Girls Basketball Preview: It's role call for favored Lady Roos Posted On: Monday, Nov. 2 2009 04:53 AM By Kevin Posival
Killeen Daily Herald

Jasmine Baugus' role has changed. But then again, all of the roles have changed.

As District 25-4A co-champions last season, the Killeen Lady Roos are expected to again lead the district this season. Baugus, a senior forward, is expected to lead the Lady Roos.

"There are some people that are going to be in such different roles than what they played last year," said Killeen

coach Latisha Williams. "They're just going to have to step up.

"For example, like Baugus, she's got to do a lot more this year … but there are some other people coming off the bench or didn't play as much last year that are going to come into these roles that they've never seen before."

Baugus was the third option ever since she was a freshman on varsity, but with the graduation of Imani Dunn (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi) and Breanna Shaw (Allen Community College, Iola, Kan.), Baugus is expected to become the focal point of the Roos.

"This season without them, it will still be good because we have a lot of athletic people, a lot of new, incoming people that are going to be on varsity so it'll (still) be good. Probably better than last year," Baugus said.

The Lady Roos finished 28-7 last year, tied with Marble Falls for a share of the district title, which was Killeen's first since 1992, and beat Austin Reagan and Boerne Champion in the playoffs for their first postseason wins since 1992.

"… Nobody is talking about anything less than a few rounds deep in the playoffs. Nobody is talking about that because it's what is expected now," said Williams,

who has led the Roos to four playoff appearances in five season.

In addition to Baugus, Williams is excited about the return of senior Traecia Nichols and sophomore Mariah Shaw, Breanna's younger sister.

"Both of them are just big bodies who love to rebound and love contact and stuff like that. I think they're going to help a lot," Williams said.

"Traecia, she had limited minutes last year, but when she came out she was just a spark … Same thing with Mariah. She did play a lot (last year), but she didn't score as much as she needed to, and that's going to have to be her thing this year."

Getting the ball into Baugus, Shaw and Nichols, though, is more suspect without Dunn.

"(The guards) really need to show me that they can handle it," Williams said. "…I've got to have the trust in them to take the ball down the court and I think that, with time, that will develop."

Even then, Williams said, the Lady Roos should be clicking when it comes time to defend or outright earn the district title.

"I think the kids are really confident and I think that winning has now become the habit...," said Williams. "It's not even just expected from me, it's expected from them, now. I don't think they would know what to do with themselves if it didn't happen."

Contact Kevin Posival at kposival@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7562.