Fresno State Athletics
1999-00 Women's Basketball Outlook
10/27/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Oct. 27, 1999
Laying the Foundation
The new era is in its second year. The building blocks are being put into place. Head coach Britt King is assembling the pieces that will turn Fresno State into one of the women's basketball powerhouses in the West. This year, one of the most exciting and talented recruiting classes in Bulldog history mixes with the nucleus of last year's squad to form a team that will continue Fresno State's climb into the nation's upper echelon.
The Bulldogs return four letterwinners and two starters from last year's 9-19 team. Combined with a freshmen class consisting of five players ready to make an impact, this should prove to be one of the deeper Fresno State teams in years.
And they will need to be. Teams such as Minnesota, SMU, Hawai'i and California dot the ledger this year, making this season's schedule one of the toughest in program history.
"This team is very young," second-year head coach Britt King said. "It will be a real opportunity for our freshmen to get a chance to play right away against a difficult schedule. But we want to be a top program, and to do that, you have to play against other top programs."
Returning Stars
Senior forward Tiffany Lewis, a second-team All-WAC selection a year ago, returns and should be one of the conference's best frontcourt players. Lewis finished last year racking up 12 double-doubles while averaging a team-high 12.6 points per game. But it was Lewis's efforts on the boards that made her stand out ? she averaged a WAC-best 9.6 rebounds per game. There is no mistake Tiffany Lewis is the leader of this year's Bulldog squad.
"If Tiffany continues to show the progress that she showed last year, we'll be in good shape," King said. "As long as she keeps improving, she will make everyone around her better. She has the ability to improve the level of play of everyone on our team and help them make a larger contribution."
With the loss of senior guard Laura Paukert (torn anterior cruciate ligament) and Janie McCombs (ruptured Achilles heel) for the year, Lewis's ability to score and rebound will be a key. But she will get help from Amanda Baker. A junior forward, Baker was second on the team last year with 7.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. The duo should provide the Bulldogs with a presence on the boards.
Another returning player who saw substantial playing time a year ago is Porsha Boyd. She came off the bench to play in 19 games and gives Fresno State a threat from outside the three-point circle.
"Both Porsha and Amanda are very hard workers that should help us out a lot this year," King said. "They will both play a lot of quality minutes. Everyone is going to have to do their share this year. We can't rely on one or two players. The entire team has to step up and do their part."
Youth Provides the Foundation
A talented cast of freshmen will make a push to contribute immediately. Forward Omelogo Udeze, the Los Angeles Times Player of the Year and a USA Today All-America selection, will help lead the charge of young Bulldogs. Also a good bet to see significant playing time is guard Tiffany Simon. The Detroit, Mich., native was All-State in basketball and track her senior year. The coaching staff feels she has the potential to become a tremendous defender down the road.
But the youth movement doesn't stop there. Guard Lindsay Logan and forward Channan High will add to the depth of the squad. Logan was named to Utah's All-State team her sophomore, junior and senior seasons while High led Largo (Md.) High School to the state championship in 1997. Also a major factor will be point guard Laura Garcia, a graduate of Fresno's Roosevelt High School, who was so impressive in preseason practice she earned the honor of joining Lewis as co-captain of this year's team. She will likely fill the shoes of Paukert at the point guard slot immediately.
Because rookies dominate the roster, much of the experience they will be getting will be on the job. Instead of sitting on the bench for a year and learning by watching, the young Bulldogs will have a chance to take what they learn in practice and apply it immediately in the heat of battle.
"This team is definitely young," King said. "It's a great opportunity for the freshmen to get a chance to play right away. They'll get adjusted to playing college basketball right away. That's something that will help us as the year progressed and will certainly show up down the road."
The Style Stays the Same
One thing to expect from this year's Fresno State squad is tough defense. But after that, opposing players and coaches had better be on their toes because anything goes. Always known as a coach who prefers a more open style of basketball, King says this year's team is going to display a little bit of everything.
"Last year, we didn't play defense in crucial situations the way I would have liked," King said. "I think we'll be better at that this year. I can see us playing a little man, a little zone, a little pressure. We are really going to show different looks."
The Schedule
Perennial powerhouses from the nation's toughest conferences are on the schedule this year to comprise what should promise to be a challenging 1999-00 season. Before the season is three weeks old, the Bulldogs will have traveled to the University of Minnesota to play in the Regal Classic, hosted the Fresno State Classic a week later and battled Pac-10 power California in one of the year's more anticipated matchups.
And that's just the nonconference schedule. WAC foes such as Hawai'i and SMU, which return most of its letterwinners from a year ago, each appear on the Bulldogs' schedule twice.
"When you start playing against teams that are consistently playing in the postseason, you are going to get better," King says. "You don't get any better watching them play on television. You need to see them up close."
Up close is exactly how Fresno State will see this year's WAC Championships, which will be hosted by the Bulldogs for the first time ever March 9-11. It's an event the team and coaching staff is looking forward to.
"We are very fired up to host the WAC Championships," King said. "It's nice to know after the last regular season game we won't have to go back on the road. By the time the end of the year comes, teams are tired and are sick of hotels. We won't have to deal with that. That is something that will work to our advantage."
