Column: Freshmen girls basketball players provide volatility, but great potential

Samantha Basham was doing most everything right.

The Newark Catholic freshman simply could not make a basket. The shots were not falling for Basham on Monday during the Green Wave's game against Fairfield Christian, and the frustration on her face was obvious.

For coach Rob Smith, who wears his emotions on his sleeve, this season has been a test in keeping his cool, too. He has not always passed.

"I'm pretty vocal and I get frustrated, but I have to realize, 'Hey, they haven't been in these positions before,''" Smith said. "We've tried to work on this stuff and understand that we are going to learn from our mistakes and don't try to make it bigger than what it actually is."

In an ideal world, freshmen would fall into two categories. A few freshmen would make an immediate impact, leading their team to league and district titles just as Jill Blacksten did for Smith four seasons ago. The rest would have a chance to gain confidence by dominating for a period at the freshman or reserve levels.

Many of Licking County's coaches, however, do not have that luxury. They have to live with the growing pains that come from using talented but inexperienced players.

"Talking with my colleagues, they will tell you the same thing. The role players are gone," Newark coach J.R. Shumate said. "There are so many other things for kids to do that the day you had a kid willing to play freshman for a year, JV for a year or two and then varsity — it happens, but it's very rare because kids have so many other options."

Freshmen have contributed greatly to Newark's resurgence during the past decade with Paige Cashin, Reed Huffman and Maggie Mitchell starring as four-year players and Emily Paul ready to join them next season. A season ago, Adrian Crockwell had a number of big games for the regional champion Wildcats.

Crockwell, however, had the opportunity to play beside two other guards capable of running the offense and of course with All-Ohio center Kym Royster. Current freshmen Katie Shumate and Morgan Sharps have been integral parts of the Wildcats' offense, each averaging nine points per game.

"There's no question you have to be patient when you have a young team," said Shumate, who led the Wildcats to 15 regular-season wins despite returning just one starter. "This year, I have probably been less patient with our freshmen than I have been in past years. It's not because I like these girls any less. It's because they needed to contribute in a larger fashion this year than maybe our freshman have in the past."

Utica and Licking Heights each contended for Licking County League titles with a heavy reliance on underclassmen. Sophomores Emily Keener and Tatum Minton were two of the Redskins' top scorers as Utica battled a difficult non-league schedule, and sophomore Cassidy Denig and freshman Emily Swisher were complimentary scorers for the Hornets, who won a program-record 14 games.

Granville might have the area's best collection of young talent led by freshmen Erin Shomaker and Jennifer Rush. Experience evidently is paying off as the Blue Aces finished the regular season with a flourish, beating Heights, NC and Lakewood in second meetings.

Perseverance is what Basham, who is averaging just shy of a double-double, needed against FCA. She used a size advantage to dominate the paint, and while she wasn't rewarded for her effort in the scoring column, it opened up the offense for her teammates, who propelled the Green Wave to an upset of the state-ranked Knights.

"Sam's come leaps and bounds from the beginning of the year," Smith said. "She is a tough guard because she is so active. She may not score, but she causes so much commotion that it frees somebody else up."

Kurt Snyder is a sports writer for The Advocate. Tell him what you think at ksnyder@newarkadvocate.com.