Head coach Steve Garber enters his first season at the helm of the Marshalltown Community College women's basketball program, but won't be the only new face in the gym for the Tigers. MCC welcomes nine freshman to the 2013-2014 roster, which begins at home on Nov. 2 against MCC-Penn Valley.
Garber joins the Tigers after a successful eight-year tenure at Illinois Central Community College where he compiled a 230-69 record, including a 2006 national championship. Garber joined MCC in September and inherited a team that graduated six sophomores from last year's team, including first-team All-Region selection Mady Van Metre.
With the addition of the nine freshman, Garber will look to revive a program that has suffered back-to-back losing seasons. "We have a hard-working group of young players," said Garber. "We're working on identifying our skills as a team and utilizing those skills to become a better team each and every day."
The 2013-14 roster features three returners from last year's 11-20 squad, however all three have been limited throughout preseason camp. Mackenzie Gott (Oskaloosa, IA/Oskaloosa), a second-team All-Region selection last year suffered a concussion early on. A two-sport athlete at MCC, Gott averaged 10.8 points and a team-high 9.9 rebounds last season. Garber looked to Gott's return to the court, which is expected prior to the start of the season, to help motivate the younger group.
Rusty Henio (Tama, IA/South Tama), a member of the MCC volleyball team throughout the fall season, has been sidelined early on as well, but Garber will look to lean on the sophomore's improved outside game to lead the Tigers. "Rusty can be a very dynamic player for us. She's able to play away from the basket as a shooting guard, but also has the capability to post up as a small forward. We're going to lean on her this year." Henio played in just 15 games last season but will see an increase in minutes as a veteran.
A third two-sport athlete, Ashley Salgado (Ottumwa, IA/Ottumwa) suffered a shoulder injury during a recent volleyball match for the Tigers. Salgado played the role of point guard for the Tigers last season, leading the team with 3.6 assists per game and 2.0 steals per game. "We're being patient with Ashley's injury, but we're really looking forward to her returning to the court. The return of the sophomore class will really help push the freshmen more."
In the meantime, Garber has called upon the freshman class to fill the void of the upperclassmen. "We're going to need the freshman to play the leadership role," Garber expressed. "This is a growing process for us. The younger players need to be receptive and understand what we're asking of them. They're going to need to get their feet wet very early this season."
Garber pinpointed to Danielle Montgomery (Beaman, IA/BCLUW), a late-addition for the Tigers this year, enrolling at the school after the start of the semester. The 6-2 freshman provides size beneath the basket. "Danielle gives us a much-needed presence down low."
Foreign import Jasmine Howe (Millicent, Australia/Millicent) joins the Tigers from Australia. The 5-7 guard will rely on a solid shooting touch to give MCC an outside threat. "Jasmine has a good basketball mind that will contribute to our success this year."
Garber will rely on rookies Ilsie Calles (Van Nuys, CA/Fulton Prep), Kaleigh Sieck (Toledo, IA/South Tama), and Jamerka Martin (Milwaukee, WI/Rufus King) in the backcourt to carry the MCC offense. "We have a hard-working group of young players in the backcourt that continue to get better."
The Tigers will ease into the season with a tune-up at the Grand View Shootout Jamboree on Oct. 26. The regular season schedule for MCC will feature a multitude of nationally ranked opponents, primarily from the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC).
"Region XI is always a competitive conference," said Garber. "There are quality coaches and players throughout the league. We need to come to play every day. The freshman need to understand the competitiveness of this conference." The Tigers will travel to Kirkwood Community College on Jan. 8 and host Des Moines Area Community College three days later on Jan. 8. Both teams finished the 2012-2013 season ranked in the national top 20.
"This is a learning process for a young group of student-athletes. Our goal as a team is to continue to get better every day, be prepared, and play together."
Including MCC's opening game against MCC-Penn Valley, the Tigers will host three straight home matches to open the season. MCC will host Grand View College JV on Nov. 7 and ABCD Academy on Nov. 9. The Tigers ICCAC schedule kicks off against Ellsworth Community College on Dec. 11.
