Curious though she was, new head coach Kerry Cremeans didn’t immediately review video of her new team and players in action from last season. Cremeans wanted a fresh, untainted perspective once she finally got the Pioneers into the gym.
And what has she learned about her DU squad? Although the Pioneers have lost Kaetlyn Murdoch, who ended her career as one of the program’s all-time leaders in scoring and rebounding, DU is well-stocked at the guard position as Cremeans implements an up-tempo style of play.
“I have not watched much film of the team, and that has been on purpose,” Cremeans says. “I didn’t want to know the stats, didn’t want to know who the starters are, and I’ve been able to form my own opinion.
“For this team, we’ll have to outwork our opponents,” she continues. “We’re not going to be big, but we’ll be capable of playing aggressive defense. And we have a veteran point guard who knows how to push the ball up the court.”
That point guard, senior Emiko Smith, already has rewritten the DU record book by compiling a program-best 533 assists during her first three seasons. Smith increased her scoring average by nearly four points last season and will be expected to make a similar jump this year to help offset the loss of Murdoch.