University of Minnesota Athletics
Janel McCarville: Leading Minnesota Into a New Era
1/21/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
The shaky, blurry picture, you see, was the result of a thunderous ovation by a record crowd in Williams Arena. The team manager's efforts from the upper deck to video tape the action on the Williams Arena court below were futile as far as studying a defensive scheme, but it clearly captured the excitement created by this Golden Gopher program. "We had just made a few big plays and turned them into and-ones (three- point plays) and all of a sudden the video was totally shaky and blurry," explained Golden Gopher center Janel McCarville. "We teased the managers about it, but we realized it was the crowd cheering and stomping their feet The place was actually shaking. You couldn't even see the tape it was so blurry. What a motivation, especially playing in Williams."
One of the reasons the Williams Arena crowds have had plenty of memorable, foot-stamping moments over the last two-plus seasons is the play of McCarville, the Gophers' dominating 6-2 junior center and a bonafide All-America candidate.
By her own admission, McCarville has matured. She's stronger, in better physical shape, and she's playing smarter. She's an immovable force on the low block and a major factor in the Golden Gophers' climb into the top-10 rankings in the national polls.
Nicknamed "Shaq," McCarville is very much like another big center answering to the same nickname. Minnesota's Shaq is averaging a double- double, scoring 16.8 points per game and pulling down an average of 10.9 rebounds per game. The Shaq wearing Laker purple checks in at 20.5 points and 11.6 rebounds a game. Neither one shoots much farther than 10 feet from the basket. It's not that they can't, it's that they don't have to.
While LA's Shaq is known for his rim-shaking dunks, the Gophers' Shaq is a crowd favorite for her all-around play. Gopher fans marvel at her quickness and agility and simply love it when she begins some of the Maroon and Gold's most exciting plays with a simple display of fundamental basketball, rebounding.
If you could pinpoint one aspect of the game that helped bring this Minnesota program into the national spotlight, it would start with rebounding. Rebounding, you see, is the very first element of a transition game. And Minnesota is one of the very best teams in the nation in transition. The Golden Gophers love to get out and run the court.
"You wouldn't have a transition game without a defensive stop and a dominant rebound," said Golden Gopher head coach Pam Borton. "Rebounding is obviously where our transition starts."
Some of the most awe-inspiring plays have started with McCarville rebounds, in turn starting the Gophers' transition game. McCarville couples the skills of a powerful rebounder and an instinctive passer. The results have often been a long baseball pass to a streaking guard on the run for an easy lay-up.
"I wouldn't just say Janel is one of the best passing centers in the nation," said Borton. "Janel is one of the top centers in the country, period."
Growing up the youngest of five children and with three older brothers, McCarville likens her pin-point passing to her days in the backyard throwing the football around. "I guess I've always had a knack for making a good pass," she says. "We really don't practice it, it just happens."
But when that pass finds its way into the hands of Gopher teammate Lindsay Whalen, the crowd goes wild. "Whalen and I can read each other like a book on the court," adds McCarville. "When we connect on those long, fast-break passes, it really gets the crowd going."
"Rebounding is a lot of heart," she continues. "Athleticism and strength help but you have to want to get the ball. Then that outlet pass is like a quarterback finding his receiver on a post pattern."
"It's just like a football play, Shaq throws a pass that's so easy to catch," says teammate Lindsay Whalen. "It can be demoralizing for our opponent when we can score so easily."
"It's amazing how the team feeds off each other, and in turn the crowd feeds off of us," concludes McCarville. "I love getting the big play to make the crowd go nuts. I love playing at home, our fans in Williams are just awesome."
And that shaky, blurry video tape? Well, that just captured evidence of a little Williams Arena magic.
Story written by Associate Media Relations Director Becky Bohm. She welcomes comments at gophers@umn.edu. The film suddenly became shaky, blurry, and for a moment was impossible to watch. At first thought, perhaps it was a malfunctioning video tape. Nope. Or maybe it was a team manager mishandling the video camera that was causing the problem? No way. Behind the scenes, as the Minnesota women's basketball team gathered to watch game film, the Golden Gophers had just witnessed another of the many signs that prove the Minnesota women's basketball program has come of age.
The shaky, blurry picture, you see, was the result of a thunderous ovation by a record crowd in Williams Arena. The team manager's efforts from the upper deck to video tape the action on the Williams Arena court below were futile as far as studying a defensive scheme, but it clearly captured the excitement created by this Golden Gopher program. "We had just made a few big plays and turned them into and-ones (three- point plays) and all of a sudden the video was totally shaky and blurry," explained Golden Gopher center Janel McCarville. "We teased the managers about it, but we realized it was the crowd cheering and stomping their feet The place was actually shaking. You couldn't even see the tape it was so blurry. What a motivation, especially playing in Williams."
One of the reasons the Williams Arena crowds have had plenty of memorable, foot-stamping moments over the last two-plus seasons is the play of McCarville, the Gophers' dominating 6-2 junior center and a bonafide All-America candidate.
By her own admission, McCarville has matured. She's stronger, in better physical shape, and she's playing smarter. She's an immovable force on the low block and a major factor in the Golden Gophers' climb into the top-10 rankings in the national polls.
Nicknamed "Shaq," McCarville is very much like another big center answering to the same nickname. Minnesota's Shaq is averaging a double- double, scoring 16.8 points per game and pulling down an average of 10.9 rebounds per game. The Shaq wearing Laker purple checks in at 20.5 points and 11.6 rebounds a game. Neither one shoots much farther than 10 feet from the basket. It's not that they can't, it's that they don't have to.
While LA's Shaq is known for his rim-shaking dunks, the Gophers' Shaq is a crowd favorite for her all-around play. Gopher fans marvel at her quickness and agility and simply love it when she begins some of the Maroon and Gold's most exciting plays with a simple display of fundamental basketball, rebounding.
If you could pinpoint one aspect of the game that helped bring this Minnesota program into the national spotlight, it would start with rebounding. Rebounding, you see, is the very first element of a transition game. And Minnesota is one of the very best teams in the nation in transition. The Golden Gophers love to get out and run the court.
"You wouldn't have a transition game without a defensive stop and a dominant rebound," said Golden Gopher head coach Pam Borton. "Rebounding is obviously where our transition starts."
Some of the most awe-inspiring plays have started with McCarville rebounds, in turn starting the Gophers' transition game. McCarville couples the skills of a powerful rebounder and an instinctive passer. The results have often been a long baseball pass to a streaking guard on the run for an easy lay-up.
"I wouldn't just say Janel is one of the best passing centers in the nation," said Borton. "Janel is one of the top centers in the country, period."
Growing up the youngest of five children and with three older brothers, McCarville likens her pin-point passing to her days in the backyard throwing the football around. "I guess I've always had a knack for making a good pass," she says. "We really don't practice it, it just happens."
But when that pass finds its way into the hands of Gopher teammate Lindsay Whalen, the crowd goes wild. "Whalen and I can read each other like a book on the court," adds McCarville. "When we connect on those long, fast-break passes, it really gets the crowd going."
"Rebounding is a lot of heart," she continues. "Athleticism and strength help but you have to want to get the ball. Then that outlet pass is like a quarterback finding his receiver on a post pattern."
"It's just like a football play, Shaq throws a pass that's so easy to catch," says teammate Lindsay Whalen. "It can be demoralizing for our opponent when we can score so easily."
"It's amazing how the team feeds off each other, and in turn the crowd feeds off of us," concludes McCarville. "I love getting the big play to make the crowd go nuts. I love playing at home, our fans in Williams are just awesome."
And that shaky, blurry video tape? Well, that just captured evidence of a little Williams Arena magic.
Story written by Associate Media Relations Director Becky Bohm. She welcomes comments at gophers@umn.edu.
