Kristy Curry may be raiding home improvement stores across Lubbock this week depending on how practice goes. She’ll be looking for props to distribute to her Lady Raiders.

Roberson

“I wish I had a window screen to send home with them every night,” Curry said after practice Wednesday. “They have got to understand the importance of doing little things right.”

Screening has been a major emphasis in practice as Texas Tech closes in on the start of basketball season. Curry and her staff are installing a more free-form offense this year, allowing players to choose their moves on the court rather than adhere to rigid plays. While players appreciate the freedom on the court, Curry said it requires perfect execution of the fundamentals.

She’s drilled “the three Ws”: stay wide, wait on your screen, watch and read the defense.

Curry

Almost two weeks into practice, Tech has moved on from overall concepts, and is now focused on perfecting the details.

“We’re down to the nitty-gritty,” forward Jordan Barncastle said. “Reading the defense is the difference in getting the shot selection we want. It’s setting a screen two more feet to the right. It’s waiting half a second longer to get the perfect shot rather than having to force an unbalanced shot.

“It may seem ridiculous, but it’s those little details that if we overlook, it’s going to make a difference.”
Barncastle said last year’s offense often felt robotic, and “any defense can guard a robotic offense.”
Now it’s different.

Barncastle

“It’s not pass here, screen here, do this, do that,” she said. “It’s pass, then take a second to read and see if you can make a back screen, down screen. It’s about reading the defense.”

Implementing this new offense shows Curry’s confidence in her eight-member recruiting class, which includes six true freshmen. With more raw talent, athleticism and depth this year, she said the team has the basketball IQ to make decisions on the fly rather than rigidly following set plays.

Forward Ashlee Roberson said the newcomers in particular benefited from recent two-a-day sessions, where coaches spent the afternoon reviewing concepts introduced in the morning.

“It gets them more reps with what’s going on and how to do it,” Roberson said. “The second part is like a refresher, remembering what we did earlier.”

Curry would still like to see the team improve its patience in executing the offense; she says that is largely why she spends so much of practice on details. Tech’s season starts Nov. 14 against Sam Houston State; the Lady Raiders have a neutral-site contest against women’s basketball powerhouse Tennessee just three days later. They’ll also play at UCLA before the nonconference season ends.

The Lady Raiders hope that, if they execute it well, their new offense can also serve as a defense against good defenses they’ll face from November into March.

“I feel like in our new offense, you pass and you wait; it depends on them,” Barncastle said. “You don’t do one set thing and the other four players don’t do one set thing. It’s making reads and being basketball intelligent.”

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