Improvement has been the name of the game for the Madison-Grant Argylls in the past two seasons.
And in the second year of Brandon Bradley’s tenure, the Argylls took significant steps forward.
“We were a little more efficient on offense. We are still trying to figure out how to score more than 32 points a game, but at the same time, I felt like we made a lot of changes for the better defensively,” Madison-Grant Head Coach Brandon Bradley said. “My first year, our average margin was 29 points a game, and last year, it was just over eight.
“To make that kind of a jump with similar personnel really reflects on the kids getting more and more comfortable with me, working hard, and having some accountability.”
Bringing back a majority of their core group from a season ago, including four starters, the Argylls are looking to perform even better in 2020-2021.
“It’s very encouraging,” Bradley said. “There has been a lot of energy in the gym so far. They seem to be picking things up [quicker] and seem much more focused and much more competitive. They are holding themselves accountable even more, and have expectations for themselves, which is exciting.”
The COVID-19 pandemic did affect the Argylls’ offseason work. They were unable to meet in June, and met only for a few workouts in July. However, once open gyms and practices began, the Argylls had better turnout than in the previous few falls. There were six-10 kids at every workout, and girls that were available or not involved in a fall sport were there putting in the work.
“They’ve been active.” Bradley said. “We actually have a few of them that I feel are in the absolute best shape of their lives. I feel like we are in a pretty good spot from that standpoint. They’re physically fit and ready to go.”
In practice, while they have continued to preach defense, Bradley and the Argylls have spent a lot of their time focusing on offense. Bradley wants the Argylls to have an aggressive mindset, be more free and creative off the dribble, and most importantly, be a threat every time they touch the ball.
Azmae Turner (7.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg) will once again be relied on heavily in the scoring department. After averaging 5.5 points a game in the first 17 games, Turner really found her groove in the final five games, scoring 14 points per contest.
Bradley has been impressed with her progress and believes she will be a key player in Madison-Grant’s success this winter.
“She’s been Azmae. She works at it. She’s one of our more skilled kids, and it’s noticeable,” Bradley said. “She looks stronger with the ball. She looks much more aggressive to the basket. She looks quicker footed. She looks better defensively. I expect her to come out and be aggressive from the jump this year.”
Daya Greene (5.4 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.0 apg), who started every game as a freshman at point guard, has grown not only in height, but in ability as well. She is more explosive and bouncier with the ball in her hand, and she has become even more of a scoring threat from multiple spots on the floor.
“She’s free. She’s talking a lot, and is very much in charge,” Bradley said. “She’s the consummate team player.”
Senior Zoey Barnett (5.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg) has assumed a leadership role, constantly talking up her teammates and keeping everybody engaged, a major change from a season ago. Additionally, she has continued to develop as a post player and a defender both underneath the basket and on the perimeter. Bradley expects her to score a few more points per game and be a lot more aggressive rebounding the ball.
“She’s been a really nice vocal leader,” Bradley said. “She’s been encouraging. She’s been more aggressive offensively. She plays an interior role for us, but at the same time, she can sneak out on the perimeter and guard guards at times, and she is really good on the help side in creating steals.”
Chelsea Bowland did not score a lot of points last year, but she more than made up for her offensive deficiencies with her defensive acumen. She guarded the opposing team’s best players every single night, making it difficult for those players to find their rhythm, and she thrived in that role. Bradley expects her stout play on defense to continue, and improve, in 2020-2021.
“It didn’t matter if it was a guard or a big – she was willing to do it,” Bradley said. “I think that gets lost because there is no statistical merit for it. Her eliminating offense from the other team is just as effective as her scoring herself. She is going to be a handful this year for people defensively. She’s really taken pride in that.”
Several other players will be looking to carve a role for themselves in Madison-Grant’s rotation. Sophomore Emma Mooney has really developed her game. She is always in the gym and is one of the best 15-foot shooters Bradley has coached. Senior Sarah Duncan, despite being undersized for a post player, has gotten stronger. Her willingness to be physical in the paint enables her to play bigger than she is. Her younger sister, Katie, is a 5-10 sophomore whose size will be utilized in the post.
Madison-Grant will begin their season on Saturday, November 7 against Delta.
“I have never held a win-loss total as an expectation, whether I’ve had great teams or poor teams. It’s more about what you do with what you have,” Bradley said. “We want to control our effort. We want to control our attitude, and we want to control our focus. We just want to make sure that when we walk off the floor every night, nobody has worked harder than we have.”
