When asked about team goals this year, Russellville Lady Cyclones all-state player Kaylee Wiedower has a simple reply: “To make it to the state finals [this] year and win 20 games.”
The Lady Cyclones accomplished one of those goals last season, going 22-7 under second-year coach Steve Wiedower, the team’s first 20-win season in more than a decade. But the team fell short of the state finals, losing 40-35 to Van Buren in the State 6A quarterfinals. Wiedower, who coached at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock for seven years before coming to Russellville prior to the 2009-10 season, is Kaylee’s father.
Striving for another state tournament run, Kaylee, a 5-foot-10-inch-tall forward, has been working hard in the offseason, along with her teammates. The Lady Cyclones played in several summer camps, and the team, which returns every starter from last year, has been practicing steadily following school this fall.
For her part, Kaylee, a Class 6A All-State performer last year when she averaged 13 points per game, 4.5 rebounds per game and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 50 percent from the field and 48 percent from behind the 3-point line, has been working hard, improving her game. She’s good, already committing to play basketball at Harding University next season, but Kaylee wants the Lady Cyclones to accomplish those team goals.
“My shooting and passing ability are the strong points of my game,” she said. “I’m a good team player and a leader for my team. I also can play inside and outside, and I work hard in practice.
“I’ve been hitting the weight room hard this year to get stronger, and I also need to improve on being a more aggressive rebounder and defensive player. I would like to be an all-state player again this year, and to increase my rebound, assist and scoring averages this year. I would like to be able to guard some of the best players in the state this year defensively.”
Once again, Kaylee will get her opportunity against the best as the Lady Cyclones, who begin their season Nov. 14 in the Mount St. Mary Heavenly Hoops Invitational, will be battling it out in the always tough 7A/6A Central. Even with every starter back from last year’s 22-win season, Steve Wiedower knows this season will be tough.
“Having everybody back from a team that did pretty well last year, you are going to have high expectations,” he said. “We’re looking forward to this season. There is very good competition [in the conference], and we know each game coming out we are going to have to play hard to be successful.”
As a college coach, Wiedower missed many of Kaylee’s junior high games, but since accepting the Lady Cyclones job, he has had a front-row seat at her games. It’s an interesting bond — the father/daughter and coach/player relation — but both Wiedowers have enjoyed the last two years and look forward to a senior year full of promise.
“I actually have enjoyed it a lot,” Kaylee said. “He knows a lot about the game and has helped me a lot through my high school career. Since he coached college basketball, he has helped me in achieving my goal to play college basketball.”
“As a coach, I try to make sure I treat her just like the other girls on the team when we practice,” said Wiedower, who will also be coaching daughter Kenzie Wiedower, a sophomore, this year. “And when practice is over, we try not to bring basketball back to the house, and not let it carry over. Sometimes that is difficult. But I think it has really worked out. The time being with her has been great.”
Bringing a state championship trophy back to Russellville would make it a grand time.