Doyle Rowland thought he was equipped for his new job a year ago.

He had the enthusiasm and work ethic down pat.

What he didn’t have was enough education.

That, now, has changed. He’s well on his way to a degree in the school of hard knocks, thanks to an eye-opening 2-21 season.

“I think we disappointed and basically embarrassed by the way we ended up,” he said. “We took that to the offseason and went to work immediately to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

With plenty of notes. Rowland, who built a successful middle school program, has a fresh perspective.

“We’re still under construction, but we’re seeing some positive things and we’ve grown in a lot of aspects of the game,” he said. “Hopefully, I’ve learned a lot about myself and these girls and hopefully we’ll be able to compete better than last year.”

Those notes contain a lot of personal reflection.

“I underestimated the intensity level up here,” he said. “I thought maybe I could come in and by knowing some of the girls and having success with them before that we could go out and have success right off the bat, even with a bunch of young kids.

“I’m scouting more and studying other teams. I didn’t have to do a lot of that in junior high. As long as we did what we were coached to do we didn’t need it. I’m trying to go to school during the off-season but studying not only my opponents but just studying other conferences, other teams and trying to learn more. Basketball is a game you never quit learning.”

So he’s visited with college coaches and ex-pros, spending considerable time with former Tulsa Washington, Arkansas and NBA standout Lee Mayberry. He’s doing a lot of watching and observing while letting his three assistants — last year’s coaches Jack Reavis and Shonika Breedlove and newcomers RuDel Wilson and Eric Walker. Breedlove missed a portion of last season giving birth to a child. Wilson is a lay coach and the father of Devante Wilson, a junior on the MHS boys team.

“A lot of people who know a lot about this game and can give me advice, and believe me, I’m always willing to sit down and listen. I don’t have all the answers but I know I can find the answers if I look hard enough.”

Seniors Hy-C Stancle and LaDarra Brown are back. Brown re-injured the knee she tore ligaments last season during softball season this fall and is slowly mending though expected to be ready by the start of the season. She’ll be a shooting guard and Stancle a small forward. Melanie Walker, a junior, is the front-runner at the point guard spot. Selece Davis, a junior, will play power forward.

There’s additional and rapidly improving depth at those positions coming from a pair of freshmen, Kelsey McClure and Alexus Wilson, who were outstanding guards as eighth-graders last year.

“They’ve got the athletic ability to contribute on the varsity level right now but hopefully we can bring them along and let them develop,” Rowland said.

At post is Deanna Moore, the 6-foot-3 sophomore sister of Daniel Moore, the Roughers’ center who graduated last season and signed with Des Moines (Iowa) Community College. Schuyler Carter, a senior at 6-2, is the next-biggest inside player as well as Melanie Perryman (6-0, senior).

But with three more years, Moore may have the bigger ceiling. rebounding and shot-blocking ability was evident before she separated a shoulder. It’s the offensive skills that she’s trying to refine.

“I’m working hard on posting up and my jump shot in the paint,” she said. “It’s coming along. Daniel worked with me during the summer, playing one-on-one. And I always won.”

Perhaps a bit of a stretch there, but the consensus is this team will be improved.

“We thought we’d come up here and be just as good as we were in junior high but it is a different story,” Walker said. “I thought we played good defense at times last year and that part of our game I think will really be better.”

“Our offense got lazy because we’d get discouraged,” Stancle said. “That’s not going to be that way again.”