Nov. 30, 2001
Home Court Advantage
Joe McKeown’s Colonials Prepare for Tough Games
at Smith Center; Seeking 10th NCAA Bid
By Greg Licamele
Joe McKeown’s women’s basketball team likes
the comforts of home. During the past two seasons, the Colonials posted
a 29–1 record at the Smith Center. This year, with a No. 20 Associated
Press pre-season ranking and six players named to Atlantic 10 conference
pre-season teams, McKeown senses the Colonials are well equipped to
play this season’s challenging schedule.
The Nov. 27 game against the six-time national champion
and No. 2-ranked Tennessee Lady Volunteers will signal an initial benchmark
for GW. He likens the game with Tennessee at the Smith Center to the
men’s squad bringing Duke to Foggy Bottom.
“It gives us a chance to find out what we’re
made of,” McKeown says. “No matter what happens, though, we
still have 24 to 25 games left in the season. For our younger players,
it’ll be a great learning experience.”
But McKeown believes the game against Hall of Fame
coach Pat Summitt’s team will help enlighten more GW community
members about the strong program he has built.
“I hope that game will help us bring people back,”
McKeown says. “We have DePaul, Rutgers, and Georgetown coming in.
Playing Tennessee gives us a chance to expose women’s basketball
and our program at the highest level.”
Given the basketball talent coming back, including four-fifths of the
starting lineup, more fans will stream into the Smith Center. And fans
can watch the core of this talented crew through 2003 because only one
senior will be lost to graduation this year.
Last season’s Colonials finished 22–10,
beating powerhouses such as Iowa and Xavier and advancing to the NCAA
Tournament. McKeown says last year’s team easily could have posted
a 14–14 record for a variety of reasons, including an Achilles
heal of poor shooting, but it never gave up.
Though four seniors graduated, this team brings depth
to the court. Junior Erica Lawrence and sophomore sensation Ugo Oha,
both named A-10 First Team All Conference players, anchor the Colonials
this year. Lawrence averaged 13.6 points per game last season, while
Oha netted 9.2 points per game. Oha earned the top rookie award in the
conference, as she set a league record for freshmen with 76 blocked
shots. Her defensive presence and 6'4" frame represent part of
McKeown’s plan to reach the NCAA Tournament for the 10th time in
13 years.
“She’s a natural shot blocker with a really
good touch around the basket,” McKeown says. “She’s a
sponge: really smart and absorbs everything. I expect her to not only
have a great year, but everyday to get better with a lot of basketball
in her future, beyond GW.”
Other Colonials tapped by A-10 coaches for pre-season
honors include senior Elena Vishniakova (Second Team All Conference),
junior Lindsey Davidson (third team), and freshmen Liz Dancause and
Greeba Outen-Barlow (all-rookie). McKeown and his staff of Kathy Wilson,
Kara McVey, and Tori Harrison expect leadership from Vishniakova and
Davidson, and contributions from those freshmen and other newcomers.
Junior Cathy Joens, cited by many as the best shooter in the A-10, returns
to the court after an injury sidelined her last season.
“If we could just progress through the year from
a developmental standpoint, I think in March we can do some damage and
set us up for next year because we only lose one player,” McKeown
says.
Strong recruiting sits at the heart of McKeown’s
tenure at GW. While the players and styles have changed through the
seasons, the reasons for coming to GW have barely changed in 12 years.
“People who are going to come to GW are coming
for different reasons besides sports,” McKeown says. “They’re
coming for academic reasons, for career possibilities of being in Washington.”
McKeown says the key to recruiting and maintaining
a roster of strong student-athletes rests in finding women with disciplined
backgrounds.
“They come in to GW expecting discipline, expecting
to be challenged everyday,” McKeown says. “We’re ahead
of the curve, but every college student goes through ups and downs,
trying to deal with monumental issues in their lives. I have a great
staff and they really care about our players off the court.”
McKeown finds the most reward in what his players have done off the
court through the years.
“To see them come in as a freshman and leave
as a senior,” McKeown states, “and to see the success they’ve
tasted, see the battles they had to fight to get where they were as
seniors, and then, to see what they’ve done since they’ve
left is a tremendous source of pride for us.”
Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu
