Donna Finnie not only helped Scotland's most talented basketball players to win scholarships in America, she followed them across the Atlantic.

Scotland's former junior coach won her dream job as assistant coach at Houston Baptist University in Texas and could not be better placed to assess the progress of her pupils with just a year left until the London Olympics.

There are half-a-dozen Scottish girls who are improving their credentials with every passing week they play in the States, but Finnie admits it has been a big step up for some of the players after playing in the Scottish League.

Yet all have strong fundamentals having been well coached at junior level and are by no means out of their depth playing collegiate basketball.

"I'd say the player who has made significant strides this year is Becca Allison," Finnie points out. 

"I feel like, after the summer she had with the Great Britain Under-20 squad and the work she has put in this year at Old Dominion University [Virginia], she has exciting times ahead.

"She has worked hard on her perimeter range and silenced the critics who said she was just a slasher and couldn't be an all-round threat.

"She still needs to work on her ability to finish under pressure but she has made great strides and I am excited for her having a good summer with the Great Britain programme. I believe with the athleticism and speed she has, she may push for a spot on the GB senior squad also."

Finnie will be reunited with one of her former Scotland junior players later this year with Erin McGarrachan joining her at Houston after one year with the University of Texas El Paso.

McGarrachan had a hard baptism into the collegiate game but Finnie is confident she will be an asset for her team in the new season.

"She had a tough initiation but, in true Erin fashion, she is not letting it phase her.

"She has struggled a little with the defensive adjustments and athletic wings but has already identified that and is working on improving her game. She is without doubt the most positive kid I've coached."

Kathryn Taylor (Colgate University, New York State) is another who has caught the eye this season and is set to make an even bigger impact next season, accoring to Finnie: "She showed glimpses of being the athletic talent we thought she could be in the patriot league but needs to be more consistent. 

“I know she is looking forward to her sophomore year and, in particular, working on her range as she looks to play with the GB programme should she be selected."

The talented Mairi Buchan [Old Dominion University] suffered a setback and missed the season due to foot surgery but is on the way back to full fitness.

"It sounds as if her rehab has gone extremely well and the thing with Mairi is that she will do whatever it takes - and that little bit extra - to make sure she is in great shape for this summer," Finnie observes.

"I know she is hoping to make the World Universities Games team and follow up what was an outstanding summer last year, winning the Under-20 European B Division."

Rose Anderson (University of Central Oklahoma), Finnie believes, has been given fresh enthusiasm now that it has been confirmed that Great Britain will take up their host nation qualification place at London 2012.

"She is super excited about not only this summer but the confirmation GB have the Olympic spot. I was on the phone to her and she just kept saying, "It could really happen, I may play in the Olympic Games - can you believe that?"

"She has, I know, been working on her conditioning this year and speaks so highly of GB head coach Tom Maher and genuinely thrives on his coaching style."

Finnie has also been keeping an eye on the progress of Annie Rowan (Kansas City Community College) who has had some bad luck with injuries and illness. 

"They have prevented her reaching the heights she could have. She was a court general for all our teams and I had the pleasure of coaching her at both club and national team level for many years.

"She is excelling academically and started the year shooting the ball very well from the three-point line. I have no doubt that when Annie signs with her new college [she is expected to sign for a Division Two college in Kansas] she will be very successful."

RM

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