Wisconsin Signs Three Women's Basketball Players
November 10, 2004 | Women's Basketball
Badger women's basketball coach Lisa Stone announced her second recruiting class at Wisconsin in a news conference at the Kohl Center this afternoon. Three athletes have signed national letters of intent to play basketball and attend Wisconsin in the fall of 2005.
The signees are Andrea Bankhead, a 5-6 point guard from Hillside, Ill.; Caitlin Gibson, a 6 -4 center from Jefferson, Wis.; and Chris Spencer, a 6-1 small forward from Traverse City, Mich.
Bankhead is familiar to a number of the UW athletes who played with her as a member of the Chicago Hoops Express AAU team. Considered the top point guard in Chicago, Bankhead averaged 15 points and seven assists per game as a junior. She is ranked as the 38th best point guard in the country by the All Star Girls Report recruiting magazine. A Street and Smith's preseason honorable mention All-American, Bankhead was the MVP of the 2003 adidas Tournament of Champions in Atlanta, and is a 2004 adidas All-American.
Gibson is a decorated two-sport athlete at Jefferson High School. She was a two-time Associated Press honorable mention all-state basketball selection in 2003 and 2004, who averaged 15.7 points and about 10 rebounds as a junior. She is also the two-time reigning Southern Lakes Conference volleyball player of the year. She is ranked the 49th top center in the country by All Star Girls Report, and is a 2004 Street & Smith's pre-season honorable mention All-American.
Spencer is a high honors student and Wendy's High School Heisman nominee. She is currently playing her senior season at Traverse City Central averaging 25.8 points 11.7 rebounds, 3.7 blocks, and 3.8 steals per game. She just set the school record for blocks (219 career total thus far) and is two points away from becoming the school 's all-time leading scorer. She is finalist for Ms. Basketball in the State of Michigan. Basketball runs in Spencer's family. Her uncle, Tom Kozelko, played in the NBA as a forward for the Capital and Washington Bullets from 1973 to '76.
Stone indicated she may sign one more player this season, but it may not be in the early signing period.
OPENING COMMENTS FROM HEAD COACH LISA STONE: 'We are very excited about this year's recruiting class. We have addressed issues in three different positions: A post player in Caitlin Gibson, a utility player in Chris Spencer, and a feisty quick little point guard in Andrea Bankhead. We 're very excited about their additions they bring to the table--depth at each position.
"Andrea Bankhead displays tremendous leadership. She's a fireball both on and off the court. (She's) a team-builder, and has tremendous leadership abilities, which you look for in a point guard. She's very fun to watch, she 's very fun to be around, and we're very excited about her ability to score, pass the ball, lead the team and just really be tremendous glue to what we 're trying to do.
"Chris Spencer is a tremendous student-athlete. She's (great academically) in many ways. She is the only senior on her current team right now, which is preparing for post season play. Their playoffs are off to a tremendous start. Chris can play anywhere from a two the four position. This gives us a lot of depth and versatility, and with that comes utility. She can do a lot of things: shoot the 3, handle the basketball and rebound and add both height and quickness to both positions.
"Caitlin Gibson is a post player at 6-4. She has tremendous hands, good feet and a nice array of post moves at this juncture of her age and development, and we're looking for a tremendous upside with Caitlin. She again fits very well. With the size we graduated last year we will fill with Caitlin's addition.
QUESTION 1: Is Bankhead strictly a point guard or can she play other positions' "Bankhead will be our point guard."
QUESTION 2: Was this draft based on need, or just getting the best player available' "I think a combination, Nick, I really do. I think when you look at the best post player in the state of Wisconsin, we're excited about Caitlin. There's need. There's need base as far as a post position goes. Point guard, a feisty little point guard--when you get a post and a point guard in each class I think that's awesome, and when you fill in with an all-around player like a Chris Spencer, I think its great balance in our class. So it was need, excitement and some great players."
QUESTION 3: Do you look at bringing in more players to fit roles and get minutes where needed, or are you looking for players that will play more minutes' "I think, Tammy, with that, we have players with all-around ability. I'm not going to pigeon hole ourselves into saying we have to have this particular position. I think when a player can play a multitude of positions and can give you minutes in various spots-they're not just a rebounder, they're not just a shooter. I think when you point out (Jolene) Anderson; she's not just a scorer. She's one of our best passers and has matured defensively already. Banks the same way. She can play a multitude of positions. Bankhead will be a point guard there 's no question. But her speed and quickness is something our team needs. Our team also needs this electric leader; this excitement she brings to the floor. Caitlin, you know, if you have no post players there's a need there. So I think similar to Nick 's question, when you need size, we've addressed that issue. But Caitlin can play a four as well; we'll play her at four and five. And I've already mentioned Spencer. She's anywhere from two to five. And actually, she 's played a little point this year when their team was in pressing situations."
QUESTION 4: How important was it to keep Caitlin away from UW-Green Bay for basketball, and Marquette for volleyball' 'Well, we're excited about the fact that she'll be a Badger, and so is she. When she told it to us on her official visit, she was shaking and excited and knowing this is a place for her. She fits in very well with our team. And to separate between volleyball and basketball is difficult for Caitlin. She's one of the states best volleyball players, and to make that choice, I think a lot had to do with her time and her visit with our staff and our players and she fits very well, and fits our needs as well."
QUESTIONS 5: Her vertical as a volleyball player fits in as a shot blocker as well' 'Well I think we saw Caitlin at our elite camp last summer and that pretty much sealed the deal and the fact that we knew that this is someone we need. She has good hands and can move her feet and get up and down the floor and I think our exhibition game displayed what we're trying to do offensively. Defensively, we still need a little work. But offensively, we got up and down the floor and we need a low post presence, and someone that can rebound and play defense as a post and run the floor, and Caitlin can do those things."
QUESTION 6: Spencer and Gibson have paid a lot of attention to being well-conditioned. Is that something you usually find' "I think it has been an evolvement. When I was back at UW-Eau Claire, it was the first infusion of personal trainers, and I was a personal trainer myself. And when you start looking at someone that goes with a personal trainer, works on speed and quickness and the bigger, faster stronger programs in the summer. It has become an evolution. Where now, there are programs directed at it. There are AAU programs that have their teams lifting. There are high school coaches now demanding a summer work out program. So I think it has all evolved. They are coming in in better condition. By coming to summer school prior to their first semester here helps because they work with our strength and conditioning coach, which gets them ready. So it's less time getting ready once I get them then it ever used to be."
QUESTION 7: Can you look down the road a little when you have Gibson and Jones' 'Well obviously, we're pretty small this year--you saw that the other day. But we're quick and athletic and can do some things. With Gibson and Jones that gives us that 6-3, 6-4 back inside. It's not just height, a lot of times it's the heart of what's inside. And the kids are really grabbing onto that idea right now and we're certainly excited for that.
QUESTION 8: How valuable is the Hoops Express connection ' Is that something that will continue down the road' 'Without question. There's a great connection, and the current players we have on our team right now; they come in knowing somebody. I think that's a great comfort level as they come in. They're not the only person here from Chicago, or the Hoops Express. They're part of the family. They fit into our network. So the connection is something we're going to continue. Those players are great people, and we'll hopefully turn them into great, great basketball players. It's exciting, and that connection is something that will continue to last."
QUESTION 9: You can't expect too much from the younger players so quickly, but at the same time you have to be a demanding coach. Where is the balance' "Patience is a virtue, and if there's anyone who needs to know that, that person is me. After our first exhibition game, I was expecting to set the world on fire, and we did in a lot of ways. It's exciting, and with youth is excitement and energy, and unknown, mistakes, patience, etc. The youth movement is the future of the program, and we are extremely excited about the class we currently have, as well as these three we're bringing in today.
