Navy coach Tom Marryott knows his team has what it takes to be successful in the Patriot League.
What he wants to see from his players this year is the ability to be successful on a consistent basis. The Midshipmen are coming off a 14-14 record that led to a fourth-place finish and a 7-7 conference record, which represent the most wins by the team since 1999.
For Navy to take the next step, Marryott knows the Mids have to play better against the top three teams in the conference – league champion Army, Holy Cross and Bucknell – which Navy went 0-6 against last year.
“There?s not much separation between us and Army,” Marryott said. “The biggest difference is that they were able to step up and make big plays and finish games when they had to. The good news is that I felt we played well against those teams in most cases.”
Marryott said the strength of his team would be in the frontcourt this year, and that he should receive help from six incoming freshmen. The exact makeup of the Plebe class is unclear at this time because Navy players do not sign national letters-of-intent, and the school does not release recruiting information until after Induction Day.
“This is a team on the cusp of being one of the top teams in the Patriot League,” Navy Athletic Director Chet Gladchuck said.
Marryott added that after two seasons of fielding a very young team, he is going to enjoy having a more experienced roster. Leading the way among this group are senior forwards Kate Hobbs, Carly Meyer and Betsy Burnett. Meyer averaged 12 points and a team-high seven rebounds while Hobbs averaged 8.8 points and 5.2 rebounds. Burnett chipped in with 9.6 points and 5.4 rebounds a contest.
“They will allow us to bring on our young players slowly,” Marryott said.
The biggest question mark is at point guard, where sophomore Kalen Kropatakes over for Ashley Pezlek. Marryott said Kropa (3 ppg, 1.5 apg) played well when given the chance last year and should take the next step in the 2006-2007 season.
NAVY NOTES
» Navy?s non-conference schedule includes homes games against Mount St. Mary?s (Nov. 25), Georgetown (Dec. 4), UMBC (Dec. 6) and Air Force (Dec. 22). Away games include one at Marquette (Dec. 29) and a tournament at Seton Hall (Dec. 17-18) that also includes Howard and UMass.
» Navy will host this year?s quarterfinal and semifinal Patriot League tournament games. The championship game will be played at the site of the highest remaining seed.
