Krista Gerlich expecting modest gains in third season at helm of Lady Raiders
The goal has been explained since her hiring back in 2020.
And while she tempered expectations — by noting it would take retooled roster, among other things — Krista Gerlich wants to return the Texas Tech women’s basketball program back to prominence.
The third-year Lady Raiders coach will get a chance to explain how that process has progressed when she, along with guards Bryn Gerlich and Bre’Amber Scott, provide their thoughts on an eventful offseason.
The Texas Tech trio is set to join nine other squads Tuesday as part of the women’s portion of Big 12 Media Days held at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. ESPNU and Big 12 Now on ESPN+ will broadcast each day with Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark opening the event with a noon interview and coverage slated until 4:30 p.m.
"I think (our strength) is going to be our depth," Krista Gerlich said back in September. "I don't think that we're going to have any one standout player, if you will. We're going to have some kids obviously that can do some really good things, but I think we're going to have a lot of depth and a lot of consistency. And I think that's going to be huge for us.
"The fact that we're bigger inside and we'll have a post presence is going to help us a lot. And we're just longer and more athletic, so we'll be able to extend our defense into the full court. We'll be able to create some offense from our defense, which will help us when we're struggling, maybe, in the half-court setting."
Scott will be a key cog expected to ensure the offense doesn’t miss a beat without Vivian Gray in the lineup. The Arkansas-Little Rock transfer missed a majority of the season with an injury, but appears primed for a breakout season thanks to her quickness and ability to score in bunches.
With Gray not on the floor, Texas Tech is expected to be more dynamic on offense — in a sense that opposing squads must gameplan for more than one player. This also means the Lady Raiders will need more than Scott to step up their production.
"I don't think you can replace Vivian Gray," Krista Gerlich said back in September, "and obviously what she did on the court. I mean, she's a fantastic player. But I think that we're going to have a group of girls that can really play together and get some great looks. I think we'll be a little bit tougher to guard because you have to defend everyone. It's not going to be so specific about who we're getting the ball to."
That’s where an improved Bryn Gerlich, along with Rhyle McKinney, Ella Tofaeono and Tatum Veitenheimer, come in. Saga Ukkonen and Lana Wenger are expected to push teammates, too.
A slew of transfers and junior college standouts, including 6-foot-5 shot blocker Jojo Nworie from the College of Southern Idaho, are expected to also fill in key voids.
Mississippi State transfer guard Jasmine Shavers, Texas-Arlington graduate transfer forward Katie Ferrell, Houston transfer center Jazmaine Lewis and Texas transfer guard Ashley Chevalier should provide solid minutes and depth.
Add in freshman sensations Bailey Maupin and Kilah Freelon, who have more than impressed teammates and the coaching staff during workouts and practices, and the Lady Raiders have reason to believe they can improve despite being picked to finish seventh in the Big 12 preseason poll.
More:Bailey Maupin poised to set example for West Texas hoopers, aid Lady Raiders to postseason
"As far as our new kids, I thought both freshmen played extremely well," Krista Gerlich said back in August following the Lady Raiders 80-41 win over Ana Liosia Select as part of a exhibition during a foreign tour in Athens, Greece. "I thought Bailey Maupin and Kilah Freelon both just came in and really showed their athleticism. They really give us a burst of energy because of their athleticism. They're really fast, they can jump, they're really smooth when they run.
"I thought that they really played well, especially for freshmen."
More important, though, players and the coaching staff want to earn an NCAA Tournament berth — something the program has missed the last nine seasons.
That journey begins with a season opener set for 5:30 p.m. Nov. 7 against Texas A&M—Corpus Christi inside United Supermarkets Arena.
More:Lady Raiders freshmen garner praise in first action in Greece basketball exhibition
Another one
On Monday, the Lady Raiders added another playmaker to the Class of 2023.
Loghan Johnson, a 5-foot-8 guard at Houston Christian, verbally committed to play for Texas Tech. The four-star prospect, who is ranked the 89th best prospect in the nation by ESPN, joins local standout Kelly Mora and Achol Magot as part of the 2023 class.
Johnson, who previously played at Katy Tompkins for two years before electing to transfer, chose the Lady Raiders over Alabama, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt. In her first season, she helped guide Houston Christian to a 33-0 record while netting a game-best 28 points to power the Mustangs to an 87-43 victory over Episcoal in the Southwest Preparatory Conference championship game back in February.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Krista Gerlich expecting modest gains in third season at helm of Lady Raiders
