PERIMETER ATTACK: Princeton High girls basketball player ­Julia Ryan heads upcourt in a game last season. PHS will be relying on junior guard Ryan to provide production on the perimeter this winter. The Little Tigers tip off their 2014-15 campaign by hosting Hamilton on December 19. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

As Dan Van Hise enters his second year at the helm of the Princeton High girls’ basketball program, he and his players are on the same page.

“It is really big, they are more comfortable with me,” said Van Hise, who guided PHS to a 3-16 record last winter.

“I have learned what gets them going and what turns them off. I have to be positive no matter what.”

Van Hise is expecting a positive impact from his quintet of seniors, which includes co-captains Mary Sutton and Mira Shane along with Catherine Curran-Groome, Bryanna Blue, and Mia Levy.

“It is really going to be the biggest factor,” said Van Hise, whose team gets its 2014-15 campaign underway by hosting Hamilton on December 19 and WW/P-S on December 22.

“The five of them are close knit. It is amazing what it does for a team. You can tell that the ball is moving faster. They like playing with each other.”

One of those seniors, Sutton, will combine with junior Julia Ryan to give the Little Tigers a potent one-two punch in the backcourt.

“Mary is buying into the point guard role,” said Van Hise. “Two of the biggest things I have noticed is that she is trying to get to the hoop more and she is looking for her teammates more. Julia has been on fire, she has been showing her stuff. She is a little tougher as well, she is going more to the basket. I am hoping she will get more free throws this season and won’t be as reliant on her jump shot.”

Van Hise is depending on another senior, Catherine Curran-Groome, to provide depth at guard.

“Catherine is going to be a big contributor this year,” said Van Hise, who will also be using sophomore Jamaica Ponder and junior Crystal Wang at guard.

“She sees the floor really well, she has good basketball sense. She is a good floor player, she gets her teammates involved.”

Blue should be involved a lot in the paint for the Little Tigers. “Bryanna will be our main post player,” said Van Hise.

“She is finishing around the basket, she is a lot more confident putting shots in. She is not thinking out there, she is just playing. She has stepped up, she is talking on defense, pushing the others to play harder.”

Two other seniors, Levy and Shane, along with sophomore Zoe Tesone give Van Hise confidence that PHS will be solid down low.

“Mia is the other post player; she is another senior who knows what she is doing,” said Van Hise.

“She has that inherent basketball IQ. Mira brings leadership and energy. She has turned into our defensive stopper; she will guard the other team’s best player. Zoe Tesone will help a lot. She is athletic and puts it all together. She can face the basket and will help us when we press.”

In order to put things together this winter, PHS will need to show energy all over the court.

“We talk about being aggressive and fighting as hard as the other team is fighting and I am seeing that at practice,” said Van Hise.

“In our first scrimmage we were coming after the ball hard and playing tougher defense. We need to make sure that the aggressiveness and toughness shows up in games. We can’t let the other teams get three or four shots at a time. I think we will make a lot more shots. We are playing more as a team, the ball movement is better. We have to do the little things, like boxing out, helping out on defense, and getting loose balls.”