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Bronco Women’s Basketball Preview
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Boise State Coach Gordy Presnell knows how to win basketball games. With a lifetime winning percentage of .743 (411-142), the Broncos have one of the top coaches in not only in the Western Athletic Conference, but the western region of the country. In his first year, his Bronco team only went 6-10 in WAC play and finished up right in the middle of the pack.
“When you come into a program, you try to chance the culture” said Presnell. “This is how they did it then and this is how we’re going to do it now.” How they do it now will hopefully boil down to winning games.
“We’re battling some tradition,” Presnell said. ” Boise State was very good in the early nineties and hopefully we can become good again and be in that top four every year. But right now we’re fifth and knocking on the door.”
The guard play of Nadia Begay and Jessica Thompson could largely dictate how well the Bronco season goes. Begay and Thompson led the Broncos in scoring last season, both averaging over 12 points a game.
“We’ve got pretty good senior leadership,” said Presnell. “And we’ve got a lot of experience. But we’re still relatively young.”
Presnell obviously wants to win ball games starting this season, but understands that coming to a new program and building it is definitely a process.
“Just last year was the first year we’ve had a non-losing season since the late nineties,” he said. “It’s going to take some time, it’s going to take some depth and it’s going to take some commitment from everyone. Hopefully we can get there, I think we’re on the right track. This year will be a step forward for us, so we’ll see.”
The Broncos will find out early how good they really are, with some tough pre-season games to gear them up for WAC play.
“I think we have some games that we’re capable of winning, I think we have some games that are going to be a real challenges for us, that are kind of benchmark games. We play at the University of Oregon in a tournament there with Pittsburgh and Utah .I mean, Utah was an elite eight team last year,” Presnell said.
Personnel wise, Presnell feels like his team is very capable of winning ball games. “I think (Jessica) Thompson is going to do well,” he said. Thompson was the lone Bronco to receive post-
season honors last season, as she was named to the all-WAC freshman team.
“Michelle Hessing has to establish post play for us,” Presnell said. Hessing averaged 25.7 minutes of playing time per game last season, while contributing the most blocked shots for the season and ranked third on the team in rebounds.
“Tasha Harris, Jackie Lee and Nadia Begay are real strong for us in the back-court,” Presnell said. “I think we have a real strong back-court, hopefully our front-court will improve and Hessing can be healthy and hopefully we’ll challenge some people and surprise some people."
KYE JOHNSON
Assistant Sports Editor