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Thursday, March 15
Global warning: Siena finds success
By B.G. Brooks
Scripps Howard News Service
Tucked away in Loudonville, N.Y., Siena College wouldn't appear to
be a school with international allure. But don't make that assumption
without first scanning the Saints' women's basketball roster.
Siena coach Gina Castelli will forgive you for calling her team the
United Nations of the NCAA Tournament. She hears the line frequently,
and it's accurate. Siena's roster features a pair of Latvian players,
one French woman from Montreal, one player from Switzerland and one
from Israel.
Castelli, who sends the Saints against the University of Colorado
on Saturday in Nashville, Tenn., in an NCAA Midwest Regional
first-round game, has become a strong believer in the international
women's game. Check the Saints' statistics and it's easy to see why --
particularly the numbers of their two young Latvian imports, sophomore
Gunta Basko and freshman Liene Jansone.
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“ |
It's been a great education. When you're around players
from outside the United States, sometimes it makes you appreciate what
you have. All of us have made the most of the opportunity. ” |
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— Gina Castelli,
Siena coach |
Averaging 16.6 points and 9.9 rebounds a game, Basko was the player
of the year in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. She led the
conference in double-doubles (14 this season, 17 for her career), but
she's also among the MAAC's most foul-prone players averaging three a
game and seeing her average minutes slip to 28 a night.
Meanwhile, Jansone, who like Basko stands 6-feet-1, averaged 13.8
points and 9.0 rebounds this season and was the MAAC's rookie of the
year, as well as the most valuable player in the league's postseason
tournament.
Siena owes its presence in American college basketball to a
marriage of convenience -- at least for Castelli's recruiting purposes.
Assistant coach Matt Luneau's wife, Ilze, is Latvian and
well-connected in that country's basketball circles. Both players were
scouted during an international tournament, and Castelli liked what
she saw. Signing with Siena first, Basko proved to be influential in
Jansone's recruitment.
Initially, Castelli was reluctant to recruit an ocean away. But
after watching Old Dominion try it and win, she relented. Now, she
couldn't be happier both from a coaching and humanistic standpoint.
"It's worked out well for all of us," Castelli said. "In terms
of the team, it's been a great education. When you're around players
from outside the United States, sometimes it makes you appreciate what
you have. All of us have made the most of the opportunity. It's been
fun."
Castelli concedes there were language barriers to overcome, but
that's been done. She has but one rule: English, however broken, is
spoken on the court.
But the language Basko and Jansone speak with the basketball has
needed no interpretation.
"European players start young and are dedicated to one sport. They
pass, shoot, rebound, defend -- they're just good all-around players,"
Castelli said.
Basko and Jansone have helped Siena to its first NCAA Tournament
appearance. After a 10-18 finish last season, the Saints went 24-5
overall and 17-1 in the MAAC this season. They defeated Fairfield
70-68 in the league tournament.
Castelli said this season's expectations were revved up by the
Saints winning seven of their final 10 games last season. "We
struggled early, then made it to the semifinals of the (MAAC)
tournament," she said. "Our players got a good taste of what it took
to win.
"We were very frustrated after last year. Losing was enough for
the (players) to help get it turned around. This season, it was a
matter of the team getting together, having high expectations and
committing to that."
B.G. Brooks is a writer for the Denver Rocky Mountain News, which has a website at http://www.rockymountainnews.com.
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