Kings Park Girls Basketball Preview

The Kings Park girls basketball team has some unfinished business, and it has the personnel to carry out that task as well. After being stunned by Harborfields in the Class A county championship game, the Lady Kingsmen have all the firepower they need to make a return trip, and they certainly don't lack in the motivation department either. Tom Edmundson is in his second year as head coach after five years as an assistant under Ed Duddy, and this year's crew has as good of a chance to hoist some hardware at season's end as the program's had in some time.

2009-10 Record: 18-3

Head Coach: Tom Edmundson (2nd year)

Key Players:

• Meghan Eckel, 5-9, Sr., G: Eckel's been the team's floor general since transferring in. A product of the vaunted Northport system, Eckel can burn defenders off the dribble and get good looks at the hoop. She'll do a little bit of everything for the Lady Kingsmen, as evidenced by her 12-point, 10-assist, 11-steal triple-double in KP's opener against Mattituck.

• Marion Kawecki, 5-11, Sr., G: A double-figure threat every night, Kawecki gets her points predominantly using dribble penetration but she can also fill it up from outside. Edmundson says she is "quite amazing to watch" no matter where the production's coming from. However, thanks to outstanding athleticism, her strongest attribute might very well be her on-the-ball defense. 

• Taylor Bailey, 6-0, Sr., C: She's come into her own in this the last of three years on varsity. Her early-season efforts included a 15-point, 10-rebound night against powerful North Babylon. Bailey's developed a nice mid-range jumper to go with a solid interior game.

• Daniele Buoncore, 5-9, Sr., F: Buoncore returns to Kings Park after a two-year stint at St. Anthony's. She'll be among the Lady Kingsmen's leading scorers most nights, and contribute heavily on the backboards as well. Last year's absence means it will take time for Buoncore to adjust to Edmundson's system on both ends of the floor, but she's already been a huge factor in spite of that.

Key Losses:

• Jamie Romano: All-County selection, school record-holder in rebounds and blocks; also led '09-10 team in points, assists and steals; playing lacrosse at Division I Marist. Said Edmundson: "We'll miss her leadership more than we'll miss the stats she put up."

Key Games:

• Thursday, January 6, vs. Sayville (Coaches v. Cancer game), JV 4 p.m., varsity 6:15 p.m.)
• Tuesday, February 1, vs. Miller Place, 5:45 p.m.
• Friday, February 11, at Harborfields, 6 p.m.

Expectations: "We want to win our league and we want to make it back to the county finals," Edmundson said. Last winter, Kings Park defeated Harborfields by double digits twice during the regular season but were stunned in the county final, 45-36. It was the Lady Tornadoes fourth straight Class A title.

News & Notes: The Kingsmen will run an array of defenses that will put the focus on the opposition's ballhandling, from full-, three-quarter and half-court traps to full-court man-to-man. Their goal is to average fewer than 35 points a night for the season; thus far, they gave up 72 in a seven-point loss North Babylon but held Mattituck to 32 and Seaford to 35, both KP wins. … What's key to running such a swarming defense is that Edmundson feels especially strong about the first eight players in his rotation. Among them is Marjorie Duffel, a three-sport athlete who her coach called "one of the quickest, toughest athletes I've ever seen." Additionally, referring to her endurance, he said, "she could go for days." …

KP will go the season without sophomore Kristen Picciano, who suffered a back injury in the Seaford game. … On Thursday, January 6, the Kingsmen will host Sayville in the first annual Coaches vs. Cancer night. The varsity squad will face the Golden Flashes at 6:15 p.m.; prior to that, the JV squad will play (4 p.m.) and local CYO teams will fill in the gap between the two tip-offs. Stop in to make a donation; also, the team is running a bake sale at the door. Call the athletic department if your business would like to partake.