Rosenbaum has Jordan rising with deepest run since 2010
LOS ANGELES » The Jordan girls basketball team's historic playoff run is over but the program's turnaround might just be getting started under second-year coach Wesley Rosenbaum.
“I love this team so much,” said Rosenbaum. “I love this program. You can see where this program is by who is in the stands at an away game on a Wednesday night out in the middle of LA. We've got our admin here, we've got our athletic director here, we have teachers here, so I love this program and really it's just the girls are built for adversity.”
The Panthers (18-12) suffered a 49-23 loss at Shalhavet (22-1) Wednesday in the CIF Southern Section Division 4AA quarterfinals.
Jordan struggled to find consistent offense until the last five minutes of the game. Junior point guard Asia Edwards finished with a team-high nine points and five rebounds. Senior forward Julie Davis was a bright spot inside pulling down a team-high nine rebounds, but overall the Panthers had trouble containing Shalhevet junior forward Yalee Schwartz, who finished with a game-high 28 points and nine rebounds.
Jordan went 2-1 during its postseason run in which it reached the quarterfinals for the first time since 2010. The Panthers qualified for the playoffs by going 6-6 and finishing fourth in the Moore League.
“It was a special run. We learned a lot. I'm super proud of the girls, but this is just the beginning for us and we've got a lot of work to do,” Rosenbaum said. “We'll be back soon.”
It was a significant improvement from Rosenbaum's first season, which started strong with an 11-1 record but was altered by a nearly four-week shutdown because of a COVID-19 outbreak in late December and early January.
After being cleared to resume playing games, the Panthers limped to the end, going 1-7 the last two weeks
Jordan girls basketball coach Wesley Rosenbaum believes his program is definitely on the upswing.
of the season. They finished with a 12-9 overall record and went 3-7 in the Moore League.
“When we took over, to see how far we've come from, the first year last year until where we are now on the brink of going to the semifinals and falling short, I can't be happier,” Rosenbaum said. “Obviously, I'm disappointed, but I love this team and we're full of grit and it's only the beginning.
We're young.
“We're losing one senior (Julie Davis) and she's a big part of this, but we have our whole team coming back, so we're excited about that.”
Rosenbaum wants Wednesday's quarterfinals loss to be something that motivates his underclassmen to continue putting in the hard work necessary to take Jordan's girls basketball program to the next level.
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“I think that we learned that for one, in the playoffs it's difficult to win on the road, it's difficult to win in the playoffs in general,” Rosebaum said. “It's a young team and we talked about staying steady and you never know when the run is going to switch in our favor and you have to stay steady and keep going.”
Rosebaum believes his players have taken heed to what he wants them to do and were rewarded by their success in the playoffs.
“I think that our girls, they've bought into our system and our team and I think that our girls are just excited for the offseason work,” Rosenbaum added. “You can't win without making shots and with only scoring in the 20s. We played really great defense, but ultimately you give them that many chances without the ball going through the net, it's difficult to win.
“(But) I think the girls are
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excited to get back into the gym and get shots and keep developing their skills because we have so many players that are relatively new to the game and I know they are just more and more hungry every day.”
Rosenbaum also wants Jordan's postseason run to serve as an announcement that girls basketball is back on the map in north Long Beach.
“I think that North Long Beach knows that girls that play basketball have a home here,” he said. “We've got an incredible coaching staff. We have the work ethic from everyone and we're confident that we're going to start getting these players that may be going elsewhere previously.
“We develop these girls, love them to death, they're part of our family and I know that more girls are going to end up coming to Jordan and I just can't wait for it to happen.”