Season Preview: Will bigger mean better for the Panthers?

By Thomas Becker

After a quick exit from the AUS quarterfinals last March, the UPEI Panthers have found a new identity in hopes of recapturing the championship glory days of 1997-98.

In a busy offseason, head coach Greg Gould searched far and wide in an attempt to retool his roster with size in mind.

"We've had a need here for a low-post player since I've been here," said the fourth-year coach.

It took awhile, but Gould believes he's found the low-post presence he's been looking for to lead a new era of Panther basketball – one that focuses on getting the ball to the painted area rather than settling for perimeter jumpers.

Six-foot-one centre Carolina Del Santos out of Barcelona, Spain was one of nine new recruits who were brought in by the Panther bench boss to right the ship.

"It was great recruiting class and I'm excited to get started," Gould said.

The rookie Del Santos gives Gould balance to a lineup that depended heavily on guard play last season.

"She really is key for us," Gould said. "She's very capable of scoring on the inside. It's going to take double teams to stop her."

But she's not the only recruit with size on their side. In all, Gould added seven players five-foot-nine and above. Only four players on last year's roster matched that height.

"This changes the way we're able to play now. Now we can play from the inside out rather than always playing from the outside in."

The Panthers made another international splash when they recruited Ecuadorian rookie Karla Yepez, a six-foot guard who has experience playing for the national senior team. With her size at the guard position, Gould expects to see a lot of mismatches she can exploit.

"She's an experienced player with a lot of skills that we can use differently. She'll be hard to defend," Gould said.

Joining Yepez in the backcourt are newcomers Kimeshia Henry and local standout Jenna Mae Ellsworth out of Charlottetown. They'll be leaned on to orchestrate an  offence that struggled at times, scoring 63.8 points per game, good for fifth best in the eight-team conference. Ellsworth is expected to be handed the keys to the team as their starting point guard. And at five-foot-10, she provides length and athleticism that isn't usually associated with the position.

"I thought she was the best player coming out of high school in the Maritimes this year.  And I think she's going to surprise some people."

With a young roster filled with first and second year players, Gould expects there will be growing pains when the 20-game journey begins on Nov. 4.

"It won't be easy, but I think we have some pieces that make us very competitive."

Third and fourth year players Jane McLaughlin and Kiera Rigby share the role as the team's leading voice. Their positive demeanor and welcoming ways have made the rookies' transition to their new team and in some cases a new country more comfortable, Gould said.

"They're a tight-knit group who really support one another on and off the court," he said. "When we got together late summer, we did a lot of team bonding activities and the team's become very close ever since."

With a deeper lineup at his disposal, Gould expects a balanced team that can dish the ball on the inside when the offence becomes stagnant and can play out on the perimeter when shots are falling.

"We have a lot of different options," he said. "At any given day we have seven or eight players who could explode and have a great offensive game."

Defensively, UPEI should see an improvement in both rebounding and points allowed. Last season, the Panthers averaged a league-low 31.7 rebounds per game, and struggled to close out defensive possessions by allowing 12.9 offensive boards per contest, the second most of any team.

If they can clean up those numbers and hold opponents to 55 points or fewer – a goal Gould set out for his team – then anything can happen.

"It always comes down to defence," he said. "If you want to win you have to be able to defend and I think we're working hard to get there."

The Panthers aren't the only team who got better, though, as top-tier teams like Saint Mary's, Acadia, Cape Breton and UNB added to their contending rosters.

"I still think we can play with those teams," Gould said. "I really like the group we have and I think that group can grow and become a championship team over the next couple years."

The Panthers won't have to wait long as their season kicks off in back-to-back games against the St. F.X. X-Women Nov. 4 and Nov. 5 at 6 p.m.

Party with the Panthers on opening night

To open the inaugural basketball season on Friday, Nov. 4, UPEI Athletics and Recreation invites you, the fan, to experience Panther Basketball Opening Night like never before.

The night features a pre-game light show and player introduction in the newly renovated gymnasium at the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre. The first 500 fans will receive Courtside Day T-shirts courtesy of Courtside Sneakers and a chance to win great prizes. The evening will be capped off with a special guest appearance of the award-winning P.E.I. band, Paper Lions.

After the games, meet players like AUS second-team all-Canadian Tyler Scott of your men's basketball Panthers. Meet women's basketball player Karla Yepez, who played for the Ecuadorian national team, along with fellow international standout Carolina Del Santos out of Barcelona Spain. And finally with the men's hockey team playing that night, don't miss your chance at meeting former NHL prospects Austin Levi (third-round pick by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2010) and Cody Payne (fifth-round pick by the Boston Bruins in 2012).

Panther Package holders get first crack at the new stadium-style seats located in the gymnasium, so get yours fast. You can reserve and personalize your seat for an additional $25.