With basketball season about to start, The Rider Chronicle sat down with head girls basketball coach Kendall Webb to ask a few questions about him entering his promising third year. The Lady Raiders have a Saturday scrimmage and begins the regular season on Nov. 9.

Q: How long have you been coaching? Where were you coaching before Rider?

A: This will be 10 years in education. I was at Panhandle for two years and then three years at Littlefield. 

Q: What was your first two years at Rider like?

A: It’s been challenging, but also it’s been one of those that you come in and try to build a program and develop your system. I think this year will be the year that we’ll start seeing the seeds that were planted and develop in the girls.   

Q: What are your expectations for the team this year? 

A: I think we’re going to have a better year. Overall, we just need to make playoffs, but I think just to develop each and every day and keep growing and develop the program and the team.    

Q: How did not making the playoffs last year helped motivate the team? 

A: Last year we were inexperienced, and I think that played a big part. It motivated the girls in a way that they kind of know what they needed to work on to develop to get better for this year.

Q: Who are some young players to watch for?

A: We have two freshmen; one of them is Jalynn Bristow. She’ll be one of our go-to girls, and we have a point guard Ashlynn Knight who will be a freshman, who will step into that point guard role. Then we have Addy Self (sophomore), who we returned from last year.

Q: What all do they bring to the table?

A: I think just the athleticism and then their basketball skill level. I think that’s definitely one thing that makes them stand out. Just overall how they play the game and their confidence they can have.

Q: Is the team more experience or is it young?

A: We definitely have more experience. We’re still young in the way that we only have one senior, and so we returned everybody from last year.