The Super 75 – The Bonus Column
I have been blessed to be able to watch/follow/report on this region (and the whole of Division 2) for the better part of more than three and a half decades. My first season covering the region (in the guises of New England, Northeast and now East) was 1984-’85, so my memory banks are full to bursting. Having seen so many great players, the thought crossed my mind – how can I recognize the ones I considered the best? Of course, this is all subjective. Defining the ‘best’ is an impossible task under even ideal circumstances, so I knew right away that I had to create a set of parameters…
- First and foremost is that I actually had to see this player in action, in person. Not video, not reputation – actually see that player as a D2 player in living color.
- The player had to be playing on a team that was part of the D2 region (New England, Northeast or East) during at least a part of their playing days.
- No current active players considered, only players that has exhausted their eligibility.
The full Super 75 from the region is available in five parts:
https://www.d2easthoops.org/women/features/Super_75/The_Super_75_-_Intro_and_Point_Guards
https://www.d2easthoops.org/women/features/Super_75/The_Super_75_-_Shooting_Guards
https://www.d2easthoops.org/women/features/Super_75/The_Super_75_-_Superstar_Wings
https://www.d2easthoops.org/women/features/Super_75/The_Super_75_-_The_4-s
https://www.d2easthoops.org/women/features/Super_75/The_Super_75_-_Centers
This bonus column, the final category, is a little different. This time the focus is on players from teams outside the region (so disregard parameter #2 above) and players that played for teams now part of the region but whose playing days came prior to their program’s entry to the region. To kick it off, let’s go to the latter area and for me, this centers on a few key programs/players.
The first port of call here is Pace, a program that produced some superb teams in the 80’s and early 90’s and often made their way into New England for in-season tournament action, which is when I caught them.
The obvious player to start the Pace discussion with is Jennifer DiMaggio, a sensational forward/center whose skill and will shined like a beacon whenever I saw her play. DiMaggio, a six-footer from the class of ’88, still holds the Setter scoring (2,125 points) and rebounding (1,254 caroms) records, and also has the top spot in program annals for single-game scoring (42 against New Haven as a sophomore). The two-time All-American helped Pace win the old East Region in ’85 and advance to their first Elite Eight. DiMaggio played a strong and fast game that helped her overwhelm opponents but she had the ability to beat them in one-on-one play, also. Had DiMaggio come along a few years later, I could see her as a stretch-four or five. Still, she was dynamite in her era and if you were lucky enough to have seen her, you know what I mean. (Photo courtesy Jim Sheehan, Assistant Athletics Director for Athletic Communications, Pace University)
Two other Pace players stand out for me, both in the class of ‘94, Jody Hill and Rebecca Hanson. Hill was a nifty point guard who was a superlative distributor. She ended her career at Pace with 1,213 points, 314 steals (#3 at Pace) and 807 assists, the latter well atop the Setters leader board and 11th in Division II history. Hanson, a 6-4 interior force, ended up with 1,315 points (#8 at Pace), 1,147 rebounds (#2) and a massive 485 rejections (twice swatting 11 shots in a game), 4th in Division II history. This duo anchored the Setters as they made three NCAA tournament appearances, reached the ’94 (old East) regional final and went 102-21 during a great run for the program.
Philadelphia Textile’s all-time greatest scorer is the explosive Tammy Greene (’94), who netted 2,490 points during her sensational career, the 12th best total in Division II history. The 5-5 rocket picked up the ’94 WBCA Player of the Year award for her work and helped the Rams to 87 wins over four years. She still leads the program in field goals (914), shots (2,089), steals (442) and scoring average (20.9 ppg) while ranking second in free throws (569) and seventh in assists (403). Greene, a three-time NYCAC Player of the Year and tournament MVP, was a full speed force, attacking at both ends with abandon. Her production was great and she was such fun to watch, forever pushing the tempo.
Tammy Greene, Philadelphia Textile's all-time leader in just about everything. Photo courtesy Rob Cunningham, Director of Athletic Communications, Thomas Jefferson University.
The tale of Tysell Bozeman (Felician, ’03) is almost impossible to believe but it’s true. After playing at Arizona for two years, Bozeman transferred to Felician and proceeded to score more than humanly imaginable. She led NAIA Division II in scoring with 27.3 points per game during her first year and earned honorable-mention All-America status. The next season Felician was a Division II entity (in the CACC), eligible for the New England regional tournament due to having been a member of the old NECC a few years earlier. (So, yes, part of the region, but only tangentially, which is why I placed her in this category.)
Bozeman had a season for the ages in ’02-’03 with 1,016 points and a 37.6 scoring average (the latter of which ranks second in Division II history). She totaled more than 40 points in a game a dozen times, including a school (and regional)-record 61 (fifth in Division II history) in one outing. Bozeman tied an NCAA record with four triple-doubles and earned CACC Player of the Year as a result. Despite only two years on the roster, Bozeman is Felician’s all-time leading scorer with 1,614 points, averaging 32.9 points as a Golden Falcon. I did get to see her once and came away hugely impressed with her overall game, not just her scoring ability.
Before Franklin Pierce reclassified as an NCAA Division II outfit, their best player was 6-2 pivot Shelia Lindsay (’88). The Riverhead, New York native played for the Ravens just before they moved into the NECC but was an integral part of their team as they thrived in NAIA regional competition. Lindsay is still #2 on the all-time Franklin Pierce scoring list (2,564 points) and tops both the rebounding chart (1,162 boards) and blocked shots category (242 rejections). In addition, she retains the FPU marks for points (47) and rebounds (26) in a game, both coming during her sophomore year in a clash against Castleton State. Add in a program-best 10 blocks in a game that same season and you have a prototype post player. Lindsay may have just missed the NCAA era in Rindge but she was a mobile and talented player who would have managed just fine in later years.
Rashida Aikens (5-9, ’99) was a great three-level scorer at Nyack before their move to Division II. Aikens, who netted 2,036 career points (best in school annals), hailed from Brooklyn, New York and was named All-CACC in each of her four seasons at Nyack. She played well at both ends of the floor, hauling in more than 900 rebounds to go with all the points and was deservedly inducted into the Nyack Hall of Fame for her accomplishments.
Moving on to the best players from out-of-region teams, the conversation starts with the single best college female player I have ever personally seen (at any level), Yolanda Griffith. No, I am not kidding. Griffith, a 6-3 Chicago native, was set to attend Iowa but, after the birth of her daughter and a stop at Palm Beach Junior College, she went to Florida Atlantic, a program about to transition to Division I. Lucky me got to see her play at FAU, where she dropped 29 points on Stonehill in an Owls rout. To say she was on another plane doesn’t get near how good she was, as she ended that season with 621 points (an FAU record), including a 46-point game (another FAU record). She ended up taking home the Kodak Division II Player of the Year for that ’92-’93 season and embarked on a professional career that took her to Germany, Italy, Russia, the ABL and WNBA. Griffith’s talent yielded a WNBA title and an MVP award, and she also played in the Olympics twice. Getting an early glimpse at Griffith, so smooth and effortless, was a treat I never expected but was happy to have. This was a player with no weakness and the ultimate accolade awaits, as Griffith was nominated for the Naismith Hall of Fame recently and, with any luck, she will gain inclusion.
Division II was almost totally controlled by the North Dakota schools in the ‘90’s, North Dakota State and the University of North Dakota. Between them they won eight championships in nine years (’91-’99) and one or the other was in the national championship game for twelve consecutive seasons (1990-2001). Naturally, both teams had a ton of great players and I was lucky to be able to catch some of them at various points in their regional and national runs.
North Dakota State won it all five times in six seasons (’91-’96) and made the finals the other time, meaning the Bison were the heavyweight for longer than any other unit in Division II annals. Among the superb players I watched in the early ‘90’s were Jen Rademacher (a slashing wing), Nadine Schmidt (a powerful forward), Lori Roufs and Lynette Mund (both high-energy forwards), and I also recall Jayne Even (a WBCA Player of the Year winner in the late 90’s) but there were a trio of NDSU Hall of Famers that really stick out.
The first one, chronologically, was point guard Jody Buck (’93), a consummate leader who directed the Bison to a 115-13 record. Buck was a sinewy 5-7 athlete who could score (1,279 points) and did all the little things right, such as taking great shots (54.1% FG, #2 at NDSU), pilfering steals (408, #1) and doling out assists (560, #2). Head coach Amy Ruley couldn’t take her off the floor (3,976 minutes) and with good reason – Buck was a part of two title teams (’91 and ’93) and claimed ’93 All-American status. Her value was perfectly illustrated at the ’93 Final Four (hosted by Bentley), when she submitted an 18-assist, 2-turnover weekend as NDSU won it all. Buck was the archetypal point guard who would have dominated at any level.
Next up is forward Darci Steere from the class of ’94. She ended her career at NDSU with an MVP performance at the Elite Eight, capping it with a 32-point, 17-board showing in the title game win over Cal.-State San Bernardino. As a 5-10 do-it-all forward, Steere played on three NCAA champions (’91, ’93 and ’94) and closed out her career with 1,585 points (#5 at NDU), 873 boards (#7) and a 52.5% effort from the floor (#3). She also got to the line a lot (361-549 FT, both #2) and earned All-American honors as a senior. Steere was a strong, well-rounded player who punished foes in the paint and ran the floor with speed, helping her teams to a 117-13 overall mark. Her intensity was as impressive as her talent and she was certainly one of the greatest NDSU stars of all.
The best Bison? For me it was the brilliant Kasey Morlock (’97), a three-time All-American and the ’97 WBCA Player of the Year. The 6-1 Morlock abused defenders in the lane and was swift enough to beat them down floor regularly. Her combination of skills allayed with a ferocious mentality meant few could stay with her for long. Morlock still tops the NDSU charts in scoring (2,233 points), field goals (798) and free throws made/attempted (634-838) while ranking highly in rebounds (988) and shooting percentage (51.8%). She was a central part of three NCAA title teams (’94, ’95 and ’96), with the ’95 team being the first Division II combine to go undefeated. Morlock was the MVP of the ’95 Elite Eight and saw her teams win 117 of 125 games. Tough, unyielding and relentless, she is still one of the top five Division II players I was ever fortunate enough to see in person.
Kasey Morlock, part of the first ever Division II Women's Basketball team to finish a year undefeated. Photo credit to North Dakota State University, courtesy of Ryan Perreault, Assistant Athletic Director, Communications, North Dakota State University
As for the University of North Dakota, they won the NCAA crown three straight years (’97, ’98 and ’99) and reached the title game in another one (’01), so they enjoyed their share of success, too. I saw UND less often that I saw NDSU and regretfully, I did not get a chance to watch their All-American center Jenny Crouse, in person. Still, I did catch guard Jamie Pudenz and forward Katie Richards, both talented and productive players. One other player did stand out for me, though, and that was Theresa LeCuyer.
LeCuyer (’01) was a 6-1 forward with the ability to overpower defenders but could also stick the jumper and ran the floor really well. She spent her first two years at Minnesota but moved on and submitted two excellent campaigns at North Dakota, scoring 1,060 points and taking home the WBCA Player of the Year award as a senior. Although she wasn’t a part of any North Dakota NCAA championship teams, LeCuyer was an extremely talented player that made an impact when I had the opportunity to see her play.
Drury’s program began in the 2000-’01 season and by the ’04-’05 campaign, they were in the Elite Eight. Indeed, the Panthers wasted no time in becoming nationally relevant. In the mid-‘00’s, I had the opportunity to see Drury at a couple of Elite Eight’s and they certainly made a mark.
Among the players that filled key roles for Drury were forwards Jill Curry (’04), Hope Hunt (’05) and Amanda Newton (’06) and guards Allison Regier (’06) and Molly Carter (’08). Yet the largest imprint came from point guard Kara Rutledge (’06), who was nothing short of extraordinary at the ’04 Elite Eight.
Rutledge guided the Panthers to the ’04 title game with victories over Seattle Pacific (when she scored 26 points) and Henderson State before falling in one of the most thrilling national championship games in Division II history to California (PA), 75-72. She did so many things to help the team succeed, including scoring (1,529 points, #6 at Drury), rebounding (535 boards, #8), handing out assists (474, #1) and picking pockets (423 steals, #1). In the end, Rutledge was all about winning and the Panthers (122-12, with four NCAA visits during her career) did that in high volume with her in control. The Drury Hall of Famer started all 134 of her career games and probably never wanted to come off the floor. I suspect no Drury fan ever wanted her to go to the bench, either. Rutledge was an exceptionally well-rounded player, one I was honored to see at her peak.
Michelle Stueve (Emporia State, ’08) opened my eyes in a big way when I saw her – a 6-2 wing that had a great handle, shot the three-ball with accuracy and bullied foes in the post. She was a superb player, who I had the chance to see go off for 40 points (12-23 FG, 7-13 3FG, 9-10 FT) against AIC at the ’06 Elite Eight. It was in a losing cause, of course, but Stueve (pronounced Stevie) was awesome. Her career reflects her ability, as she was a three-time All-American and ended her career with 2,403 points (#1 at ESU) and 1,040 rebounds. Memories are what this game is all about and she gave me one that endures.
Kristi Smith (’96) and Kim Manifesto helped Portland State to the ’95 NCAA title game and while both impressed, I was more taken by Smith’s game. As a 5-11 post player, Smith showed the knack for finding spaces against larger defenders and used both hands deftly to score. Her Elite Eight in ’95 (where she was named All-Tournament) yielded 64 points and 21 rebounds, and she shot 27-45 against Wingate, Stonehill and North Dakota State, a healthy return on the national stage. Manifesto (who is #3 on the all-time NCAA Division II steals list with 525) was solid in support but for my money, Smith was the key element in the Vikings run to the final.
California (PA), ’04, went 35-1 and was one of the best Division II teams I ever had the chance to see, driven by a pair of outstanding talents in Megan Storck (’06) and Sara McKinney (’05). Storck was the MVP of that Elite Eight and turned the title game against Drury in the Vulcans favor with a killer trey (:28) and a nail-it-down foul shot (:09) in a three-point victory. She was a clever, fearless scoring point guard who ran the show without question and willed the Vulcans to success. Storck (1,490 career points and a Cal.-best 767 assists) racked up 48 points and 36 assists at the ‘04 Elite Eight while sparkling in the spotlight. McKinney was excellent herself at the ’04 Elite Eight (60 points, 21 boards) as a slashing demon that terrorized defenders. The 5-10 McKinney posted a 20-point effort in the championship game win over Drury and a year later closed her career with 2,121 points and 1,202 rebounds, both #2 in Vulcan history. McKinney, whose ability to score anywhere on the floor opened things up for her teammates, was a three-time All-American and resides in the California Hall of Fame along with Storck.
Many other great players from around the country came across my eyes over the years and all deserve a mention but this series has been long enough! So, that’s it, the Super 75 (plus) is done. Hope you enjoyed the ride! If you have any questions, comments, ideas or rants, I am still glad to hear them. Email me at Anfield13@aol.com.