MOORE THRIVES ON STAR'S ADVICE
Madison Capital Times
Nov 13, 1999
Authors: Todd Finkelmeyer The Capital Times
Tamara Moore vs. Kevin Garnett.
One-on-one.
"Yeah, I got dunked on a couple times," Moore said of her summer workouts
with Garnett.
Not that Moore, a sophomore swing player on the University of Wisconsin
women's basketball team, would trade her showdowns with Garnett, a star
forward for the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves, for anything.
"He is a great guy, and he really taught me a lot," Moore said.
After the end of the 1998-99 school year, Moore Moore headed home to Minneapolis
last summer in search of her confidence.
Despite being named to the all-WNIT team last season for her play during
the UW's postseason run, Moore was mostly frustrated with her freshman
campaign as a Badger.
She set a UW freshman record for steals with 80, and averaged 10.8 points
and 4.9 rebounds per game. Moore also was the first UW freshman to lead
the UW in three categories: assists (3.3 per game); steals; and free throw
percentage (.811).
But instead of focusing on the positives, Moore dwelled on the negatives.
She led the team in turnovers (145) and, worst of all, never felt she lived
up to all her preseason hype.
Moore was Miss Basketball in Minnesota in 1998 and was named a prep All-American
by Street and Smith, Parade magazine and USA Today.
Yet it was UW teammate and fellow Minnesotan Jessie Stomski who earned
1999 Big Ten freshman of the year honors after averaging 14.3 points and
6.7 rebounds per game.
"I really did feel the pressure last year," Moore said. "I'm not saying
I had a big head or anything, but I heard things like, `Oh, Tamara Moore
is coming to Wisconsin. She has the Big Ten freshman of the year on her
resume already.'
"I really felt like I had to go out and do all these things, and I really
put pressure on myself to do all that when I really didn't have to. With
all the players we have, I just needed to let the game come to me."
So last summer, she headed home to Minneapolis hoping to become stronger,
faster and better.
She started by joining the health club which is connected to the Target
Center - the home of the Timberwolves.
"And that's where I met Kevin," Moore said of Garnett. "I worked out with
him and that was awesome.
"We'd also play some five-on-five and one-on-one."
While the workouts made Moore stronger and faster, and while the basketball
made her a better all-around player, it was Garnett's advice which seemed
to make the biggest impact.
"He really just put my mind in a different area," said Moore. "He really
taught me to just go out there and play. He'd tell me, `Don't worry about
who is watching you. Just be yourself and go out there and play.'
"He helped me a lot with my confidence. He treated me like a human being
and I really think I learned from that."
No one has ever doubted Moore's potential. But now, more than ever, she
seems ready to realize it.
After finishing last season with a flurry in the WNIT, Moore tipped off
this season with a team-high 20 points in UW's 76-66 exhibition win over
Athlete's in Action last Tuesday. She scored on a variety of drives and
spin moves, hitting 7 of 8 field goals and all 6 free-throw attempts. The
Badgers close out their exhibition season Monday night at the UW Field
House against a Brazilian club team. Tipoff is 7 p.m.
"I think I've finally stopped putting too much pressure on myself and I've
just started going out and playing," Moore said. "I feel like that's what
I have to do. I know that I have a lot of people around me who can step
up at any time, so it's not like I have to be the top scorer.
"I'm just not going to let people put me down, and I'm going to show everybody
that I have the talent I was recruited for."
Moore, who is 5-foot-11, is easily UW's best defender on the perimeter
with her size, strength and quickness. That ability alone will earn her
plenty of playing time from UW coach Jane Albright.
Offensively, Moore's skills are best suited for the small forward position,
where she can slash to the basket or hit the mid-range jumper when opposing
defenders start playing her drive. But first- team All-Big Ten player LaTonya
Sims is the starter at small forward. That means Moore also will see action
at the point and shooting guard positions.
"That doesn't bother me at all," Moore said of rotating to different positions
on the court. "Playing all those positions gives me an opportunity to get
plenty of minutes.
"As long as I'm on the floor, and as long as Jane (Albright) has the confidence
in me to put me at any position, then I should be able to get the job done."
The new Tamara Moore says she'll make sure of that.
"My individual goal this year is to prove that I am a player," she said.
"I was a player in high school and I want to prove that I can still play
in college.
"The fact that I didn't make any all-freshman teams, that's behind me.
That's last year and this is this year.
"My confidence is really skyrocketing."