Sophomore guard Jessica Huffman turned her attention this offseason to learning the game.

She has focused on the mental aspect of basketball. The physical aspect is already in place.

Huffman tallied 16 points, seven assists and seven steals in Thursday night’s season opening exhibition win over Truman State at Lantz Arena. Three nights later, Huffman again hit double digits and scored 14 points as the Panthers defeated Chicago Odyssey (a club team that consists of former college players), 79-73.

Huffman has let the game come to her this year. Last year, Huffman said she forced shots.

She said she had to score for her team, which led to her taking shots out of rhythm.

“The (first) couple games (this season), I’ve been letting it come to me,” Huffman said. “I haven’t forced a lot of shots.”

Eastern head coach Brady Sallee said Huffman “gets it.”

Sallee explained what “it” is.

“It’s that basketball IQ,” he said. “It’s in her position, thinking like a coach. It’s understanding when to take that quick shot, and when not to. I would definitely point to between her ears as where she’s made some great strides.”

Huffman was named the Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year last season and named to the second team all-conference. Huffman was also named to the all-newcomer team. The Whiteland, Ind., native scored at least 20 points, a team-high 10 times last season, and set the Eastern single game record with 38 points against Morehead State.

Sallee is fortunate to have a player of Huffman’s caliber on his team, pointing out she could have gone to a number of big schools to play basketball.

“She can do it all. She’s got the whole game offensively,” Sallee said. “She can shoot the three. She can take you off the dribble. She can pull up, play the in-between game. She can pass it; she sees the floor (well), she can handle (the ball). She really offensively doesn’t have a weakness. To get a player like that – I don’t care what level you’re on – is something special.”

Huffman talked about how her coach has helped her take her game to the next level.

“He knows me pretty well,” she said. “He knows how to control each kid, and he’s great at it. When we have our talks, he tells me what I need to work on, and I take it for what it is and I try to work on it.”

Junior forward Lindsey Kluempers said improvement is the team’s goal for each game.

“We have a pretty tough schedule this year,” Kluempers said, “But I don’t think we play anyone (who’s) completely out of this world. Each game, we’re just looking to improve. Just do the best we can and see where that takes us.”

Huffman is the kind of player Sallee wants – a winning attitude and the will to take the team to great places.

“The biggest thing I can say about Jessica is that she wants to win,” he said. “She’s willing to do whatever is takes. If that means her scoring numbers drop and her assist numbers go up, then that’s fine. For me, it’s a lot of fun to get out there with someone that talented and have them be that coachable.”

The Panthers have tough non-conference games coming up at home against Illinois Friday before hosting Illinois State Sunday.

With Huffman at the helm, Sallee said he is confident with the team’s chances.

“I know I’d have a lot of sleepless nights (as an opposing coach), trying to figure out how to defend her,” he said.

Jessica Huffman, a sophomore guard, has been averaging 15 points a game during the two exhibition games this season.

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