Conference: 5A West
Coach: Tobin McCammon, third year in the Greenbrier School District with a record of 30-29; overall record of 678-381 in his 30-plus-year career
Assistant coach: Brad Bangs
2011-12 record: 15-15 overall, 7-7 in conference. The team finished fifth four years in a row, McCammon said.
Returning starters: The Panthers have three returning starters, a junior and two seniors: Kenzie Batterton, 5-8 junior post/wing, 14 points per game, all-conference, all-state; Autumn Russell, 5-6 senior point guard, 7ppg; and Catie Metcalf, 5-5 senior wing, 6 ppg.
Best inside players: Batterton, “our leading scorer last year. She has the ability to score around the basket; she’s also working outside and is an effective 3-point shooter,” McCammon said. “Alexis Hogan, 5-10. She also will have a tremendous impact on our post-playing position. She transferred from Guy [Perkins]. She definitely will have a positive impact.”
Best outside players: Russell. The coach called Russell and Metcalf “an outside duo. They do a lot of our ballhandling, and they’re both good defensive players,” McCammon said. In addition, he listed Brooklyn Freeling, a 5-7 junior point/wing, and newcomer Kory Westerman, a 5-7 sophomore, “who is probably our best 3-point shooter. We look for her to contribute.”
How will you exceed/match/fall short of your success from last year? “We are more talented and more athletic than last year with more quality depth — [we] just need to put it all together,” McCammon said.
Team strengths: “Our inside players are very versatile and will cause matchup problems for people,” he said.
Team weaknesses: “Our ballhandling and outside shooting need to improve in order for us to be effective offensively,” McCammon said.
Games to watch: “Any and all of our league games will be tough,” McCammon said.
Toughest opponent: “It’s difficult to pinpoint a specific opponent, as they are all very good,” he said.
College prospects: The coach said that is “to be determined.”
In a nutshell: “We have the pieces here to have a very good team, but we have a lot of new faces, so it will take some time to gel,” McCammon said. “I look for us to be very competitive come conference time.”