2024-25 Basketball Preview: Rock Hill Redwomen

PEDRO — As the NASCAR driver got out of his car and went to get something to eat, the pit foreman asked, “Is there anyone out there who wants to go fast?” Ricky Bobby raised his hand and said, “I want to go fast,”

It’s not the Daytona 500 and Ricky Bobby isn’t available, but the Rock Hill Redwomen are all in with going fast.

“Offensively, we’re going to try and play fast,” said Rock Hill coach Eric Bailey.

In order to go fast, the Redwomen are looking to their personnel to make the plan work.

Leading the list of returning players is four-year starter J’lynn Risner. The 5-10 senior already eclipsed 700 rebounds and averaged 12.3 points and 11 rebounds a game last season.

Also back is 5-8 sophomore Abby Schug, 5-5 junior guard Samantha Bamer and 5-4 sophomore Gracie McFann.

“They all have varsity experience so that helps out,” said Bailey. “We also have some newcomers. We have two seniors who came back to give us three seniors. We have Haylee Dance and Abigail Payne, And we have Myles Bailey as a freshman who will be the point guard and she is really fast.”

Coach Bailey said he is looking to the three seniors on the team roster as the catalysts and leaders.

“The three seniors will help a lot and not just from basketball skills. They’re older, they’re more patient, their feelings aren’t going to get hurt so easily,” said coach Bailey.

“This senior group has had some really good success in soccer and in basketball early. This senior group is really good at understanding the rollercoaster. They’ve been on highs. They’ve been to the districts in soccer and basketball. So in the end, they’ve won and they’ve lost. They can handle adversity when they have it and they can handle success.”

Bailey said the seniors have some intangibles that have given him an optimistic feeling.

“We have J’lynn who is going to be the one who helps us when we are in a jam. I have a lot of hope and excitement in my bones for Abigail Payne. When she’s with us, she makes this starting five look different. She’s tall. She has the ability to shoot outside. She has the ability to handle the ball. She has the ability to pass the ball really well and she can also finish around the rim,” said coach Bailey.

Haylee Dance might not look like a basketball player, but she is deceivingly good.”

With the senior leadership, coach Bailey said the other players are settling into their roles.

“Abby Schug and Sammy Bamer and Gracie McFann are buying into their roles,” said coach Bailey. “I want to get Abby Schug to step up a little more. There’s a lot in the tank and she’s using very little of it. She doesn’t realize how good she can be. She’s just a sophomore and she’s in that stage where she needs to learn when to do something and when not to do it. Sammy is a lockdown defender. Scrappy."

“We’re playing a freshman at point guard, It’s not by choice. I like to take her and put her at the two-guard and have a true point guard but we don’t have one right now. We’ll do it by committee. But Myles Bailey will take that job and she’ll get us down the floor.”

Another player coach Bailey expects to get playing minutes is 5-5 sophomore Bailey Wilds who is currently sidelined by an injury and hasn’t been cleared to play.

“So, we have eight, nine girls who can see major minutes when we get her back,” said coach Bailey.

Regardless of what offense the Redwomen play, coach Bailey said he has three main goals for his team.

“The three main things I want to do is eliminate turnovers, play defense and make foul shots,” said coach Bailey.

One of the biggest obstacles in Rock Hill’s path this season is a tough schedule including the conference games.

“Our schedule is extremely tough. I like to schedule hard. I like the challenge as a coach. When you’re winning by 20 or 30 you don’t coach very often. I don’t get better and my team doesn’t get better. I ant every game to be a panic. I want every game to be tight. I want every game to be a battle. I want it to be hard regardless of the outcome,” said coach Bailey.

In the Ohio Valley Conference, coach Bailey sees a lot of competition from top to bottom.

“The conference is going to be super interesting for a lot of people. At the top of the list is Portsmouth. They return everybody and they look the part,” said coach Bailey. “Amy (Hughes) does things pretty darn well and what a team. It’s not every day you get a team like that. Then, obviously, Fairland is next. Jon (Buchanan) does a great job. Amy and Jon don’t have very many numbers out. To me as a coach, one, you’re running a system so good as it’s tough. To win is tough. You can’t win cheating the game. You don’t win by taking plays off or taking days off. A lot of people can’t commit to that."

“Third place is interesting. Ironton is absolutely loaded. This is Jeremy Williams’ year. He’s suffered through the tough years. It wouldn’t surprise me if they didn’t tie or finish second. The other teams will fight it out. We have a really good league. It’s the best league around.”

Rock Hill Redwomen

2024-25 Basketball Roster

No. Player Pos. Ht. Gr.

  2 Myles Bailey PG 5-08 Fr.

  3 Bailey Wilds G 5-05 So.

  4 Samantha Bamer G 5-05 Jr.

12 Gracie McFann G 5-04 So.

20 Brinley Wilds G 5-05 Fr.

23 Abby Schug G 5-08 So.

34 Abigail Payne F 5-10 Sr.

40 Laykin Bowen F 5-07 Jr.

41 Haylee Dance G 5-07 Sr.

44 J’lynn Risner G/C 5-10 Sr.

Head coach: Eric Bailey

Assistant coaches: Brock Zornes, Chris Damron, Jordan Eicher, Mark Lutz

2024-25 Basketball Schedule

December

  3 at Chesapeake# (L, 37-60)

  5 GRACE CHRISTIAN (W, 65-36)

  6 IRONTON# 7:00

10 FAIRLAND# 7:00

13 at Gallipolis# 7:00

14 TOLSIA, W.Va. 2:00

16 FAIRVIEW, Ky. 5:00

17 PORTSMOUTH# 6:00

20 at Coal Grove# 6:00

21 at South Charleston, W.Va. 2:00

January

  3 SOUTH POINT# 6:00

  4 SOUTH CHARLESTON 6:45

10 at St. Albans@ 6:30

13 CHESAPEAKE# 7:00

16 at Ironton# 7:00

17 at Fairview, Ky. 7:00

23 at Fairland 7:00

27 GALLIPOLIS# 7:00

30 at Portsmouth# 7:00

February

  3 COAL GROVE# 7:00

  6 at South Point# 7:00

10 at Pt. Pleasant, W.Va. 7:00

#-Denotes OVC game

@-Denotes at West Virginia State