Oneonta High's Ruff wants hoop dream to come true

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August 11, 2012

Oneonta High's Ruff wants hoop dream to come true

Anonymous Daily Star The Daily Star Sat Aug 11, 2012, 03:30 AM EDT

By Rob Centorani

Staff Writer

A self-described perfectionist, Oneonta High's Mariah Ruff certainly has had plenty of time this summer to work on traveling.

She's been to Orlando, Nashville, Tenn., and New Orleans. While some sight-seeing no doubt encompassed those trips, the business end of the excursions centered on basketball.

Ruff, a junior-to-be, earned a spot on the Albany City Rocks, an elite national AAU travel team.

"It's much more physical than the (Southern Tier Athletic Conference)," Ruff said upon her July 26 return from New Orleans. "The girls are so much better. There's a girl who's No. 3 in the nation for the 2013 class. They're really good and everyone is much more athletic, and quicker and stronger.

"It's really beneficial," she continued. "I know what to expect when I get to college. I have to get quicker and become a better shooter. You realize that everybody else's dream is Division I, too _ not just yours."

Yellowjackets coach Matt Miller said feelers for Ruff already have begun to roll in from the likes of St. Bonaventure _ a school that advanced NCAA Division I Sweet 16 this past season _ Binghamton University and Vermont.

"Her name is definitely on a lot of bulletin boards," Miller said of Ruff, The Daily Star's Player of the Year. "There are some great names. I'm really happy for her. I've never seen a kid work as hard at her craft. She's just tireless and wants to be the best she can be. I don't know where she'll end up, but I wouldn't sell her short. She has God-given ability and I fully expect her to get a full scholarship somewhere."

South Kortright coach Josh Burroughs has had no one of Ruff's caliber on his roster, but that hasn't stopped the fifth-year coach from running up a 101-11 record that has included three trips to Class D state final four. Following a 22-1 season that resulted in the Rams' second straight appearance in the Class D state semifinals, Burroughs repeated as The Daily Star's Coach of the Year.

If Ruff, a 5-foot-7 point guard, continues her stellar play, she could become the first Daily Star circulation player to win three straight outright Player of the Year honors (Bainbridge-Guilford graduate Danielle Baldwin shared the honor with Liz McGrail in 1994 before winning outright in 1995 and 1996).

As a sophomore, Ruff led the Yellowjackets in scoring (15.9 points per game), assists (5.2) and steals (3.4). She also finished second on the team in rebounding (6.4) in helping OHS to a 17-5 record that included a Section Four-record fifth straight sectional title.

Along the way, she scored her 1,000th varsity point _ 502 of them coming with Andes, where she played as a seventh- and eighth-grader _ and earned Second Team all-state honors in Class B. She'll head into the 2012-13 season with 1,144 points and she'll no doubt attract plenty of attention from opponents.

Even as a sophomore, she saw combination defenses designed to stop her. Teams tried to take away her strong hand and attempted to keep the ball out of both.

Ruff's multi-layered game had all the answers, though.

"When they're double-teaming me, then the team contributes," Ruff said. "You find the open person as a point guard. Other people step up; it's just me."

What the next two years have in store for Ruff figures to be special. She'll likely be the top returning player in all of Section Four this winter and she'll have some talented pieces around her, including Daily Star First Team selection Kelsey Baker, 6-2 center Natalie Vanderlaan-Meyering and 6-0 Brittney Herrick.

"That's going to be awesome," Ruff said of Oneonta's size and experience, which also includes backcourt mates Dani Nicosia and Hayley Dower. "I have to find the hot hand and give it to them. Plus, everyone is so tall. We're going to get a lot of second chances."

Just what does she bring to the court?

Well, teams are reluctant to press against the Yellowjackets because her ballhandling, athleticism and vision often put OHS in position to attack and score easy baskets.

Opponents have to respect her outside shot, which opens up driving lanes and passing angles for her.

Back off and that smooth jumper might mean three points for OHS.

In transition, she can pull up, dish off or take it strong to the basket with either hand.

Then there's her work defensively. Be it in Oneonta's half-court zones or full-court traps, the mobile Ruff uses her active hands to deflect passes that often turn into offense on the other end.

"A lot of our kids are really good players and she makes them great players," Miller said. "She understands how to get a jump shooter open, she can get into the lane and make a post-player help, which leaves someone open. Every girl on our team would say they love playing with her. Sometimes, she gets too concerned with getting assists, and I have to pull her aside and say, shoot the ball. She's certainly the engine that makes us go."

As for Burroughs, his record really does speak for itself _ and much of it is built around a pressing defense that stifles opponents. Thirteen of the Rams' opponents scored 30 points of fewer in 2011-12.

"Defense is what we preach first and that's what leads to our offense," Burroughs said. "It definitely takes more effort and desire, and it's something we do every day in practice. You have to be in condition to play the full length of the floor and we know it's not going to be a steal or a turnover every possession. We want to force teams to take shots they're not comfortable with."

This past season, he used the talents of post players Robin Ward and Kayla Craft _ both Daily Star First Team selections _ along with eighth-grade guard Tori Rockefeller and Britney Northrop. The Rams rolled through their first 22 games, winning all of them by at least six points, including a 44-38 win over Worcester for their second straight Section Four Class D title.

They followed with a 47-38 victory over Section Three champion Oriskany in a state quarterfinal before falling, 57-44, to Elba in a state semifinal.

Ward, a senior who earned First Team all-state honors, averaged 15.3 points, followed by Craft (a Fifth Team all-state selection) at 12.0, Northrop at 9.8 and Rockefeller at 8.6.

"It goes back to the girls and how hard they work," said Burroughs, who returns starters Craft, Rockefeller and Miquela Hanselman next season. "They play AAU and both summer leagues. They always want to work hard and be competitive. Our JV program won the (Delaware League) crossover, so there's talent coming up again."

Rob Centorani can be reached at rcentorani@thedailystar.com or 607-432-1000, ext. 209.

___

DAILY STAR GIRLS BASKETBALL FIRST TEAM ALL-STARS

Jordan Anderson, Unadilla Valley junior

Kelsey Baker, Oneonta junior

Jordan Beers, Franklin sophomore

Carolyn Butler, Walton senior

Kayla Craft, South Kortright junior

Casey Manzanero, Unatego junior

Karli Pochkar, Worcester senior

Shania Vandermark, Bainbridge-Guilford senior

Avalon Ward, Milford senior

Robin Ward, South Kortright senior

___

DAILY STAR GIRLS BASKETBALL ALL-STARS HISTORY

Players of the Year

Year, Player, Team, PPG

2012, Mariah Ruff, Oneonta, 15.9

2011, Sienna Wisse, Oneonta, 14.6

2010, Sam Meyerhoff, Davenport, 25.2

2009, Madie Harlem, Oneonta, 18.2

2008, Jen Wehner, Cooperstown, 14.7

2007, Stephanie Shellman, Downsville, 17.2

2006, Jessica Laing, S. Kortright, 25.6

2005, Jarrin Hayen, Oneonta, 16.7

2004, Renee Kemmerer, Afton, 20.2

2003, Shannon Weir, Milford, 19.6

2002, Angela Mirabito, Sidney, 24.5

2001-x, Brooke Davis, Stamford, 18.2

2001-x, Ashlei Kenchen, S. Kortright, 18.8

2000, Katie Arnold, Cooperstown, 16.1

1999, Courtney Mattingly, B-G, 24.1

1998-x, Krissy Zeh, Oneonta, 15.3

1998-x, Courtney Mattingly, B-G, 24.7

1997, Krissy Zeh, Oneonta, 15.4

1996, Danielle Baldwin, B-G, 22.0

1995, Danielle Baldwin, B-G, 18.3

1995-x, Liz McGrail, Stamford, 14.2

1994-x, Danielle Baldwin, B-G, 15.4

1994-x, Ellen McGrail, Stamford, 13.2

1993-x, Melinda Knapp, Schenevus, 17.6

1993-x, Cindy Wagner, G-MU, 19.1

1992-x, Jill Kathmann, Delhi, 23.8

1992-x, Jennifer Wright, Davenport, 22.6

1991, Jill Kathmann, Delhi, 22.2

1990, Mieke Veenhof, Gilbertsville, 24.3

1989, Janet Merrill, Walton, 17.8

1988-x, Karen Finn, Cooperstown, 15.2

1988-x, Stacie Kane, Afton, 20.2

1987, Karen Finn, Cooperstown, 16.1

1986, Daphne Joy, Morris, 20.6

1985, Denise McNeilly, Franklin, 33.2

1984, Denise McNeilly, Franklin, N/A

Coaches of the Year

Year, Coach, Team, Record

2012, Josh Burroughs, S. Kortright, 22-1

2011, Josh Burroughs, S. Kortright, 21-2

2010, Bob Zeh, Oneonta High, 20-4

2009, Bob Zeh, Oneonta High, 25-1

2008, Mike Niles, Cooperstown, 25-1

2007, Bob Conway, B-G, 19-3

2006, Harry Nissen, S. Kortright, 25-1

2005, Christine Baldauf, Downsville, 24-3

2004, John Simonds, Afton, 15-10

2003, Bob Conway, B-G, 22-2

2002, Loraine Butcher, Sidney, 26-1

2001, Jim Johnson, G-MU, 17-6

2000, Tom Sherwood, Stamford, 23-1

1999, Bob Conway, B-G, 25-3

1998, Tom Moriarty, Oneonta, 27-0

1997, Tom Moriarty, Oneonta, 26-1

1996, Duane Ely, Roxbury, 18-5

1995, Floyd Bourne, Richfield Spr., 18-4

1994-x, Tom Sherwood, Stamford, 26-1

1994-x, Bob Conway, B-G, 20-3

1993, Tom Sherwood, Stamford, 24-1

1992-x, Ray Preston, Davenport, 22-2

1992-x, Karen Clark, Sidney, 24-3

1991, A.B. Jones, Roxbury, 20-3

1990, Tom Sherwood, Stamford, 21-4

1989, Ray Preston, Davenport, 24-3

1988, Jim Johnson, Gilbertsville, 17-3

1987-x, Doug Fessenden, Sidney, 22-2

1987-x, Ray Preston, Davenport, 21-1

1986, Bob Conway, Mount Upton, 21-1

1985-x, Earl Sussman, Unatego, 24-3

1985-x, Joan Martin, Morris, 22-2

1984, Doug Fessenden, Sidney, 21-4

x-shared honor