2002-03 Women's Basketball Preview

By Jack Ferdon

When head coach Chris Denker left Santa Clara for Colorado St. last spring, the five seniors on the women's basketball team knew how to react.

After all, it was not the first time they had seen their coach's taillights speeding away from campus soon after a successful season (Caren Horstmeyer left in 2000 after guiding the Broncos to a 21-9 record and the first round of the Women's National Invitational Tournament). Experience has taught them that it is the players that make the team, not the coach.

"We all figured it was the same team returning, so we'd be fine," senior forward Kendra Rhea said of the team's reaction to Denker's departure. "Coaches are important, but we had the core of the team returning."

History might corroborate this. The transition from Horstmeyer to Denker came off without a hitch, with the Broncos going 20-8 and tying for the conference championship in 2001.

But the most recent switcheroo promises to alter the team's style of play and, consequently, its recent results. New head coach Michelle Bento comes to Santa Clara after a four-year run as an assistant coach at Syracuse. Bento, who starred in basketball and softball as an undergraduate at Fresno St., has been working to install a tougher, more aggressive defense as well as a fast-paced offense during preseason practices.

"We're going to play a different style of offense and tougher defense this year," Rhea said. "Chris wasn't so much of a defensive coach. But defense is a big part of Michelle's approach."

"Michelle's really into pushing the ball after made and missed shots to get scoring opportunities in transition," said redshirt junior guard Whitney Sutak.

Bento and her assistants have also concentrated on getting their team physically ready for conference play.

"This year we have a younger coaching staff that brings a lot of energy to practices," Rhea said. "Our team's in better shape than ever before."

Aside from the coaching staff, the biggest difference between this year's squad and last year's - which went 20-8, finished second in the West Coast Conference and made it to the NCAA Tournament - will be the absence of guards Caroline Gruening and Becki Ashbaugh. The team's two leading scorers, who graduated last year, combined to average over 23 points per game.

"We definitely lost experience at the point," Rhea said.

The backcourt void will be filled by sophomore guards Quinn Thomas and Kayla Huss as well as Sutak. Thomas played significant minutes off the bench last year in some key games while averaging nearly five points per contest. She plays solid defense, grabs a lot of boards and shoots the three.

Huss saw limited action last season but garnered an assist-to-turnover ratio of almost 2-1 when she was playing.

Sutak will see her first action as a Bronco this season. She had to sit out last year after transferring from Utah, a perennial top 25 program. Sutak figures to be the Broncos' point guard, where her 6-foot frame and quickness will create mismatches against smaller guards. She can also shoot the three, but do not expect her to be an Allen Iverson at the point.

"I'll be looking to pass first because everyone on the team can make their shots," she said. "But if I see an opportunity to score, I'm going to be aggressive."

The swing position will be filled by returning starter Tammy Annas, a senior forward who averaged 11 points and five boards a game. The other forward spot goes to Rhea, another returning starter. Rhea is the team's best defender and can hit the mid-range jumper. She shot 52 percent last season and averaged nine points and seven boards.

Senior center Julie Butler will be Santa Clara's main low-post scoring threat. Her 11.2 scoring average was third on the team last season.

The Bronco substitutes will feature sophomore guard Megan Nelson (whose quickness should provide a spark to the Bronco offense when it needs one), junior forward Jennie Rondel (whose athleticism will be utilized at the three spot) and sophomore forward Kim Butler (whose size makes her ideal for defensive help down low).

The Broncos begin a grueling non-conference schedule Friday with a game at Lehigh in Pennsylvania. It will be the first of seven out-of-state contests Santa Clara will play before starting conference action, as the itinerary calls for trips to Texas, Oklahoma, Oregon and Michigan. The toughest preseason game should be the Dec. 15 game at Oregon.

"It's a tough preseason schedule in that we have a lot of games on the road," Rhea said.

The Broncos will likely face their most difficult competition in the West Coast Conference, which was the seventh strongest conference in the nation last year. Pepperdine, the reigning conference champions, has not lost an inch and figures to be the conference favorite. Saint Mary's lost two of three to Santa Clara last year but each Bronco victory had a margin of three points.

Yet, with a new concern for defense instilled by Benton, an experienced frontcourt and quickness in the backcourt, Santa Clara has reason to be confident - and they are.

"We're going to be awesome this year," said Nelson.