Tricia Cullop put together a skilled, artful recruiting class.

Now, if she could just find a way to get them on the floor.

The University of Toledo will be one of the most experienced teams in women’s college basketball, with all five starters returning and Hannah Noveroske, who missed last season with a knee injury. She was the Mid-American Conference’s sixth player of the year in 2021-22.

Ella Weaver, Macey Fegan, and Cadence Dykstra arrived on campus in June, and they’re already earning praise from coaches and their new teammates.

“They’ve really impressed me with their work ethic,” Cullop said. “They’re always in the gym. They all pick up things very quickly. We’re teaching quickly to get ready for our trip, and I’ve been really impressed with how quickly they've picked things up and gotten acclimated chemistry-wise with the rest of our players. They fit well personality-wise and they’re strong character kids.”

The top seven spots in UT’s rotation are set. Rhode Island transfer guard Emmi Rinat is likely to seize playing time as well. But Cullop isn’t afraid to go as many as 10-deep, which creates an opportunity for the three freshmen. She also doesn’t shy away from youth.

Up and down Toledo’s roster are veteran players who saw minutes during their freshman season. Even with a loaded team coming off an NCAA tournament win and its second consecutive MAC championship, there will be moments when inexperienced players are on the court.

“This summer has definitely been sped up because we’re going to Greece, so [the freshmen] are forced to pick up on things a little faster than freshmen normally would,” point guard Sophia Wiard said. “But they’re picking up on things fast. I think it helps having a bunch of older kids who know what they’re doing trying to help them out. But they are taking in all of the information.”

Wiard knows firsthand how demanding the transition can be from high school to college, especially the first summer. It’s the first time away from home, you’re taking your first classes, meeting new people, and getting accustomed to living in a dorm. Then you add in the basketball part, practicing with a team that’s won 58 games over the past two seasons.

The speed of the game, even in the summer, is at an entirely different level than in high school. The terminology may as well be a foreign language. Four years later, Wiard remains thankful that Mariella Santucci and Nakiah Black tutored her, calling it a “game changer.” Now she’s returning the favor.

“It’s not just the coaches helping you out, it’s everybody on the team,” Fegan said. “And they’re not being mean about it. They’re just saying, ‘Hey, maybe it would be more effective this way.’ I like having so many veterans.”

So does Cullop. And not for the obvious reason. Toledo is down an assistant coach, as Danielle Page is in Europe preparing the Serbian National Team for the FIBA U20 European Championships, which take place July 29 to Aug. 6 in Lithuania.

With multiple players who have been in the program for five years, the Rockets are not short on knowledge of how the program operates.

“I feel like I have a lot of extra assistant coaches on the floor at practice because they know our system so well,” Cullop said. “It’s not uncommon to hear Soph or Q say, ‘Come here for a minute,’ and put their arm around one of our newcomers. They understand how important it is. They had to learn those lessons and they want to make that path easier. I’ve been extremely impressed at how great of mentors and leaders they are. They’ve been wonderful. It will pay dividends in the future.”

Weaver is a 6-foot forward from Virginia who originally signed with Buffalo but asked out of her letter of intent when the Bulls’ coaching staff experienced significant turnover. She scored 1,213 career points at William Monroe High School, averaging 20.0 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.1 steals per game as a senior.

Weaver had 31 double-doubles in her final two seasons.

Dykstra was a Miss Basketball finalist in the state of Michigan, leading Grand Rapids West Catholic to an undefeated regular season. The four-year starter was only part of five losses in her high school career. As a senior, she shot 50 percent, averaging 14 points, six rebounds, five assists, and four steals per game. (Dykstra works with NBA and WNBA skills trainer Mertzie Klein, who also coaches Wiard.)

Fegan — another Miss Basketball finalist — was a three-time all-state selection and one of the most prolific scorers in Michigan history. Standish-Sterling coach Denny Wendel called her a “once-in-a-lifetime player.” She averaged nearly 30 points per game as a senior, with 14.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists.

The triumvirate will help form the nucleus for the future, as the Rockets lose Wiard and Quinesha Lockett after the 2023-24 season.

“I’m just soaking it all up and learning as much as I can,” Weaver said. “I want to help wherever that may be possible.”

Toledo’s foreign trip to Greece Aug. 5-15 affords it 10 extra practices. The 11-day trip will feature a pair of games, sightseeing, and team bonding. The Rockets will do a tour of Athens, visit the Acropolis, a multi-day stay in Santorini, and other activities.

Reintegrating Noveroske into the rotation will be part of the games. Cullop is also intrigued to see the starters play in a game-like environment again. But she’s especially eager to get a feel for where Toledo — already on an upward trajectory — is positioned.

“I think this class is going to help us where we need it,” Cullop said. “We’re going to miss Jayda [Jansen]. We’re going to miss Justina [King]. But I feel like we found the pieces that we need to keep going and also be prepared for next year when we graduate some people.”

First Published July 24, 2023, 4:54 p.m.