Koker, Davis key to Huskies success
Junior guard Chelby Koker possesses the ball during an exhibition on Oct. 29 against Benedictine University at the Convocation Center. Koker scored
November 1, 2021
At a glance
- Women’s basketball hopes to build off .500 record last season
- Carlsen “more excited” than she’s ever been for a season
- Players hope offseason bonding translates into on-court chemistry
DeKALB — The NIU women’s basketball team is ready to move on from a roller coaster 2020-2021 season, where they finished with a 12-12 record in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Head coach Lisa Carlsen is starting her seventh season with the Huskies and is ready to put together a great season.
“I don’t know if I’ve been more excited about a team than I am this year,” Carlsen said during NIU Athletics Winter Media Day on Thursday. “I think we have great leadership, experience, and talent. As long as I don’t screw it up, that should lead to a lot of success.”
Carlsen believes the Huskies have all the keys necessary to establish a great basketball program.
“When I evaluate our program, it will always come down to three different areas, competitive success, culture, and where we are at strategically,” Carlsen said.
The team is returning 12 players from last year, including the Huskies top two scorers from last year, junior point guard Chelby Koker and junior forward A’Jah Davis.
Koker started every game last season for the Huskies, averaging an impressive 21 points and 4 assists per game on 44% shooting from the field. Davis started in 20 of the 21 games she played, dominating in the post with 11 points and 8 rebounds per game.
Carlsen said the Huskies’ backcourt is the driving force for the team.
“I’m not gonna sugar coat it. We’re gonna be led by our one-two punch in Koker and Davis,” Carlsen said. “The team knows that, and everyone’s gonna know that when they watch us play.”
Carlen stressed the growth the duo have had to do this off-season, particularly putting more trust in their teammates to make the right decisions.
Building up the team’s chemistry was a major focus for the Huskies during the off-season. With every member on the team being vaccinated against COVID-19, it allowed them to create more team bonding experiences in the summer.
“Our biggest difference has been being able to spend time with each other in the off-season,” senior forward Mikayla Brandon said. “The relationships we built off the court have definitely made our culture better, which will make our play better.”
Davis has already started to grow as a player just by the connections she’s building with her teammates.
“I kind of know what my teammates want to do and what they’re looking for,” Davis said. “Us playing a lot together this summer and just having that time together is really gonna be beneficial this year.”
Carlsen knows the team will need more than just good chemistry to reach their goals. The team has relied more on the analytical side over the past couple of seasons. Since 2017, the Huskies three point attempts per game has improved from 7.4 to 9.0 attempts per game this past season.
Carlsen and the coaching staff have taken time over the summer to really dive, from an analytics standpoint, into how the team can play more efficiently.
“The analytical side of things for the past couple of years has been the biggest growth when I sit down with my staff,” Carlsen said. “We do an analytics breakdown of every practice, and we’re able to look at things the stat sheet wouldn’t tell you.”
The coaching staff helps determine the best possible pass and outcome so the players can make the best basketball decision.
The Huskies have a challenging non-conference schedule before getting to MAC play. This season will give the Huskies the test they need as a program.
The Huskies get a chance to showcase the hard work they’ve put in at 6 p.m. Nov. 9 when they host the Illinois State University Redbirds at the Convocation Center.