Super Six brings hope for NCAA bid

Recruiting Q&A with Adrienne GodBold here.

Recruiting Q&A with Karisma Penn here.

Recruiting Q&A with Destiny Williams here.

Recruiting Q&A with Kersten Magrum here.

Recruiting Q&A with Amber Moore here.

Recruiting Q&A with Brianna Jones.

CHAMPAIGN – Seven months ago, the Illinois women's basketball team finished a 10-win season, recording its worst winning percentage in 17 years.

There was a 10-game losing streak in midseason. A dismal offense threatened school records for futility. Droopy faces abounded.

Against that backdrop, it might seem a bit strange that the Illini opened full-squad workouts Friday with the intention of finishing the season in the NCAA tournament.

Playing in it – not watching it. They haven't been a participant since 2003 – just three Big Ten teams have longer absences – but only those who aren't paying attention would suggest the Illini are kidding themselves by shooting for the game's March spotlight. Quite the contrary, the Illini appear to have a reasonable chance to return to the NCAA tourney.

For that, they can thank the "Super Six."

"I feel confident we can get to the NCAA tournament," Illinois coach Jolette Law said last week. "My freshmen don't have a lot of pressure, but they do have some pressure. If they come in and do their part and help, I think we can definitely make it to the NCAA tournament."

Their reputation – collectively and individually – precedes them, which is the main reason UI fans and observers think Illinois can return to a prominent spot in the Big Ten and, perhaps, nationally. And now that they're on campus and immersed in the day-to-day activities with the Illini's veterans – eight of last season's nine players are back – the reality is starting to match the hype, at least according to the players themselves.

"They're very, very, very talented – more than we definitely expected," sophomore guard Lydia McCully said. "And they fight really hard. It makes us all better."

Who are they?

The Super Six – guards Amber Moore and Adrienne GodBold and forwards Karisma Penn, Destiny Williams, Kersten Magrum and Brianna Jones – represent the highest-ranked class in the program's history, coming in as high as No. 3 on one analyst's list. It figures to be Law's signature class, a heralded group put together by a third-year head coach known for her recruiting prowess.

What will they add to the mix?

– GodBold's presence in the program is viewed as a key recruiting coup for the Illini's efforts to reconnect in Chicago. GodBold comes from the tradition-rich Chicago Marshall team headed by Hall of Fame coach Dorothy Gaters, a program that was mined by Law when she was an assistant at Rutgers.

The 5-foot-11 GodBold is the first Chicago Public League recruit at Illinois since Angelina Williams arrived from Washington in 2001. Williams is fourth on the school's career scoring list.

GodBold (nicknamed NuNu) played along the frontline during much of her time at Marshall, but she'll be in the backcourt for Illinois. While her perimeter skills are developing, her athleticism figures to play into Law's preferred style of pressure defense.

"She's got such an upside to her," Blue Star Basketball's Chris Mennig said. The key for GodBold, experts say, is consistent effort. When she gives it, she can be a difference-maker.

– Williams is the most highly touted of the sextet, ranking eighth nationally by one recruiting service. The Benton Harbor, Mich., product earned a gold medal as part of the U.S. U19 team at the World Championships in July, which followed her honor as the UI's first McDonald's All-American. At 6-3, she is considered the most likely candidate in the class to earn a starting role early, sliding into the power forward slot vacated by Lacey Simpson, who will move back to her more natural spot at small forward.

– The 5-foot-11 Moore helped Detroit Country Day to the last two Class B state titles in Michigan. She will help fill the UI's most glaring weakness, perimeter shooting (Illinois shot 26.1 percent from three-point range last season, its second-lowest mark ever.) Moore made 40 percent of her shots beyond the arc last winter.

"She comes from the program that's the Fenwick of Michigan," Mennig said, comparing Country Day with one of Illinois' standard-bearers. "Very established, consistently productive, well-coached."

Said Law: "To me, she's one of the purest shooters in the country."

– Jones – nicknamed Krunch – has a physical stature that might remind fans of former Ohio State standout Jessica Davenport. At 6-2, Jones is 3 inches shorter than Davenport, but both have the sort of long, broad-shouldered, upright look that even extends to both being left-handed. From Toledo (Ohio) Central Catholic, she's a prototypical power forward who seems capable of sliding over to give standout center Jenna Smith a few breathers as well.

– Penn sports the lean, well-defined look of a serious, in-shape athlete. At 6-2, the Shaker Heights, Ohio, native can play either forward spot and has the type of determination Law admires.

"She's a fierce competitor," the coach said. "She's fearless."

– Magrum (6-1) has been lauded as having a high basketball IQ. The Lincoln-Way East grad also displays a pure form on her jump shot, which makes her midrange game one of her biggest assets. Her willingness to fulfill any role will appeal to Law's philosophy.

Chemistry set

Beyond their on-court abilities, however, the Super Six possess intangibles that have added something to Illinois' brew.

"One thing that stands out is that they want to learn so much," Smith said. "They're so eager to hop in a drill or help out the upperclassmen. They just bring a whole different type of vibe."

Part of that different vibe is a willingness to speak up. While that outspokenness could create problems on veteran-laden teams, the Illini say the newcomers offer some lighthearted moments that make them appealing.

"These freshmen are not quiet at all," Smith said. "Krunch and NuNu are probably the funniest two people I've ever met. They make you laugh the whole day.

"They just all talk and make you laugh, and I think that's one thing our team needed. It's just so much more happy around here."

Integrating the freshmen will be Priority No. 1 for Law and the returning players. For Illinois to reach the NCAA tournament, it will need major contributions from the freshmen, whether they're members of the starting lineup or reserves. Law prefers an eight- or nine-player rotation, which leaves plenty of room for the freshmen to grow into prominent roles on a 14-player roster.

McCully said the Super Six's personalities will make it easier to facilitate those moves. If there are worries about disrupting the team's chemistry, they haven't become apparent. Of course, no games have been played, and no veteran has lost any playing time yet to a newcomer. Even so, McCully said a process that often takes some time has moved along quicker than expected.

"We don't have anyone who is shy or afraid to speak up," McCully said. "Because they're so vocal, it makes the process easier on the upperclassmen."

A new set of toys

With great promise comes great expectations, and if the freshmen don't produce, plenty of folks will look for answers. That includes a new batch of prospective Illini now in high school, no doubt watching Illinois closely to see if Law & Co. can follow through on the vision the coach laid out upon her arrival at Illinois, the vision that the Super Six bought into while choosing the UI.

How Law chooses to utilize her new weapons will remain the greatest intrigue of the new season, at least through the nonconference portion of the schedule. How much will they play? Who will play in which spots? How much can they impact the bottom line?

To gain insight into those questions, it's fair to look at Rutgers, Law's former home and the program after which she is modeling Illinois'. (Law so adheres to the philosophy of her mentor, Rutgers coach Vivian Stringer, that she has been dubbed "Little Vivian.")

Stringer's guide to freshmen isn't hard to discern, an approach that dates to Law's playing days for Stringer at Iowa. Though she became an All-American for the Hawkeyes, "I played very little my freshman year," Law told The New York Times in 2005. "It was a learning experience."

That's a common theme. Some of Rutgers' top players in recent years haven't started as freshmen, with their time best spent learning the complicated defensive systems implemented by Stringer and Law. The heavy emphasis on defense is a Rutgers staple, and Law has carried it to the UI. Some suggest it has come at the expense of the team's offense; Illinois averaged 62.2 points in Law's first season, the lowest figure since 1976. The Illini then set a school-record low last year at 52.8.

(There's also a belief that first-year players must demonstrate – and earn – their accolades at the new level. History is history. Largely for that reason, Law has placed the freshmen off-limits to the media – she took a similar tack last year – because they haven't done anything to deserve the attention of the media.)

Last season, Rutgers brought in the nation's third-ranked recruiting class, featuring five McDonald's All-Americans. But the Scarlet Knights, ranked in the nation's Top 10 to start the season, struggled to a 21-13 record. Despite a loaded roster, Rutgers finished 156th in Division I in scoring at 63.1 points a game.

"Coaches have a way of doing things, and it's their way or the highway," said Bret McCormick of All-Star Girls Report, a recruiting service. "Look at Rutgers. She's got all those McDonald's All-Americans, and they can't score more than 50 points? Good coach, good lady, but that's her style. There's no reason she can't have a good defensive team and still put up 80 points every game."

Could the same thing happen at Illinois?

"I'd say it will," McCormick said. "Let's see how it works. They have very good talent coming in. But are they going to use the talent to the best of their ability or are they going to try to put a square peg in a round hole?

"Jolette knows everybody, and everybody knows her, and that helps. Now let's see what they do with it."

Head of the Class(es)

Illinois’ freshman class might someday be remembered as one of the best to play at the school. Here’s a look at the top three freshman classes in school history, as rated by News-Gazette women’s basketball beat writer Tony Bleill:

1994-95: Ashley Berggren, Nicole Vasey, Krista Reinking
It was head coach Kathy Lindsey’s final season, but her three assistants — LaVonda Wagner, Cindy Stein and Dana Eikenberg — all became Division I head coaches, and their recruiting efforts show why.

1996-97: Tauja Catchings, Casey Leonhardt, Katie Coleman, Melissa Parker
The talented in-state haul helped Theresa Grentz solidify the Illini’s surge to the top of the Big Ten.

1998-99: Allison Curtin, Cindy Dallas, Dawn Vana
Class ranked seventh nationally by Blue Star. Curtin became the UI’s all-time steals leader (broken last season by Lacey Simpson) and Dallas owns the career rebounding mark.

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