By Adam Krohn
For the Dalton Catamounts to improve on last year’s 13-13 record, they’ll have to do so without Caz Cole, the versatile 6-foot-7-inch post that led the team in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots.
But Cats senior guard Tevin Collins — an on-again, off-again starter last season — said that won’t be a problem, thanks to the offseason progress of some key players designated to replace Cole as well as the return of key contributors.
“I think we’ll bounce back good,” said Collins, who is expected to take on an increased role this season. “Jalen (Fields) has worked real hard and has gotten better and Watts (Dantzler) has done well and played a lot of AAU over the summer. Quonnie (Shaquon Moore) and Kelly (Phillips) are two big playmakers.
“Last year we had a good team but this year I think we can have a great team. I’m looking forward to the season.”
Fields (6-5, 245 pounds) and Dantzler (6-8, 300) will be the two post players Dalton coach Mike Duffie — who enters his fourth season leading the Cats — will call on to fill the void left by Cole’s departure. Duffie said he’ll likely play one or the other, but it’s possible both could be on the floor at the same time.
“It will depend on who we’re playing,” he said. “We’ll just have to wait and see. I didn’t get to tinker with (Dantzler and Fields) in the lineup this summer because of Watts’ foot surgery. But I can see them playing at the same time.”
Duffie said the team’s strength is overall speed that Moore, Tre Beck, Collins Trae Washington and Chris White bring to the squad. To best utilize that speed, Duffie is once again running a dribble-drive system similar to the “Memphis Attack” invented by former Pepperdine coach Vance Walberg.
“Everyone on the team, with the exception of our posts, basically operates as a guard,” Duffie said. “That will allow us to take advantage of our quickness and open the floor up. We have a lot of guys whose best strength is to penetrate.”
Speed will also be a key asset for the Lady Cata-mounts, who finished 18-9 last season.
“That’s going to be a strength for us,” said Lady Cats coach Jeff McKinney, who enters his ninth season at Dalton. “We don’t have a lot of height, but we’re quick. Hopefully, that will cause the other team to have to speed up their game because what we’re trying to do is make other teams make mistakes.”
McKinney is hoping a lot of the opposition’s mistakes will come from Dalton’s full-court press, which was very effective last year with forward Markisha Washington and guard April Besley leading the way.
The Lady Cats lost only one starter from last year’s squad, 6-3 post Emily Broadrick. Along with Washington and Besley, point guard Amanda Rec-tor and shooting guard Kate Houston are returning to their starting roles.
To help the team improve on last season, McKinney has made two changes to the Lady Cats’ routine — a new strength training program and having players track their free throw percentages.
Washington said the workout program will help her solve a problem she struggled with last year — foul trouble.
“The program has helped made me stronger and faster in my opinion,” Washington said. “The reason got in foul trouble is because I was getting tired. So I’d start fouling instead of going hard.”
McKinney said the coaching staff has always charted free throw shooting for the Lady Cats, but starting this season the numbers are calculated into percentages and made available to the players.
He said he’s noticed improvement in the team’s shooting.
“I feel like we’re shooting better as a team,” McKinney said.
“Now that the girls realize what percentage they’re shooting, they’re making a conscious effort to focus on it.”
