By Jordan Burton
Last season was a rare experience for Steven Rissler.
His first three seasons at Licking each ended with at least 20 wins and a district championship – the Lady Wildcats have become one of the best programs in the Ozarks in the O-Zone era.
Then there was 2015-16…
Following the graduation of standouts Megan Smith (all-time leading scorer), Bailie Osborne (3rd all-time leading scorer) and the Class of 2015, Licking took a step back last season – losing more games in 2015-16 (17) than in the previous three seasons combined (15).
“It was an awakening experience for all of us,” said Rissler. “For three years we had a class of players that would take over and make a play when we needed one, get a big rebound or make free throws in crunch time. Someone else had to fill that spot and the girls found out quick that being “the man” isn’t as easy as people think.”
While it was a tough year, it was one that set the foundation for what should be a resurgent 2016-17.
Licking returns three full-time starters from last year and three addition players that started at least eight games, led by senior Ashley Ingram.
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Ingram, an All-Frisco League pick, led Licking in scoring (14.2 PPG), rebounding (6.8 RPG) and steals (2.6 SPG). The 5-foot-8 forward is a four-year letterman.
Rissler expects her to improve on those numbers from last year due to increased tempo.
Licking also welcomes back a pair of juniors in Dalrayn Feringa (8.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG) and Mckenzie Cook (7 PPG, 2.1 SPG) that started last season.
The Lady Wildcats will also look for an increased role from a handful of freshmen that played varsity minutes last year, led by Lexi Hadix (4.2 PPG, 2.3 RPG).
Also expected to contribute immediately is a crop of incoming freshmen that posted a 30-2 mark in junior high. Leading that group is 5-foot-7 guard Karlee Holland.
“Karlee has stepped in at the point guard spot and had a great summer,” said Rissler. “She makes us instantly better on both ends of the floor. She has a natural ability to get to the rim and finish or find the open shooter on the perimeter and that is something we missed last season. She has played a lot of basketball in her life and I don’t expect her to have an adjustment to varsity basketball period.”
Licking’s stable of guards and depth will allow Rissler to use a variety of defenses to create temp, a staple of his district championship teams. He believes that tempo will also lead to an even better season for Ingram.
“We are going to use our depth for sure,” said Rissler. “Our roster is basically all guards so our goal is to press, trap and play as fast as we can while still maintaining a sense of control for my sake. Ashley should improve on her numbers due to us playing faster. She is a great athlete and excels in the full court both offensively and defensively.”
By March this team should be well-tested.
The Frisco League continues to be one of the best small-school basketball conferences in the state and with Plato, Newburg and Richland returning all-conference players, the Lady Wildcats will have their work cut out for them in both conference and district championship races.
While Rissler understands that the youth of his team is something they’ll have to overcome, he also believes that inexperience gives Licking an extremely high ceiling.
“If we stay healthy and continue to develop, we can definitely compete in the conference and district,” said Rissler. “We are still a young team with just one senior and seven underclassmen making up the varsity roster. We have a high improvement ceiling from October 31st to district play.”
