On the surface, 2012-13 was a great season for the McMaster women’s basketball team. They improved as the season went on, they produced an OUA All-Star and an All-Canadian Rookie, and they won more games this year than in the past three.

But head coach Theresa Burns has more to be excited about than the accolades.

“I’m proud of how far we’ve come from an on-court, technical performance standpoint. But I think we’ve always had a pretty positive team culture, and it’s hard to think, okay, how can we make this even better?” explained Burns.

Burns says the second half of the season was overall successful, but the winter break trip to the University of Calgary was her personal favourite point in the season. The Marauders averaged 75.6 points per game and beat the Canada West powerhouse Calgary Dinos.

The Marauders have the luxury of returning every player next year, and Burns is looking forward to bringing back what she calls is the hardest working group she’s ever coached.

“You’re working with these absolutely 100 per cent committed people. Their work ethic is just off the charts. It’s pretty special,” she said.

“Having the whole team return is also a testament to the leadership. Everybody bought in to the culture.”

Burns pointed to Hailey Milligan as one of the players who played a major leadership role while also improving her on-court performance.

Milligan exploded in the second-half of the season, tossing aside every defensive strategy thrown at her by the OUA West. The highlight performance of her season was a 27-point, 14-rebound showing against Laurier. The OUA All-Star erased any doubts that her fourth season was going to be her breakout year and not just an anomaly.

While Mac’s head coach was extremely proud of the squad, the time away from the day-to-day grind of the season has given the coaching staff some focus points for the offseason.

“In the playoffs, you find out where you are strong and where you need work. Clearly in the OUA West Final against Windsor, and then the OUA Bronze game against Ottawa, the depth of scoring was a problem. It was an issue all year,” Burns said.

To address the concern about a lack of bench scoring, Burns is taking a two-pronged approach. First, she hopes to use the offseason to turn into her players into more well-rounded ones on the offensive. Mac struggled to sustain a strong half-court offence for the majority of the season – an area that hurt the team against the stronger squads in the CIS.

The veteran coach says that having an all-around offensive game will allow for more synergy in the offence while also allowing for less reliance on the talents of Hailey Milligan and Danielle Boiago.

Mac has also landed some recruits that will diversify the Marauder scoring. Hamilton local Lexie Spadafora will gear up for the Maroon and Grey in 2013, and her presence brings another facet to the high-tempo attack. The guard was near the top of the scoring leader board for the Hamilton high schools hoops scene.

The other notable recruit is Jelena Mamic, who was the top player on an OFSAA bronze medal team.

Between Boiago, Spadafora, Mamic, and Vanessa Bonomo, McMaster is poised to have one of the most lethal backcourts in the OUA.

As the offseason begins, Burns says the team is already chomping at the bit to get back on the court. Last year, Mac used the offseason to reach an elite level of fitness. This year, the team will look to maintain that intensity while also tweaking aspects of their on-court performances.

With a young roster and a wealth of experience, the Maroon and Grey could be adding some bronze, silver or gold next season.

Scott Hastie

Assistant Sports Editor

Head coach Amos Connolly’s season may have ended Feb. 23, but that does not mean the bench boss took any time off.

The most important aspect of the early offseason is recruiting, and the Marauders go after the top recruits very hard. Connolly says he does not cast a wide net; he goes after a small number of blue-chip prospects. It’s a high-risk, high-reward strategy.

But for the second year in a row, that gamble has worked out. McMaster announced two major recruits over the past week: Hamid Nessek, a 6’ guard from Hamilton’s Academie Catholique Mere-Teresa (ACMT) and Trevon McNeil, a 6’ 1” guard out of Oakville’s Holy Trinity. Both recruits are ranked in the top of their class and received attention from a number of top programs.

Mac’s newest addition addresses a number of concerns for Connolly, on both sides of the ball.“This year proved that we need more ball handlers. We need guys, similar to Aaron Redpath, who can play the point and shooting guard,” Connolly said. “It gives us a combo guard option. Both of the guys are fantastic defenders, which lets us pressure and play up-tempo.”

Nessek received attention from a number of NCAA Division I schools, with a number of Ivy League schools pursuing the 2013 graduate. One of the most notable programs was the Princeton University Tigers, who appeared in the NCAA tournament in 2011. “The opportunity to get Hamid, who wants to be a doctor, that’s a no-brainer. He’s arguably the best player coming out of Hamilton this year,” said Connolly. McNeil was also rumoured to be on the radar of the Carleton Ravens, who are coming off their ninth national championship, before he committed to the Maroon and Grey.

The Mac coaching staff has being watching the Oakville product for two years and lauded the kind of teammate he is. McNeil brings a talented handle to the court in combination with an excellent mid-range game.

Both recruits come from winning programs. Nessek grabbed an OFSAA silver medal at the AA level and McNeil lost in the OFSAA AAAA bronze medal game. Having players who have experienced success is a huge asset in Connolly’s books.

“Players that come from winning programs have coaches who’ve prepared them differently and that’s a critical factor. They come [to university] and they are not overwhelmed,” explained Connolly.

Grabbing these two guards now puts Mac in a situation where their backcourt is competing with some of the strongest in the OUA. The Marauders’ head coach likened the guard rotation to that of Lakehead’s or Windsor’s.

McMaster is excited about the recent commitments, but the recruiting season is young and there will hopefully be more announcements in the near future.