GUILDERLAND — Maceo Dubose, the new coach for the Guilderland girls’ basketball team, says that whoever comes out to watch the Dutch this year will see a team playing at a higher tempo.

“We’ll look to run, get after teams defensively,” Dubose said after Monday’s practice. “I think it’s more fun to play that way. It’s more exciting for the players, and I think the fans like a more exciting game.”

Dubose, a guidance counselor at Farnsworth Middle School, was the junior-varsity coach for the Dutch girls last season, and has over 25 years of basketball coaching experience at all different levels. Previously, he was the boys’ varsity coach at Beekmantown High School for nearly 20 years; assisted the men’s team at Plattsburgh State; and coached the Lake Champlain Lakers of the Amateur Athletic Union.

At Guilderland, Dubose has coached modified, assisted the freshman team, and been an assistant for the varsity boys’ team. He told The Enterprise that he focuses on defense first.

“You have to be able to defend well,” Dubose said on Monday. “You can score all the baskets that you want, but, if you can’t defend well, you’ll just trade baskets back and forth [with the other team]. We have to defend and rebound.”

To put it simply, Dubose wants Guilderland to defend, rebound, get it out, and go, he said. “That’s what we’ll look to do,” he said.

^{_{Surrounded: Olivia Baumann tries to find a passing outlet during practice for the Guilderland girls’ basketball team on Monday; Zibby Eckhardt is gesturing for the ball at right. The Enterprise — Jordan J. Michael}}

New coaches always bring change. Senior Caitlin Corbett said that the Dutch are adjusting very well. “I like that he’s very direct,” she said of Dubose. “He tells us how it is.”

At practice on Monday, Dubose told the players that they would not play if they didn’t know the play calls.

“He works us hard every day with no exceptions,” said senior Zibby Eckhardt. “It’s great.”

The amount of running in practice has increased since last year, senior Sunshine Edwards said, and the players are hitting the weight room. If the Guilderland players are in better shape, then they should have more energy when games reach the fourth quarter.

“He pushes us to our limits,” Edwards said of Dubose. “I don’t mind, and the rest of the team doesn’t mind.”

“In our case, change will be a good thing; it will help us,” Rebecca Golderman, a senior, said. “The positive enthusiasm should help us win more games this season.”

Guilderland won half of its games last season under longtime coach Frank Cacckello. Corbett, Eckhardt, Edwards, Golderman, and sophomore Olivia Baumann are the projected starters for 2014-15. Dubose says that nothing is set in concrete.

“I don’t want them to get an impression that everything is automatic,” said Dubose. “I always say, ‘It’s not who starts, it’s who finishes.’ You may have started the game, but are you in there when it matters?” 

Dubose is glad that the Dutch players understand the importance of stamina. “We have to be in condition and stronger because, when the fourth quarter comes, you want the advantage,” he said. “If the other team is tired, but we still have the energy, we’re going to get some easy baskets.”

Functioning as a fast-break team is a new approach for Guilderland. Dubose said that the up-tempo style will work as long as the players are smart and don’t turn the ball over.

“These girls are new to me and I’m new to them,” said Dubose, but he has some expectations. “If I know that they can get from baseline to baseline in six seconds, and it takes them 10, I want to know why.”

Eckhardt said that Dubose has great vision. Guilderland is able to correct the little things with each practice and each scrimmage as the team gets ready for its opening game at Bethlehem on Dec. 2.

“It should be fun, but they should play hard,” Dubose said. “I’m excited to be here, excited to coach these girls; I took some notes last year. Once we can mesh, I think we’ll see some good things.”