He’s back, bringing with him a winning attitude

Sometimes a new coach will get a team to perform better. Look at the LA Lakers under Luke Walton at 7-5 (the Lakers were 21-61 last season).

The return of Trojans girls basketball coach Bob Hopkins to the court hopes to a similar impact on the Trojans (2-16 last year).

The team has a new attitude and it can be felt on the practice court. It is a vibe that wasn’t there before.

This new energy has spread like a virus throughout the whole team.

“I feel something different, we are already so far ahead of where we started in the past,” senior guard Bethany Calvert said. “Everyone is really excited this year. I think this is something we have been lacking. We haven’t had that excitement. I am really excited that everyone else is excited. And I think this is going to translate onto the court.”

Senior forward Helen Vann agrees.

“There is this energy out here,” Vann said. “It’s a new year. We have a whole new coaching staff and a brand new team. We have nine seniors that have been working together for the past three years and now we have a coach to guide us in the right direction to achieve all our goals.”

The style that Hopkins brings is tried and true. Hopkins was responsible for taking the girls to two state championships, in 2004 and 2005. From 2000 to 2008, the Trojans girls team made seven state tournament appearances.

“Nothing has changed, I remember a lot of these drills back from back then,” an observer at Tuesday’s practice said.

As far as the type of game he likes to play on the court, it’s nothing fancy.

“We will play hard, and play pressure man-to-man defense and occasionally drop into a zone,” the coach said. “We will also be doing some full-court press and we want to get up and down the floor.”

He has changed the way the girls think about basketball and has addressed the fundamentals, changing the way they pass and shoot the ball.

The team had no problem getting up and down the court last year. The problem was once they got down there, the ball wouldn’t drop into the net.

Hopkins addressed this concern.

“We had a lot of them work on shooting this summer and the shooting has improved,” he said. “That is something we will work over the course of the season. We use something called ‘the guns’ and they are like a pitching machine. There’s a big net and the machine shoots the ball out to you. You don’t have to rebound and you get lots of shots out.”

But will this address shooting under pressure? The coach seems to think so.

“Shoot on the gun and once they get confidence in themselves, it takes just one game where the balls go in,” Hopkins said.

Vann thinks it’s working.

“He always has told us that as soon as we walk through that door to drop any problems we have outside of basketball and come out here and enjoy the game,” Vann said. “He said if we get frustrated or anything, don’t count on our missed shots, count on your made shots. If you make a mistake, fix it. Don’t tear yourself up about it. Every single person has improved on their shooting out here. Even if they have been out here for two days they have improved on it.”

Of course, fans always say that things won’t change overnight, but Hopkins thinks differently.

“The first year I coached, I lost the first game and then won 20 in a row,” Hopkins said. “If girls buy into the system— that’s why I brought Lance England back, for he coached during the championship year. I also have added Sarah Coleman, who was on the state championship team and Brittney Orr, who was on a state championship runner-up team. They know what we did and know how to get where we need to be.”

He tells his girls to listen to these young coaches because they did it.

But are the girls listening and have they bought into his style of coaching?

Calvert seems to think so.

“I have totally bought into his system,” she said. “I have only known coach Hopkins since this summer, but I have so much respect for him. When he says, ‘jump,’ I am going to say, ‘how high?’ And I am going to work as hard as I can for him. He knows what he is doing, he has done this so many times. I am just excited for him to coach and give me that insight of what it takes to be state champs.”

Vann said it’s hard work learning the system but it’s all about the way he teaches it to them.

“Hopkins has a way of teaching people,” Vann said. “He just doesn’t tell us to go do this and this. He walks through it. And if we don’t understand something he sits there and teaches us. He gets on the floor and teaches us how to do something.”

Then there are the detractors that say, “We heard this all before from other coaches. Can you win?”

“Can we do it in one year?” Hopkins said. “We hope to, but if we can’t we will keep working at it.”

Players to watch will be Calvert at point guard and up top, Jordan Egan, Helen Vann, Jill Smith and Koral Hearn.

Hopkins said the team will play the following nonconference games, Moapa Valley, Virgin Valley, Boulder City, Tech and Durango.

The coach said he wants fans to pack the gym on Nov. 29 for the start of the season.

Lady Trojans Schedule

Nov. 29 vs. Moapa Valley, 5 p.m. “Pack the Gym Night”

Dec. 2-3 at River Valley Tourney

Dec. 6 at Durango, 5 p.m.

Dec. 9 vs. Tech, 5 p.m.

Dec. 12 at Bonanza, 5 p.m.

Dec. 14 at Boulder City, 5 p.m.