Bowling Green State University Athletics
Women's Basketball Prepares For Saturday's YSU Game
November 14, 2000 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 14, 2000
It has been said that nothing is quite as certain as death and taxes, but when it comes to the Bowling Green State University women's basketball team, a few things are fairly certain. The Falcons will:
That third thing aside, the Falcons have developed a distinctive style as the team enters the third year of the Dee Knoblauch Era. BGSU will open the season with Saturday's (Nov. 18) game against Youngstown State. That contest will begin at 1:00 p.m. at Anderson Arena.
Knoblauch, a BGSU alumna, welcomes back eight letterwinners to the fold for 2000-2001. Add to the mix another player who saw late-season action last year, a redshirt who is itching to take the court, and five talented freshmen, and one begins to understand why Knoblauch is so eager for the season to begin.
Late-Season Success
BGSU struggled for much of the 1999-2000 season, but began to enjoy some success during the latter stage of the campaign. The Falcons, just 4-8 in Mid-American Conference play with two weeks left in the regular season, won five consecutive games, including a victory at home in the first round of the MAC Tournament, before losing in the tourney quarterfinals. BGSU finished with an 11-17 record, including a league slate of 8-8."We showed a lot of character last year," said Knoblauch. "We had only five returning players, and seven newcomers. My starting `center' was a 5-9 guard.
"Yet, we ended up in a tie for fifth place (overall) in the MAC. And, I thought we ended on a very high note. I am very proud of what we did last year.
"The big question when you look at a team is `did the team improve?' I thought we improved by leaps and bounds over the course of last year.
"Now, though, we have the pieces in place to have a very good year in 2000-2001."
Ten Returnees Ready to Run and Press
As mentioned, Knoblauch has 10 returnees from that team, plus five promising newcomers. The 15-player Falcon roster should fit right in with the coach's frenetic run-and-press style of play, one that promises to keep scoreboard operators around the nation busy again this winter.Last season's edition of the Brown and Orange set an NCAA record by making 9.25 three-point field goals per game. The Falcon program, after making a total of 666 three-pointers over the first 12 years since the shot was added, have drained 394 treys over Knoblauch's first two seasons. Last year's squad made a total of 259, and several of the key sharpshooters return to the 2000-2001 team.
"I think we will always shoot a lot of three-pointers," said Knoblauch. "But, really, last year we did so out of necessity. We were so good at it because, often, we had five guards out on the floor at a time.
"But, we work at three-pointers every day in practice. We work at them off of our fast break, and our fast break is a key component of our offense.
"I don't know that we will set any records this year with our `threes,' though, because I don't think it will need to be such a big part of our offense this year. We should have a little more balance this year."
In addition to three-pointers made per game, the Falcons also led the nation in a second category: free-throw percentage. The Brown and Orange made charity tosses at a 77.3 percent rate.
The Falcons return three starters from last year. Knoblauch, however, utilizes a 10-player rotation in which the substitutions come fast and furious (let that serve as a second warning to game officials at MAC gyms).
"I know the players think (starting) is important, but I do not feel that it is that important," said Knoblauch. "What I, as the coach, think is important is who is playing at the end of the game, and who can log a lot of minutes."
It is safe to say that junior Francine Miller fits all of the aforementioned criteria. Miller is back after becoming just the second sophomore in school history to earn All-MAC First-Team honors.
She averaged 17.1 points per game last year, and set a school record for three-point field-goal percentage (.453). Miller also led the Brown and Orange in scoring, field-goal percentage, three-point pct., and free-throw accuracy, and ranked second on the club in rebounding, assists and steals.
"Francine will log a lot of minutes for us again this year," said Knoblauch. "And, Franny is going to be even better this year because we have better balance. The other team will not be able to focus on her as much as last year.
"The people around her will be so much better, too, because this is the third year of our offense. They will understand when it is the best time to get Franny the ball and maximize her effectiveness."
Angie Farmer returns for her senior year after shattering the school record for successful triples last winter. Farmer sank 78 treys last year, and averaged 12.2 points per game. Farmer, who saw limited time as a freshman, has blossomed over the last two seasons, and looks to be one of the Falcons' primary scorers again in 2000-2001.
"Angie Farmer does not fit the mold of my ultra-speedy guard," said Knoblauch. "But, Angie is one of the smartest players I have ever had the pleasure of coaching.
"She uses her smarts to get good body position, to know how to get open, and to know where she is supposed to be."
Another senior, Afra Smith, looks to provide an offensive threat as well as defensive intensity. Smith scored 8.8 points, and her slashing drives to the basket complemented the outside shooting of her teammates. Smith started all 28 games last year.
"Afra certainly made a lot of strides last year," said the head coach. "And, she was playing her best ball of the year at the end, because she didn't have to think so much.
"By February, she knew our system and was able to just play. Afra is a well-rounded player for us, on the boards, as a scorer, just doing everything for us."
Also returning to the Falcon fold are junior Dana Western and sophomore Kim Griech. Western averaged 6.9 points per game last year, and has shown flashes of greatness. Griech, like Western, saw action in every game. She averaged nearly five points and sank 26 three-pointers.
Western and Griech started six and two contests, respectively, a year ago. Knoblauch feels that the two are prime candidates to take on more of a scoring role this year.
"Dana is one of our smartest players, and does not make mental errors. She has the best hands on the team, too. I wouldn't be surprised if she ranked among our steals leaders, just because she is so good at knowing when to stick a hand in, and go for the steal.
"She could be so good for us, her potential in our style is so great. I don't know if she realizes how good she can be. She made some strides last year with her confidence, and, if she continues to work hard, could really be a force for us."
"Kimmy is another player that we feel could be a scorer for us. Along with Franny, Angie and Afra, she is a player we will be looking to to get a ton of minutes. She has a good-looking shot, and she could help shoulder some of the scoring load."
Rounding out the eight returning letterwinners are sophomores Megan Jerome, Rachal Hamilton and Karen Stocz.
Jerome and Stocz each saw action in all 28 games off the bench last winter. While it is not apparent from first glance, as Jerome is a 5-9 guard and Stocz is a 6-0 post player, there are a lot of similarities between the two. Knoblauch cites both players as extremely hard workers who have improved their play during the off-season.
"Karen Stocz has probably made the most improvements this summer of anyone on the team," said the head coach. "She has worked very hard, and looks great.
"Megan Jerome is one of our hardest-working players, and she -- along with Karen -- made a ton of improvements this summer. MJ went home and must have worked on her shot all summer, and it looks much better.
"She makes our guard position that much deeper."
Hamilton saw action in 11 games off the bench last year. While she may never be viewed as a three-point threat, she did hit a triple in the season final‚, the MAC Tournament quarterfinal game vs. Western Michigan. That shot made her the 10th different player on the 1999-2000 squad to hit a trey.
For the most part, though, Hamilton was utilized to play a few minutes here and there, when the guard-heavy Falcons found their few post players needing a break. The coach says, however, that Hamilton makes the team better in several ways.
"Rachal Hamilton is such an asset to our team," said Knoblauch. "She is a role player, but she plays such a big role in our team chemistry. Even if she is playing just a complementary role on the basketball court, her overall role is very important to us."
The Falcons also welcome back a pair of players who did not letter last year, but made contributions to the squad. Another returnee is senior Jackie Adlington, who joined the team in mid-January. Adlington played at Cleveland State prior to coming to BGSU, and had just one Falcon practice under her belt before making her BG game debut at Miami. She now has a better grasp of Knoblauch's system.
Additionally, it would seem that Adlington is an ideal fit for a Knoblauch-coached team, as she can play virtually any position on the court.
"Jackie could play a guard spot, as she played guard at Cleveland State," said Knoblauch. "But, she will play at the bigger spots here, because of the overall strength of our guards. Jackie has looked very good in our individual workouts in the preseason."
Pam Brown will look for some playing time after sitting out last season as a redshirt.
"Pam practiced with us, but she did a lot of things with the scout team," said Knoblauch. "She needs to learn our system a little better, and will be battling some talented players for time on the court.
"But, Pam may have the most potential of any of our center candidates. She is so strong and explosive, and she has such a nice shot. She should be perfect for my style of play."
The Newcomers
"It is great for the team that we don't have to rely on the newcomers like we did last year," said the head coach. "Last year, as I mentioned, Afra Smith was so much better at the end of the season, because she was able to do things instinctively. She didn't have to think all the time about where she was supposed to be and what she should do."Also, I think it will help the younger players, because we can bring them along slowly, and not throw them to the wolves."
There is one exception, however, as Knoblauch will put the point-guard position in the hands of a pair of newcomers.
Freshmen Lindsay Austin and Emily Pohl will be vying to replace the graduated Jaymee Wappes, who averaged nearly 39 minutes per game last year, and ranks fourth in school history in career assists.
"Emily and Lindsay may be thrown to the wolves a little bit," said Knoblauch. "They will be my point guards, but I don't have a major concern about the position, because they are both very smart players.
"Also, I like their demeanor. They are both very unemotional and even keel. Just like a quarterback on a football team, you have to take the highs and the lows, without riding that roller-coaster.
"I am very excited about the both of them."
Andrea Ault, Kelly Kapferer and Stefanie Wenzel round out the Falcon newcomers, and will battle for spots in Knoblauch's rotation. Kapferer was the Ohio Division II co-Player of the Year, while Ault also earned all-state honors. Wenzel saw a successful high-school career cut short by a knee injury during her senior year.
Two of the players, Ault and Kapferer, will be battling for time at the center position.
"Andrea Ault has a great low-post game and some great moves," said the head coach. "And, she is extremely strong, she tested out as the strongest player on our team when we did the weight room tests.
"Kelly has great talent, and seems to be learning very quickly. I think she has a legitimate chance to contribute at that (center) spot.
"Stefanie Wenzel is probably in the best shape of anyone on the team, because she loves to run.
"She can run forever, and her work rate never drops due to fatigue. Her balance and agility are a little bit off because of the injury, but she works so hard. It will be interesting to see how quickly she can make strides. Stef is another one who will be perfect in my style."
Positional Analysis
As has been the case in Knoblauch's first two years, rare will be the time when the Falcon five consists of a center, two forwards and two guards. Knoblauch's 15-player roster consists of seven guards, and some of the players listed as forward are actually guards as well. "We will still play three guards a great deal," said Knoblauch. "Really, Afra is a guard, but we will play her at the `four' spot, because that is the best position for her to be the most effective."We will never have a true center, and we will always be undersized there, but our overall height is better. We will be taller at some other spots than we were last year."
Miller, Farmer and Griech, as mentioned earlier, seem to have a good chance to spend a great deal of time on the hardwood this winter, with Jerome looking to get her minutes as well.
The Austin/Pohl duo will man the point-guard position, likely splitting the minutes fairly evenly. Wenzel's amount of minutes at a guard spot will depend upon her ability to recover from her injury.
Smith and Western should see time at forward, with several other players vying for minutes as well. Most of those players -- Adlington, Brown, Hamilton, Stocz, Ault and Kapferer -- will battle for time at the center spot, too.
"That (center) position is the biggest battle we have going, and it will probably come down to whomever learns the quickest, makes the fewest mistakes and is ready to play."
"It will all come down to who learns the system the fastest."
The Schedule
The non-conference schedule is highlighted by tournaments at Auburn and Arizona, as well as a home date against Ohio State."Our non-conference schedule is challenging, as always. We are going to the Auburn tournament, and Auburn is always a top-25 team. We are going to Arizona, another top-25 team, and we are guaranteed to play them.
"Ohio State is coming here, which is a big home game for us, and we will play Youngstown State once again. They are a perennial power in their league (Mid-Continent Conference).
"But, as I have said, I always want as challenging a non-conference schedule as possible, because it makes you better. That was proven last season.
"Our non-conference record was 2-8, and it was just a brutal schedule. Most of those losses, with one or two exceptions, were games where we would have needed to play extremely well to win.
"But, then we hit the conference schedule, with a young team, and went 8-8. The non-league schedule made us better.
"It may not seem very fun in the short term, but it makes us better in the long term."
"This year, we are more experienced than last year. I think we will be playing better earlier. And, I am hoping that we can win some of those non-conference games to gain some confidence for the MAC season."
That conference schedule begins on Jan. 3, with a contest against Akron at Anderson Arena. The 16-game MAC slate features home-and-home series with every East Division team except Marshall, plus home games against Central Michigan and Toledo from the West Division. The Brown and Orange will travel to play three West teams in Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois and Western Michigan. For the second-straight year, Ball State is not on the Falcon schedule.
All 13 teams will make the tournament for the second consecutive year, with the top three seeds receiving first-round byes. After that round, eight teams will converge upon Cleveland's Gund Arena for the remainder of the tournament.
"Our conference slate is going to be very interesting this year," said Knoblauch. "I think there is more parity in the league than there has been in as long as I can remember, and I have followed the league ever since I left BGSU (as a student)."
"There has always been a powerhouse team, beginning with BGSU and continuing with Toledo, Kent State and, lately, Western Michigan.
"But, each of the top teams has lost some key players, and I think a lot of other teams are improving. Eastern Michigan made a great run last season, and a lot of other teams have improved.
"I talked about a dogfight at my center position, but I also think there will be a real dogfight in the MAC this year."
"It's gonna be fun."
And, if the team adds to Knoblauch's fun by winning enough games to return to the top of the MAC, the coach will probably let them watch Dirty Dancing as much as they want.
