Unforeseen circumstances have forced Land O’ Lakes High School to hire its second girls varsity basketball coach in three months.
Marcus Ludwig, a former Wharton High boys junior varsity coach, was named the Gators coach on Sept. 19. Ludwig, 33, replaces Ed Mullikin, who was hired in late June.
(Courtesy of Marcus Ludwig)
Mullikin was initially set to replace Phyllis Crain, who guided the Gators to regional championships in 2014 and 2015, and compiled an 85-50 record in five seasons.
But, according to Karen Coss, the school’s athletic director, Mullikin opted to remain in his home state of Kentucky just before the start of the 2016-2017 school year.
The basketball season kicks off later this month, on Oct. 24. Yet, Ludwig doesn’t view his late hiring as a disadvantage in getting equipped for his first season as Gators coach.
“The one thing I’ve been blessed with is I’ve worked with a lot of great coaches,” said Ludwig, “and I’ve had five-plus years experience coaching at different levels, so I was already able to prepare myself.”
Ludwig, a native of Syracuse, New York, said he’ll have plenty of time over the next month to get acquainted with the inner workings of the Gators’ program, and its players.
Since his hiring, Ludwig has held two open gyms. About a dozen girls showed up each time, but Ludwig expects to see a larger turnout once the fall sports season ends.
Though he hasn’t fully evaluated how the varsity roster will shape up, the Gators coach already has a general in-game philosophy in place. Success, Luwig said, will be dictated by defensive play and turning games into proverbial chess matches.
“I’m very strategic when it comes to defenses and defensive schemes,” Ludwig explained.
“What I tend to do is challenge them…to have a mental toughness when it comes to the defensive part of basketball,” he said.
He continued: “If it allows the other team to get out of their ordinary or regular routine, then you’re kind of winning a battle already, because it’s making the other team overthink things.”
Ludwig noted that philosophy comes in handy once the Gators face quicker, more athletic opponents.
“You’re going to have to be mentally tough and outthink your opponent,” he said.
“I want to be that type of team that if anybody steps on the court with us, they technically don’t know what we’re going to do as far as our defensive schemes.”
Though Ludwig didn’t divulge the types of schemes the Gators will deploy, he said defensive sets will be dictated by the skillsets of the 10 players on the court.
“No. 1 is definitely personnel — who is on the court, what type of team you’re playing, what are their strengths — and trying to take away my opponents strengths.”
Moreover, the Gators’ defense, Ludwig said, will complement its offense.
“We’ll have our basic set plays,” he said, “but, our best offense is going to come from our defense.”
Also of note: Ludwig has retained Alison Washburn, a former Sunlake High basketball player, as an assistant coach.
“She was a part of the team during the summer of this year, so she’s been a big help,” Ludwig said. “She’s given me the inside-out on some of the players and what to expect when it comes to coaching at the school, and in this league (Class 7A, District 8).”
Land O’ Lakes is coming off a 14-11 (2-4 district) mark in 2016. The new coaching staff will have to replace five seniors from last year’s squad, including top scorers Makela Canada (12.4 points per game) and Gabby Mills (11.4 points per game).
Scoring consistently often plagued the 2015-2016 squad. Though the Gators averaged 40 points per game, the team scored 20 points or fewer in four games.
Junior Lily Lazar is the team’s top returning scorer (5.3 points per game).
Key Losses
Makala Canada (12.4 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.7 assists per game, 1.9 steals per game)
Gabby Mills (11.4 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 2.1 blocks per game)
Breana Barnes (5.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.9 assists per game)
Key Returnees
Lily Lazar (5.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG)
Destiny Rodriguez (3.0 PPG, 1.5 RPG)
Niya Darby (1.8 PPG, 2.6 RPG)
-Stats via Maxpreps.com
Published October 5, 2016
