It’s really not supposed to happen this quick. When a coach takes over a program with a combined 20-141 record against Division I teams over the last six seasons, no one faults them if they lose a bunch of games in year one. Except no one told Ashleen Bracey that. Her UIC Flames are off to a remarkable 8-1 start, and aside from her coaching – and her Redbird pedigree ;) – one of the biggest reasons is Omaha grad transfer Josie Filer. Filer has been one of the better post scorers in the country. Among players with 30+ postups this season, she’s in the top 15 in points per possession. That list is loaded with elite names – Filer is right in between All-American candidates Mackenzie Holmes and Maddy Siegrist. You don’t get to that level unless you have a whole array of tools, and Filer’s impressed enough that it’s worth breaking down some of those strengths and the different ways she’s been able to give defenses headaches on the block. ANGLES You hear broadcasters talk about it all the time. “Do your work early,” they often say. Getting deep position, getting open, and giving your guards lanes for entry passes truly are some of the most important aspects of scoring in the post. Filer is one of the best in the Missouri Valley at working without the ball. She understands where she needs to be and the angles she needs to give her perimeter players. She doesn’t try to force anything. When defenders play underneath, she ducks in and make herself available. When they play over the top, she opens up space for her guards to fit the lob pass in. In some of these clips you can also see her pointing to where the ball needs to be swung in order to get the best entry angle. PATIENCE This poise is the value of a fifth-year senior. When you score this well in the post, you’re bound to see digs, full doubles, and even occasional triples. When defenses send anything extra at Filer, she doesn’t panic. She doesn’t turn it over or throw up a quick ugly shot. She knows she still has the advantage, and she’s never in a rush to capitalize on it. Watch her take her time on these postups and probe until she finds an opening, kicking out and reposting if needed. FOOTWORK Part of Filer’s ability to be patient comes down to her footwork as well. In a lot of the above clips, Filer keeps her pivot until she sees the opportunity for the step-through. At 6-foot-1, Filer isn’t scoring over the top of too many post defenders, even at the mid-major level. That’s where her footwork is key. The numbers don’t lie either – Filer has only traveled twice all season. (One was a pretty questionable call too…) COACHING Of course, Bracey gets some credit for setting Filer up to succeed. Bracey recently told Debbie Antonelli that she decided on the Point Offense (out of the Princeton) based on the personnel she had, and it’s evident that this offense has put Filer in some great positions to get these types of looks. And watch Bracey direct traffic on this whole play. She starts by calling for Filer to set the ball screen, which draws the switch. She waves off Jaida McCloud at first, then points for Filer to cut and post and for McCloud to lift. Finally, she signals for the post entry to Filer, who finishes it off easily. (Gotta love how visibly pumped Bracey gets at the end!) Last season, McCloud was the No. 1 post option. She still does some of that, but using her as a post entry passer at 6-foot-3 is an excellent idea. If you pause the video here, you can see McCloud’s defender with hands high, but McCloud still has the vision to see over the top and make a clean pass into Filer. It’s subtle, but there are some smaller guards who wouldn’t be able to make that pass. Filer brings a lot of other skills to the table. (She dominates the block and shoots over 47% from three?) But her post prowess in particular has transformed this squad into a true Missouri Valley contender sooner than was ever supposed to be possible. UIC faces its toughest test so far this season when Northwestern comes into their building tonight, and for the first time in forever, that’s a very winnable game for the Flames. So start paying attention. Postup efficiency data from Synergy
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