DUBLIN — With several key cogs no longer on the team after graduating, Red Springs girls basketball coach Steve Sinclair knows what is needed from his team next year.
Coming off a Three Rivers Conference tournament title, the Lady Red Devils will rely on rising senior guard Taya Jones and rising junior Taylynn Atkinson to provide consistent play every night. Both enter this offseason in the midst of a change in roles with Atkinson making the move from the paint to the wing and Jones taking over the vocal leader spot, and that was on display at West Bladen’s girls basketball summer jam on Tuesday.
Also playing at the summer jam was St. Pauls and Purnell Swett.
“I think the biggest thing is that they both have adapted and kind of know that they need to be the scorers,” Sinclair said. “They’ve got to make things happen. That’s kind of what they’ve been doing and by that they are opening things up for others.”
Jones has been named all-county all three seasons she has played at Red Springs and has been the dynamic scorer that guides the team. The North Carolina A&T commit has been quiet for most of that time on the floor, but the coaches have noticed her coming out of her shell to direct the Lady Red Devils.
“She has a more sense of urgency as far as scoring the ball, but we can see her being more relaxed stepping into that leadership role,” Sinclair said. “The coaches were talking about that earlier that she’s talking more on the floor and directing more on the floor.”
Atkinson length on the wing could be valuable asset this season for the Lady Red Devils, while she will also put the ball on the floor more to get to the paint where she is able to finish with contact.
“We had to make a deal with her last year that we needed her in the post and this year we will need her on the wing,” Sinclair said. “She wanted to step out to the wing last year. Now we notice she’s a little more comfortable than last year.”
The cavalry to help finish the scoring load for Red Springs comes from the paint where Sinclair sees its biggest advantage.
“I think we will get a little more contribution out of our post once we get everybody back,” he said. “We looked across the roster and we’re a tall team.”
The summer jam was also the first time new St. Pauls girls basketball coach Mike Moses Jr. was able to have his new player hit the floor under his direction a week after taking over.
“The adjustment has been fine. It’s a lot easier than I thought it would be,” Moses said. “From day one I’ve come in and I’ve implemented what I’ve wanted to as far as discipline and playing hard. They’ve responded well and that’s the good thing because the team wants to win.”
With such a quick turnaround time, Moses emphasizes on the level of work for his team to exude a lot of energy on the court even though it had limited knowledge of the offensive and defensive sets he wants to run this season.
“I’ve learned that they play hard. That’s all I can ask for them,” Moses said. “They want to win. And if they want to win, I’m here to put us in the position to win.”
Of the many things that left an impression on Moses after his first time watching the team in game action, the inside play of Grace Hall was a major point of emphasis. Hall is the top returner for the Lady Bulldogs and will be a key building block for the young roster.
“Grace Hall is going to be the catalyst of my team because she is older and she’s been there before,” Moses said. “The majority of my players are freshmen or sophomores, so the the future is bright at St. Pauls. I’m coming in and implementing my discipline and energy and the can feed off of me.”
Also with a quick turnaround before the event at West Bladen was Purnell Swett with two days of practice beforehand. Some of the Lady Rams were also adjusting to a new face on the sidelines with Jonathan Efird, the jayvee girls basketball coach, coaching with varsity head coach Danyel Jolicoeur out. Most of the seven players Purnell Swett brought were rising varsity players from the jayvee team, but Efird liked the effort the undersized Lady Rams showed.
“Our girls came out here and lacked the size, but what they showed me is that you can’t measure heart,” he said. “We had seven girls and went up against teams that were 10-plus strong and didn’t give up. That kind of heart speaks volumes.”
Of the players that showed signs of being impact players this season for the Lady Rams were Rebecca Chavis and Nakyra Mitchell. After taking last year off, Chavis came off the bench and provided a lift.
Mitchell is a two-year starter at point guard and will be looked upon as a scoring and emotional leader for Purnell Swett.
“She had her moments, and calmed down to play the point for us real well,” Efird said.
