University of Santa Clara - Redwood Yearbook (Santa Clara, CA)

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s I sat in the cubicle of space reserved for the Santa Clara women's basketball team discussing old times and new with Coach Ken Thompson, I tried to picture what it was like eight years ago. It may have only been an eight-year span, but in that time Thompson had seen many changes. Bigger players. Better players. An increased budget. A more complex offense and defense and more responsibilities for the coaching staff. Turning back the clock, I picture players tio bigger than 5'l0 , most of them smaller, slowly, deliberately moving the ball up the court. Their offensive game plan was simple, look for an open post player and dump it inside. None of the point guards on either side were even attempting to shoot. Why use such a one-sided approach? The San jose State Spartans. the dominant women's basketball team of that time, was clogging up the IQ ,.5f-'f1- i 3. A Q Y 0 0 sr E ,... KEY DIFFERENCES b Vince middle, forcing turnovers and missed shots. Was it, I wondered, that the Spartans were really that good, or lgroanj was it because the other teams were that bad? Both, it turns out. Back then, there were a lot of mismatches. There were some very good teams and then there were a lot of teams that weren't very good. There were a lot of blowoutsf' Travel and coaching responsibilities were different, as well as player abilities. Thompson narrated what it was like during the early stages of development. I saw ten players climbing into a school van with their playing gear. Then came Thompson and his assistant, Debbie Chaw, the self-appointed drivers. What followed was a long, tiresome drive to I.os Angeles. Fortunately, it wasn't too hot- it was during the Christmas break. The players were not it V095 r si.. ,4 Logotheth s concerned with missed classes or reduced study time, only the boring long, long rides. Naturally, in its earlier stages, the women's basketball program had a low budget. There used to be room for only three scholarships. Now, Coach Thompson has six and a half to use to his advantage. Although there's more emphasis on recruiting and scouting, Thompson has it relatively easier than when he first arrived. A busy Thompson used to rush about handling the schedule, ordering the equipment, and figuring out practice plans. But the rough times have long since passed. Looking at the H386 team in action during the practice season, I saw the improvement ofthe players' skills at every position. Power forward Dorinda Lindstrom handles the ball like a guard. Shooting guard Suzy Meckenstock crashes the boards alongside the Y fl i t . in JJ j 1l'fvf'j,,mHA I 4 .l,.L bigger players as if she were a natural center. During the shooting drills, most shots swish softly through the net - a far cry from eight years ago when there was more throwing than actual shooting. It's no small wonder Thompson looks so optimistic. With better and better players coming in, the womens basketball program has gradually evolved into a program that a Bronco fan can be proud of. I llff I u 'T' S.- Key Differences 4 7

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E E his year there were a lot of young people forced to play and mature ,... but I never felt threatened by a younger player, a lotta things weren't clear to younger players about the system. They looked to Steve tKenilvortJ and me for understanding - they just needed someone to look up to, says Kenny Mulkey while scanning basketball proof sheets A for a good 8 xl0 . He can't wait for graduation and is proud that his family will watch him 'lwalk up on that stage and get my diploma - after four years! As one of only two YDUNG WILLING AND ABL by Christina Pehl seniors leaving the team, Kenny also thinks the younger players on the team do pretty well... something to build on this year. Freshman Mitch Burley had 23 points in the win against San Francisco State, center Dan Weiss had 19 points against Pepperdine, and lens Cordon had 18 points in the San Close State game and led the team in blocked points. Cordon was a key force in the upset victory over Loyola. Despite Weiss' points in the Pepperdine game, the team lost 64-60. However Pepperdine was ranked 20th in the nation at the time and finished first in the West Coast Athletic Conference CWCACJ, while Santa Clara ended-up fifth with a 7-7 record. Chris Lane, a sophomore starter, was also a key player on the team this year. Overall this year and last year I looked up to them. They have a lot to teach, said Lane about his senior teammates. At one point the team was l-5 in the WCAC - a sharp contrast to last season when the team went on to the Nfl' tNational Invitational 'I'ournamentJ. But Mulkey attributes the comeback to the period when we were losing and not really knowing why .5 it I mwlf ,X , J 5 fx . . N si if Pl, M K txjt QT X. . xvqgl N, X 3 rflfr M' E we were losing. Everyone hung in there and had a lot of pride. It helped us in the Pepperdine and Loyola games. At other schools, says Lane, it's not possible to be so close. As freshmen we did a lot together and became good friends. Youth hurt us in the beginning, but at the end of the season, when we played Pepperdine, we matured and I think we'll have a better attitude going into next year. Itls good our team is so young - some guys don't get enough experience until theirjunior year. Pushing above a determined defense, freshman lens Cordon aims for the backboard. Spirited players cheer on their teammates during SCU's first clash with rival USF in three years. The Bronco victory was fed by camaraderie among the men. A drive down the center gives Ken Mulkey a chance to score two. One of only two seniors on the squad, Mulkey was an inspiration to his teammates. Young, Willing, and Able