MAKING A GRAB: Princeton High girls’ basketball player Jamaica Ponder grabs a rebound in action last season. PHS will be looking for senior guard Ponder to provide scrappy play again this winter. The Little Tigers tip-off the 2016-17 season by playing at WW/P-S in their first game under new head coach Steve Hennessy. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Steve Hennessy has proven to be a man for all seasons when it comes to coaching.

“I am more of an all-around coach, I have had about 30 years between soccer, basketball, track, and lacrosse,” said Hennessy, a longtime Physical Education teacher at Johnson Park Elementary School.

After three years as an assistant coach for the Princeton High girls’ basketball team, Hennessy will be heading a varsity team for the first time as he takes the helm of the program.

Hennessy’s diverse experience will come in handy with the program undergoing a youth movement this winter.

“We are going to be a sophomore loaded team; we have got a lot of young girls coming up,” said Hennessy, the successor for Dan Van Hise, who guided the Little Tigers to a 7-17 record last winter. “We do have four seniors but most of our talent is coming up.”

PHS will be depending on one of those seniors, co-captain Zoe Tesone, to come up big in the front court.

“I see Zoe dominating on the inside; she has definitely gotten better from last year,” said Hennessy.

“Last year she would always take herself away from the basket instead of to the basket. I am telling her to put her left shoulder into the girl and go to the basket. She likes that.”

Hennessy likes what he is seeing from a pair of sophomore forwards, Erin Devine and Catherine Dyevich.

“We have Erin Devine who played varsity as a freshman last year, she is a big basketball girl from Cranbury,” said Hennessy, who will also use senior co-captain Ines Arroyo and junior Taylor Stone in the front court.

“She worked probably harder than anybody in the offseason. Catherine Dyevich is also somebody who played all offseason. She has a real good shot and is the tallest girl on our team.”

In the backcourt, PHS has a good mix of talented young players and veterans, featuring sophomores Anna and Olivia Intartaglia along with senior Jamaica Ponder, senior Sydney Dubin, junior Zoe Alcott, and junior Olivia Harrison.

“Anna and Olivia Intartaglia bring ball handling and a little bit of fire to the table,” said Hennessy.

“We have Jamaica Ponder at guard, she is a good mid-range shooter. Olivia Harrison is definitely improving. Dubin is a great shooter, she has a high basketball IQ. She is a great person and a good team player. Zoe Alcott is our specialist, we put her in for the press and the steals because she is super quick and super aggressive.”

Hennessy is looking to help the Little Tigers develop their hoops IQ collectively.

“I am going to do a little more pick and roll with more movement on the inside,” said Hennessy. “We need to turn the ball over less and take more shots.”

With PHS tipping off the season by playing at WW/P-S on December 16, Hennessy is looking forward to see how quickly his players pick things up.

“I am learning a lot; you have to transition every four or five practices,” said Hennessy, crediting assistant coaches Anne Klein and Tannya Hemingway with helping to get everyone on the same page. “Things change a little bit and you step it up a little bit. I like what I am seeing so far.”