Illinois coach Theresa Grentz welcomes input from her players. When such input comes from Illini All-American candidate Ashley Berggren, her coaches can take it to the bank.
These points were vividly demonstrated before 10 minutes had elapsed in the season opener and before the Illini flew to the Caribbean, where they won three games and beat Duke in the title game of the Puerto Rico Shootout.
Berggren committed three quick fouls in the first minutes of the season opening 79-65 loss to Old Dominion. She went to the bench, saw the Illini fall behind by 21 points, and then begged her coaches to put her back into the game.
“I like the players to say what’s on their mind,” Grentz said. “Ashley said, `Coach, you’ve got to put me back in. If you do, I won’t foul.’ “
Assistant coach Kathy McConnell, standing behind Berggren, kind of rolled her eyes toward Grentz as the aggressive 5-foot 10-inch senior from Barrington promised not to foul. Grentz said, “OK, Ashley, go back in. But if you foul, coach McConnell gets fired.’ “
Berggren re-entered the game and played from the end of the first quarter until deep into the fourth quarter before she was whistled for her fourth foul. She scored 21 points and led the rally that cut Old Dominion’s lead to one point.
“I was glad to see her play so long without fouling again ,” Grentz said. “And I’m sure coach McConnell was glad to see it.”
The captain speaks: Berggren delivered another message–this one to her teammates–during a timeout in the Duke game in Puerto Rico. “She laid it on the line,” Grentz said. “She said, `We don’t want to be disappointed any more.’ “
Grentz described the Puerto Rico performance of the No. 6 Illini as “workmanlike.” It produced two all-tournament players, Tauja Catchings, also the tournament MVP, and Berggren.
Scheduling: Abe Lemons, Texan, humorist, homespun philosopher, and coach of 597 victories in men’s college hoops, once defined a holiday “classic” as “when you invite three teams you know you can beat.” Northwestern, 2-5 and riding a five-game losing streak, hopes Lemons’ definition applies to the White Invitational the Wildcats are running this weekend at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
The Cats play Eastern Illinois (1-4) at 7 p.m., and St. Bonaventure (2-3) plays Boston U. (1-1) at 5 p.m. Friday. Consolation and title games are at 5 and 7 p.m. Saturday.
Next year the Cats will beef up the White field by inviting Western Kentucky and Washington.
Northwestern’s Kristina Divjak, 6-0 junior from Lake Cental High in Dyer, Ind., was the leading scorer in the preseason NIT, averaging 22 per game.
Good show: Chicago fans saw two senior All-American aspirants go head to head last weekend, North Carolina State’s versatile 6-3 Chasity Melvin and DePaul’s 6-foot scorer-rebounder Mfon Udoka.
Melvin scored 14 points and dished off 10 assists as a high-post playmaker in the semifinal victory over Yale. In the 83-76 title win over DePaul, she went down to the low-post and scored 25 second-half points.
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Udoka outscored and outrebounded Melvin 45-41 and 21-14 for the weekend. But Melvin earned the title and the MVP trophy.
Wolfpack coach Kay Yow said Melvin’s dazzling passing this season is due partly to the arrival of two tall newcomers with unusual first names: Summer Erb, an Ohio native and transfer from Purdue, and 6-3 freshman Peace Shepard.
“Last year we had to keep Chasity at the No. 5 position (center), in the low post to score and rebound,” Yow said. “Now she can go to the high post where she sees the floor and passes like Rebecca Lobo does in the pros. She can pass as well as Lobo and is a better scorer-rebounder.”