Bailey Norby (#11 / F / 6-2 / Fr.)
Bailey Norby (WBR/Adam Streur) $ CLICK TO BUY $
The third and final newcomer to preview from the state of Minnesota is Forest Lake High School standout Bailey Norby. An AAU teammate of fellow freshman Sydney Lamberty, Bailey finished her high school career with 1,890 points and 800 rebounds — both school records — before stepping on the practice floor for the first time as a Creighton Bluejay.
Listed at 6-feet-2-inches tall, she has understandably spent the majority of her time battling the other Creighton posts down low and setting screens on the perimeter for Creighton’s sharpshooters. She looks strong for a freshman and has also shown a good ability to step away and hit a 10-12 footer when she is open.
She obviously doesn’t have the experience of an Alexis Akin-Otiko or a Bri Rollerson, but with the graduation of Sarah Nelson and Alyssa Kamphaus from last year’s front court, Bailey will have an opportunity to compete for playing time with Akin-Otiko, Rollerson, and true freshman Kylie Brown.
Head Coach Jim Flanery on Norby:
“Bailey is another kid who is going to need to be a low mistake player. She’s solid and we need to transition her to be a little more comfortable on the perimeter on offense, because she’s probably going to spend more time there as her career goes on. She’s done a good job of battling [Rollerson] in practice, defensively and on the glass she’s done a good job up to this point. She plays within herself.”
5-on-5 with Bailey Norby:
Q: Why did you decide to attend Creighton?
A: “Originally I came to tour the campus and I just loved it. The small atmosphere and how welcoming it is. I didn’t like a huge campus, because knowing everyone around you helps. Also, the coaching staff was so nice, and the girls were so welcoming when we got here. It just felt right. Every time I came back I just wanted to be here even more.”
Q: How do you think your game translates to this level, and how can you help right away?
A: “Definitely on the rebounding. They like that I’ll crash the boards and stuff like that. Flan likes how I talk a lot and thinks I can be a leader in that aspect, kind of like a floor general in a way.”
Q: What is one area of your game that needs to improve the most?
A: “Like [Myah and Sydney] said — defense. It’s reiterated, because once you get stops it leads to easier transition baskets. Also, definitely getting stronger. Being an undersized post you definitely need to bulk up a little bit to push them out of the way.”
Q: How has the preseason preparation gone for you so far?
A: “It was definitely nice to get us down on campus this summer, because it helped a lot just to get our feet wet so we kind of knew what we were jumping into. At first it was a little bit of a shocker, but now we’re getting used to the swing of things.”
Q: What do you want to achieve during your college career?
A: “As a team, make it to the [NCAA] Tournament. Flan reiterates how in the past they’ve had 20-plus-win seasons, and I definitely want to have big seasons. As an individual, just to be a better player all around.”