Rounding out BC’s small group of upperclassmen this year is a group of 4 juniors, including one redshirt junior (Kaylah Ivey) and one transfer (Savannah Samuel). Ivey and Samuel are joined by Ally VanTimmeren and Andrea Daley in the junior class.
Ivey missed last season due to injury after showing promise as an underclassman. She played in 18 games in 2020-21, scoring 66 points. She actually scored the exact same amount of field goals (23) and 3 pointers (9) as a freshman and sophomore, but made 2 more free throws as a sophomore to slightly boost her points total. Ivey does have a promising 3 point shot, so hopefully she has continued to work on that and can add another behind the arc weapon to BC’s arsenal. Ivey did see a big improvement in rebounding between freshman and sophomore year, so that is another area to watch for as she takes the court again.
VanTimmeren is technically a junior, but has a little extra experience since she joined the team a semester early during COVID. She played in 33 games last season, and was BC’s leading bench scorer with 189 points throughout the season. Like Ivey, VanTimmeren has the skills for a killer 3 point shot, but she doesn’t always seem confident enough to use it, so it would be great to see her settle into that this year to give BC another 3 point option. As one of the few players on the team who has always primarily been a forward, VanTimmeren may get to start some games this season, particularly if her confidence and her offensive game have continued to improve this offseason.
Andrea Daley is poised to have a breakout year this season after being a consistent player for the Eags last year. She posted a pair of double-doubles last season, improved her points scored from just 19 to 316, and her rebounds from 16 to 212. She is BC’s leading returning rebounder, and will be relied on heavily for that on both offense and defense. Daley started 26 of the 33 games she appeared in last year, and I would expect to see her become a full time starter this season.
Samuel is a transfer from West Virginia University, where she played 2 seasons. She scored 125 points in 30 games as a freshman, and 94 points in 24 games as a sophomore. She did improve her rebounding last season, and can be counted on for some nice steals, so she may be a good addition to BC’s young defense. Prior to WVU, Samuel played at Oregon State during the COVID shortened season.