HARVARD BASKETBALL 2005-06: Retooled Frontcourt Key for Crimson

If there’s one question Harvard head coach Kathy Delaney-Smith might grow sick of, this one has to be it:

How do you engineer a successful season after the departure of the Ivy League Player of the Year?

The answer to that question comes to mind more easily in 2005-2006: just do it again.

Last year, the Crimson earned a share of the Ivy League title after the graduation of Hana Peljto ’04, the school’s second all-time leading scorer and three-time Ivy Player of the Year. This year, the Crimson must overcome the loss of 2005 Ivy Player of the Year Reka Cserny ’05.

Harvard returns two starters from last year’s squad and welcomes a talented five-person freshman class, one that Delaney-Smith thinks just might be her best crop of newcomers ever. Add to that the newfound balance of an offense without an established superstar, and the Crimson is all too ready to reclaim the Ivy crown this season.

“They are so ready,” Delaney-Smith says of her squad. “And almost to a disadvantage when you have a dominant player like we’ve had over the years, other players will wait and let them do their thing, even though I don’t want that to happen. We have people here who can put the ball in the basket.”

The Crimson brings an entirely different offensive set into this season, boasting more size, speed, and depth than Harvard brought to the table a year ago. Cserny, despite being 6’3, played primarily on the perimeter, tallying most of her points on jumpshots or drives to the lane.

In the absence of a low-post game, Harvard relied upon gritty defense and solid perimeter play in 2004-2005. Cserny was instrumental, using her speed to blow by slower post players and make frequent trips to the free throw line. She accounted for almost 30 percent of Harvard’s offense last year, averaging 20.9 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.

This season, the Crimson will rely upon a more balanced offensive attack—a potent inside-outside game facilitated by speedy guard play and much more size and bulk in the post.

“Quickness in the guard spot and power and height inside is better for us, actually,” Delaney-Smith says. “We had no one who actually liked the low post [last year]. You can’t pound these kids. Where they’re not finishing yet, they will finish because they’re powerful, they shield better, [and] they like to bump.”

Sophomore forward Adrian Budischak returns from a foot injury that sidelined her for nearly all of last year. Budischak will be joined on the front line by returning starter Shana Franklin, 6’1 junior Christiana Lackner, 6’0 sophomore Lauren Freid, 6’3 freshman Liz Tindal, and 6’7 freshman center Emma Moretzsohn.

The perimeter is equally deep, with captain and 2005 Honorable Mention All-Ivy selection Jessica Holsey returning after a breakout season last year. Holsey averaged 11.9 points per contest and was the team’s leading scorer in six games. Delaney-Smith will move Holsey from point guard to shooting guard this season, giving her more perimeter looks and more free reign to drive to the hole. Senior Laura Robinson, sophomore Lindsay Hallion, and coveted freshman Emily Tay will all see time at the one spot.

“You’re not going to come in here and stop Reka and have a chance at beating us,” Delaney-Smith says. “You can’t come in here and stop any one player and have a chance of beating us because we have far too many weapons and we will be more balanced than we’ve been in the past.”

All of the Crimson’s guards are dual threats on the perimeter and off the dribble, a strength that will open up the lane for the Harvard forwards and create match-up problems for both man-to-man and zone defenses. Delaney-Smith has also installed a new-look motion offense that emphasizes more ball movement and high-low exchanges in the post.

Whereas last year’s offense appropriately centered around Cserny, this year’s setup caters to the balance and depth Delaney-Smith has all over the court.

“Just because we’re so talented, I think each player within the offense has kind of the ability to create their own offense and still not break it,” Holsey says. “We’re going to give a lot of teams a hard time.”

—Staff writer Aidan E. Tait can be reached at atait@fas.harvard.edu.