Taking flight: Osprey men's basketball team is veteran-laden, women's team rebuilding

The University of North Florida men's and women's basketball teams are at opposite ends of the experience spectrum entering the 2022-23 season.

That doesn't mean they won't have the same expectations.

The UNF men return their top-five scorers and seven of their top eight from last year's 11-20 team that finished strong with seven victories in their last 11 games.

Senior forward Carter Hendricksen (12.2 points, 5.0 rebounds per game) is back for a fifth season, junior swing man Dorian James (4.8, 4.6) returns for a fourth year and junior guard Jose Placer (14.7, 3.1) returns for a third season with the Ospreys and a fourth in Division I basketball.

Five returning players competed in at least 30 of UNF's 31 games (guard Chaz Lanier and forward Jonathan Aybar played in all 31) and five players started 15 or more games, with James leading the team with 30 starts.

The good news is that Hendricksen is the only senior so barring transfers, the Ospreys have a solid base for at least the next two seasons.

"The cup is overflowing because we have these dudes back, they're experienced, they're healthy and they're hungry," coach Matthew Driscoll said on Tuesday at UNF's basketball media day at the Residence Inn on San Pablo Road. "When you're hungry you'll be humble. When those two things meet, you'll be able to do what you want to do."

The Osprey women's team has only one starter returning from a 13-17 team that was a massive disappointment based on preseason expectations, senior forward Emma Broermann. The only other player who was on last year's team is sophomore guard Kayla Rougier, who started one game.

However, coach Darrick Gibbs scoured the transfer portal for a combination of speed, shooting and height, and signed four true freshmen.

Among the top newcomers in the former category are sisters Lyric and Jaelyn Swann, both speedy guards and good shooters, two graduate seniors, guard Brianna Livingston (Monmouth) and forward Elysa Wesolek (South Carolina); and guard Christy Hamze (Queens).

Leading the freshman class will be Bishop Kenny graduate Maddie Millar, who finished her high school career with 422 3-pointers, second in state history and 14th all-time nationally; and Helena Rafnsdottir, who played in the Iceland national team.

"We had a lot of talent and a big bench," Broermann said of last year's team that was picked second to win the ASUN but had a 5-11 conference record, in fifth place of the six teams in the ASUN East. " It was a lot of factors. I think this is a new group, a lot of young people, very eager to learn and do whatever they can do help the team. It's a very different dynamic."

UNF men: Battle for boards

The Ospreys had what Driscoll referred to as the worst offensive team in his 14 years.

UNF was 11th among 12 teams in scoring with 68.52 points per game and a big reason was the Ospreys were not getting many second chances: they were last in rebounding margin (minus-5.68), next-to-last in offensive and defensive rebounding and 11th in turnover margin.

Toss in other forms of adversity -- a brutal opening schedule that included Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Kentucky, UCLA and Florida, and injuries to Hendricksen and Placer that cost them a combined 19 games -- and it was somewhat miraculous that UNF won five of six at one point, with Hicklen (12.0 points per game) taking on the scoring load.

The Ospreys had a 1-7 start, lost four one-possession home games and lost their first six ASUN games.

Stout efforts in road losses to Florida State and Eastern Kentucky in mid-season provided a dose of confidence (guard Jarius Hicklen had 6 of 12 3-points and scored 27 points against the Seminoles) and UNF beat Central Arkansas, lost another one-possession game to Lipscomb then started their closing stretch with road victories against Jacksonville State and North Alabama.

"We flipped the script and started winning those close games," Driscoll said.

Hendricksen said the team bought into playing tougher defense when it was clear they wouldn't have a typical offensive season. UNF led the ASUN in blocked shots with 4.84 per game (led by Jadyn Parker and Jonathan Aybar), was second in 3-point percentage defense (.319) and fourth in field-goal percentage defense (.422).

"We guarded well last year and it helped us when we weren't making shots," Hendricksen said. "The way we played defensively really kept us in games."

But it would help if the Ospreys could get more than 33.84 rebounds per game. Oddly enough, only conference champion Bellarmine had fewer.

"Rebounding has been our defensive Achilles," Driscoll said. "We've addressed it, approached it and continue to work at it and get better."

An enhanced weight room will help. But the fact remains is that while UNF has a frontcourt rotation of Aybar, Parker, Hendricksen and James that averages 6 feet 8, they also average 195 pounds.

"Some guys are the way they are," Driscoll said.

Hendricksen said there's no secret.

"We have to get more physical," he said. "The key to rebounding is going to get the ball. We have to go get it."

UNF's usual rugged non-conference schedule starts with a road trip to open the season on Nov. 7 at Gonzaga, followed four days later by a game at Washington.

Also on the schedule are Kentucky, Houston and Pittsburg. UNF opens its home schedule on Nov. 19 against South Carolina State.

UNF women: A fresh start

The Ospreys had future WNBA draftee Jazz Bond among four returning starters from 2020-21, had a handful of other experience players and Bond's sister, Jaida, transferred from North Alabama where she also had made the All-ASUN team.

But UNF lost its first four conference games and never regained its footing. Guards Marissa Mackins and Tiffany Tolbert left the program before the conference season began and Bond couldn't do everything by herself.

Gibbs hinted that some players believed the preseason hype.

"I think we took our eye off the most important part, our process," he said. "We got caught up in what would have been versus what we were doing in the moment, what it's going to take today ... not tomorrow, not two days from now."

Broermann senses that the young players and transfers have bought in.

"They're all willing to play whatever role they need," she said. "Playing five minutes, playing 20 minutes, having the energy on the bench, willing to do whatever they can to make the best of what opportunity they've been given."

Rougier said she's seeing good signs.

"The summer helped," she said of the team's off-season program. "Our personalities are gelling well together, on and off the court."

Gibbs likes what he sees in practice in nearly all aspects of the game, especially on the perimeter.

"Our guards are bigger, which allows us more flexibility," he said. "Our perimeter game is better. How does that translate into production during games?"

UNF will open at home for the first time in Gibbs' eight seasons in Jacksonville. They play Warner on Nov. 7 and are home again on Nov. 10 against the College of Charleston.

The two early home games will go a long way towards a young team building confidence.

"We should have a good chance to get out of the gates and play well," he said.

The schedule then gets interesting. UNF plays at Wisconsin on Nov. 13, and flies to Dublin, Ireland to play against Rider and Marist.

Other non-conference road games are against Miami, Alabama and Auburn.

Contact Garry Smits at gsmits@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @GSmitter

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Tale of two teams: UNF men loaded with veterans, women are rebuilding