Girls basketball preview: St. Joseph dynamic duo of Lecce, McLain ready to take the next step
When your two best players are back, expectations can be high.
For the St. Joseph girls basketball team, that's the reality this season thanks to sensational sophomores Kamryn Lecce and Frankie McLain.
Lecce is the floor general at point guard, and she was the team MVP last year, while McLain was the leading scorer at 13 points per game. With both players back, sixth-year coach Jason Coker is excited to see what this squad can do.
"This should be an exciting season for our ladies when you consider that we have two new starting upperclassmen, three returning upper classmen and a couple talented freshmen to now put around our two leaders from last season in Kam & Frankie (Sophomores)," Coker said. "As well all these ladies have put a lot of work in during the offseason, and everyone played travel ball and trained. They realized that in order to compete in the Metro and beyond, you must have a deep team with players that put in a lot of work during the offseason, and our ladies have done just that. In comparison when I took over the program, we had one player that played travel ball and trained during the offseason, this year we have nine players."
The Lancers are 1-1 so far after going 11-15 overall and 5-11 in the tough Metro Classic Conference last year.
Lecce and McLain aren't the only major contributors back in the fold. Senior guard Joi Langston, last year's "Best Defender," is back to solidify the backcourt with Lecce.
Senior guard Jayla Isenberg and junior guard Layla Luckfield are two more returning letter-winners.
Key newcomers this season include senior Isabella Robinson, junior Gabriella Sosa-Owens, freshman Lea Coker and freshman Nora Schneider.
The Metro Classic should feature Racine Prairie, Racine Lutheran, Whitefish Bay Dominican and Greendale Martin Luther at the top, Coker says, and Thomas More is about on the level of the Lancers.
"It’s the Metro, arguably the toughest small private conference in the state that pumps out D1 & D2 talent every year I have been here," Coker said. "So, teams either constantly reload or just keep getting better. Then you have other teams that were knocking on the door and now are stepping through, hopefully that is us this season."
"The Prairie School (#2 – Division 4) is the team to beat and hasn't lost anyone, in fact they have Amiyah Galica, a very talented player who will probably see a lot more playing time as a sophomore. Even though Racine Lutheran, Dominican and Martin Luther lost some seniors last season, they always find a way to remain competitive and St. Thomas More is kind of on the same track as us. So once again it will be a very competitive conference. The Metro usually does very well when it comes to the state tournament, sending multiple teams to sectionals and even state. It probably will occur again this year."
Coker said Lecce and McLain will have a target on their backs as the team's go-to players this season, something that can be difficult for a young player. He wants his girls to be able to find a way to knock off some teams they're not expected to beat. Overall, he is hoping the team grows and turns into a force to be reckoned with.
"Kam and Frankie should be taking another step forward, they probably will have to face teams targeting them and trying take them out of the game," Coker said. "This is usually a challenge for any player when you face this for the first time. During this period of adjustment their teammates must step up and pick up the slack, and these ladies are ready for the challenge."
"This season for us is about notable wins, which we didn’t accomplish last season. So, if we’re going to take a step in the direction that we are targeting, we must knock off a couple teams that people don’t expect us to beat. That is how you grow and make a name for yourself."
(HOME GAMES BOLD CAPS)
December - 1: - 5: at Shoreland Lutheran. 9: at Whitefish Bay Dominican. at Milwaukee Thomas More. 15: at Racine Prairie.
Comments Love Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy .
