per game, and posting a team-leading eight rebounds per game. David earned second-team All-Conference honors last season.
“She is definitely going to be special,” Walker said about David. “Her ability to play inside gives us some major looks down low. She can play at least three positions, and we want to get her away from the post, where she has been playing the last few years. We want to get her more out on the wing, where she can still get to the rim, and can shoot the ball pretty good.
Jaslynn Kops
“She rebounds well, she’s great with free throws, and is a strong, physical player. She’s also does a great job of passing the ball and finding the open player. She’s very unselfish.”
Junior Jaslynn Kops will share the point guard duties with Raquel Walker and help control the offensive tempo. She will also make a huge difference defensively, according to Coach Walker.
“Defensively she has a motor,” Walker said. “Her on-ball defense causes some turnovers. Offensively, she’s one of those players who does a great job of getting into the paint and finding open shooters. I think her assists will pick up this year, and she’s capable of hitting mid-range shots. She’s going to be somewhat the glue to the team this year.”
Junior Grace Tindall is another returning starter with a ton of upside.
Trinity Moore
“She is going to be huge for us this year,” Walker said. “She does a great job on defense, rebounding and making the right plays in transition. She was one of our best three-point shooters last year. She has improved her shot and we should see the difference in her stat line this year.”
Sophomore Trinity Moore is a very tough player who can shoot and rebound, Walker said.
“She is definitely going to give us an opportunity to knock down more threes,” the coach said. “She worked tremendously hard on her shot this summer. She is one of our toughest players and is not afraid of any opponent. She does a great job of banging down low, using her body to rebound and start fast breaks, and limiting opponents to one shot.”
Junior Abrianna Do was a role-player last year who will see more court time this winter.
“We expect her to knock down shots and rebound this year,” Walker said. “I believe her work ethic over the summer and the things she does outside the gym will help her transition into the player we need her to be. She does a great job of rebounding and starting the fast break, and she can hit the open shots.”
The Rocket bench will also be very young, with no seniors on the team. Adding depth and contributing throughout the season will be junior Olivia Ambler and sophomores Ivanna Kass, Addison Mitchelson and Mariyana Spears.