Trying to rebuild a basketball program from the ground up is not a process that happens overnight. However, first year Fort Campbell girls basketball coach Larry Dixon has taken the first significant step towards getting the turnaround started.
That first step was simply getting some girls to come out and play for the Lady Falcons. During the 2018-2019 season, Fort Campbell, on more than one occasion, had trouble just suiting up enough players to take to the court. Thanks to the efforts of Dixon, and his staff, the Fort Campbell Lady Falcons had 14 players in uniform at Meet the Falcons, no small feat considering the team rarely suited up more than six players at a time last season.
Experience will be an issue for the Lady Falcons this season, as essentially there is none. Two players who saw action during the 2018-2019 season are back for Fort Campbell this year. Freshman Asia Cabili, who averaged around 4 points per game last season, and sophomore Danielle Houston, who averaged around 2 points per game, will be the core around which this team is built.
Finding a way to get more points on the board will be a key for the Lady Falcons. Last season, Fort Campbell scored just 293 points in 26 games, for an average of 11.3 points per contest.
Youth is the keyword for the Lady Falcons. There are no seniors on the roster for the 2019-2020 season, and only one junior. Fort Campbell will begin the season with two sophomores, three freshmen, three 8th graders, and five 7th graders. Most with no experience in the Lady Falcon program.
An early season win would be huge for the confidence level in this program. The Lady Falcons last win came in February 2016, so finding a way early in the schedule to pick up a win would be a big boost to a very young squad. That, and being more competitive over the course of the season would be a huge first year step for a coaching staff with the fire and energy that it takes to get the building process going.
The Lady Falcons appear to be laying a solid foundation for turning the program around. The key may be getting the players to realize that this is a process and it is not going to happen overnight. Everyone who is truly a high school basketball fan should cheer these young ladies along this season.
Coach Larry Dixon looks ahead to the season in this video.
