Lady Leopards have experience, depth
Now with a full season of knowing each other, second-year Belle Vernon girls basketball coach Cornelious Nesbit and his players have a much better understanding of each other.
“The biggest difference (from last year to now) is how much the players and I know each other on and off the court, especially during practice,” said Nesbit. “Second year around, I am allowing them to give me more feedback, what they think works, what doesn’t.
“I am seeing it from their perspective and they see it from a coaching perspective.”
A full year with the team has given everyone a different look at things.
“It changes expectations,” Nesbit said. “A year older and more experienced.
“They have been through some of the battles and figured out what it takes to win, and how hard you have to play to win.
“They understand you can’t win just by showing up.”
All five starters return from last year’s team. However, only three of them are starting this year, which is a testament to the depth that Nesbit and his staff are developing and building.
Junior guard Abby Russell, junior forward Saylor Lee, and sophomore forward Aubrey Brown all return as starters.
“Abby can and will play both guard positions as she is interchangeable,” said Nesbit. “We want to slide her off the ball to get her more shots.
“She plays with a lot of heart and does everything you ask her to do. She is competitive, we will lean on her, and we will rely on her leadership.”
Lee will be counted on in several ways.
“Saylor is versatile and is high-energy,” said Nesbit. “She will rebound and provides toughness.
“You name it, and there isn’t anything I wouldn’t ask that kid to do.”
Brown is going to do a little bit of everything again, or a lot of each, if needed.
“Aubrey was Miss Do It All last year,” said Nesbit. “Scoring, rebounding, steals, blocks, we asked a lot out of her as a freshman. She can bring the ball up.
“We expect a lot out of her now, and she has help this year. She will play different positions.”
Senior guards Emerson LaCarte and Mia Roebuck started last season, but they will be top reserves for this year’s team, and Nesbit praised the duo.
“Emmerson and Mia are phenomenal people and have accepted their new roles,” Nesbit said. “They understand how important they are to us.
“They may start some games, and they will play starter minutes. Emmerson can shoot and has stepped up her defense and Mia is a good defender. They are different and can be used differently.”
The two new starters are a pair of freshmen in point guard Lyla McConnell and 6-1 post player Isis Almighty.
“Lyla brings energy, is intense, and there is nothing wrong with having some youthful exuberance in your program,” said Nesbit. “The older kids have embraced her.
“Isis can be one of the more dominant post players in the WPIAL, and I don’t say that lightly because there are a lot of good ones in the WPIAL.”
Belle Vernon’s depth doesn’t end there.
“We are going to be pretty deep,” said Nesbit. “Junior Skylar Salay is a really good mentor to Isis and they have a good relationship from both playing goalkeeper on the soccer team.
“Skylar will teach Isis how hard you have to play and how physical you have to be.”
Nesbit kept going, without hesitation.
“Junior guard Payton Walsh is a very good defensive player,” he said. “She creates chaos when we are pressing and she is another kid who has accepted her role.
“She is that change of pace for us, knows her limitations and plays within herself.
“Morgan Hamed is a sophomore guard and one of the kids who has really improved over the summer. She gives us another shooter off the bench, has put a lot of work in and I am proud of her. She has the green light.”
The Leopards play in Section 3-AAAA with Elizabeth Forward, Laurel Highlands, Mount Pleasant, Ringgold, South Park, Southmoreland, and Yough.
“It is EF and South Park,” Nesbit answered when asked who the top teams are. “They are the top two.
“Until we beat them, they are the two teams to beat. Everything runs through them.
“Yough will be good, and Mount Pleasant will be good.”
When asked what goals he had for the team, Nesbit smiled.
“I am not a big goal setter, and I am more of a day-by-day process person,” he said. “Let’s get one percent better every day.
“By the time February rolls around, we should be the team we envision them to be.”
He added, the girls have a goal.
“One of the girls goals is to win a section title and we look at the banner hanging every day,” Nesbit said of the banner representing the program’s three section titles from 1996-1997 through 1998-1999.
Nesbit thinks fans will like what they see with the team.
“We are going to be a fun team to watch play,” he said. “We will represent the district the best way we can and build off of our success from last year.”