SE: Setback Helped Set Up Goth's Successful Transition to Point Guard for K-State WBB
Dec 06, 2017 | Women's Basketball, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
Kayla Goth knew immediately this was something serious.
K-State's 6-foot guard had injured her left shoulder in front of a sold-out crowd against top-ranked Connecticut last season. The pain told her everything: Surgery would be needed.
"I definitely knew," said Goth, who suffered an ACL tear during her senior season at DeForest High School (Wisconsin), "but it was one of those things where I was, like, 'I am not doing this again. We're going to play through this. We're doing it.'"
So, Goth toughed out the final 24 games of the season. The pain was tolerable, she said. Mentally, however, she had to overcome some natural hesitation of attacking the rim and absorbing contact.
"I would like to say that I was able to play through it, but I don't think I produced as well as I could have last year," said Goth, who averaged 11 points a game before the battle with Connecticut, and 4.0 points a game after it.
The silver lining? Goth was forced to adapt her game to her physical limitations, which is paying off in her switch to K-State's point guard this season. Through seven games, she leads the Wildcats in points scored (14.9 per game), assists (6.0 per game), field goal percentage (54.2) and 3-point percentage (42.9).
"I definitely had to force myself to use my left hand more because I was shying away from (that shoulder), which made my left hand better. Then I also had to find different ways to attack the rim, to look for my pull-up jumper because some of those ways I was using before weren't working anymore," she said. "It definitely broadened my game."
Goth had surgery shortly after last season ended and was not fully cleared until September. This meant she had to watch from the sidelines as her teammates, many of which were new to the program, play four games in Europe.
It was frustrating, yet beneficial. Goth saw the game from a different perspective. She also began to speak up when she saw something that needed to be fixed. She started to learn how to lead vocally.
"Sitting out, I saw a lot more than what you see when you're playing in the game, so I kind of tried to jump on those opportunities to help them out," she said. "But sometimes I was giving them too much information. Sometimes I was overloading them to the point of, 'OK, I don't know what to do anymore.' And they're Division I basketball players for a reason, right? Sometimes you just have to let their instincts come into play.
"Prior to this, I was more of a lead-by-example kind of person. I focused on working hard and that was kind of my way of showing people, 'Hey, come with me,' but now it has to be more of a vocal leadership," Goth added. "It's definitely been a learning curve on figuring out how to best confront people about certain issues, how people best take criticism. I learned my fair share of that this summer, some the hard way and some the easy way."
When released, Goth began rebuilding her stamina. Between lifting, running and shooting, this was a gradual process. She started with about 50 shots a day, working up to anywhere between 400-500 a few weeks before the season.
As exhibitions and regular season games began, Goth was not only knocking off the rust as a player but also as a point guard. She played the position in high school but worked at shooting guard her first two seasons as a Wildcat.
The biggest adjustment: "Communication," Goth said.
"Whether that's initiating the offense or whether that's talking to my teammates and staying encouraging," she continued. "You know when you're playing the two guard, you're always looking for the point guard to do all of that for you, so when you're the point guard you have to step up in those roles."
Goth found a groove leading K-State's offense quickly. She's scored in double figures in all seven games, combining for 55 points in the last three. Additionally, her assists-per-game average ranks 26th nationally and her assist-to-turnover ratio (2.21) is on a school-record pace.
"From three weeks, four weeks ago, our point guard play has stabilized," K-State head coach Jeff Mittie said. "She's getting more comfortable in that role."
"I'm trying to let the game come to me and not trying to force things," added Goth, as K-State (5-2) hosts UT Arlington on Wednesday at 7 p.m. "I'm definitely getting there."
Kayla Goth knew immediately this was something serious.
K-State's 6-foot guard had injured her left shoulder in front of a sold-out crowd against top-ranked Connecticut last season. The pain told her everything: Surgery would be needed.
"I definitely knew," said Goth, who suffered an ACL tear during her senior season at DeForest High School (Wisconsin), "but it was one of those things where I was, like, 'I am not doing this again. We're going to play through this. We're doing it.'"
So, Goth toughed out the final 24 games of the season. The pain was tolerable, she said. Mentally, however, she had to overcome some natural hesitation of attacking the rim and absorbing contact.
"I would like to say that I was able to play through it, but I don't think I produced as well as I could have last year," said Goth, who averaged 11 points a game before the battle with Connecticut, and 4.0 points a game after it.
The silver lining? Goth was forced to adapt her game to her physical limitations, which is paying off in her switch to K-State's point guard this season. Through seven games, she leads the Wildcats in points scored (14.9 per game), assists (6.0 per game), field goal percentage (54.2) and 3-point percentage (42.9).
#KStateWBB's Kayla Goth talks team focus and capitalizing off success at South Point Thanksgiving Shootout. pic.twitter.com/cfohJhnUzZ
— K-State Women's Basketball (@KStateWBB) November 29, 2017
"I definitely had to force myself to use my left hand more because I was shying away from (that shoulder), which made my left hand better. Then I also had to find different ways to attack the rim, to look for my pull-up jumper because some of those ways I was using before weren't working anymore," she said. "It definitely broadened my game."
Goth had surgery shortly after last season ended and was not fully cleared until September. This meant she had to watch from the sidelines as her teammates, many of which were new to the program, play four games in Europe.
It was frustrating, yet beneficial. Goth saw the game from a different perspective. She also began to speak up when she saw something that needed to be fixed. She started to learn how to lead vocally.
"Sitting out, I saw a lot more than what you see when you're playing in the game, so I kind of tried to jump on those opportunities to help them out," she said. "But sometimes I was giving them too much information. Sometimes I was overloading them to the point of, 'OK, I don't know what to do anymore.' And they're Division I basketball players for a reason, right? Sometimes you just have to let their instincts come into play.
"Prior to this, I was more of a lead-by-example kind of person. I focused on working hard and that was kind of my way of showing people, 'Hey, come with me,' but now it has to be more of a vocal leadership," Goth added. "It's definitely been a learning curve on figuring out how to best confront people about certain issues, how people best take criticism. I learned my fair share of that this summer, some the hard way and some the easy way."
When released, Goth began rebuilding her stamina. Between lifting, running and shooting, this was a gradual process. She started with about 50 shots a day, working up to anywhere between 400-500 a few weeks before the season.
As exhibitions and regular season games began, Goth was not only knocking off the rust as a player but also as a point guard. She played the position in high school but worked at shooting guard her first two seasons as a Wildcat.
The biggest adjustment: "Communication," Goth said.
"Whether that's initiating the offense or whether that's talking to my teammates and staying encouraging," she continued. "You know when you're playing the two guard, you're always looking for the point guard to do all of that for you, so when you're the point guard you have to step up in those roles."
Watch highlights from #KStateWBB's win over Penn State on Saturday night in Las Vegas! pic.twitter.com/A1f3T8g9Dm
— K-State Women's Basketball (@KStateWBB) November 26, 2017
Goth found a groove leading K-State's offense quickly. She's scored in double figures in all seven games, combining for 55 points in the last three. Additionally, her assists-per-game average ranks 26th nationally and her assist-to-turnover ratio (2.21) is on a school-record pace.
"From three weeks, four weeks ago, our point guard play has stabilized," K-State head coach Jeff Mittie said. "She's getting more comfortable in that role."
"I'm trying to let the game come to me and not trying to force things," added Goth, as K-State (5-2) hosts UT Arlington on Wednesday at 7 p.m. "I'm definitely getting there."
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