UW'S HOOP DREAMS WHILE COACH JANE ALBRIGHT'S IMMEDIATE TASK IS COACHING

A BIG TEN TEAM TOURING EUROPE, SHE CAN'T HELP THINKING ABOUT THE POTENTIAL

OF HER 1999-2000 BADGERS.

Wisconsin State Journal

Madison

Aug 5, 1999

You would expect University of Wisconsin women's basketball coach Jane

Albright to be excited about the next 10 days of her summer. She will lead

a talented team of women's players from the Big Ten Conference on a basketball

journey to Germany and Belgium.

Yes, Albright is excited. But she is tossing, turning and teeming with

anticipation over something else: UW's 1999-2000 season.

"I'm very, very excited about (next season). Sometimes I have trouble sleeping

at night I'm so excited about my own team," Albright said.

In her role as coach of the Big Ten's touring team, Albright will have

the chance to watch the progress of her star scorer, LaTonya Sims, and

one of her senior leaders, Missy Konieczny. The team, which practiced at

the Kohl Center this week, will depart today on 10-day, five-game tour.

But perhaps more alluring than what Albright has at hand is what she has

on the way: a highly regarded recruiting class that could be her program's

best ever.

In addition to returning 97 percent of their scoring from last season's

team, which finished 18-14, the Badgers will welcome a class of recruits

that includes three all-state players - McFarland's Leah Hefte, Madison

West's Candas Smith and Stoughton's Kristi Seeger - and Iowan Nina Smith,

who was named the national high school player of the year by Parade Magazine,

USA Today and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association.

Nina Smith, a 6-foot-4 center from Waterloo, Iowa, averaged 28.5 points,

11.3 rebounds and 3.7 blocked shots while shooting 78 percent in her final

year of high school. In Smith, the Badgers get a formidable presence in

the post - and the freedom to move their leading scorer, Sims, to a position

where she can see more of the basket head-on.

The 6-3 Sims, a former high school all-American from Racine, is the Big

Ten's top returning scorer after averaging 18 points per game last season,

a mark she set primarily down low as a forward. A move to guard for her

junior season could open up her game, giving her more freedom to use her

athleticism and slashing skills from the backcourt.

Sims was upbeat after the foreign tour team's third practice Wednesday

morning. But like Albright, she has visions of the winter dancing about

her summer thoughts?

"I'm the kind of person who likes to focus on the present," she said. "But

how can you not think about next year?"

While the anticipation will likely continue until the team starts practice

in October, the present is a good time for Sims to work in the backcourt.

Albright plans to get Sims acquainted with the position during the games

in Germany and Belgium.

"LaTonya will get to play all guard spots in Europe. She was a post the

last two years, and this will give her a high level of competition in which

to play guard," Albright said.

With big plans - and tough competition - on the team's tour, Albright was

busy this week doing her best to prepare, as well as comfort, her recently

assembled troops.

When the remainder of the 11-woman roster arrived in Madison for training

camp, the first thing on the team's agenda wasn't a workout. It was a taste

of down-home hospitality, Albright-style.

Albright hosted a barbecue for the players at her home in Fitchburg Monday

evening.

"Anytime you can get (the players) away from a formal setting, it's fun,"

Albright said.

"They got to come and sit out in the yard and get to know one another

Hopefully it helped them not be so scared of me and what they think might

happen."

Sims and Konieczny were familiar with Albright's team-bonding savvy after

both played on the Badgers' tour of Australia in May, a 13-day trip that

saw the team play four games and doubled as a team- bonding vacation.

Konieczny credits Albright for that trip's success. "(Albright) wants to

make you experience everything in full.

She always wants us to get together and learn more about each other and

open up," said Konieczny, a former Portage athlete.

Albright made special preparations for the team, which closed the 1998-99

season with an impressive postseason run that concluded with a loss to

Arkansas in the Women's NIT title game.

"I read a lot of books (on Australia) before we went," Albright said. "And

I made sure the kids didn't sleep a lot."

And while Albright may take it upon herself to rouse her squad early in

Europe, constant thoughts of next year's potential should have no trouble

keeping her awake.