University of California Athletics

Dec. 7. 1997

Recruiting Paying off for Stanley, Bears

If a program is going to win consistently, it must recruit consistently. California head coach Marianne Stanley understands that, and last year when she took the reins of a Golden Bear women's basketball program that had averaged just eight wins a season over the previous three years, she gave recruiting top priority. Now that the early returns are in on Stanley's first recruiting class, the consensus is that it's a good one. Ranked 14th nationally by Blue Star Scouting Service even before signing starting point guard Masa Radovic late last summer, the incoming group includes guards Courtney Johnson, Tamara Inoue and Kenya Corley and forward Lauren Ashbaugh, along with walk-on guard Lindsay Toscano.

"I think we recruited a very talented freshman class," said Stanley. "These kids have the character and skills to be impact players on this level." And an impact is what they have made so far this season. Two of the newcomers have started every game -- Radovic and Johnson -- while Ashbaugh, Corley and Inoue are seeing significant time off the bench. "The one consistent quality among all of them is that they want to win," said Stanley. "They don't just show up and go through the motions. They'll work hard."

Radovic, the Bears 6-1 starting point guard, has adjusted to her new position quickly. A member of the Yugoslavia Junior National Team, she came to Cal as a wing player, but after the first three days of practice, the coaching staff decided to try her at the point position.

"Masa was an incredible find. She sees the court well, makes good decisions and passes the ball," said Stanley. "The fact that she's tall is an advantage. She has mismatches every game." And Radovic has utilized those mismatches. Through the Bears first seven games, she's averaged 11.9 points and 4.1 assists and has been Cal's leading scorer four times, including a career-high 20 points in a 62-61 win over USF. The 5-8 Johnson hails from nearby Antioch High School, where she was a third team Parade All-America selection and brings with her a knowledge of the game and an experience level that is beyond that of a normal freshman. "Courtney brings a competitiveness that you need in order to set the foundation for winning," Stanley said. "If you don't compete, you can't win."

But basketball is also about performance.

"You can practice all you want, but when the ball gets tossed up, you have to perform," Stanley added. "Courtney's a performer; she's what we call a gamer. She plays hard in practice, but her adrenaline gets going when the game is on the line." Though an offensive threat, Stanley credits Johnson's understanding of defense as the number one reason she has a spot in the starting lineup. She ranks second on the team in rebounding (6.4) and assists (2.7), leads the team in steals (2.3), and is averaging 6.1 points per game. Stanley's excitement about the freshmen doesn't end there. There's more, much more.

Ashbaugh, Corley and Inoue are among the first players off the bench for Cal. A 6-2 forward from the state of Washington, Ashbaugh (4.0 rpg, 3.0 ppg) has provided depth in the frontcourt, averaging 14.3 minutes a game and as a post player, has made the adjustment to the college game fairly well.

"Typically, incoming post players struggle because of the physical nature of the college game," Stanley explained. "But Lauren really likes to mix it up. Sometimes she gets into foul trouble, but I would rather have her overly physical than not physical enough." Perhaps the most physically gifted of the group, Corley, a 5-8 guard from Lancaster, has tremendous leaping ability and quickness. She started the year with a bang, scoring 18 points in 18 minutes in a blowout of Cal Poly SLO (94-58) in the season opener, but has tapered off a bit.

"Kenya is going through the freshman struggle, but I have a lot of faith in her. By the end of the year, you will see a huge, huge improvement," said Stanley. Inoue, a 5-6 point guard, is fresh off leading Laguna Hills HS to the state title last season and knows what winning is all about.

"Tamara is someone who isn't afraid of challenges; she plays all out, all of the time." said Stanley. "She doesn't mind getting on the floor after the basketball. That translates into winning at some point." Despite being just seven games into the season, Stanley can see that within the freshman class lies the ingredients needed to help propel Cal basketball to a new level.

"There is a nice blend within the class of experience, scoring, defense, quickness, aggressiveness and strength," Stanley summarized. "By the time this group graduates, I predict that they will have rewritten many of the records in Cal history. That's exciting."