Quarter of players fills shoes of former Lady Raiders' star

By Jeff Cochran

jeff.cochran@onlineathens.com

DANIELSVILLE -- Madison County coach Dan Lampe repeated the maxim over and over to his team before the start of the season.

Perhaps he was only trying to convince his players, but maybe also to convince himself â€" the Lady Raiders were going to be as good, if not better, without Courtney Freeman, the Banner-Herald's 2009 girls player of the year.

"I probably talked about it way too much," Lampe said. "They got tired of me talking about that. I kept using it to get them going. I told them we need other people stepping up. Together, we can make that up."

Freeman led the Lady Raiders to the Class AAAA semifinals in 2008 and to a Region 8-AAAA title in 2009. She graduated at the end of last season and is playing at Appalachian State in Boone, N.C.

Left behind are a group of three seniors and a sister â€" Tydra Arnold, Lauren Smith, Juvonna Fleming and Kayla Freeman â€" to make sure Madison County continues its string of success.

Courtney Freeman's most obvious contribution to the team in her four years as a power forward were her collection of points and rebounds, both of which were often in double figures. But Lampe also had to figure out how to replace her role as a defensive leader.

"The less obvious has probably been the most important, and that is the adjustment in our man-to-man defense against certain teams," the coach said. "Courtney always afforded us easy matchups. It didn't matter. We are finding people that can help cover those spots."

Asking one player to step into the shoes of one of the program's best all-time players would not only be a daunting task, it would also likely lead to failure.

Instead, Lampe approached Arnold, Smith, Fleming and Kayla Freeman to lead a team-wide effort to pick up the slack left by Courtney Freeman. At 14-5 so far this season, the Lady Raiders have managed not to take a significant step back.
Last year at this point, they were 15-4. Madison County hosts Habersham Central tonight.

"I think we are just starting to hit our stride," Fleming said. "We are picking up, and as a team, we are all starting to fill our roles."

Each of the four players has a distinct role that they fill on the team, but perhaps the player with the most pressure is Kayla Freeman, Courtney's sister. She said that before the season started some people were expecting her to just pick up where her sister left off.

While Kayla and Courtney share the same last name, they do not share the same style of play.

"I feel pressure there, but I can only play my game," she said. "A lot of people are going to relate my game to hers, but I can only do what I can do. I do different things that Courtney didn't do and she did things that I don't do."

Kayla Freeman's biggest contribution is made under the basket with rebounds and points in the paint, nearly averaging a double-double so far this season. Earlier this year, she scored her 1,000th point in just her junior year.

As the team's point guard, Lauren Smith provides the team with senior leadership and the ability to distribute the ball to the rest of the team's playmakers. She is convinced that her team is greater than the sum of its parts.

"It is working. We at least get six players in the books every game," Smith said. "Everyone knows what their role is and everyone contributes. We have to play as a team, and I think we are doing that. It took a minute to get used to it."

Fleming is considered the team's "defensive specialist." While she doesn't have the inside presence that Courtney Freeman did, she has the same leadership skills to get people in the right place. She also plays an important role off the court.

"I don't score as much. I'm more of a defensive player," Fleming said. "I play more of the mother role. I keep them settled down and keep them out of trouble."

Arnold is one of the team�s best offensive threats. Lampe said that when she gets hot from the perimeter, any team is going to have a hard time stopping her. She also has the ability to drive to the basket and push the game's pace.

When the Lady Raiders made their run to the semifinals in Arnold's sophomore year, Lampe said it was her that helped carry the team in postseason.

"I'm the person that will go to the hole and not care about getting hammered. That's me," Arnold said. "Then I can pull up for my jump shot when I have it."

It seems odd to think that a team might end up being better without a player like Courtney Freeman, but Lampe believes the Lady Raiders will be as strong as ever by the time the region tournament comes around.

"She was our focal point on offense," Lampe said. "Once we get rolling, there is not one person you can focus on. We've got four legitimate scorers."

And perhaps repeating it over and over to his players is starting to sink in.

"Courtney's gone," Arnold said, "but we still have to do our thing."