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04/14/2016 12:00 AMIzzy Nerney has such a passion for basketball, along with a knack for working hard on the floor, and so it was no surprise that she handled her increased responsibility in Guilford’s offense with ease this winter, while contributing to a strong season for the Indians.
Izzy, a junior, started out as a shooting guard who was a presence on the wing before emerging as Guilford’s point guard this year. Izzy showed steady hands by limiting her turnovers and she also averaged 7.7 points a night to go with a team-best 32 three-pointers as the Indians won 14 games, including one each in both the SCC and state tournaments.
“I played some point guard in AAU, so I kind of had an idea about it, and plus I practiced it because I thought I might play it in high school this year. I still got some similar looks as when I played shooting guard, but I realized I had to be more vocal,” says Izzy, who plays AAU hoops in the spring. “I felt pressure at some points as I knew I couldn’t really turn the ball over, yet I knew I had the support of my team and coaches, so that helped me with confidence in my decisions. I love working hard in basketball and also the team aspect of it with having a team supportive of me.”
Izzy’s other athletic foray with the Indians is soccer. It’s a sport that’s taught her the value of possessing the ball, as well as how to keep her cool in some hot spots when she’s guiding Guilford’s offensive attack at the point.
“It’s kind of similar to soccer in that you need composure to help you hang onto the ball. If things become too fast-paced, then you want to settle your offense down,” Izzy says. “You have to not force anything and just stay cool, calm, and collected.”
Indians’ Head Coach Bob Welsh says that Izzy practically takes on the role of an assistant coach during games. Welsh also praises his point guard for doing a tremendous job of playing nearly mistake-free basketball in her multitude of minutes on the court.
“She showed great improvement in handling the ball, seeing the floor, and gaining confidence in her ability to handle pressure defense. It’s like I have a coach on the floor with Izzy out there. She understands the game and recognizes defensive schemes quickly,” says Welsh. “Her ability to knock down threes makes her a threat from the outside, especially versus zone defenses. In many games, Izzy played 28-plus minutes with only a couple of turnovers, which was a real credit to her improvement and growth in her confidence to run our offense.”
Izzy knows that every basketball player sees nights when the iron is unkind and shots don’t drop as often as one would like. That’s why Izzy always maintains an upbeat demeanor when she’s striking from beyond the arc.
“Like with anything else, three-point shooting takes a lot of practice. I just keep my feet lined up, as well as my arms,” Izzy says. “I just try to keep my head up and not force any shots I feel I can’t make.”
Guilford sat at 4-6 halfway through the recent season and so making the playoffs seemed like it might be a reach. However, Izzy and the Indians showed their true grit and a whole lot of heart by playing some of their best basketball down the stretch, while carving a path for even greater heights in the future.
“In the beginning of the year, we knew we would get better, so we showed that as long as we pushed each other and stayed positive, we could be a good team,” says Izzy, who thanks her teammates, family, and coaches. “We almost beat [SCC champion] Hand in our second game against them this year, which really showed how hard we worked and gives us confidence heading towards next year.”