Burrell girls basketball looks to make playoff trips commonplace

By: Nathan Breisinger
Tuesday, November 14, 2023 | 5:22 PM

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When Shaun Reddick became head coach of the Burrell girls basketball program, he knew he was undertaking a rebuilding process.

In the third year of his tenure with the Bucs, he’s ready to see his program follow a standard that was established last season.

After compiling just three wins two seasons ago, Burrell clinched a playoff berth last year on the final game day of the regular season after defeating Deer Lakes. Although the Bucs fell to the eventual Class 3A runner-up Laurel in the opening round of the playoffs, that taste of postseason play has grown the appetite for success.

“This is something we expect this year,” Reddick said about making the playoffs. “We’ve got to go out and work for it, yes, but that’s an expectation now. It’s no longer a ‘we hope’ or ‘we’d like to.’ It’s like, ‘Hey, we’ve been there, so now let’s stay there.’”

A lot of the progress that was made last year to help the Bucs to a 9-14 overall record and 4-6 mark in Section 3-3A directly correlated to five seniors who have since departed.

Now, Reddick will search for a younger wave of production that is led by two junior returners in guard Anna Clark and forward Jules Fisher.

“They’ve been playing since they were freshman, so they’ve been seeing significant time all along,” Reddick said. “It’s nice having them on the floor to keep things calm.”

Sophomore guard Casey Brancato will join Clark and Fisher as three of the key pieces this season for the Bucs after fulfilling a large role during her freshman year.

“Those three will be a big part of what we do,” Reddick said.

While a lot of the experience departed after last season, the Bucs will be without one of their only seniors to start the year. Senior forward Cassidy Ley is expected to miss the beginning of the season as she recovers from an ACL injury.

Therefore, the frontcourt is left with a vacancy that will be filled by both Fisher and freshman Makiah Buchak.

“Makiah will play a four, which Jules has been playing the last couple of years, but she slots in nicely at the five position,” Reddick said.

Additionally, Reddick will add one of his smallest players into the frontcourt mix in junior Bella Stewart.

“Even though Bella is 5-2, she plays like she’s 6-1,” Reddick said. “She has a lot of heart, gets a lot of rebounds and is not afraid to go inside.”

As Reddick configures his rotation for the start of the season, he plans on sliding Clark from the point guard position to either the two or three guard, which will allow freshman McKenna Miller to receive reps running the offense.

Burrell will look to its freshman in Miller and Buchak to provide some important minutes.

“They both fill a role that we need, so they will get some opportunities early in the season to see what they can do,” Reddick said. “Hopefully they’ll reach up and grab that opportunity and take advantage of it.”

With the mindset of yet again competing in its section with the likes of Shady Side Academy, Apollo Ridge and Mt. Pleasant, the Bucs will be faced with their own challenges of being undersized and young. However, Reddick believes his team’s intelligence can carry the Bucs far.

“When you are dealing with kids that are really smart and athletic, they pick up on things really quick,” Reddick said. “I really like that aspect of my team. We can accomplish a lot in a short period of time.

“Yeah, you might be a little undersized, but we compensate for it with intelligent play, being in right positions, taking away passing lanes and things like that. It’s definitely an advantage.”

Official practices commence Friday as Reddick will begin to prepare his team for another run at the playoffs and its first postseason win since 2016.

Burrell girls basketball at a glance

Coach: Shaun Reddick

Last year’s record: 9-14 (4-6 Section 3-3A)

Returning starters: Anna Clark (jr., G), Jules Fisher (jr., F)

Top newcomer: Makiah Buchak (fr., F)

Tags: Burrell