Throughout last winter's breakout season, the Natick girls basketball team gave coach Oryx Cohen signs that they were building something special.
First it was through their third-place finish at the Comcast Tournament. Then it was an 80-45 win over Needham, who had beaten the Redhawks twice the prior season. Then, just before the MIAA Division 1 state tournament, Natick took down Bay State Conference powerhouse Braintree en route to winning the Roundball Classic. It all accumulated in a 17-6 season that felt stunning compared to the 5-14 record posted one year prior.
"This team definitely, by far, overperformed what we ever could have imagined the teams to do," Cohen said. "We were winning games, but we were not only winning games — we were winning by a lot."
But there's still much left for the Redhawks to accomplish after being upset in the Round of 16 by 11-seed Framingham. Here's what they're aiming for this winter.
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How Bridget Pole can follow up her star leap
Pole, now a junior captain, took the reins during Natick's successful winter. The 5-foot-10 guard doubled her scoring average as a sophomore to 12 points per game and earned recognition as a Bay State Conference All-Star. Cohen was most impressed by her development into a more complete player and go-to scorer.
"She was getting assists, rebounds, steals, (and) she takes care of the ball well and plays really good defense," he said. "So that was the biggest jump she made from Year 1 to Year 2, was becoming an all around player. And I think what the jump from Year 2 to Year 3 is going to be is, now she's a captain, so she's going to be a leader on the team."
Pole's leadership will be valuable on a Natick roster that only brings back six players. She fits in well with what Cohen sees as his program's identity: fast-paced, hard-pressing and quick ball movement. Cohen said Natick forced 27 turnovers per game last winter, which led to an average for 14 extra shots per game for his players.
"A lot of that was due to the style that we played: really pressuring, getting a lot of steals and turnovers and easy baskets," he said.
Kayla Dunlap is a sophomore to watch
Dunlap truly epitomized the breakout nature of last year's team. She joined the starting lineup as a freshman and made an instant impact by sharing the scoring lead with Pole and averaging 12 points, including a season-high 23 against Brookline on Jan. 28.
"She led us in deflections. She was way up there in steals. She was at the top of our press, just wreaking havoc," Cohen said. "That was the biggest surprise, how good Kayla was."
Cohen says Dunlap grew in the offseason from 5-10 to 6 feet. Like with Pole, he's seen her become a more complete scorer in addition to her defensive impact.
"She has developed a variety of post moves. She's going to be a lot better off of two feet (and) a lot better with her back to the basket when the situation arises," he said. "She's also developing her mid-range game, and she shot very well from 3 last season — she was our highest-percentage 3-point shooter. So she has it all."
Alongside Dunlap, keep an eye on senior Katie McMahon as a candidate for a leap. She's another 6-foot forward who asserted herself on the boards in major minutes off the bench last season.
Heightened expectations
Natick used to be a Division 1 stalwart before experiencing several lean years. Cohen, in his third season as head coach, has watched the community support return in droves as he team wins. This offseason, Natick has a record-high 70 girls attend its youth camps.
"It's a sports town, so people now are excited. They're coming to games. That makes it fun to see a full gym, to see people with signs and cheering us on," Cohen said. "And we got a lot of feedback that they love watching us play. They love watching the way that we play — pressing and high-speed and aggressive and hustling, and the community really has embraced that."
The difference this year: Opponents know what's coming. Natick should remain near the top of a deep Bay State Conference, but foes like Braintree and Needham will be strong again. Like with other Division 1 contenders, Natick sees a chance to break through at a statewide level.
"We have very high goals. We expect to have success. The only difference is that it's not going to be a surprise to anybody this season," he said.
