UW women's basketball: Is Anderson the best player in program history?
Jolene Anderson has an aw-shucks, nothing-fazes-me attitude and probably always will.
When she learned Port Wing officials want to erect a sign proclaiming the village -- located along the south shore of Lake Superior, with a population of 481 -- as the "home of Jolene Anderson," the all-time leading scorer in University of Wisconsin basketball history simply smiled and tucked away the information.
When the All-Big Ten Conference awards were announced live on the Big Ten Network, she didn't tune in, but received news about her media Player of the Year honor in a telephone call from her mother Julie.
The 5-foot-8 guard is not about the awards or recognition, but make no mistake, Anderson is proud of her UW women's basketball career. That career will conclude within the next month and she will cast her attention to the WNBA Draft on April 9 in hopes of becoming the fourth Badgers player to compete in the league.
So what is Anderson all about? The answer is simple: She's all about winning and putting team above all else.
"I hate losing more than anything," Anderson said. "I hate losing in a game of H-O-R-S-E, I hate losing in whatever I do. But the attention thing is definitely not me. The less times I get my name in the paper -- great. The less times I get my name on a board or radio -- it's great. I don't find joy in that, but it comes with playing the game of basketball and with the name I've made (for myself).
"Putting my teammates in front of myself is something I want to be remembered for. I always have and I always will. Team comes before I do, no matter what I do."
The senior co-captain and eighth-seeded Badgers (16-12, 9-9) start their postseason today against ninth-seeded Illinois (16-13, 8-10) with a first-round game at the Big Ten tournament at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Anderson has collected more points (2,267) than any player in UW history. In addition, she is the only female player to rank in the top 10 in a variety of all-time categories, including rebounds (sixth, 830), assists (fourth, 397) and steals (seventh, 237).
Statistically speaking, then, Anderson ranks as the best-ever player to wear a Wisconsin women's uniform. Setting those numbers aside, she also carried herself in a notable manner on and off the court.
But before Anderson's arrival in Madison, several other players left indelible marks on the UW program.
And after consulting with coaches, former players and press, three in particular -- Anderson, Barb Lorenzen and Robin Threatt -- merit consideration as the best player in UW women's basketball history.
Threatt a trailblazer
Robin Threatt came to UW via Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and led the Badgers to their first-ever NCAA tournament appearance in 1992. The 5-10 guard played from 1988-93 under former coach Mary Murphy and is fourth on the all-time program scoring list with 1,901 points.
Murphy, who coached eight seasons at UW from 1986 to 1994, said Threatt is the best Badgers player and called her a "poor man's Cheryl Swoopes," due to her athleticism and prolific scoring ability.
According to Murphy, then-Iowa coach C. Vivian Stringer wasn't interested in recruiting Threatt. Iowa's loss proved to be UW's gain.
"She had so much speed, quickness and jumping ability all put into this body that wanted to put on a basketball uniform (and it) was amazing," Murphy said of Threatt, who also ran track and played softball and basketball as a prep athlete. "She had outstanding range and was a quick defender because of her anticipation and her ability to wreak havoc for people."
Murphy said when players of the talent levels of Threatt and Lorenzen -- whose maiden name is Barb Franke -- made the decision to come to Wisconsin, it helped the women's program "turn a corner" with its success.
Brian Posick, who watched Threatt play during his eight seasons as radio announcer for UW women's basketball, became acquainted with the standout when she joined broadcasts for several seasons as a color commentator after her career ended.
He said Threatt was "quicker than the devil," and is the Badgers player he would choose to make a critical basket in crunch time. A fan favorite who helped increase attendance at the UW Field House, the reserved athlete capped off her career as the all-time leader in scoring (1,901 points) and rebounding (514).
Her quick step and ability to pull up or drive to the basket set her apart from other Badgers and league foes, in addition to her quick hands, focus on defense and willingness to distribute the ball to teammates.
"She was the most entertaining player I saw," Posick said of Threatt, who ranks fourth on UW's all-time steals list with 283. "I often joked with her that she could have played on some of the men's teams at Wisconsin when she was playing. She could have played an integral part on some bad teams on the men's side, without a doubt."
Lorenzen 'a competitor'
Lorenzen, who hailed from Cedar Falls, Iowa, was a hot-shot rookie sharing the spotlight with Threatt on the Badgers' first NCAA tournament squad in 1992. The 6-2 star post player blossomed under the tutelage of coach Jane Albright and led UW to two NCAA second-round appearances before she left Madison.
"Her performance and teams' performance speak for themselves," said Albright, who had a nine-year tenure at UW and now coaches at Wichita State. "Barb was an elite athlete, was a competitor and hated to lose.
"I think she's one of the best undersized post players that's played the game, and her quickness, speed and just her uncanny offensive skills were pretty phenomenal."
An able-bodied player who shined on the offensive end and was blessed with great hands, allowing her to pluck up errant passes, Lorenzen also placed an emphasis on community service pursuits in the city.
Lorenzen said there is a special drive and level of competitiveness in standout players that the average athlete doesn't understand. She thrived with the attention she received and got the most out of her playing experience.
"I loved playing for the fans and the coaches and really loved standing out," said Lorenzen, who held the all-time women's scoring mark with 1,994 points until Anderson broke the record in mid-January. "It kind of drove me to be the player that I was.
"But for a lot of players there's just kind of an 'it' factor and I don't know if you can ever define what that 'it' factor is. I know a lot of coaches say that when they talk about their kids, 'They just have it.' Some kids just don't have it."
The top duo
Guard Stephanie Rich not only got to play with Anderson for one season, she also got the chance to compete with what was arguably UW's best tandem, 6-0 guard/forward Tamara Moore and 6-3 forward Jessie Stomski.
The Minnesota natives, along with perimeter scoring threat Kyle (Black) Rechlicz, helped put the Badgers in the national spotlight and their best-ever ranking in the polls during the 2001-02 season. UW won 15 straight games and rose to No. 5 before losing 11 of its last 14 games.
The season concluded with a trip to the first round of the NCAA tournament, and Rich said she will never forget the excitement and impact the senior class made.
"(The freshmen) were scared of Jessie, but that's the type competitor she was," said Rich, now an assistant coach at Saint Louis University. "She was demanding of the ball and just did a great job of carrying the team. She got after it and she was a monster.
"Tamara just found ways to score. She was a legitimate scorer and almost could -- kind of like Jolene -- just drive into the lane, pull up, fade away, no look and it would go in."
Moore, who played for several seasons with three WNBA teams, is the program's all-time leader in assists (554) and steals (353), while Stomski is third all-time in scoring (1,915 points).
"I think, Tamara, every year she played, her team had a great year," Albright said. "I think that's why she's one of the program's best -- not because of individual scoring, but because of her athleticism.
"Jessie, on the other hand, was more power and finesse. She could face the basket, and had a phenomenal strength and power game."
Anderson proves doubters wrong
While Anderson would rather shy away from the spotlight, opponents, spectators, coaches and teammates have been captivated with her talents on the national and international stage. During the summer months over the last three seasons, Anderson has been a member of gold-medal winning squads with Team USA basketball.
Anderson would like to follow in the footsteps of Threatt, Moore and Keisha Anderson and take her game to the next level in the WNBA, and many longtime Badgers followers are eager to see Jolene Anderson excel in the professional ranks.
Sports personality Mike Heller has witnessed some of Wisconsin's best players throughout the years, and in his gig as Badgers women's radio broadcaster has watched Anderson mature and develop into a stellar player over the past four years.
Heller, like many others, said she is the best women's player in program history.
"There aren't many players who have the full complement of skills that Jo has," Heller said. "If Jolene just wanted to just be a scorer, she would have broken the all-time scoring record as a junior. And it wasn't because she couldn't -- she's just unselfish and has a full game."
Coming from a small town, and being relatively small in stature, Anderson had to overcome observers' doubts and prove she had the skills to play Division I basketball. She quickly shattered those doubts, and UW coach Lisa Stone said although Anderson has been through difficult seasons, she has persevered with a winner's mentality.
"It's easy to go through life being average, and Jolene has never been average," said Stone of Anderson, who helped lead the Badgers to a program-record 23 wins and an appearance in the Women's National Invitation Tournament title game last season.
"The fact that she stayed at the highest level all four years and will walk out as the best player in program history says a lot about her. It's hard to stay on top every single year and she's done it."
UW WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
What: Eighth-seeded Wisconsin (16-12) vs ninth-seeded Illinois (16-13) in a Big Ten Conference tournament first-round game
When: Today at 4 p.m.
Where: Conseco Fieldhouse
TV: Big Ten Network
Radio: WIBA-AM/1310
Projected rosters
WISCONSIN
Starters
G Jolene Anderson, sr., 5-8, tops in Big Ten at 19.6 ppg
G Janese Banks, sr., 5-10, averages 13.4 pts, 4.4 rebounds
F Danielle Ward, sr., 6-4, Avgs. 7.3 pts, 6.3 rebs, 1.6 steals
G Rae Lin D'Alie, so., 5-3, Avgs. 5.9 pts, 3.8 assists, 2.4 rebs
F/C Tara Steinbauer, fr., 6-1, Avgs. 5.2 pts, 3.2 rebs
Key reserves
G/F Lin Zastrow, fr., 6-4, Avgs. 5.8 pts, 4.5 rebs
G Alyssa Karel, fr., 5-7, Avgs. 5.0 pts, 1.7 rebs
ILLINOIS
Starters
G Lori Bjork, jr. 5-11, Avgs. 9.8 pts, 2.8 assists, 2.6 rebs
G Rebecca Harris, sr., 5-8, Avgs. 9.2 pts, 3.1 rebs
F Lacey Simpson, so., 6-0, Avgs. 6.4 pts, 4.4 rebs
F Chelsea Gordon, jr., 6-0, Avgs. 7.4 pts, 3.6 rebs
C Jenna Smith, so., 6-3, All-Big Team first team, 18.9 ppg
Key reserves
G Chelsea Buhler, fr., 5-11, Avgs. 3.5 pts, 1.8 rebs
F Stephanie Chelleen, sr. 6-2, Avgs. 3.5 pts, 1.8 rebs
Points to ponder
Significant victories: During the regular season, the Fighting Illini posted home wins over two of the Big Ten's top teams, third-place Purdue 63-55 Sunday in the regular-season finale and then-No. 17 Ohio State 68-64 on Jan. 17.
Badgers' streak stopped: Wisconsin won eight of its last 11 regular-season games, but had a five-game winning streak snapped Sunday in an 87-78 setback to Iowa at the Kohl Center. Freshmen Zastrow, Karel and Steinbauer scored a combined 43 points in the loss.
Tournament aspirations: To secure UW's first NCAA tournament bid since 2002, the Badgers likely will have to win four consecutive games and the program's first-ever Big Ten tournament title. If they reach the quarterfinals, they'll meet top-seeded Ohio State. The Buckeyes posted two wins over UW this season, by five points in Columbus, Ohio, and three points in Madison.
Let's split this: Smith scored 16 points to lead four players in double figures Dec. 30 as the Illini beat Wisconsin 64-54 in Champaign, Ill. Anderson scored a game-high 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as the Badgers shot 50 percent in the second half en route to a 66-64 win in Madison on Feb. 14.
Up next: Winner will face top-seeded Ohio State Friday at approximately 5 p.m.
