TAAC girls basketball preview: Toledo Christian aims for 5th straight title

Nov. 27—Despite heavy losses of talent to graduation, Toledo Christian remains the favorite to win a fifth consecutive Toledo Area Athletic Conference title.

The cupboard is far from bare for the Eagles, who reached the Division IV regional semifinals last season before falling to Convoy Crestview.

Madison Royal-Davis, who earned the TAAC player of the year award, is now playing at Butler University. Cat Jones, who also was an All-TAAC first-teamer, is also playing in college at Central State University.

"We lost a lot of talented players from last year, but this group competed against those girls every day in practice and are eager to make their own legacy in our program," TC coach Tim Wensink said. "The schedule we have will prepare us for the tournaments. Our goals stay the same. We will strive to get better and compete each day."

Toledo Christian edged out Ottawa Hills in a preseason coaches poll. Northwood was picked third, followed closely by Cardinal Stritch. Maumee Valley and Emmanuel Christian round out the voting.

"For the coaches to tag us as favorites, we take this with great pride and as a challenge," Wensink said. "We are honored. It speaks highly of our girls and where our program is."

The Eagles will be led by sophomore forward Mackenzie Royal-Davis, who earned All-TAAC first-team honors as a freshman. Royal-Davis averaged 12.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game.

Fellow sophomore Kendall Braden is a sharp-shooting point guard, while three junior guards (Kaylona Butler, Jordan Rosales, and Macey Wensink) also will step up.

"The team we have is highly talented and very athletic," Wensink said. "I am most impressed with this team on how hard they work."

Ottawa Hills has three starters back under coach Sean Mercer. The Green Bears are a tight-knit and athletic group led by senior post player Ellie Diesen, who earned All-TAAC first-team honors.

"We need to figure out ways to fill the scoring void left by the graduation of Abbie Westmeyer and Abby Dewhirst," Mercer said.

Northwood has all five starters back for coach Andrew Dickey. The Rangers will be led by senior guard/forward Randi Wilson, who earned All-TAAC second-team honors.

Among three returning starters for Cardinal Stritch coach Brad Hohenberger is sophomore Linnea Hughes. The guard earned all-conference second-team honors as a freshman.

"We are a young, talented, competitive team," Hohenberger said.

Wensink said he respects the level of coaching in the TAAC. He said TC doesn't feel pressure from the preseason prognostications.

"The culture we want is to get better every day and if we do this everything else will take care of itself," he said. "The keys to winning are to get better every day, take care of your home court, and never overlook any TAAC teams. All the coaches have done a very good job building their respective programs."

Here is a look at the teams in predicted order of finish.

TOLEDO CHRISTIAN

—Coach: Tim Wensink, seventh season

—Last season: 17-5 overall, 8-0 TAAC

—Top players: Juniors Kaylona Butler, 5-7, G; Jordan Rosales, 5-6, G; Macey Wensink, 5-7, G. Sophomores Kendall Braden, 5-8, PG; Mackenzie Royal-Davis, 6-0, F.

—Strengths: Scoring balance, inside scoring, perimeter defense.

—Weaknesses: Depth, rebounding, ball-handling.

—Outlook: Wensink, who has a career record of 94-68, has no seniors and just one starter back. His three juniors and five sophomores, however, are some of the top players in the conference. Wensink said Braden is a highly skilled guard who is a great shooter with range. Royal-Davis creates match-up issues because she can play the perimeter and post. Butler is a relentless defender and plays the same on offense. Rosales is a great on-ball defender who plays the game smartly and is good in transition. Wensink believes his team is very balanced on offense and defense.

"We have great guard play and great post play," he said. "They are an extremely athletic group. This team has played a lot of basketball, and the I.Q level is very high. Our bench players will be young, but they give us energy and effort every time. I really feel this team is hungry to compete each day."

OTTAWA HILLS

—Coach: Sean Mercer, 21st season

—Last season: 10-4, 6-2

—Top players: Seniors Elly Diesen, 5-11, F/P. Juniors Ella Berenzweig, 5-6, G; Liz Lathrop, 5-7, G; Annie Bazzoli, 5-7, G. Sophomore Sadie Dale, 5-5, G.

—Strengths: Creating pressure, perimeter defense, depth.

—Weaknesses: Inside scoring, post defense, rebounding.

—Outlook: Mercer, who has a solid career record of 283-156, has three seniors and three starters back. Diesen averaged 12.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game, while Berenzweig averaged 3.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game. Those expected to step up include Lathrop (4.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.1 apg), Bazzoli (2.2 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.9 spg), and Dale (1.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.3 apg).

"Diesen, Berenzweig, Lathrop, Bazzoli, and Dale are our most experienced players and their leadership on and off the floor will be key to this team's success," Mercer said. "Madeline Jacob, Meredith Greeley, and Eliana O'Rourke must step up and take on more vital roles with this team in order for us to be in a position to battle for the league championship and to win some games in the state tournament."

NORTHWOOD

—Coach: Andrew Dickey, fourth season

—Last season: 5-9, 2-2

—Top players: Seniors Randi Wilson, 5-11, G/F; Meiah Smith, 5-6, G. Junior Zoe Turner, 5-7, F. Sophomores Natalie Thompson, 5-6, G; Autumn Schroeder, 5-7, PG.

—Strengths: Scoring balance, perimeter shooting, rebounding.

—Weaknesses: Depth, inside scoring, handling pressure.

—Outlook: Dickey has three of five starters back, including Wilson, who led the team in scoring and in rebounding. Wilson earned All-TAAC second-team honors. Smith, who led the team in 3-pointers, also is a four-year returning letter winner. Turner is a three-year returning letter winner, while Thompson led the team in minutes played. Schroeder, who is a two-year starter, ranked second on the team in scoring and assists.

"I have nothing but great things to say about our league," Dickey said. "Obviously TC will be the favorite to win the league, but the competition will be fierce. We're lucky to be in a small league with great coaches and athletes all around. Until we can beat TC and Ottawa Hills, it doesn't matter."

CARDINAL STRITCH

—Coach: Brad Hohenberger, third season

—Last season: 3-12, 2-4

—Top players: Senior Keera Garmon, 5-5, G. Juniors Sydney Payeff, 5-6, G; Emi Castillo, 5-2, G; Analise Quiroga, 5-8, F. Sophomores Linnea Hughes, 5-5, G; Asia Brown 6-1, P.

—Strengths: Scoring balance, inside scoring, ball-handling.

—Weaknesses: Depth, creating pressure, rebounding.

—Outlook: Three starters and eight letter winners return for the Cardinals. Hohenberger will be counting on one senior, four juniors, and three sophomores. He said Garmon is a solid perimeter defender. Hughes averaged 10.6 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, while Payeff led the team with 3.7 assists per game. Brown provides a huge presence inside both offensively and defensively, while Quiroga is a great defender and hustle player. Castillo missed last season with injury but should be an impact player

"We have all the pieces to be very good," Hohenberger said. "I like the mix of post and perimeter play we will have. Our conference is one of the best in this area and every night will be a battle, but if we play to our potential, we will be able to go out there and compete and win against anyone. This is a year I feel we take a huge leap forward as a program."

MAUMEE VALLEY

—Coach: Tiffani Blackman, first season

—Last season: 2-6, 2-3

—Top players: Senior Antonia Villa, 5-7, F. Juniors Syncere Lumsden, 5-11, F; Layla Gakula, 5-6, G. Sophomore Johnna Ruiz, 6-0, F/C. Freshmen Kelaysia Harris, 5-8. G; Khari Bland, 5-6, PG.

—Strengths: Rebounding, scoring balance, inside scoring.

—Weaknesses: Depth, handling pressure, perimeter defense.

—Outlook: Blackman inherits four returning starters with two seniors and four letter winners also back. But leading scorer Lumsden is sidelined with an ACL injury. According to Blackman, Ruiz is powerful in the post and athletic and Harris is a scorer with good leadership. Villa is a scrappy defender, Bland attacks the rim well, and Gakula is a great mid-range shooter who plays good defense. Blackman said the key to success will be playing good defense, handling pressure, consistent rebounding, and staying out of foul trouble.

"Although we lack depth, we have a solid group that works hard," Blackman said. "We struggled last season but got better this offseason. If we can stay healthy and disciplined, we have an opportunity to be successful."

EMMANUEL CHRISTIAN

—Coach: Terron Gillespie, first season

—Last season: 1-9, 0-8

—Top players: Senior Taylor Battle, 5-7, G/F. Sophomores Elle Holloway, 5-5, G; Ashley Nichol, 5-8, F. Freshman Mara Blackford, 5-7, G; Paris Waites, 5-6, G.

—Strengths: Post defense, scoring balance, perimeter shooting.

—Weaknesses: Depth, pace, rebounding.

—Outlook: The Warriors will be led by Battle, who has the most experience and can score inside and outside, according to Gillespie. Holloway and Blackford will be key contributors. Holloway is the energizer on defense, while Blackford is a solid shooter who can score from anywhere on the court.

"We are very young. Everything is pretty much new to them. They are definitely growing together and getting better daily," Gillespie said.