Bishop Canevin grad Shamyjha Price making progress at UMass Lowell

Clueless. That was among the words UMass Lowell women’s basketball coach Tom Garrick used to describe freshman Shamyjha Price.

But wait …

Price, unprompted, used the same word to describe herself.

Garrick wasn’t insulting the Bishop Canevin grad. Price wasn’t down on herself, nor resorting to self-deprecating humor.

The term simply is indicative of the adjustments many freshmen have to make at the Division I level, and Price has been no different in her maiden season with the River Hawks. Here is what Garrick said about her, in context:

“Typical freshman. Having starts and stops. Looks phenomenal one day. Looks clueless the next. And I say that in the most admiring way. It’s just the jump from high school to college.”

Garrick also used words such as “character,” “coachable” and “explosive” to describe Price. And, indeed, she has had her moments. She had 12 points and seven rebounds against Merrimack, 11 points and five rebounds against UMass and 10 points, seven rebounds against Colgate.

Through UML’s Jan. 8 game against Hartford, Price had played in all 16 games (starting four) and averaged 5.2 points and 2.5 rebounds in 18.1 minutes per game.

“I feel like I have been doing OK,” she said. “At the beginning of the season, I was doing a little too much. But now at this point, I kind of know what I need to focus on.

“In the beginning — I’m not going to lie — I was losing my confidence. I wasn’t used to everyone being as good as me. But, at this point, I’m more confident than I was at the beginning.”

Perhaps Price’s biggest asset, Garrick said, is her athleticism — “She can run and jump with anybody in the gym.” That, he said, has enabled her to be the River Hawks’ best one-on-one defender.

But Garrick, who played four seasons in the NBA, said Price is finding out there is more to playing defense in college.

“Just team defense,” he said. “In AAU, it’s ‘If I’m standing next to my girl, I’m doing my job.’ It’s not enough just to be by your girl. You have to read the help-side defenses.”

Offensively, Price has shown the same on-again, off-again tendencies. Garrick said she is a better shooter than people think and also is capable of taking her defender off the dribble.

As she has gained experience, Price slowly has been putting her offensive abilities together in games.

“I’m still working on confidence in my shooting,” she said. “I don’t drive to the hoop as much as I did in high school. I feel like I need to get myself back to where I was in high school. I need to bring it in college, and I will be fine.”

Coming off the bench is another adjustment Price has had to make, although she said that has been the least of her issues. She was a reserve during her freshman season at Bishop Canevin and said she doesn’t mind the role.

“I want to be the energy bunny to change the tempo of the game,” she said. “I have no problem with it at all.”

With nearly half a season in front of her, Price is optimistic she and the team will continue to progress. The River Hawks (7-9, 3-0 America East through Jan. 8) have only three seniors, so the majority of the team will have plenty of time to grow together.

As far as Price’s future is concerned, Garrick said he believes she can become one of the best players in the conference.

“With her athleticism and her experience and her skill set,” he said, “… the sky is the limit for a kid like that.”