Their freshman experience may not have lived up to their expectations on the court, but for sophomores Chelsea Hopkins, Kathleen Scheer and Shay Selby, the 2009-2010 season represents a whole array of opportunities to shine.
With the departures of seniors Chante Black, Abby Waner and Carrem Gay, these sophomores can expect to play more minutes than last season, when they were used only sparingly.
The injuries that plagued Hopkins and Selby midway through last season only seemed to further dampen their first year in Duke uniforms. That being said, they made the best of a bad situation and learned how to play against tough Division I competition. The sophomore trio watched the team play in several high-pressure games, and gained a better feel for the game from its older teammates.
This year, the three of them look forward to using their experience to help the team succeed and take home a national title.
“They learned a lot. I expect them to be very hungry [and] very ready,” head coach Joanne P. McCallie said. “[They will] take advantage of every opportunity. I think you saw Kathleen Scheer do that last week at the Blue-White scrimmage.”
Scheer did show signs of brilliance Oct. 25 against the Blue Devil practice squad. She scored 18 points, including 4-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc. She seemed to improve her jump shot tremendously over the summer, and now looks forward to being a legitimate threat from anywhere on the court.
“[Last year,] I learned that when things get tough, just keep going,” Scheer said. “This year, I just want the opportunity to see what I can do.”
Like Scheer, Hopkins also wants the opportunity to show off her skill this season. For her, last year was especially tumultuous. She lived up to all expectations early in the season. Backing up Waner, Hopkins was an excellent passer and defender; in her first game as a Blue Devil, she had nine points, four assists and four steals. However, an injury to her knee in November left her less than 100 percent for the rest of the season.
After having surgery on her knee over the summer, Hopkins has the boosted confidence to return to the court and be a leader.
“I’m trying to be a distributor and the person that is the playmaker on the team,” Hopkins said. “I have to provide more leadership in terms of being more vocal and getting things going on both ends of the court.”
Coincidentally, Selby also suffered a left knee injury in the middle of her freshman year. When she was healthy enough to play, however, she was an effective role player. She led the freshman with 9.0 minutes per game, and averaged 2.7 points per game, including a 14-point performance against Temple.
After two surgeries and a case of mononucleosis over the summer, Selby only returned to practice two weeks ago, and she continues to struggle with her infirmities.
“I am definitely a lot slower, so it’s going to be hard to get back in shape,” Selby said. “At the same time, it made me appreciate being able to play. It made me think that I need to practice harder to even get a chance to play this year.”
With one year of experience under their belts, Scheer, Hopkins and Selby can look forward to building on their difficult freshman campaigns.