The Diamond girls basketball team will look to use its good depth to push pace this season.
“I believe having a deep bench with our up-tempo offensive and defensive plan will be one of our biggest strengths,” Diamond head coach Justin Wilson said. “We will have the depth to rotate many players.”
That depth starts with seven returning players in Jaylinn Starbuck (senior shooting guard), Aspen Daniel (senior shooting guard), Lilly Hoyer (sophomore guard/forward), Dawson Housh (sophomore guard), Arianna Silva-Ogando (sophomore forward/center), Codi Sweet (sophomore forward/center) and Marissa DeJager.
Wilson on Starbuck: “Jaylinn is a great shooter; she is extremely knowledgeable about the game and adds great leadership. She is willing to play in any position at any time and does whatever it takes to help her team.”
Wilson on Daniel: “Aspen has struggled with some injuries over the last couple of years but it healthy and ready to go this year. She can shoot and get to the rim quickly. She has lighting fast speed and hops to go along with it. We look for Aspen to make a large impact on this team this year on both sides of the floor.”
Wilson on Hoyer: “She brings a love for defense, speed and the capability of scoring. She had several varsity starts as a freshman. We are looking for her to make an imprint on both sides of the floor.”
Wilson on Housh: “Dawson Housh is another girl who prides herself on the defensive side of the floor. She’s a great ball handler. She also saw several starts as a freshman. We see her taking the point position over this year and adding more of an offensive threat.”
Wilson on Silva-Ogando: “Arianna is one of those girls you are glad that she is on your team and you don’t have to play against her. She is as tough as they come. She also saw starts on the varsity level as a freshman. She is a great rebounder, has a ton of energy and will add help on both ends of the floor.”
Wilson on Sweet: “Codi Sweet is another girl who saw some starts as a freshman. Codi continues to get better at her game. She is that girl we can plug in at multiple positions and is able to score in all those positions as well.”
Wilson on DeJager: “Unfortunately, she suffered a season-ending knee injury last year. She is recovering well and we look to have her back after the first of the year. She is a very talented and smart player.”
Miley Lafferty (senior forward), Paige Marbough (senior center), Anna Roszell (sophomore guard), Londyn Cain (sophomore forward/center), Chloie Sweet (freshman point guard), Alexus Salami (freshman shooting guard) also will be varsity factors.
Wilson on Lafferty: “She hasn’t been available on the basketball court for the last couple of years due to some injuries. She is a great athlete and has great knowledge of the game and makes great decisions with the ball. We look forward to seeing what she can to this year.”
Wilson on Marbough: “Paige Marbough hasn’t played since her eighth-grade year. She will add help to our inside game and has been a very welcome addition.”
Wilson on Roszell: “Anna is a go-getter who has a highly competitive edge. I see her making huge strides this year and landing a lot of varsity minutes. She has been working hard on her game she’s a great defender and continues to get better on the offensive end.”
Wilson on Cain: “Londyn Cain can come in and cover many spots for us. Londyn works on her game and continues to grow as a shooter and defender. Excited to see her growth over this next year.”
Wilson on Sweet: “Chloie Sweet is an incoming freshman she will come in making an impact at the varsity level. She has great court awareness and ballhandling skills. She can defend and continues to improve her shooting skills.”
Wilson on Salami: “Alexus Salami is another incoming freshman that has a great shot and isn’t afraid to shoot it. She will see valuable minutes at the varsity level.”
The numbers and overall makeup of the roster have Wilson excited for not only this season, but what could come in the future.
“I’ve been excited to see the addition of girls that haven’t played in recent years, and that we have a great group of underclassmen that will be here for the next few years,” Wilson said. “I’m optimistic that we could potentially steal some wins from some teams this year with our competitiveness and willingness to win behind our senior leaders and deep underclassmen.”
Diamond opened its season in the Verona Tip-Off Classic on Saturday with a 52-46 win over Jasper. The Wildcats play Everton on Tuesday in the semifinal round.
“A successful season to me will being able to see the growth of this team on and off the court and laying a great foundation to our future up and comers,” Wilson said.
