Player Highlight: Taylor Hebert, Women's Basketball

Women's basketball continues to build towards a new era at Lakeland and one of the early anchors of that process is North Battleford's Taylor Hebert.

One part of a roster of rookies, the first-year guard has enjoyed several great moments in preseason and the opening weekend of the campaign. Not only has she showcased the ability to pass the ball effectively to teammates, she's also shown promise as a tenacious defender.

"She gives us instantaneous athleticism at a very high level and she is extremely passionate about playing at this level of competition," Head Coach Todd Warnick said. "What she may lack in experience and polish she makes up for in energy, hustle and effort, and I have little doubt she'll make an impact in this league as she grows."

Hebert's journey towards college ball began in grade 9, when she made the senior team in high school. At the time, she said it wasn't a serious pursuit.

"At first, it was just a fun thing to do, but then in grade 10 I started taking it more seriously," Hebert said. "The following year I asked my coach if I could play post-secondary and she told I could if I worked my butt off."

The rookie guard went to several id camps, but chose Lakeland due to its proximity to home and the chance to learn under Warnick. Hebert said her coach's emphasis on focusing on the next play remains critical in adjusting to the differences between being a high school player and a college athlete.

"The pace is a lot faster, there's a lot more to focus on, especially the way Todd wants us to play," she said. "There's a lot more talking so everyone knows where they are."

"It's a lot about mental strength. If you're not tough mentally, you're not going to succeed physically."

There have been several other adjustments as well.

"Not having meals cooked for me, timing it out that I can eat at the right times," Hebert said. "Living on campus with all of the other sports, you get to know a lot of people, so I've really enjoyed that."

One reason Warnick is high on Hebert's potential is her similarities to another athlete he coached for several years with the Ooks.

"We had a player at NAIT while I was there named Shea Lynn-Noyes, she was arguably one of the best athletes in the country at that time and is still one of the all-time leaders in steals," he said. "Taylor reminds me a lot of Shea as a rookie, who was unpolished, but took time to develop her game."

Hebert said since the team's first practice, the intensity has grown tremendously, and they've received positive feedback on their development form several places.

"Parents, coaches, other coaches, even the refs said we looked like a different team," she said. "I'm really excited for the rest of the season to see how everyone grows."

And playing in front of family has been a bonus.

"They've enjoyed coming, dad has enjoyed the options at the concession, he sent me a picture of how hyped he was," she laughed.

Taylor Hebert is taking her first year of Business Administration. The Rustlers are back in action at the Lloyd Campus Gym on Oct. 24 against the Concordia Thunder.