The coaching philosophy was as simple as it was complex.
Build for the future, but play for the present.
Certainly the two conflict in some respects, but it was an ideal, a goal, a foundation to success that Brett Drewery felt was imperative last winter, his first at the helm of the Kent-Meridian High girls basketball program.
“We wanted to win, but we also had to get organized and look to the future,” said Drewery as he embarks on his second season with the young Royals. “We had a lot of underclassmen that saw a lot of time last year.”
The Kent-Meridian coach is banking on that time paying big dividends this winter, possibly enough to get the Royals their first South Puget Sound League North Division playoff berth since 2007. While Auburn Riverside and Kentwood are the odds-on favorites to run away with the top two playoff spots, the final three openings are as up for grabs as ever.
“After those first two, I think we have as good as shot as anybody,” Drewery said. “The girls will need to take care of the ball, but I definitely think (the playoffs) are a possibility.”
At first glance, Drewery’s aspirations might seem a bit over optimistic. After all, the Royals posted a 2-14 record in league last year and graduated star guard Briana Shannon, who tied for the league lead with an 18.8 points-per-game average.
How do you fill the shoes of your stop scorer and best ball handler?
“You don’t,” Drewery laughed. “You replace her with three people. (This year) they need to depend on each other a little more than they did with Briana. This team has to play together because I don’t have the big-time scorer.
“Everybody is going to have to score.”
Though the Royals don’t have that go-to player of Shannon’s ilk, they do have the “three people” and several others who should be able to get the job done. In fact, four of those players — Desiree Guitian, Miriame Akpatou, D’Andrea Parker and Alex Witherspoon — were among K-M’s starting rotation for most of last year. And junior Aubreyana Anderson, who toggled between the junior varsity and varsity last year, may have shown the most growth of all and very well could blossom into that go-to player this winter.
“She is a very underrated player,” Drewery said. “I think people are going to start taking notice of her. She can go under the hoop, rebound and run the floor really well. She’s going to be an athlete and, right now, we’re kind of depending on her.”
And while youth remains on Kent-Meridian side, Brewery also is adding another wrinkle to this year’s gameplan — a trapping, full-court, man-to-man pressure defense.
“We’re going with a base man-to-man defense all the time,” the coach explained. “We’re really running and in shape. We know there are going to be some bumps in the road, but hopefully we can iron them out here really quick.”
ROYALS: AT A GLANCE
• COACH: Brett Drewery, 2nd year.
• LAST YEAR: 2-14 in league, 2-18 overall.
• TOP RETURNERS: Desiree Guitian, sr., forward; D’Andrea Parker, sr., guard; Miriame Akpatou, sr., guard; Aubreyana Anderson, jr., forward/guard; Alex Witherspoon, so., guard; Malaika Henry, so., guard; Lindsey Gonzalez, so., guard/forward.
• TOP NEWCOMERS: Molly Kirk, so., forward.
• STATE HISTORY: Kent-Meridian last advanced to state in 2001.
• OUTLOOK: Even without Shannon, this is a bunch that should see some growth this season. The key for the Royals will be hanging onto the ball and forcing plenty of turnovers. If the Royals can do just that, a .500 season and a playoff berth awaits them.
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