Stanford women’s basketball held its annual media day Wednesday, a solo affair that represents a change from recent years. The Pac-10 used to gather for a conference-wide media day in San Jose, an event meant to link directly to the Pac-10 Tournament.

Stanford Athletics

But that event went away last year, the conference moving to joint media days in some media markets and individual events in others. This year, both Cal and Stanford went their own way.

Tara VanDerveer sat down in the Hall of Fame conference room with a group of media to talk about the upcoming season, one in which the experienced Cardinal will begin as the No. 2 team in the country, preparing to embark on the toughest non-conference schedule in program history.

VanDerveer said that she has not set on a starting lineup, with a little less than two weeks to go before the season opener at Old Dominion. But she said her top rotation of players includes guards JJ Hones, Rosalyn Gold-Onwude and Jeanette Pohlen, forwards Kayla Pedersen and Nneka Ogwumike and center Jayne Appel. She ranked freshman post Joslyn Tinkle as her No. 7 player, followed by senior guard Melanie Murphy.

“Those people I see as getting the major minutes right now,” VanDerveer said.

VanDerveer also addressed the following topics:

On the non-conference schedule, which includes eight teams that played in the NCAA Tournament last year: “I think it’s by far the toughest schedule, but this is also an experienced team. We have a great schedule. With the RPI (as a factor) and the idea that when the tournament comes, part of (scheduling tough) is because you want to be ready. And the other side of it is that in order to get a good seed you have to play against top competition to show the basketball committee what you are made of.”

On how the early-season schedule impacts the team: “We’re playing such good competition that I don’t know what will happen. There’s a sense of urgency now, that if you don’t have that schedule, I don’t know that we would feel.”

On the importance of guard play: “We have some great interior post play and we’ve got to get our guards really up to speed. That’s our challenge. I don’t think we can be talking about the Final Four in October. I think we need to be talking about improving and what our rotations will be, especially with our guards…Our guards have to assert themselves, our bigs are ahead a little bit.”

On Hones (coming off second ACL injury): “She’s doing very well. She has a point-guard sense that is not something we have been able to teach other people. She just has a sense of running a team…She is not where she left off last year. She needs more time and more strength and more conditioning.”

On fifth-year senior Gold-Onwude: “I think she’s improved a lot. I’m blown away by her shot. She worked with (former standout) Vanessa Nygaard this summer. She’s shooting the ball much better. On defense, she’s a pit bull in practice. Kids have scratches all over their arms.”

On sophomore Ogwumike: “She’s a whole different player this year…She changed her shot. She’s working on her footwork. Her footwork has really improved.  Our biggest challenge is working on her perimeter defense. She is absolutely skying for rebounds. She reminds me of Katrina McClain. She is absolutely up there and I’ve never seen anybody in a Stanford uniform do that. I told her I think she might get a goal-tending call this year and that might be fun to see. Unless it’s a close game.”

On senior Appel: “I think she is the best all-around center we’ve had. It’s Jayne’s size and her width. She takes up so much space in there. People just have trouble with Jayne because of her size and her hands are so big. There are things we want Jayne to do this year that she wasn’t asked to do last year. We want her to score in the high post a little more.  We’re moving her away from the basket. We’re asking her to screen more.”

On junior forward Pedersen: “She’s what I would call the glue, she’ll play the 3 or the 4. Her perimeter shot looks better. She looks more comfortable out there. She’s a very intelligent player and I think that she’s been really consistent.”

On Pohlen: “Jeanette makes big plays. I feel like there are a couple of people we need out there and one of them is Jeanette. She’s the one who will step up and get a steal in a drill when her team needs it, she’ll hit a shot, she’ll get to the basket…Jeanette makes some great plays, but she has to play smart and take care of the ball. That’s her mantra every day.”

On possibility of redshirting sophomore Sarah Boothe: “You don’t have to decide today. If she plays in a game, then she can’t redshirt. She’s not even close to being ready to play in a game, so I don’t have to make that decision today. I would like to redshirt her if I can.”

On the Pac-10: “It kind of feels like it’s so far down the road because of the preseason schedule. I haven’t gotten to the Pac-10 in my mind a whole lot, it feels so far away. The Pac-10 is such a grind, game-in and game-out, 18 games. It gets us ready for the tournament. It will be exciting and interesting with new coaches and new philosophies with Oregon and USC. At that point, our team will be well-tested.

On Tinkle: “She is gonna play. I am thrilled with how Joslyn Tinkle is doing. Just little things…she’s one of only a couple of players that has basically done every single thing, from conditioning and practice. She is going to be awesome. I say, take Jayne and Kayla in blender and you get Joslyn. She has more perimeter skills than Jayne and she’s stronger on the block than Kayla, and she can shoot 3s. She can play a 3-4-5 for us. We just want to get her time. She’s really talented.”

Here’s the link to today’s story on Fanhouse.com about Cal and their youth-driven remodel.

http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/29/cals-youth-movement-taking-hold/

All 21 votes in the Pac-10 media preseason poll went to defending conference champion Stanford, as the conference announced the results of its second poll on Wednesday.
ASU was the second-place finisher, barely nosing out Cal, who finished third.
Here’s the list as well as the preseason all-conference team.
1. Stanford 210
2. Arizona State 175
3. Cal 170
4. UCLA 158
5. USC 124
6. Oregon State 84
7. Washington State 81
8. Oregon 64
9. Arizona 57
10. Washington 32

Preseason All-Conference team
C Jayne Appel, Stanford (unanimous)
G Doreena Campbell, UCLA
G Alexis Gray-Lawson, Cal (unanimous)
F Ify Ibekwe, Arizona
G Jeanette Pohlen, Stanford

Alexis Gray-Lawson describes the first two weeks of her final collegiate season as “different” and that might be an understatement.
The Cal guard looks around at practice and no longer sees her closest friends. Ashley Walker, with her rookie WNBA under her belt, is playing in Israel. Devanei Hampton is in Poland. Because of knee injury in her sophomore season, Gray-Lawson has another year in Berkeley, and it will be a year like no other she’s had so far.
The Bears roster includes six active freshmen, young players who need to be nurtured and encouraged and mentored. The team is still reeling and dealing with the diagnosis of a heart ailment that has ended the playing career of freshman guard Tierra Rogers. And Gray-Lawson needs to be its go-to player.
Gray-Lawson admitted Monday that she has spent a lot of time in of her career deferring to her team’s formidable post game, hanging back at times only to step up if she thought her team really needed her. No more. She, coach Joanne Boyle and her father are in agreement on that point.
“She understands the level she has to play at, especially not having Dev and Ash to take some of that off of her,” Boyle said. “We’ve joked about her (scoring) 37 against Stanford and then six against somebody else. We need to have better balance in her stat line. At times, we’ve talked about how she’d disappear in games and there’s none of that this year. She has to really set her mind to being a very obvious person on the floor for us and she can do that.”
Boyle said she’d “much rather see her stat line at 15 points, five rebounds, four assists a game.”
“I’m learning how to be a little more selfish,” said Gray-Lawson, who averaged 12.2 points a game last season. She has been named to the Wooden Award Preseason Top 30 team, and one of 25 players on the preseason Wade Award Watch.
Gray-Lawson can be an offensive force, as her 37-point game last season against Stanford proved. She’s a fearless shooter, a player who can create her own shot off the dribble and drive with authority.
And she’s using her experience this past summer with USA Basketball’s World University team to bolster faith that she can be that kind of player on a more regular basis. Gray-Lawson started three of Team USA’s seven games on the way to the gold medal, averaging 7.9 points and was tied with Georgia’s Ashley Houts as the team’s leading three-point shooter (.471).
“(Oklahoma’s) Danielle Robinson is one of the best defenders in the country and (Connecticut’s) Maya Moore is probably the top scorer in the country and she watches film every day after practice and I’m starting to learn those things,” Gray-Lawson said. “Me being able to learn from other people and their different experiences has definitely helped me.”
Gray-Lawson said she’s proud that she’s earned the practice player of the day distinction more so far this year than in her entire career.
“I just want do what I have to do to win,” Gray-Lawson said.
Gray-Lawson, the team’s only fifth-year player, was not selected as one of its captains. The team elected senior guards Natasha Vital and Lauren Greif, along with Rogers. But she’s still an example to Cal’s youngsters.
“The people who were best for the job got it, I’m not the vocal one in the group,” Gray-Lawson said.
Gray-Lawson said she sees herself in Cal’s freshmen, the young player she was five years ago.
“These are kids and you don’t ever know what you are going to get,” Gray-Lawson said. “I’m excited. I was a freshman not too long ago. It’s so funny that they look up to you, saying ‘What am I supposed to do on offense?’ or ‘How do I get better?’ and the fact that I can give them those answers is a big thing.”

Responding to a request from some folks, you can now subscribe to leftcoasthoops.com by credit card without registering for Paypal. Also, a reminder that yearly subscriptions will no longer be available after Nov. 15. From that point on, only monthly subscriptions will be available.

Here’s link to my story at Fanhouse.com on Oregon and new coach Paul Westhead.

http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/oregon-womens-coach-paul-westhead-working-to-get-his-ducks-in-a/

By Rhiannon Potkey, LCH Correspondent

Jody Wynn first fell in love with basketball while attending Long Beach State women’s games as a young girl.

Wynn sat in the stands watching players like LaTaunya Pollard, Cindy Brown and Penny Toler lead the 49ers to multiple conference titles and NCAA Tournament appearances.

Wynn became immersed in their success and inspired to play in college.

Last April, things came full circle for Wynn.

Following a successful playing career and 13 years as a college assistant, Wynn received her first head coaching opportunity when Long Beach State hired her to replace Mary Hegarty.

Wynn, 35, would love nothing more than to return the program to the level it was in the 1980s when she watched Joan Bonvicini guide Long Beach State to 10 Big West Conference titles and two Final Four appearances.

“We have great fan support within the community and I think they are as hungry as anybody to get back to winning,” Wynn said. “There have been fans here since Long Beach State was going to Final Fours, but many of the kids don’t know about that. They weren’t even born during those days, so if we start winning and doing great things maybe we will be able to keep some great players here in our backyard.”

Born and raised in Brea, Calif., Wynn led Brea Olinda High School to three state championships and received a scholarship to USC. The starting guard was four-year letter-winner and helped the Trojans reach the NCAA Tournament three times.

Wynn entered coaching in 1996, and spent 13 years as an assistant to Mark Trakh at Pepperdine and USC. Wynn’s husband, Derek, has been alongside nearly every step of the way as a fellow assistant and will continue that role at Long Beach State. The couple has two young daughters, Jada and Kaeli.

Trakh coached Wynn at Brea Olinda, and has been equally influential in her professional life. He resigned from USC after five seasons just one day after Wynn was named the head coach at Long Beach.

“Mark allowed me to grow and develop and coach and pretty much have my hands in every part of the program,” Wynn said. “I have been pretty fortunate to have a mentor like him who allowed me to be behind the scenes, in the middle of it and up front and center, so I don’t feel like this is a huge step. I feel like I have been preparing for this my entire assistant coaching career.”

Although Long Beach State has won 21 conference titles, made 11 NCAA Tournament appearances and reached two Final Fours, the last decade hasn’t been nearly as successful.

The 49ers shared the Big West Conference title with perennial powerhouse UC Santa Barbara three years ago, but haven’t made an NCAA appearance since 1992. The program last reached the postseason in 2000, when the 49ers lost in the quarterfinals of the NIT.

Long Beach State finished last in the Big West last season, and were 8-21 overall.

This year’s team returns eight seniors, including leading scorer and rebounder Whitney Fields, all-Big West guard Karina Figueroa, who redshirted last season, and forward Sahfiya Brown, who returns from a knee injury.

“Right away we have a wealth of experience and we are very fortunate that they all bought in beautifully,” Wynn said. “They were just ready and excited and we really connected well with them. Sometimes that can be the other way around, so it has really been a blessing.”

Wynn has earned a reputation as a strong recruiter, and knows the Southern California recruiting landscape well. Her connections with local club and high school programs should benefit in building for the future.

Wynn and her staff don’t plan to put any limits on the prospects they seek.

“We understand we have a long way to go, but if you don’t recruit a kid because she is better than you how do you know unless you go after her,” Wynn said. “What if a young lady wants to attend Long Beach or be a part of our Beach family or wants to stay local. This is a really great location and I think it has a lot to offer. I could see myself going to school here, so it is easy for me to sell the program.”

Long Beach State plans to employ the read-and-react offense that Wynn implemented at USC last season. The Trojans were the second-leading scoring team in the Pac-10 playing the up-and-down style that spreads the floor and allows guards to create off ball screens and with dribble penetration.

“We want to play 94 feet and try to feature an exciting brand of basketball,” Wynn said. “We want a brand that generates crowd support and excitement for the university and our program.”

As she begins molding her own program for the first time, Wynn is preaching effort, attitude and toughness.

“When people come to watch us play, I want them to say they left everything out on the court,” she said. “I want people to walk away thinking those girls are together and truly enjoy each other and have a lot of fun.”

Wynn said she knows success might not happen instantly, but she doesn’t shy away from discussing conference titles and NCAA aspirations.

“We want to turn this program around and have it be a place where it’s an alternative to USC and UCLA in Southern California,” Wynn said. “There are a lot of great programs in Southern California, and we just want to be one of them.”

Here’s a closer look at the Pac-10 preseason rankings and why LCH voted the our poll the way we did.

1. Stanford. There looks to be a huge gap between the Cardinal and everybody else. Who’s going to compete with the Cardinal inside, who is going to be able to win if they can’t? I wouldn’t be surprised by at least 16 conference wins.
2. UCLA. A surprise choice? I don’t think so. The difference between the Bruins and Cal and ASU is overall experience. And Jasmine Dixon will make an interesting addition come the holidays. Nikki Caldwell is building something here. But this No. 2 spot is where the biggest battle is going to take place.
3. Arizona State. The Sun Devils and Cal are probably interchangeable here. Both have many new faces. ASU gets a slight edge because their experience is more balanced inside and out. Still, this is a new day for ASU and Charli Turner Thorne.
4. Cal is so young, with six freshmen, and while Alexis Gray-Lawson, Natasha Vital and Lauren Greif are a formidable, experienced backcourt trio, the lack of experience in the paint is a big concern, especially if Rama N’diaye isn’t ready to go right away.
5. USC. The Women of Troy should end up at the back end of this top-half glut as Michael Cooper gets a feel for his team and tries to figure out how to replace Camille LeNoir in the backcourt. Whether Jacki Gemelos can play and contribute will be a factor.
6. Oregon State. The Beavers also have a lot of new faces and they will likely have a great non-conference record, but this seems to be about the right spot for LaVonda Wagner’s team.
7. Oregon. Paul Westhead’s fast-break system is going to surprise enough people to give the Ducks a little momentum.
8. Washington State. The coaches voted them No. 6 on faith and a nice backcourt with sophomores April Cook and Jazmine Perkins. And Katie Madison, the Idaho transfer is a nice addition. But I need proof. Still, the Cougars could be a surprise, the best case a top of the bottom half finish.
9. Arizona. So much turnover on the roster here. Even a talent like Ify Ibekwe can’t compensate for that.
10. Washington. Tia Jackson’s make-or-break season may have an unhappy ending for the Huskies. There’s not enough talent here to make a big move.

• Local women's basketball media days next week — Cal on Monday, Stanford on Tuesday. LCH will be there… #
• Preseason conference polls for WAC, WCC, MWC and the Pac-10 are now up on the site. I did a Pac-10 poll as well. Already 1 dissenter, sweet! #
• Leftcoasthoops.com subscribers. Yearly discounted subscription price of $65 only avail. til Nov 15. After that, monthly subscriptions only #
• WNBA gets me Nolan Richardson…I do the rest. Read it. http://bit.ly/1GMVTK #
• WNBA will weather Shock's move to Tulsa just like they've weathered everything else…. http://bit.ly/U4wWm #
• WNBA will weather Shock's move to Tulsa, just like they've weathered so much else. http://bit.ly/40T6Ky #
• Going all the way up to the border on the leftcoast…Gonzaga gets its respect, and a Nov. 29 date at Stanford that… http://bit.ly/6zZ8D #
• Looks like Kayla Pedersen's ankle sprain isn't slowing her down. She's been full-go in practice. #

When is being picked to finish sixth in your conference a sign of progress? When you are Washington State and a sixth-place finish would constitute a significant move up the Pac-10 ladder.

The Cougars haven’t finished higher than seventh in the Pac-10 since the late 80’s.

But June Daugherty’s slow build in the Palouse looks like it is taking hold.

She’s brought 12 new players into the program in the past two years and entering her third season, expectations are new as well. Moving this program, moribund for so many years, to the middle of the Pac-10 pack would be a huge achievement.

“It’s exciting,” said Daugherty, who led WSU to double-digit wins last season for the first time since 2000-2001. “The players are talented and athletic and they are picking up things quickly.”

Leading the revival are sophomore guards April Cook and Jazmine Perkins, who were the team’s two top scorers from a year ago. Both ranked in the top 10 nationally in scoring among freshmen.

“They have definitely gotten better,” Daugherty said. “We are finally going to be able to play a style of play that we sat down and talked about in the beginning.”

Daugherty thinks her team will be deep enough in the backcourt to ratchet up the defensive pressure. She’s looking for a high-pressure, up-and-down game from her team, with the ability to wear opponents out on both ends of the floor.

Cook and Perkins are clearly the building blocks. They were two of the three regular freshman on the floor a year ago, the other being forward Rosie Tarnowski, the Philadelphia product who started 20 games.

Daugherty said Tarnowski is rounding into a leader.

“She really understands the game, and like a lot of east-coasters, she talks a lot,” Daugherty said.  “But the team really looks to Rosie.”

Katie Grad, a redshirt freshman who sat out last season with a foot injury, is projected to be back out on the floor. And Katie Madison, a transfer from Idaho, should see lots of time. Madison, a 6-0 forward, is a redshirt junior. She averaged 19.0 points a game for the Vandals as a freshman and 14.1 points in her sophomore season.

“I don’t think people realize she’s transferred here,” Daugherty said.

The incoming freshman class constitutes one of the nation’s top 20 recruiting classes, led by Ki-Shawna Moore, the 5-8 guard from San Francisco and 6-foot-5 center Carly Noyes from Moses Lake, Washington.

Daugherty is heartened by not only her team’s improving status, but by the fact that she seems to be having success selling Pullman as a destination for student-athletes.

“I think the Pac-10 is going to be a way better league this year and it’s nice that the other coaches are recognizing what we’ve done here,” Daugherty said. “We’ve brought in a lot of new faces, and what’s interesting to me is we were able to go and get a Philly kid, a kind out of Minnesota, Los Angeles. That’s pretty far from the Palouse, but we’ve been able to bring kids in.

“They are finding it to be a gem, they really are. They tell me that had no idea how beautiful the campus is. There are not a lot of true college towns still out there.”

Daugherty is one of the most glass-half-full folks you’ll find in the game. And she said the first week of practice has left her “giddy.”

“As a staff, we are talking about who impresses us that day, how we didn’t realize a player was that quick,” Daugherty said. “Having so many new faces, it’s great to put them in the gym and see what we have. And what we have it pretty good, so far.”