TAYLOR-MADE: Stuart Country Day School basketball player Taylor States heads to the basket in action last winter. Sophomore forward States, who led Stuart in scoring last season with 177 points, figures to be the top offensive threat for the Tartans again this winter. Stuart tips off its 2023-24 campaign by playing at the Peddie School on December 6. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

With the Stuart Country Day School basketball team featuring a mix of four returners and five newcomers, Tony Bowman has been providing his players with plenty of teachable moments.

“It is a growing process, it is a learning process,” said Stuart head coach Bowman, who guided the Tartans to a 5-6 record last winter as he returned for his second stint with the program after coaching Stuart from 2003-11. “We don’t have a JV so they are going from middle school straight to varsity. It is a big transition, that is where we’re at.”

Having sophomore forward Taylor States back is a big plus for the Tartans, who open their 2023-24 campaign by playing at the Peddie School on December 6.

“Taylor played a lot in the summer; she is shooting better on the outside so we are going to let her play a little bit of the 3 this year,” said Bowman of States, the team’s leading scorer last winter with 177 points. “She did really, really well last season. We are looking forward to her having a great season this year as well.”

Bowman likes the way his veteran guards, junior Annarose Bourgoin and sophomore Abigail Chirik, have been playing.

“Annarose is shooting a lot better and handling the point a lot better; I am looking for bigger things from her as well,” said Bowman, whose fourth returner, junior Rachel Enimil-Ashun, should help out on the boards. “I am looking for Abby to be a better shooter from the outside, she is shooting very well now. I am looking forward to seeing that as well.”

A trio of freshmen — Hadassah Broughton, Ty’Ani Jones, and Myah Chennault — figure to do some good things for the Tartans this winter.

“Hadassah is a defensive specialist. Ty’Ani has great speed. So I am looking for those two to help me as well,” said Bowman, whose freshmen performers are Betsy Murphy and Celia Struve-Auletta. “I am looking for Myah to grow this year.”

In order to grow into a solid team this winter, Stuart will need to stick to a disciplined style of play.

“For us to have a good season, we need to run our offense efficiently and start our offense from the inside and work our way out,” said Bowman. “It will be more deliberate.”