Ashland University women's, men's teams taking full advantage of elite post play

ASHLAND − There's a large sector of pundits, viewers and fans that have watched basketball religiously over the years will have you believe that in today's game the post game is nonexistent. Maybe even dead, depending on who you ask. And they might be accurate to a degree.

The game of basketball on all levels has transitioned away from teams playing inside-outside, when the main goal was establishing the interior first and foremost. Now, everything is mostly predicated around playing through your top perimeter players, which has led to guard play taking over the sport infinitely.

"Teams that we play, there's always at least four guards that are able to drive to the rim and especially shoot outside," said Ashland University women's assistant coach Jenna Kotas. "This game has taken more of a route of can you shoot a three or can you not. I know when I played there was a lot of post action down low. But it's also nice to have dominant post players on our squad just because they can dominate inside and there aren't a lot of people we play that can guard that."

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Don't tell that to both Ashland University's Division II women's and men's teams, who both are and have been utilizing their seasoned post players to full capacity. No one better knows this then the Ashland women's team, who last season churned out an undefeated 37-0 record, won the NCAA Division II national championship and did it by investing exponentially in winning the inside battle on a game-to-game basis.

Three of the top four leading scorers on the 2023 national title team were post players Annie Roshak (14.6 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 2.1 APG, 63.0 FG%, 92.9 FT%, 2023 Great Midwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year), Hayley Smith (11.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 61.0 FG%, 76 FT%, All-GMAC First Team) and Zoe Miller (12.1 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 60.1 FG%, 64.8 FT%, All-GMAC Second Team).

All three are back this season, are the team's top three scorers so far, and a giant reason why the Eagles (18-1, 11-0) are ranked No. 1 in the latest Division II poll rankings − according to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association − and have a legitimate chance at repeating as champions.

The 6'1" Roshak, 6'1" Smith and 5'11" Miller have been inside anchors for Ashland throughout their careers and all three will tell you working down low has always been where they have done their best work on the court, since their younger playing days.

"Yeah, I've always been the big girl since high school," said Smith, a junior starter.

"In the five years at Ashland and in high school, I've definitely been a post," said Roshak, a fifth-year senior starter, who this season became the fourth player in school history to record 2,000 points and 700 rebounds in their career. "I've loved being down low knocking around with different post players and having Coach P [Carl Pickens] as a post coach has been super helpful in my growth and development."

"I've played post since I was little," said Miller, a junior. "I got real comfortable pretty quick. I had to play against taller kids since I'm a shorter post, so I learned really quick to get comfortable with that position."

Kotas says "we love size" at Ashland and that recruiting quality bigs is a key necessity the program looks for when putting a team together.

"Annie, Hayley and Zoe, there all about 6-foot. They got some strength on them," Kotas said. "We look for post players that can dominant inside but also shoot a three. That's what makes our offense run. They do a variety of things."

Roshak, Miller and Smith all point to having toughness, being able to seal a defender when fighting for inside position and showing consistency as what's required most from them as post players but it's the "different things" Kotas mentions each can do that makes it difficult for teams to defend the team as a whole.

Inside threats they are.

As the go-to option, it might be Roshak (2023-24 stats: 15.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG on 59.2 FG%) working on the right block and getting to her go-to move of using "a little spin hook or dribble middle spin back right" and finishing strong off the dribble. Put her on the free throw line. That's no problem. She's shooting 85.0 percent there this season.

Or Smith (8.6 PPG, 8.3 RPG on 57.9 FG%), who Kotas calls "a great offensive rebounder" crashing the boards hard (team's leading rebounder this season) and is just as effective playing with her back towards the basket.

Throw in Miller (13.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG on 61.6 FG%), who as an undersized inside player, makes her way off the bench and often takes over games instantly, by getting to her patented left-hand and utilizing her strength to the fullest.

Now here comes the danger from outside.

The outside threat is even more noticeable in the Eagles' high-ball screen offense they call "roll-rise" which involves everything from post players getting simple scoring opportunities off defenders playing from behind to high-low action between bigs to having the license to crank up a three-pointer at the top of the key.

"It first starts with our transition offense. We want to play as fast as possible," Kotas explained. "The trail person usually starts at the key. It's a high-ball screen offense. You see our guards coming off that screen. Usually after the high-ball screen, our players pop. As the ball gets reversed to the opposite side, you see that roll-rise action and that post player on top of the key will look to dive, and the opposite post player from the block will look to roll and rise."

"On those roll-rise actions, we look for those post-ups on high-lows," Smith said, who is usually the trail person and the one making those key entry/lob passes to Roshak or Miller inside. "When players are not up on us on the perimeter, we have the green light to shoot. I think that's a really big threat because we are so good around the rim."

Because all three can hurt teams inside, as well as outside, Kotas describes it as "teams just don't know how to guard our bigs." Playing at Ashland, a post player has got to be just at ease functioning outside as well as inside.

"I never really shot outside in high school, so coming here it was a big emphasis on being shot-ready," Smith added, who's increased her three-point percentage from 22.6 percent last year to 36.4 percent this season.

"Coach expects us to make those shots outside and the perimeter three on the top of the key," Miller said, who shot 42.2 percent last year and is up to 45.2 this season.

As each of their games have evolved, it's the chemistry they've formed playing with one another that has made them so formidable as a unit.

"Being able to play with Hayley and Zoe over the past few years, we've learned to read each other pretty well," Roshak said. "Where they like the passes. How to pass it to them. I think figuring that out in practice has led to a lot of success."

Increased roles for Ashland men's two bigs

Ashland men's basketball coach John Ellenwood sees it too.

"The game has evolved where the dribble-drive is very important and you have to be able to get penetration through the middle," said Ellenwood, the winningest head coach in Ashland men's basketball history. "It's gone from ball-screen dominant offense to dribble-drive to now where the post game has kind of comeback but it's not the same post game you would see like in 1985."

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Ellenwood notes that it's not just post players you see working in the post, it's also guards, who will dribble up the court, then dribble down in the low block and "become post players off the dribble." Yet, having traditional inside players is still of great benefit to Ellenwood.

"I still believe if you can get the ball to a post player off a pass and they can score on people one-on-one, you're going to draw a defense," he said.

Well, that plays right into the hands of Ashland starting senior center Victor Searls and redshirt sophomore power forward Maceo Williams, who both have seen a more expanded role this season.

The 6'9" Searls didn't start in his sophomore year. Last year as a junior, he started all 32 games and was the team's second leading scorer and rebounder. This season, Searls is having arguably his best college season. He's averaging career highs in points per game (15.5) and is the team-leader in rebounds per game (7.0) on 70.7 FG%.

Searls talked about the transformation in his game that goes all the way back to his high school days.

"When I was in high school, I would just catch it on the block, turn and score. I was bigger than everybody. Obviously in college, they're not going to let you do that. They scout harder than in high school," said Searls. "Really developing my game to be more diverse. Sometimes in college you can catch, turn and score but when they stop that you need a Plan A, B and C."

Maybe more importantly, Ellenwood has seen a transformation in his center's body.

"Victor was about 300 pounds and could not dunk a basketball or least I never saw him in high school," Ellenwood said. "He redshirted one year, and the other year played behind guys, then it was his turn in the third year and he really blossomed. He lost all the weight in his third year from 300 pounds to 240 pounds this year. It's funny because a kid that never really dunked it has probably had the most dunks of anybody I've ever coached. He's probably about 230 pounds now and a lot stronger."

The 6'7" Williams has upped his level from redshirting his freshman year to playing a vital role off the bench in his second year (team's third-leading scorer and leading rebounder) to now in his third year where he is thriving as a starter (15.9 PPG, 6.4 RPG on 67.6 FG%). Williams brings a blend of inside-outside ability to the Eagles where he can face-up and get around other bigs, while also maneuvering underneath the basket to score.

"People scout you, so they know how you play. It's always good to have a lot of moves," said Williams, who says his go-to move is getting to the middle and if he gets cut off, he'll make a quick spin.

"Maceo redshirted his freshman year. The second year he blossomed," Ellenwood said, who underlined that Williams played a crucial role in the Eagles winning last season's GMAC Conference Tournament where he made the All-Tournament team. "Our team got a lot of confidence playing through him as the season went one. He can really get around people. He's fast, strong, long and has a great touch around the bucket."

With 2023 GMAC Player of the Year fifth-year senior guard Brandon Haraway missing a large chunk of this season due to injury (has played just three games), the Eagles have leaned more on Searls and Williams to carry the offensive load, including taking on more double teams while at it.

"Brandon was the focus of our offense last year. He's one of the best players to ever play here. This year while he's been out, we really needed to find an identity offensively and I think me and Maceo have the ability to take over games together," Searls said, who says his right hook over his left shoulder is the move he likes to use the most. "That makes it easier for everyone because if they can't guard us one-on-one, then we'll kick it out and there's an advantage there."

"We have invested more in the bigs," Williams said. "That's why every game we've been getting doubled and attracting a lot of attention. Being double and triple teamed is a badge of honor because it shows how good you are."

For Ashland (14-6, 8-5) to go as far they want this season, Searls and Williams just might serve as the cornerstones in that happening. Ask Ellenwood what he expects most from his post players and he frankly says, "make sure you are not guarded one-on-one and you are better than the guy guarding you."

Message heard loud and clear.

"Me and Maceo always tell each other to set the tone early," Searls said. "Rebounding and post defense can win or lose a game. Bringing a physical presence to the team. We try to embrace that every game."

jsimpson@gannett.com

Twitter:@JamesSimpsonII

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Inside play a huge key to success of Ashland U men's, women's teams