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Back to school
Lior Klinger
,11/05/2005 |
Are you ready for some college basketball? Cause we certainly are. Where are the Israeli female players playing, what’s the outlook for the upcoming season and what do our representatives in the NCAAs have to say? It’s all in ‘Safsal’s college preview.
There’s something very special about American college hoops. The tradition, the rivalries, the stars of tomorrow, the crazed fans and of course the big dance where every game is do or die. This season ‘Safsal’ will follow no less than 11 Israeli female ballers across the US and the #1 conclusion from talking to them is that choosing to go college was probably the best decision they’ve ever made
Shay Doron | Liad Suez | Ortal Oren | Inbar Orion | Vicky Hashivon
Liron Buchris | Liron Asher | Revital Carmon | Limor Pelleg
Danielle Dekel | Tal Milchan
Division I
Shay Doron – Maryland Terrapins
Class: Junior
Major: Criminal Justice
Conference: ACC
Record: 22-10 (7-7 in the ACC, 6th)
Last season’s finish: ACC semi finals, NCAA 2nd round
Personal: All ACC 1st team member, first Terp in 11 years to win this honor. Region 2 All-American, first Terp in 12 years to achieve this honor. Broke the total points per season for a sophomore with 562 pts. Broke the made free throws in a season record for the 2nd straight year with 145. Set a Comcast Center record with 37 points in a win over UNC. Won ACC Player of the Week in January 10th. Ranked 3rd in the ACC’s top scorers list with 17.6 ppg
What’s your outlook for this season, from a personal standpoint and team’s standpoint?
“This upcoming season will be a very exciting one for the Terp family. We will have Laura Harper back from injury, another top-5 recruiting class, and we feel as though the sky is the limit for us. We have been working harder than ever before and are determined and energetic to start the season and to make it even more of a success than last year.
Personally, I hope to bring my summer experiences with me and help the team as much as possible. My main goal is to lead the team this year, mostly by example by working hard, having a great attitude, etc.”
How do you feel about being a preseason candidate for the Wade & Wooden awards?
“I feel extremely honored to be in the exclusive few that even got nominated for the Wooden Award and Wade Trophy. It's something all college players
dream of winning. But as much as those awards are great, nothing would mean more to me than a national championship. I would love to share that with the group of girls I'm closest to in the world.”
05/06 outlook: Maryland is a very talented, young team with a freshman point guard and a lot of potential. They of course return last’s years ACC Freshman of the Year Crystal Langhorn, they have Laura Harper back from injury and another top 5 recruiting class. Preseason All-ACC pick Shay Doron is expected to lead the Terps, who were picked to finish 3rd in the ACC’s preseason poll and voted no. 14 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches preseason national poll.
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Liad Suez – Villanova Wildcats
Class: Senior
Major: Psychology
Conference: Big East
Record: 19-12 (10-6 in the BE, 5th)
Last season’s finish: Big East semi finals, WNIT 1st round
Personal: Started in 20 out of 31 games, averaged 30.2 minutes, 12.9 pts and 4.6 rebs per game.
What are your expectations form this season, from a personal standpoint and team’s standpoint?
“I think and hope that we're going to have a good year this year, our first goal is to get to the NCAA tournament and everything after that is a bonus. I really like the makeup of the team, I think that we fit together much better then the last two years and hopefully that it will manifest itself on the court this year. As for me, I've worked very hard this summer and I feel in great shape. I'm going to keep working hard this pre-season, and I’m confident that I will have a good year and hopefully even a great year.”
This is your senior year, are you thinking about the draft yet?
“As for the draft and everything that comes after the season, I will think about it after the season. For now I just want to focus on this year and make this year a success both for my team and myself personally.”
05/06 outlook: The Wildcats were picked to finish 5th in the Big East preseason poll. Liad Suez was named to the preseason All Big East 1st team. The four teams ranked above Villanova in the 16-team conference have all made the national top 25 ranking, headed by #5 Rutgers University.
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Ortal Oren – UCLA Bruins
Class: Senior
Major: Psychology
Conference: Pac 10
Record: 16-12 (10-8 in the Pac 10, 6th)
Last season’s finish: Pac 10 1/4 Finals
Personal: 14.9 minutes, 3.6 points, 2 rebs, 1 assists in 14.9 minutes per game, 28 games
Do you feel that you’ve improved in UCLA?
“Being a student and a basketball player at UCLA has changed my whole life as an athlete in particular and as a person in general. After being here for 3 years I feel that I have taken my game to another level through hard work and dedication. Physically and mentally I feel that I'm more prepared now to compete at the highest level.”
Why did you decide to go to college in the first place?
“Since I was young my dream was to play in the WNBA. I knew that it would be very hard for me to try out for the league if I did not have the experience of playing with great players in a more challenging environment.”
How do you see your role as a senior on the team this year?
“I believe and hope that this year I will get a better opportunity to show what I can really do. This is my last year and my last chance to shine and demonstrate how valuable I am to the team and how thankful I am for having had the opportunity to play here. My main goal this year besides improving in basketball is to leave UCLA with a big smile on my face knowing that I gave my all and left my mark!”
05/06 outlook: The Bruins were picked to finish 2nd in the Pac 10 behind Stanford in the conference’s preseason poll. Nikki Blue & Noell Queen were named to the preseason All Pac 10 1st team. If they can stay healthy, the trio of Blue, Queen and Lisa Willis should lead UCLA to the NCAA tournament.
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Inbar Orion – Stony Brook Seawolves
Class: Junior
Major: Business
Conference: America East
Record: 8-20 (6-12 in the AE, 9th)
Personal: Upped all her numbers from last season with 7.3 ppg & 3.6 rpg in 19.2 minutes per game in 23 games (17 starts)
Do you feel you've improved at Stony Brook?
“Yes I feel I learned a lot of basketball in Stony Brook that I wouldn’t have learned in Israel. In Israel they don’t focus on personal abilities and defensive principals after high school. In Israel it’s mostly about short team practices where the foreigners shine. Here I’m receiving a lot of attention and the level is much higher and more intense.”
What are your expectations from this upcoming season?
“This year after we got a new coach and added 4 experienced new players we plan to have the best season in Stony Brook history. We plan to make the NCAA tournament.”
Why did you decide to go to college in the first place?
“I wanted to go to college since it’s the best option to play high level basketball, learn the value of hard work, get a world class education and see the world. My experiences here made me who I am today and I know I wouldn’t have gotten all I have here had I stayed back home. I’m thrilled to be a part of this university even though I miss Israel, Israel isn’t going anywhere and at least I will return at the highest level I possibly can to contribute to the Israeli league.”
05/06 outlook: Stony Brook was picked to finish 5th out of 10 teams in the conference’s preseason poll. They hade a deeper and more experienced team this season that should do a lot better than last year.
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Vikcy Hashivon – Ohio Bobcats
Class: Junior
Major: Sociology & Criminology
Conference: MAC
Record: 13-16 (8-10 in the MAC)
Last season’s finish: MAC 1/4 finals
Personal: Hashivon is a transfer from Seminole State D1 JuCo. She averaged 12 pts & 5 boards per game in 04/05, the team finished 3rd in the regionals.
How were your two years at Seminole State? Do you feel you’ve improved?
“My two years at Seminole were okay, I had some good and some bad times. Basketball wise I think I did improve, I think I became a more physical player. I had some ups and downs with my game but over all I think I did improve.”
Why did you decide to go to college in the first place?
“I had some doubts about playing in college at the beginning but I think it is a fantastic opportunity for people that have a chance to do, just shouldn't miss.”
Why did you choose to transfer to Ohio?
“I transferred to Ohio because Seminole was just a 2 year school. It’s great here at Ohio, the level of practices at a D1 school can’t be compared to junior college or practices back in Israel, it is so much more intense. What would I love to happen is for me to finish those two more years here at Ohio university, come back home and become a better player than I was and hopefully fit in the league in Israel.”
05/06 outlook: Ohio was picked to finish 4th in the East division of the MAC in the preseason poll.
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Division II
Liran Buchris – Pace Setters
Class: Junior
Major: Business
Conference: North East 10
Record: 20-11 (15-7 in the NE 10, 5th)
Last season’s finish: NE 10 semi finals, NCAA 1st round
Personal: Suffered from a back injury which effected her playing time, averaged just 13.9 minutes, 3 points and 1.6 assists per game in 21 games. As a freshman she averaged 22 mpg, 7.7 ppg and 2.4 apg.
Why did you decide to go to college in the first place?
“I love the game and I also wanted to study and I think it’s an amazing opportunity to do both things at the same time.”
Do you feel that you’ve improved at Pace?
“I love my university and I feel that I improved in many ways and things and not just basketball.”
What are your expectations from this upcoming season?
“I really don’t know what will happen this year. I’m healthy now and I hope to get my minutes in games like the first year or even better, these are my expectations. We have a very good team and I’m sure we will get very far this year. I’m proud to be part of it.”
05/06 outlook: Even though Pace finished 5th place in the NE-10 last year with a 20-11 record, it still received an at-large NCAA bid due to the NE-10's strength. The roster is identical to last year, with the edition of wing Andrea Padelsky, who started as a junior in 2003-04 before sitting out the 2004-05 season with an ACL injury. Great 3-point shooting, team chemistry, and arguably the conference's best backcourt make up for Pace's lack of size in the frontcourt.
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Liron Asher – UMass Lowell River Hawks
Class: Sophomore
Major: Graphic design
Conference: North East 10
Record: 16-13 (10-12 in the NE 10, 6th)
Last season’s finish: NE 10 1/4 finals
Personal: Joined the team mid-season from SMS in D1. Played in 18 games, averaging 10.4 minutes, 2.4 points and 2.2 rebs.
How’s life at UML? Do you feel that you’ve improved?
“Life at UML truly is the bomb. It’s so much fun being around people at your own age from different places that just love to have fun and to play ball, touch wood... I'm as happy as I've ever been in my life tough its wicked hard for me to be so far away from my mom and friends...I really do miss my mom.
I really do feel that I've improved since I developed my outside game as well as my inside game, and since my coach decided that she'll play me as a guard as well in this up coming year I'll develop my ball handling but still there is a lot for me to do and to work on.”
What are your expectations from this season?
”My expectations are staying happy, helping my team in the best way I can and hopefully make it to the NCAA tournament, and also maintain a high GPA.”
Why did you decide to go to college?
“I'm kind of a spontaneous person and going to college was actually a decision that took me exactly a minute to reach one day...Shlomi [Peri, founder of ‘Safsal’] saw me at a game in Rishon Lezion one day and asked me if I wanna go to college and I just said yes right there on the spot. I don't think that he even knows that...but really, it’s my mom that told me that I should go and that she believes in me and that gave me the strength to go trough the all process.”
05/06 outlook: UML returns 4 starters from a 16-12 team that was beset by injuries last year. The team has improved its depth this season and will
fight for being top 5 in the 15-team NE-10 Conference, which will give them a shot at the NCAA Tournament. The NE-10 is right now considered the best D2 conference in the country. Liron Asher will compete for the starting position at PF.
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Revital Carmon – UMass Lowell River Hawks
Class: Sophomore red shirt
Major: Criminal Justice
Conference: North East 10
Record: 16-13 (10-12 in the NE 10, 6th)
Last season’s finish: NE 10 1/4 finals
Personal: Played her 1st season in the states at Cochise JuCo. In 25 games, averaged 9.9 pts and 5.4 rebs per game. Team finished 19-10, best season in last 25 years. Red shirting this year, will have 3 more seasons of eligibility starting 06/07.
Why did you decide to go to college in the first place?
“I decided to go to college because first of all it's a good and free education, which is great. In Israel it's really hard to afford college, especially when you are an athlete and practice every day. In the US they combine between the two and they are really good at that. The coach will understand if you have obligations to school or classes sometimes during practice. Plus, they work a lot harder on conditioning and strength, which in Israel we didn't at all, maybe in the national team but it's not even close. I know I got better and stronger in only one year and those are the things I really needed. Now at UMass Lowell it's going to be even harder but I like it, that's exactly what I need.”
How was your first year at Cochise?
“My first season at Cochise was a kind of adjusting year. It was a junior college so it's easier than a 4 year school. It was good for me since I didn't play during my one army year. I had some injuries at first because of that but as the season progressed I felt better and better, in the last 10 games I had double doubles and was chosen for the player of the week one time in the conference. I can say that I had a good season there. We finished 2nd place in the conference.”
Why did you choose to transfer to UML?
“I decided to transfer to UMass Lowell because it's a 4 year school and it's a lot better and challenging academically (junior college was way 2 easy) plus the level of basketball is higher too. They have a really good program here and it's near Boston, which is a lot better than the location of Cochise. It's a lot more serious. Even though I can't play this year (lack of credits) I decided to come here because I still get a full scholarship and the coach really wants me here that she wasted a full scholarship on a redshirt player, so that gave me an idea about her intensions for me and that I'll be a key player here. Also, I will probably have the chance to get my masters degree here cause I'm a little a head of classes, which is great! I just couldn't pass up the opportunity... I could have stayed in Cochise for another year and get a lot more offers, from D1 also, but I decided to take on UML.”
05/06 outlook: UML returns 4 starters from a 16-12 team that was beset by injuries last year. The team has improved its depth this season and will
fight for being top 5 in the 15-team NE-10 Conference, which will give them a shot at the NCAA Tournament. The NE-10 is right now considered the best D2 conference in the country.
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Limor Pelleg – Alaska Anchorage Seawolves
Class: Freshman
Major: Justice
Conference: GNAC
Record: 9-18 (4-14 in the GNAC, 8th)
Why did you decide to go to college?
“I decided to go to college because it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. After playing in the Israeli league I thought the best way for me to progress was in college and not in Israel. Also I got a full scholarship, which allows me to earn my B.A. I had a few offers, but I came to the conclusion that Alaska Anchorage is the ideal place for me and I’m happy so far.”
What are your expectations from this upcoming season?
“I expect to develop as a player, physically and personal ability. I want to be the team’s leading point guard, be a leader, fulfill the coaches’ expectations and most of all help the team win.”
05/06 outlook: AAU was picked to finish 9th in the 10-team conference preseason poll, but with 9 new players on the roster nobody really knows what to expect.
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Junior College DI
Danielle Dekel – Central Arizona College
Class: Freshman
Region: 1
Conference: ACCAC
Record: 35-1
Last season’s finish: NJCAA 2005 National Champions
Personal: Dekel played her senior high school year at Ribet Academy in LA last season.
05/06 outlook: Central Arizona is still considered the top team in the NJCAA. They lost two players to D1 but this is a team who made the final four five times in the last nine years and won two national titles (1998, 2005).
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Junior College DII
Tal Milchan – Lewis & Clark Trailblazers
Class: Sophomore
Major: Physical therapy
Region: 24
Conference: MCCAC, CCCI
Record: 21-9
Last season’s finish: Regionals 1st round
Personal: In 29 games (27 starts): led the team in ppg with 14.9m apg with 4.4, rpg with 5.5 and spg with 3.6. Named NJCAA DII All American 3rd team. Named region 24 All American. Named first team All-MCCAC & All-CCCI. Named CCCI’s Freshman of the year.
How was your first season in college?
“Record-wise we had our best season in the last 20 years but we still lost in the first round of the regionals. That was a pretty big disappointment cause we expected more. Personally I was named All American in our league, freshman of the year in one conference and all conference team in both. So far I’m loving it here, the practices, being a major factor on the team, the attitude, studying, being in a different culture, a new place.”
What are your expectations from this upcoming season?
“This season as a team we want to improve our record and make the national tournament. It’s tough to know if we could do it since half the team changed. Personally, I want to accomplish everything I accomplished last season and of course improve my game in all aspects. I know I improved my shot drastically (coaches in Israel always said I have no shot), my percentages and confidence have gone way up and I hope to keep improving them this year.”
Why did you decide to go to college?
“I saw that in Israel, for players my age at my level with my kind of PR, there is no way to move forward and that made me leave. It’s hard not to bring up the foreigners issue, even though the level of play would be low without them and I believe any good player could find her place in the league with drive, faith, hard work and unfortunately, good PR. I knew that in the States they will keep working with me on personal ability, athletic ability and stuff like that while in Israel at my age you’re already in the pros where 90% of every practice is 5 on 5 and tactics for the next game. I don’t blame anybody, coaches in the pros need to get wins and maybe what I’m doing here should be done at the youth level in Israel so more players will be mentally and physically prepared for the pros.
In addition, the whole experience issue that Israeli coaches seem to disregard was a major factor. Would an Israeli coach turn down a coaching offer from a US college? The level of facilities, the quality of life, the fact I’ll leave here with a degree is just as important to me and I dedicate every free moment to studying. Bottom line is that basketball is temporary and education is just as important here. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity and if you don’t like it you can always go back home. Coaches don’t look at it from our perspective, there are so many things that are beyond basketball in life, the most important thing is to have fun. In college everyone is equal, and get the same conditions. There are no foreigners or salaries, the good players play, it’s pure, it’s fun.”
What are your plans after this season?
“I still don’t know exactly where I wanna go, I have some offers but education is just as important to me. I want to find a good college academically and I want to have time to study. I don’t know if that’s possible in D1, with all the traveling and intensity. Besides, in order to sit on the bench in D1 I can go back to Israel. It’s less important to me what league the school is in, what’s important is the academics, the coaches and enjoying basketball and the area.”
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Assisted with the article: Scott Granowitz
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