During her time on
The Farm, All-American Nicole Powell has rewritten the record
books for the Stanford Women’s Basketball Team. Whether it
was points, rebounds, or assists, Powell’s name has been
etched in the history books and will go down as one of the
greatest players to ever don a Cardinal jersey. However, with her
graduation this June, many critics and fans alike are expecting
the Stanford Cardinal to suffer a severe decline next season and
predict it will be a long climb back into the elite ranks of
collegiate basketball for coach Tara VanDerveer’s ball club.
Despite the gloom
and doom attitude that has possessed many fans, The Bootleg is
here to tell you that the Stanford Cardinal will not completely
fall off the radar screen next year. While Powell has left the
Stanford program for the WNBA and fellow seniors Katie Denny and
Chelsea Trotter have graduated into the real world, VanDerveer
will have several gifted players returning, in addition to a
spectacular freshman class, highlighted by a backcourt duo ready
to set the collegiate scene on fire. Consider the talent on next
year’s squad: nine High School All-Americans and six State
Player of the Year recipients. Contrary to popular belief,
Stanford will have a strong squad next year and should surprise
many on the national scene. Here are five reasons why Stanford
fans will be looking forward to the 2004-2005 basketball season:
1) Brooke Smith
Brooke Smith
enters the 2004-2005 basketball season with the distinction of
being Stanford’s first and only transfer player for coach
VanDerveer and her timing could not have been any better. With
the news that 2004 would be the last year center Chelsea Trotter
would don a Stanford jersey, Smith looks to replace Trotter’s
points, rebounds, and toughness in the paint in the upcoming
year. As a First Team Parade High School All-American, the Bay
Area native elected to attend Duke University, signing a National
Letter of Intent her senior year. However, homesickness and
playing time her freshman year caused the talented center to
re-evaluated her priorities. Within weeks of Duke’s run to
the Final Four in 2003, Smith had decided to transfer closer to
home and matriculate at Stanford.
What should
Stanford fans expect from Smith come basketball season? One of
her weaknesses going into Duke was her conditioning and stamina.
She failed to receive a significant amount of playing time in
Durham, NC because she wasn’t prepared for the fast pace of
collegiate basketball. She was getting pushed around in the paint
and often a step too slow on defense. However, Smith used her
redshirt year wisely, hitting the weight room and improving her
overall quickness. With her stamina and strength significantly
increased, Smith appears ready to make an impact for the
Cardinal. The redshirt sophomore has a variety of moves in the
post and when she can’t find a good shot to hit, she has the
ability to pass to an open teammate out on the perimeter. It will
be exciting to see what the 6’3” center will bring to
the team and while a starting position is by no means guaranteed,
expect Smith to get significant minutes throughout the season.
2) Post
Rotation
Traditionally,
Stanford’s strength has always been in its guard play –
whether it be a potent transition offense, crisp passing, or
deadly three-point shooting. However, next year’s team has a
chance to shift the focus away from the backcourt and to the
frontcourt. While there is no dominant player up front for
Stanford, it is the collection of individuals who will make
Stanford so difficult to match up with next season. Whether
VanDerveer wants to go with height, speed, athleticism,
shotblocking, or finesse, the team has the versatility to mix and
match until the right combination is found. Leading the crop of
post players will undoubtedly be the seniors, Azella Perryman and
T'Nae Thiel. A starter for most of her career, Thiel is known for
her defensive work in the paint, often assigned to shut down the
opposing team’s best post player and though frequently at
least two to three inches shorter than her opponent, Thiel gets
the job done. Perryman has had an inconsistent career at
Stanford, shining at times with her offense, rebounding, and
athleticism; however, Perryman has also found herself to be a
defensive liability, limiting her minutes on the court. Hopefully
Perryman will be able to step up her defense in order to gain
more playing time – she is a tough minded athlete who will
not back down to anyone and that is the attitude Stanford needs
to adopt next year.
Freshman Kristen Newlin came onto the collegiate basketball scene as an unknown
entity, a product of growing up in Riverton, Wyoming, a small
town of just over 10,000 people. However, much to the delight of
the coaching staff and fans, Newlin turned out to be one serious
player. At 6’5”, the forward/center displayed the
athleticism and skills necessary to become an important member of
the Cardinal rotation. After a promising freshman campaign where
she earned All Pac-10 Freshman honors, look for Newlin to
contribute even more during her sophomore season. Freshman
redshirt Eziamaka Okafor, a 6’0” forward out of Rolla,
MO, has been plagued with injuries left and right throughout her
whole Stanford career. Though she only played a total of two
minutes last season, look for her role to increase tenfold. Her
biggest strength is her rebounding and with the departure of
Powell, VanDerveer will be looking for anyone to step right in
and snatch any loose balls off the boards. The only question will
be if Okafor has completely recovered from her ailments – if
the answer is yes, then Stanford opponents beware of this
athletic young player crashing the boards. Transfer Brooke Smith,
discussed earlier, will add to an already solid and athletic crop
of players, and can be counted on to provide solid minutes in the
paint. With Thiel, Perryman, Newlin, Okafor, and Smith, Stanford
will have the quickness, athleticism, and depth to challenge any
team in the nation in the post.
3)
Candice Wiggins and Cissy Pierce
Not
since Jamila Wideman and Kate Starbird have two players created
such a stir for Cardinal basketball aficionados. The McDonald's
High School All-Americans will enter Stanford with quite a loaded
resume. Cissy Pierce hails from Littleton, CO, where she averaged
18.1 points and 8.9 rebounds a game for Heritage High School as a
senior. The 5’10” guard will contribute immediately to
the Cardinal, as her speed and athleticism are unparalleled.
Pierce’s ability to create her own shot, whether it be by
slashing to the basket or shaking off her defender for a jumper,
will add to an already dangerous arsenal of scoring threats for
coach VanDerveer’s squad. In addition, her love for the
transition game will showcase her smooth ball-handling skills and
fine passing. Though she is slated for the shooting guard
position, VanDerveer will most likely try her out as a potential
replacement at the point.
Pierce’s classmate, Candice
Wiggins, is a consensus Top 10 national recruit, and with good
reason. At 5’11”, the Southern Californian product has
the prototypical body for a wing player, with the ability to
score from all sides of the court. As one of the leading scorers
in California this season at 30.7 points a contest, Wiggins has a
knack for putting the ball in the hole, whether the basket comes
off of a three-pointer or a deep drive to the hoop. If Wiggins
appears to resemble Powell at times, it is because this
all-around athlete is just as talented in the backcourt as she is
in the post. Her athleticism and speed make her a versatile
player for the Cardinal, allowing her to play either guard
position or in the paint with ease. While Pierce is the odds on
favorite to take over as the point guard for the Cardinal, do not
rule out Wiggins, as her court vision and passing are superb as
well, though it would appear her natural position would be on the
perimeter. As the Stanford Cardinal enter the Post Powell Era,
fans can be rest assured that the future of the program appear to
be in the great hands of these two high school All-Americans.
4)
Sebnem Kimyacioglu
SHEB-num
kim-YA-zhe-oh-loo. Learn the pronunciation of this talented guard
because fans will most certainly have a need to yell out her name
correctly next season. For three years, the versatile junior has
had her name mispronounced by everyone - from the all-knowing
fans to the announcers who make it a living to know the game and
the players. During her time on The Farm, Kimyacioglu has been
the consummate role player – grabbing errant rebounds,
playing hounding defense, hustling for loose balls, and
occasionally hitting a timely three-pointer with little fanfare.
However, with the graduation of Powell and Trotter, the need for
a scorer will be imperative and look for the local product out of
Mountain View, CA to step up her game and fill the void for the
Cardinal next season. Though Kimyacioglu only scored 6.7 points a
game last year, she averaged 12.4 points when Powell sat out with
injuries, totaling 11 games over the last two seasons.
Furthermore, during the Cardinal’s Italian tour against
professional clubs before the 2004 season began, Kimyacioglu was
the team’s leading scorer, averaging a little over 18 points
a game. She has the purest stroke on the team and has shown the
skills to put the ball on the floor and take it to the hoop.
Kimyacioglu has the ability to be a consistent scorer for
Stanford, but has always deferred to her elders. However, in her
last year in a Stanford uniform, Kimyacioglu should feel
compelled to lead her team and take on the responsibility that
comes with being a senior, meaning shooting the ball often and
with confidence. Kimyacioglu will still play tough defense and
get hustle for loose balls, but look for her to shoot the ball
when the opportunity arises.
5)
Kelley Suminski
The
senior-to-be had an inconsistent junior year, struggling mightily
at times, but coming through in the clutch for the Cardinal when
it mattered the most. Coming off a sensational sophomore campaign
where she earned First Team All Pac-10 Honors, great things were
expected out of the native of New Jersey. However, the beginning
of the season got off to a rocky start, as Suminski struggled
mightily to find her shot. Through the first nine games, she was
averaging only 7.2 points; in addition, Suminski was hitting a
paltry 25% of her three's, usually a strength in her game.
Despite her early woes, the shooting guard was able to right the
ship by the time the Pac-10 Conference rolled around and
rebounded by averaging 10.2 points and shooting an impressive
42.3% from 3-point land over the next 18 games. Her consistent
and solid play was highlighted with a 22-point performance
against Washington State in early January. In that game, Suminski
re-discovered her aptitude for precision, as she went 4-5 from
beyond the arc and was a perfect 8-8 from the charity stripe.
During the post-season, the sharp-shooter was able to up her game
another notch, as she posted 11.1 points a game and hit 43.8%
from beyond the arc. However, the biggest moment of her career
came in the Sweet Sixteen game against the Vanderbilt Commodores.
Down 54-55 with 2.2 seconds left on the clock, Suminski received
an outlet pass from Powell at the top of the key and with
unwavering confidence, drilled a three that would send the
Cardinal into the Elite Eight for the first time since 1997. The
“Miracle Shot” will undeniably give Suminski an
extraordinary amount of confidence that will carry on over to her
senior season. She can draw strength and energy from that shot,
knowing that she has the ability to hit the game winning basket
in even the most pressurized situations. Next year, Stanford fans
should expect to see a confident Suminski take the court. She has
improved every area of her game by leaps and bounds as each year
progresses and there is no reason to doubt that she will continue
to develop into a top basketball player, one who is capable of
leading Stanford deep into the NCAA Tournament come March.
With
basketball season just months away, many questions regarding next
year’s squad have already been answered. The four seniors,
Kimyacioglu, Perryman, Suminski, and Thiel, will all need to step
up to provide leadership to a team that lost three great leaders
in Powell, Trotter and Denny. Although Powell can never be
replaced, Wiggins will use her scoring prowess and megawatt smile
to ease the pain of losing the Kodak All-American. However, the
biggest question all Stanford fans have been wondering has yet to
be answered: will Susan Borchardt be staying or leaving? The
spunky redshirt junior came into Stanford in the same class as
Powell, Denny, and Trotter, though a torn ACL has given her the
chance to compete for a fourth year. Will she return to The Farm,
or graduate and be with her husband, Utah Jazz center Curtis Borchardt? If the 5’7” point guard returns, the pros
would be obvious. Borchardt is a deadly shooter, hitting 43.7% of
her three-point attempts. In addition, she can put the ball on
the floor and slash to the hoop with relative ease. However, her
worth to the team goes beyond just her offensive contributions;
Borchardt is awesome on defense and uses her quickness and active
hands to shut down opposing guards. She would also provide senior
leadership that will be important in creating great team
chemistry, considering the squad will be embracing four new faces
next season. However, whether Borchardt decides to rejoin the
team or not does not take away from the fact that Stanford has
the potential to go deep into the NCAA Tournament and the
addition of Borchardt would only make the team stronger.
Next
year, a Nicole Powell-less Stanford squad will go into the season
as the underdog, but everyone knows how the Cardinal responds to
that misconception (just ask Missouri, Oklahoma, and Vanderbilt).
Until November 2004 hits, keep your fingers crossed that
Borchardt will return to Stanford and start learning how to
correctly pronounce Sebnem Kimyacioglu.
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