Coach trying to develop 'go-to' players

PROVO -- Despite a respectable 14-game showing by his BYU women's basketball team, coach Jeff Judkins is still helping his Cougars through growing pains going into this week's start of Mountain West Conference play.

Oh, there have been plenty of positives to date -- a 10-4 overall record despite, a 7-1 mark in away games, and the evidence of a balanced, talented squad packed with potential.

But there have been enough struggles -- a home-opening heartbreaker to No. 23 TCU, the mid-December collapse at Arizona, and the year-end meltdown in an upset home loss to Southern Utah.

Most obvious: BYU's lack of a dependable, clutch performer like Erin Thorn, the Cougars' three-time all-America who played her rookie season last year with the WNBA's New York Liberty.

In other words, Judkins is trying to refine from his current collection of "can-dos" a selection of "go-tos."

The third-year coach cites last week's road swing -- three victories in as many states over five days -- as the latest example of "different players stepping up every night," a common refrain for the season.

"But when you need a big basket, it's tough," he said of the Cougars not having -- yet -- a go-to player or two.

Judkins is trying to groom an able threesome -- junior guard Julie Sullivan, junior forward Danielle Cheesman and sophomore forward Ambrosia Anderson -- for that role, saying "they all have the ability."

Sullivan has shown she is comfortable in ball-handling and shooting, stepping up late in several games such as the home games against TCU and Idaho State. With her inside strength and skills, Cheesman showed "go-to" signs again in the recent road trip. And because of her versatility as a shooter, slasher and pounder in the paint, Anderson has had Judkins call late-game plays for her recently.

MWC OPENERS: Picked second in the Mountain West preseason poll, BYU opens its 2004 conference slate this week, playing Thursday night at Colorado State and Saturday afternoon at Laramie.

League travel partner Utah, which is the defending regular season champ, will play at opposite sites the same dates. "If one of us can sweep that trip, it would be big," said Judkins.

Boasting a 16-game home winning streak against MWC opponents, CSU has beaten BYU in five of the last six meetings, including last year's 71-70 overtime affair in Fort Collins. Wyoming snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Cougars with a 66-59 victory last season in Laramie.

ROAD REVIEW: Playing 10 of their first 14 games away from Provo was difficult enough for the Cougars, who now return to the road to play their first two MWC games. "If we knew the conference schedule earlier, we probably wouldn't have done that," said Judkins of the travel-heavy preseason.

BYU's 7-1 record in away games (two additional games were at neutral sites) more than doubles the rest of the league -- no other MWC peer has more than three away wins.

CONFERENCE PROJECTIONS: Judkins still sees Utah as the Mountain West's "elite" team, adding that "they have experience and they have proven themselves."

He expects Colorado State and his Cougar squad as the top contenders to the Utes, adding UNLV has emerged as the league's "surprise" team with an 11-2 preseason and a current six-game winning streak.

MISCELLANEOUS: The Cougars' scoring through 14 games underscores BYU's balance. Starters have accounted for 447 points -- or 48 percent; bench players have scored 492 points -- or 52 percent . . . sophomore Nancy Seljaas is ranked No. 21 in the nation in 3-point FG percentage at 46.0 . . . BYU is 22nd national in fewest turnovers per game, averaging only 14.6 . . . The Cougars are 2-2 in Mountain West openers . . . BYU's first home league game is Thursday, Jan. 22, against New Mexico.

MWC women's hoops update

Listed below are the eight Mountain West Conference women's basketball teams, in order of their selection in the 2003-04 preseason poll. Also included are their preseason overall records, as the MWC begins conference play this week.

POLL PRESEASON

RANK TEAM PTS. RECORD

(first-place votes)

1. Utah (19) 152 10-4

2. Brigham Young(1) 120 10-4

3. New Mexico 119 8-5

4. Colorado State 98 9-4

5. UNLV 85 11-2

6. San Diego State 57 5-8

7. Wyoming 54 4-9

8. Air Force 28 3-10

E-mail: taylor@desnews.com

Copyright C 2004 Deseret News Publishing Co.
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.