CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois women’s basketball head coach Shauna Green expects Destiny Jackson and Cearah Parchment to take the next step this season.
With a full year of college basketball behind them, Green believes the biggest difference in their play should come from experience.
“I think just the year of the grind of the Big Ten and the experience of it,” Green said. “They’re going to know what to expect.”
Green pointed to Jackson and Parchment learning the conference’s physicality and the different
ways opponents defend individual players.
“They know the physicality,” Green said. “They know what different teams look like. They know what different players, how they’re going to guard them, how different teams will guard them.”
Parchment became one of Illinois’ most important frontcourt pieces during last season, while Jackson earned a significant role in the backcourt.
“Experience alone is going to be so beneficial to both of them, and you can already see that in practice,” Green said.
Jackson and Parchment already understand the expectations on both sides of the ball which allows for Green and her coaching staff to focus on other details.
“Being familiar with our expectations, our offense, our defense,” Green said. “So now we’re able to really fine-tune some of the more detailed stuff of the game instead of just like the general, like, ‘Okay, this is what college basketball’s about.’”
