Playing first-year Gators at point guard may become a tradition for coach Amanda Butler.
Carlie Needles, a true freshman, will share point guard duties with senior Lanita Bartley and sophomore Jaterra Bonds this season, Butler said.
“Luckily, they all don’t just play one position,” Butler said. “(We) have three kids who can be on the floor at the same time or one at a time because of the ball pressure we’re going to be able to maintain.”
With Bartley and Bonds’ performances from last season fresh in mind, getting off to a fast start seems like a prerequisite for Gators point guards.
Bartley and Bonds made their Division I debuts last season and contributed right from the get-go.
After playing two seasons at Santa Fe College, Bartley quickly became a lineup regular, starting 33 games for Florida.
Bartley, one of five seniors on the Gators’ roster, led the team with 3.4 assists and 1.8 steals per game last season.
“We were always on her last year about being more vocal, being in charge and not second-guessing herself,” Butler said. “She realized very quickly last year that [passing] was an area that was a little bit of a deficit for us.”
Meanwhile, Bonds was a key player coming off the bench, ranking second on the team with 9.9 points and 2.5 assists per game last season.
Bonds’ efforts earned the 5-foot-6 guard a spot on the 2010-11 Southeastern Conference All-Freshman squad.
But the transition to Florida may be more difficult for Needles than it was for her point guard counterparts.
While Needles grew up two time zones away in Highlands Ranch, Colo., Bartley hails from Jacksonville, and Bonds is a graduate of P.K. Yonge High in Gainesville.
“Knowing that (senior center Azania Stewart) and the other two freshmen are internationals, I knew that me just going 4,000 miles away from home wasn’t going to be as big of a deal,” Needles said.
On media day Oct. 12, Needles acknowledged that her main concern was getting a handle on offensive plays and defensive strategy.
However, Butler has praised Needles’ toughness and intelligence and was impressed by “how quickly she picks up on things.”
“She’s ready for what’s next and really has a great resilient spirit,” Butler said, “which is important for a point guard and really important for a freshman.”
Florida redshirt freshman Carlie Needles talks to the media before last season. Needles, coming off an ACL tear last season, made a school record nine three-pointers against North Florida on Monday night in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Florida won 74-44.
