Head coach Jamie Craighead knows the Spartans can shoot the basketball with anyone in the conference, but in order to take the next step, they need to focus on defense.
Last season, SJSU left opponents with having to deal with its potent offensive attack and sharp shooting skills from beyond the arc.
“We are better defensively,” Craighead said. “We are at a better point going into this season than we have in the past. We have freshman that have come from programs where they pressed and our upperclassmen are buying into that kind of defense.”
Along with defense, Craighead said the Spartans need to work harder on the boards, creating second chance points and preventing opponents from stealing points on attack after missed shots.
“We have got to get more chances to score,” Craighead said. “In terms of if we are taking a quick shot because it is open, we have to have everyone crashing down to get more rebounds.”
The Spartans as a team are working young this season, dressing five freshman and only four seniors.
“I think the one thing we try to do as recruiters is find players that know how to win,” Craighead said.
While it will take time for these players to get adjusted to the faster college pace, the tough preseason schedule the Spartans face will help prepare the team for conference play.
“If they can just do their jobs this year and not feel like they have to step out and be something bigger than they are,” Craighead said.
Craighead wants her team to use defense to create their offense. Which could pose a challenging while dealing with a young team.
“We want to score more off of our defense,” Craighead said. “From trapping and rotating and getting steals and blocking we have improved a lot from last year.”
The team wants to stress taking pressure off the offense, last season they relied heavily on scoring to make up for lapses on the defensive end.
“We want to score 15 to 20 points per game from our defense,” Craighead said.
The Spartans will look to take the next step this season and the team is on the rise after finishing last season with an improved 11-7 conference record.
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