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Depth will lead to women's hoops success, coach says

Arizona Daily Wildcat MATT CAPOWSKI/Arizona Daily Wildcat Joan Bonvicini, the UA women's basketball head coach, talks to the team at their first practice Saturday morning at McKale Center. The Wildcats open their season on Sunday Oct. 31 as they play the Red-Blue game, an inter-squad scrimmage that will take place at 5 p.m.

As the University of Arizona women's basketball team begins its season, head coach Joan Bonvicini is looking toward her roster's depth to lead the way in 1999-2000.

The Wildcats return nine letterwinners, including all five starters from last year's squad that finished 18-11 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament. In addition, Arizona is adding a redshirt and two freshmen to its bench.

"One thing that is going to be very different about this team, and from every team I have ever coached, we are the deepest team I have ever coached," Bonvicini said. "We have 13 players on the roster, and only three do not have college experience."

Those three are freshmen Krista Warren and Jamie Sturdivant as well as sophomore Tysell Bozeman.

Warren was the 1999 California Division IV Player of the Year, while Bozeman, who sat out her freshman year for academic reasons was the 1998 Los Angeles Times Player of the Year and Sturdivant, a walk-on, was chosen to the 1999 Los Angeles Times All-County team.

"There is an old saying - you only have a good bench if you use it," Bonvicini said. "Well, I plan on using my bench."

Bonvicini added that she intends upon running the team similarly to the way Rick Pitino directed the Kentucky Wildcats to a men's national championship in 1996.

"I am going to do this because I think we have great talent and good depth and we have good size," Bonvicini added.

The depth chart is the deepest at the guard position.

The Wildcats boast two 1998-99 All-Pacific 10 Conference guards in seniors Felicity Willis and Lisa Griffith, as well as a slew of players that Bonvicini said are capable of being big-time play-makers.

"Lisa is an outstanding shooter and a very unselfish player," Bonvicini said. "She is also a very fine passer."

Willis, the heart and soul of the team, is an emotional leader that works tremendously hard and has carried the team the past few years, Bonvicini added.

Behind Willis and Griffith is sophomore Julie Brase, junior Reshea Bristol, senior Monika Crank and Bozeman.

Willis said that the best part of this team is that every player knows what to expect.

"This year we have everyone coming back, so everyone knows the plays and knows what to expect from Coach (Bonvicini)," Willis said. "And having Tysell back, along with Julie, (Monika) and Reshea, we will be able to rotate in and out, so we can always have fresh guards on the court."

Brase also said that having a multitude of guards to choose from will certainly be to their advantage.

"We have so much talent, that everyone is going to have to be fighting for time at their position this year," Brase said. "The competition at practice is going to be fantastic, and will end up just making us all a lot better players."

The depth on the roster also spills into the forward and center positions.

Seniors Angela Lackey and Tatum Brown along with sophomore Elizabeth Pickney will share time at forward, while sophomores LaKeisha Taylor and Michelle Mitchell play the post.

Lackey led the way for the Wildcats last season with 14.4 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per game. Bonvicini said that she expects her to do more of the same this season.

"She has outstanding talent, is very, very versatile and has the ability to get big numbers in games," Bonvicini said. "She is a great talent."

Bonvicini added that Pickney and Brown are both potent forces inside the paint and have the ability to go strong to the basket.

"I am expecting great things out of (Brown)," she said. "She is a real enforcer."

Being familiar with each other should make the start of practice easier, unlike last year, when the team had to adjust to having a number of new faces.

"The keywords for our team this year are communication and chemistry," Bonvicini said. "I think we have good communication and good chemistry, but in order for us to be successful, we need to have great communication and great chemistry."