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Thursday, March 23, 2000

Vince Goo:
We were good
(and mediocre)

Wahine basketball team
reached 20-win plateau
before slowing down

By Al Chase
Star-Bulletin

Measuring success is easy if the focus on the subject is limited. It is more difficult if the broader view is taken, allowing for an inspection of the parts.

The latter method is better when analyzing the University of Hawaii women's basketball season, which ended with a first-round loss in the Women's National Invitation Tournament.

The WNIT was not the postseason tournament the Wahine had in their sights when the season started, but it did mark a return to postseason competition after a one-year absence.

"We set goals at the start of the season. Twenty wins was a goal we set and one we accomplished,'' said UH coach Vince Goo. "Other goals were winning the conference or the conference tournament and getting into the NCAA tournament. They are all sequential as you go along."

Reaching the 20-victory plateau for the ninth time in 13 seasons under Goo was positive, but compared to the 1998-99 season in which the Wahine were 17-10 despite a key injury and a lack of height, this season was not as rewarding.

"When the season was over and we reflected back, I don't think the coaches were satisfied," Goo said. "The number of wins does not dictate the true success of a season or of a team. It's just one benchmark, but one most people tend to look at. We were very, very good at times, mediocre at other times."

In the nonconference games, Hawaii defeated three eventual postseason participants -- Tennessee Tech, Texas and Wichita State, but lost to four tournament teams --Oklahoma, Arizona, Vanderbilt and Fairfield.

The Wahine were more consistent on defense than offense. They had games where the shooting percentage in one half would be well above 50 percent, then well below 50 percent in the other half.

Defensively, the Wahine adjusted well to what their opponents were running.

"I think this was one of the strengths. You have to be a smart basketball player to accomplish this," Goo said.

Team chemistry fluctuated. At the opening of practice last October, Goo said it would take time to develop, that he would be able to get a read on it by the opening of Western Athletic Conference play.

"We had good chemistry at times and didn't at times. I think that's one of the reasons why we were inconsistent," said Goo.

"I don't know why or why not, but I'll tell you what makes for good chemistry. That's when you have 100 percent of the players thinking team above and beyond thinking individual. When you don't have that, you won't always have good chemistry."

Hawaii wasn't blessed with a lot of quickness and that is one of the primary concerns being addressed with ongoing recruiting.

Christa Brossman, a 5-foot-10 shooting guard, and Melanie Croser, a 5-8 point guard, signed early. They account for half of the scholarships made available by the departure of seniors Maj Forsberg, Kyla Evers, Raylene Howard and Hedy Liu.

As he does every year, Goo has met with each player and gone over what they did well and what they need to work on during the off-season.

Kylie Galloway will be the only full-time returning starter. Crystal Lee, Dainora Puida and Kate McMeeken-Ruscoe also started at times. Inevitably, the Wahine will have a new look next fall.

"It's going to depend on the newcomers. We'll see what they have when they come in. Then it will depend on the returnees and what they do between now and October," Goo said. "You would like to hope that you can rely on your returnees. You're going to have more expectations from your returnees than your newcomers."

The WAC coaches picked Hawaii to win the conference title in the preseason poll, but the Wahine weren't able to prove the coaches right.

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UH Athletics
Ka Leo O Hawaii