Last year, for the first time since coach Carla Berube took over the women's basketball program in 2000, the team featured adept post play to match its strong outside game - and it paid off.
But when the season ended, two of the Jumbos' three major inside forces, co-captains Libby Park and Laura Jasinski (both LA '07), left then-junior forward Khalilah Ummah alone in the paint. Although the 6-foot-1 Ummah was a two-time NESCAC Player of the Week, continuing that inside play without her two counterparts seemed a challenging task.
When the team took the floor for the start of practice on Nov. 1, however, Ummah wasn't even the tallest person on the court. During the offseason, junior Katie Tausanovitch, a 6-foot-3 transfer from William and Mary, joined the team, once again giving the Jumbos a sizeable inside presence.
"This is going to be a huge part in our success because our presence down low is just physically so big," junior Kim Moynihan said. "You can't ignore the fact that we have two post players over six feet. [Tausanovitch's] size has forced other players to get stronger and bigger and work harder."
While Tausanovitch's presence will certainly bolster the team's post play, the team will have to allow for the inevitable adjustment period. Not only is Tausanovitch moving to an entirely new region and conference, but she's also switching from Div. I to Div. III.
"Transferring anywhere is difficult, but this particular team has made me feel very welcome," Tausanovitch said. "[Ummah] has experience with this team. She brings leadership to the team and knows the system and what's expected. I'm lacking in that, but we've been working great together."
"Katie's not your typical first-year player," Berube said. "She has some great experience under her belt playing at the Div. I level for two years. She's a big presence inside, so I think that she'll be a good addition to the program not only with her play but also with her experience."
Although Tausanovitch and Ummah are only slightly taller than the Jasinski-Park duo, their style of play has turned the squad into more of a power team. Where Jasinski relied on quick-hitter turnaround jump shots and Park utilized her quick first step to the hoop, Tausanovitch and Ummah are more of a physical force down low.
"Both Libby and Laura were not as big a presence inside," Berube said. "Katie and Khalilah have a little more height inside. Both are a little bit stronger than what we've had in the past. And our ability to pass out of the post is different."
The two are also a much more potent scoring threat. Of last year's three main post players, Ummah averaged the most points - 10.7 per game - while Jasinski recorded 7.2 and Park, 4.7.
Ummah and Tausanovitch will not be the only players taking up minutes on the inside, either. Junior Katie Puishys at 6-foot-2 and sophomore Julia Bailey at 5-foot-11 will compliment the duo in the paint, with senior co-captain Jenna Gomez bolstering the offense at the three and four.
This emphasis on post play has lent itself to a new triangle offense, which differs from last year's motion setup and quick-hitter plays. The new setup is designed to get the ball into the low post with the guards cutting across the paint, creating triangle on the near side and a two-man game on the weak.
"Our post players can pass well out of the post and now we have guards that can really slash to the hoop, cut off post players and cut off each other," Berube said. "It fits our personnel for the first time. This was the offense I ran as a player at UConn, and they still run it today. It takes a while to understand and run well, but we've worked hard on it."
Unlike last year's quick-shot offense, the triangle offense is a continuous one that requires a team to read the defense well.
Most importantly ,given the new arrival to the Jumbos' roster, the triangle offensive will make the most of a greater inside presence.
"[Our inside game] is probably going to play an even bigger role," Berube said. "It's the easiest way to make shots because you're closer to the hoop. We're going to put the ball in the post as much as possible."
