Boulder – It was bad enough that former Highlands Ranch star Susie Powers hardly got off the bench during two seasons at Notre Dame. Then there was the South Bend weather. For a native Coloradan, things became gloomy, if not depressing.
“When you’re not getting playing time and the sun’s not coming out, all that stuff adds up,” Powers said.
A 5-foot-10 junior, Powers is back in the spotlight at Colorado and couldn’t be happier. She is expected to start at point guard when the Buffaloes open their season against San Francisco tonight at 6 o’clock at the Coors Events Center.
Powers sat out last season as a transfer. She watched the Buffs go 9-21 and lack consistency at point guard.
“I think I can definitely help the team,” Powers said. “I feel I am really at the top of my game right now, coming off my redshirt year; I’m really comfortable on the floor.
“Not playing last year was hard. But it was also what I needed. It helped me get stronger and get better.”
A year off also gave Powers time to get over the disappointment that it didn’t work out at Notre Dame. After averaging 15.7 points at Highlands Ranch as a senior, Powers also visited Connecticut, Boston College and Wisconsin.
“But Notre Dame had been my dream school since I was born,” Powers said.
Powers averaged just 6.5 minutes per game in two seasons for the Irish, scoring a total of 22 points in 41 games.
“Susie’s goal was to get a degree from Notre Dame,” CU Kathy McConnell-Miller said. “But it’s all about the chemistry and what players you have in front of you. She thought if she continued at Notre Dame, she wouldn’t fulfill her athletic goals.”
While at Tulsa, McConnell-Miller tried to recruit Powers out of high school.
“I thought coming back home and playing for Colorado was a perfect fit,” McConnell-Miller said.
Footnotes
One admission will be good for both games of tonight’s doubleheader. Season-ticket holders for men’s games will have priority in tonight’s seating arrangement…. San Francisco, 9-20 last season, is coached by former CU assistant Tanya Haave, who is in her first year. … The Dons play Sunday at Wyoming. … CU has seven players who didn’t play last season, including 6-4 sophomore center Kara Richards. She missed the year with a foot fracture. “I’m excited about having all the new faces,” said junior forward Jackie McFarland, who led the 2005-2006 Buffs with 17.2 points and 9.2 rebounds. “The last two years, we’ve been short-handed. It hasn’t been very fun.”
Mountain West Conference Women
Denver Post staff writer Natalie Meisler predicts the order of finish in Mountain West Conference women’s basketball:
1. NEW MEXICO
Coach: Don Flanagan, 239-104, 12th year
Last season: 22-10, 11-5 (tie third); lost second round of NCAA
Strengths: Preseason player of the year Dionne Marsh, a 6-foot-1 forward, returns for her junior year with both starting guards and four other letter winners. Ranked No. 18 in The Associated Press preseason poll.
Weaknesses: Flanagan built a home-court dynasty from scratch but the Lobos, like their male counterparts, struggle on the road.
Did you know? New Mexico’s 10,354 attendance mark ranked fourth nationally trailing Tennessee, Texas Tech and UConn.
Quotable: “Dionne is going to have to understand that teams are going to go after her.” – Flanagan, on his top player
2. BYU
Coach: Jeff Judkins, 103-52, sixth year
Last season: 26-6, 13-3 (first); lost second round of NCAA
Strengths: Four starters return from a 26-6 team that loss to Tennessee by a respectable 68-57 in the NCAA Tournament second round. Preseason all-MWC pick Dani Kubik Wright, a 6-3 senior center, leads the veterans.
Weaknesses: Cougars lost top scorer Ambrosia Anderson (17.9 ppg) the MWC co-player of the year.
Did you know? Judkins played five years in the NBA and was an assistant on Rick Majerus’ Utah staff.
Quotable: “My staff and I truly believe that we need to schedule the best games we can to help our team step up and improve each time we take the court.” – Judkins
3. TCU
Coach: Jeff Mittie, 152-72, eighth year; 303-131, 15th year overall
Last season: 19-12, 11-5 (tie third); lost NCAA second round to Rutgers
Strengths: Four returning starters led by preseason all-MWC Adrianne Ross, a junior guard.
Weaknesses: Nonleague schedule (Maryland, Arizona, Florida) might be too ambitious.
Did you know? Mittie’s top player in the recruiting class is a member of the Iceland National Team.
Quotable: “Scared word be the last word I’d use to describe my feelings.” – Ross, in an online fan chat on opening the season at defending national champ Maryland
4. UTAH
Coach: Elaine Elliott, 490-193, 24th year
Last year: 27-7, 12-4 (second); lost in overtime to Maryland in Elite Eight
Strengths: Tradition, Elliott’s coaching experience.
Weaknesses: Lost leaders Kim Smith, the school’s all-time scoring leader and Shona Thorburn to the WNBA. A rare rebuilding year for the Utes.
Did you know? Utah’s Elite Eight appearance was the best showing by a men’s or women’s team in MWC history.
Quotable: “It’s still with us. It’s a part of this program now and a part of history that those kids put up here.” – Elliott, to the Deseret Morning News on taking eventual national champion Maryland into overtime
5. WYOMING
Coach: Joe Legerski, 48-39, fourth year
Last year: 21-9, 10-6 (fifth); lost in second round of WNIT
Strengths: Defensive player of the year Hanna Zavecz, a 6-foot junior forward, also led the Cowgirls in scoring last season at 14.4 ppg., and Wyoming has the preseason newcomer of the year in forward Justyna Podziemska, a native of Poland and Casper College transfer.
Weaknesses: Wyoming ranked eight in MWC rebounds last season.
Did you know? Soph. G Megan McGuffey is the younger sister of former UNC quarterback Corte and Wyoming wide receiver Ryan. Freshman Aubrey Vandiver is the daughter of men’s assistant coach Shaun Vandiver. She was all-state as a junior at Greeley West.
Quotable: “I think you always start slow at the beginning of the season regardless of how many players you have.” – Legerski, on reversing the trend in a 77-46 exhibition win over Adams State
6. UNLV
Coach: Regina Miller, 153-88, ninth year; 213-188, 15th year overall
Last year: 18-12, 9-7 (sixth)
Strengths: Rebels get home-court advantage for the MWC Tournament after New Mexico took over in Denver for three years.
Weaknesses: Only two starters return, neither in double figures. Three players are out for at least a month with injuries.
Did you know? Returning starting guard Faye Miller played for Highlands Ranch and Northeastern Junior College.
Quotable: “I hope (getting picked sixth in the preseason poll) can inspire our players to finish higher than they were picked.” – Miller
7. COLORADO STATE
Coach: Jen Warden 9-20, second year; 38-79 fifth year overall
Last year: 9-20, 2-14 (eighth)
Strengths: Warden’s energy and a new crop of her recruits with rejuvenated chemistry create a determination to get the program turned around.
Weaknesses: Only four players remain with experience at CSU. Rams have a long climb back to respectability.
Did you know? Freshman Kelly Jo Mullaney is the daughter of former CSU/Minnesota Vikings player Mark Mullaney.
Quotable: “The journey for these upperclassmen has not been easy.” – Warden
8. SAN DIEGO STATE
Coach: Beth Burns, 154-107, 10th year (second year, second term); 235-172 15th year overall
Last year: 3-24, 0-16 (ninth)
Strengths: More experience, depth and familiarity in Burns’ system.
Weaknesses: Burns developed a perennial Western Athletic Conference contender during her first stint from 1990-97. The program fell into disarray under two subsequent coaches while Burns was at Ohio State, and it’s a long road back to competitiveness.
Did you know? Burns was the strength coach at Stanford between head coaching jobs.
Quotable: “I told the team they never get a second chance to make a first impression.” – Burns, on the exhibition opening 100-57 win
9. AIR FORCE
Coach: Ardie McInelly, 34-106, sixth year; 111-168, 11th year overall
Last year: 13-15, 4-12 (seventh)
Strengths: Program is growing in confidence after two straight years avoiding the cellar. Four starters return including scoring leader Alecia Steele (10.0 ppg)
Weaknesses: Institutional demands create disadvantages in talent pool.
Did you know? Last season was AFA’s first in double digit wins since moving up to Division I in the 1996-97 season.
Quotable: “We’re coming off out best year since we’ve been here, and I think that does say a lot for this team.” – McInelly
