The University of Florida women’s basketball team is gearing up to open its regular season this afternoon against the Jacksonville Dolphins.
Despite returning six players from last year’s team, this year’s squad is different; just in sheer numbers.
Last season, Florida coach Amanda Butler barely had enough players for a 5-on-5 scrimmage. But even following a series of injuries and transfers, the 2013 Gators fought for their 20-13 season and made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to Penn State.
“The biggest thing where we were at a deficit last year was not having height, and so defensively we were always trying to camouflage that. It’s not something we have to hide anymore, we’ve got some size and we’ve got some people who have got that presence that you want your players to have,” Butler said.
And this year, the team wants more success. This especially rings true for forward Kayla Lewis – the team’s leader and lone senior. Last season, Lewis led the Gators in rebounding at 8.7 per game and took second in scoring with 12.2 points per game.
And one of the young players to keep an eye on is sophomore standout Ronni Williams as a combo player.
“Her voice and her presence and the confidence… that is just really contagious. You know everyone knows that Ronni is a big time player but I think she’s taking on other big time roles besides playmaking. She’s really trying to be a great leader and is trying to make sure that her energy is consistent and that she’s raising people’s levels around her.”
And the addition of talented freshmen forwards Haley Lorenzen and Brooke Copeland is also something to look forward to for the Gators this season.
“I really like a lot of things I’ve seen so far, like the play of our freshmen – their spirit and their energy combined with their talent makes them a really special group.”
Butler, a former Gator in her eighth season as the women’s head coach, says she expects big things from this particular group this season. The quest for success begins today.
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