Kate Tobie (14) goes for a lay-up during against Farmingdale State College
Anthony Gabbianelli | The Montclarion
Red Hawk Sports Talk Podcast Ep. 5- A Preview Of The MSUWBB Season With Head Coach Karin Harvey
Waking up Wednesday morning, for most, meant another day of classes, deadlines and even registration. Students pack onto shuttles and go about their day like any other Wednesday.
For women’s basketball coach Karin Harvey, today was the start of a brand new season with the same end goal: another New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) championship.
The team now features four new freshman and a much smaller roster compared to last season.
“We have a really small squad this year of ten players,” Harvey said. “We’re going to have to do things differently this year just as far as we can stay fresh, and it’s going to be really important that we stay out of foul trouble.”
The smaller roster does not deter Harvey. In some ways, she sees improvement from the past season in the shortened roster.
“I like what I’m seeing so far,” an encouraged Harvey said. “In some ways, our defense is looking pretty good. I may even say that our defense is better this year than we’ve been last year.”
Harvey used the team’s length as one of the reasons why the team’s defense has improved since last year. She put a spotlight on freshman guard Taylor Brown, who stands at 5 feet 11 inches, and junior guard Janae Mayfield. While Mayfield is shorter than Brown, standing at 5 feet 6 inches in comparison, her speed makes her stand out.
“She is small [and] quick as can be and can probably end up being, what I would say, one of the best defenders in the league,” Harvey said. “Wait until you guys see her defense. She is unbelievable.”
With two scrimmages under their belt, the team still has room to improve. Harvey pointed out that the team’s rebounding, both on offense and defense, is where they must put in the work.
“I think one of the question marks this year I’m seeing is rebounding,” Harvey said. “We’ll get really put to the test in these next seven days when we play four games and see how our rebounding does.”
The women’s basketball team played Farmingdale State College on Wednesday night. The game ended 71-61 in favor of Montclair State.
