Staley ready for brighter year 2

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina coach Dawn Staley sees a much brighter — and taller — picture than she did a year ago.

And it's a good thing, since Staley doesn't want to go through another season like her last one.

The Gamecocks were 10-18, a non factor in the Southeastern Conference and Staley struggled to get her team playing with the effort and drive necessary to succeed.

"After the season that we had last year, when you end that way, you want to just get back in the gym and work on some things," Staley said Tuesday.

So Staley went to work — and attracted one of the country's best players in 6-foot-5 Kelsey Bone to lightly regarded South Carolina. Bone joins with another Parade Magazine All-American in Ieasia Walker to bring the Gamecocks one of the best classes in their history.

"We've added some depth and some talent and some skill to our basketball team," Staley said. "I think skill and hard work is a great combination that will hopefully produce some excitement and some wins."

The Gamecocks start practice, along with programs across the country, on Friday.

Staley has won three Olympic gold medals, reached the Final Four as a collegian and starred in two women's pro leagues. So she says she was stunned a year ago when her players wouldn't go as hard as she knew they needed to. It probably would've taken a championship caliber team to win with South Carolina's schedule last year, which included powerhouses Connecticut and Stanford, along with the regular SEC opponents.

Injuries didn't help either. Staley lost two of her best players to knee injuries in forward Demetress Adams and guard Brionna Dickerson in the middle of SEC season.

Staley wrote in a New York Times first-person piece last March discussing the NCAA tournament pairings that she expected "to have a lot more company watching the (selection) show, waiting for South Carolina to pop up on the screen."

Bone could be a large part of that. She turned down Texas and Texas A&M in her home state to help right a South Carolina program that hasn't been to the NCAA tournament since 2003.

Bone, 17, has excelled at basketball throughout her life and expects a successful transition at South Carolina.

"It's time to take it up a couple of more notches and be able to perform," Bone said.

Staley, who has not guaranteed a starting spot to anyone including Bone, knows it won't be easy.

"Should she start talent wise? Yes," Staley said. "Am I going to give it to her? Absolutely not."

Staley wants Bone and the rest of her players to display the passion and desire in practice to earn a starting spot.

Just as important as Bone could be Walker, a 5-foot-8 point guard from Amityville, N.Y. Staley says Walker has to grow as the take-charge leader on the floor. Unfortunately, when you have a player of that mold in Staley as your coach, practices can get difficult for the first-year player. "I probably call her name the most," Staley said.

But that's because Walker, who averaged 23 points, 11 rebounds and five assists at Copiague High School, brings an element at her position Staley didn't have last year.

Walker said she's already learned that Staley won't hold anything in. "She's honest, which is good," Walker said. "So you just got take it all in and get better."

If things come together the way Staley hopes, she'll have the successful season she wants. "I think we're a step closer to competing the way we want," she said.