By Seth Doria
Arizona Daily Wildcat
April 22, 1998

Wildcat women sign junior college All-American

Looking ahead to next season, UA's women's basketball team had some good news and some bad news.

The good news was that the Wildcats return one of the best backcourts in the Pacific 10 Conference, possibly the nation.

The bad news was that their post unit consisted of Shontey Hambrick, who averaged 1.3 points and 1.3 rebounds a game last year, and four other players who haven't seen a minute of meaningful college-game action.

So, considering UA head coach Joan Bonvicini isn't too big a fan of bad news, she went out and did something about it, signing first team Kodac Junior College All-American Angie Lackey to join the Wildcats for the 1998-99 season.

Lackey, a 6-foot forward, averaged 25.9 points and 9.2 rebounds last season while leading Coffeyville (Kansas) Community College to a 30-7 record and the team's first-ever berth in the National Junior College Athletic Association's nation championship. She was also named to the NJCAA all-tournament team.

"Angie is a big-time scorer. She was a go-to player for Coffeyville and we anticipate the same for her at Arizona," Bonvicini said. "She will blend very well with the chemistry of our team and coaching staff and has the talent to make a solid contribution to our team over the next two years."

Lackey, who chose Arizona over Cincinnati, St. John's and Nebraska, is the sixth player to sign with the Wildcats for next year, joining Tysell Bozeman (Moreno Valley, Calif.), Julie Brase (Tucson), Jenifer Callahan (Scottsdale), Michelle Mitchell (Oregon City, Ore.) and Elizabeth Pickney (Houston).

"After the (NJCAA) tournament everybody in the country was after her," UA assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Denise Dove said.

Dove said although Lackey's numbers were certainly impressive, it was her character that convinced the coaches she was the player for them.

"She's a first class person," Dove said, adding that without chemistry, you could have all the talent in the world and not win.

But no matter how impressive the accolades, Dove said Lackey, who will wear number 34 in dedication to the old Charles Barkley (he has worn number 4 since his arrival in Houston), would have to come in and prove herself before becoming a starter.

"We never ever promise a starting position," she said. "At Arizona you've got to earn it in practice."