Rancho Bernardo’s Lindsay Biddle wanted to up her game, so she ed the Troop West traveling team right after last basketball season.
What an education — like jumping from elementary school to an Ivy League college.
A big-time scorer, she wasn’t asked to score. A player who supplemented those around her, she learned how to be a leader. Already confident, the 5-foot-10 junior took that to an even higher level. Defense, court-awareness, rebounding, ball-handling took on added importance as Troop West only had one player over 6-foot tall.
She also became a road warrior, practicing every Saturday and Sunday for three hours in addition to playing on the Power 24 circuit for what she estimates was upwards of 40 games between March and July in places like Kentucky, Ohio, Florida, Texas and New York.
The team of all-stars from throughout Southern California advanced out of their eight-team bracket before falling in the second round of the Nationals.
“We played everywhere, it was hard and exhausting, but it prepared me by allowing me to focus on basketball,” said the 17-year-old. “The entire weekends were dedicated to basketball. I learned how to adapt and eventually I got into a groove.
“I was a starter off and on because we had a bunch of 5-10 players but when I didn’t start, it just made me work harder to become a starter. We had great ball-handling guards, but we learned ability, everyone picking up everyone else. We were all responsible for every aspect of the game, especially defense.
“All of the forwards chipped in rebounding and learning how to play to your teammates’ strength all the time. Our teammates’ success was our success and what made it interesting was I wasn’t expected to score.”
As it turns out, the things she learned on the club circuit, which she plans to play again after this season, she’s been able to share with her Bronco teammates who started the week with a glittering 10-1 record and a spot in the section Top 10.
“As a freshman and sophomore, we had seniors who were the leaders but now it’s different,” said Biddle, who is averaging 23.5 points a game, third best in the San Diego Section. “It’s cool that my coach and teammates have confidence in me. They trust me with the ball.
“Now I get just as big a kick out of a teammate scoring off my assist as I do scoring myself. It’s a different kind of team and getting (6-foot-3 center) Abby Lesagonicz back was a big boost.”
Coach Kyle Williamson said the difference between Biddle’s play last season and this is dramatically different.
“She wasn’t asked to be a leader, she had a role to play,” said Williamson. “But now she’s a captain and a very vocal leader. She knows the way the program expects it to be done and she has fit that this season.
“She’s involved in every facet of the game. She’s a double-double machine and she’s a scoring threat at all three levels — inside, mid-range and outside. Everybody knows she’s the key and now she accepts that.”
Biddle, mind you, isn’t just a basketball junkie. She’s in ASB as the junior class president and according to Williamson, she’s in charge of school assemblies and is ‘a very diverse person.’
“I try to balance family, friends, school and sports,” said Biddle. “I like being a leader—it’s cool.”
She brings that versatility to the court as well.
“We were the No. 7 seeded team in the Open Division last year,” said Biddle of the Broncos who finished 21-11. “We lost (to La Jolla Country Day) but because we were Open, we got to advance to the state playoffs.
“We won two games (Torrance 48-46 and Palos Verdes 67-51 in Division II) before losing to Bakersfield Christian (73-52). That was a sad loss because we all wanted to make it farther.”
So, the goals are fairly obvious.
Winning the Palomar League title would be great, but Biddle says playing teams like top-ranked Mission Hills, Poway and Westview make that a challenge, one she accepts.
“We haven’t won a (section) title since I’ve been here and that would be special,” she said. “Playing in the Palomar League toughens us up for the playoffs.
“But we really want to go as far as we can in the state playoffs, whatever the division.”
