What will next year's Highland women's basketball look like?

Photo courtesy of Highland Community College in Freeport, IL

Well, until it's confirmed, we're going to assume the Cougars will be with just Courtney Shiffer as one of the members of last year's Freeport 1,000-point club.

Which means the 2010 (weird typing that year out) Highland women's basketball team will have an exceptional frontcourt.

Mallory Magee, Renee Deuth and Shiffer could be on the floor all at the same time.

Not to mention, Taylor Gallentine from Prophetstown.

The question is, will they?

Magee was a solid defender last season in the post. Deuth can be strong on the defensive boards at times and Shiffer is versitile enough to play the 3 or the 4.

Personally, Magee would work better on offense as a small forward, as she can hit 3s. Shiffer can cut the basket, at least at the high school level, better and has some pretty decent post moves to draw fouls and score.

Both can play with their backs to the basket, but Magee (listed at 6-foot) has a better outside shot.

Deuth (listed at 6-foot, but closer to 5-10 can do a bit of both, but is better suited facing the basket for a 15-footer.

Then there's the Ashanti Walker. She's apparently a 6-footer (it's been published that she's anywhere from 5-foot-10 to 6-foot-1) and a legit center.

She'll likely play the 5, depending on her play. It's been two years since she's been on the floor as the former UIC prospect blew out her knee in 2006 and never really garnered playing time.

How much the South Holland native has lost since then will be interesting to see.

Could you imagine how tough it would be for teams to shoot on a line-up with four 6-footers (I'm using that term loosely)?

Alexi Tann is expected to return next season, but will have to improve as a true point guard. She still has ball-handling and vision issues that will need to be corrected in order for the Cougars to have a chance to repeat as Arrowhead Conference champs and make a return trip to Salina, Kansas.

Obviously, there's a big void to fill with everything Jackie Barton brought to Highland's backcourt.

Nicole Olsen played in spurts in 2009, but she's more of a complimentary player than a starter.
If Suporia Dickens commits to Highland soon, she could be the answer to filling up the shooting guard spot.

Dickens showed flashes at times that she can shoot from the perimeter, but she'll need to elevate her game at the JUCO level. With forwards and legit centers as talented in down low as the better NJCAA teams, she'll have to adjust.

She finished better with contact than any other player on Freeport's back-to-back state runner up teams, but she won't be able to depend on that at this level.

Her responsibilities at shooting guard will be different than her forward/guard spot a year ago. Katie Norman was the point guard and Caitlin Greene was the Pretzels' 2-guard, so it'll be interesting to see how the starting roster pans out.

She need to come off the bench, but there's still a gaping hole at shooting guard.