Court sense gives Deerfield’s Haley Greer an advantage

DEERFIELD — Deerfield’s Haley Greer has a rare ability on the basketball court — the capacity to see everything that’s transpiring before making her decisions on offense or defense. Not bad for a sophomore, who has started her first two years on the Warriors.

That court sense has been helped along a great deal by her parents, Leslie and Andy. Her mother was a star player at Colby College and her dad is an assistant coach for the Chicago Bulls after several stops as a college coach. She’s also been mentored by her older brother Zach, a senior who played on the boys basketball team his first three years at Deerfield.

In Friday’s 60-47 loss lost to Maine East, Greer scored a game-high 18 points to go along with six steals, four assists and one block.

“Haley is starting to handle all situations,” Deerfield coach Mike Muldrow said. “She’s added moves to her game. Very good with her left hand.”

Midway through Maine East game, Greer penetrated the lane on a right-handed dribble, then spun quickly to the left and tossed in a short lefty bank shot.

Muldrow also mentioned the vast improvement with Greer’s free-throw shooting. She was 10-for-10 from the line against the Blue Demons.

“I’ve worked really hard on my free throws,” Greer said. “I take a lot in practice and a lot outside of practice. I have to make sure that I knock them down.”

All is not perfect with her game. She missed on all six of her three-point attempts. But the heady player understands where the corrections need to be made.

“I have to get more arc on my shot,” Greer said. “And my feet are too close together. My coaches always remind me to jump straight up and not forward.”

On defense, there’s not much to correct.

“She has that point guard mentality,” Muldrow said. “She sees the passing lanes well and does a good job of getting into them. Haley’s a ball hawk.”

“I try to anticipate where they’re going to pass it,” said Greer, who plays up high in a match-up zone. “Sometimes [going for steals] works and sometimes it doesn’t.”

Against Maine East it worked over and over again, leading to fast-break baskets as Greer stole the ball and either scored herself or dished off to her fellow Warriors.

Greer has impressed her teammates.

“If you come off her too much, she’s just a killer three-point shooter,” backcourt teammate Margot Sylvan said. “Haley also brings speed and aggressiveness to the basket.”

With two more years of basketball ahead, Greer knows what she wants to work on.

“I’m trying to be a better leader,” said Greer, who also plays soccer. “Kathryn [Hoffmann] and Emelia [Karkazis], our captains, help me on my leadership skills.”

And off the court?

“Haley is always smiling. She stops by all the time to say hello,” Muldrow said. “Her teachers love her.”