more
chance
DeForge concentrates on
final opportunity for victory
- ..
By Shannon Heffelfinger
Assignment Reporter
With her elbows resting on her
knees and her fingers interlaced,
Anna DeForge leans forward and
stares at the red carpet in the
women’s basketball meeting room
at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
The senior guard has spent
countless portions of her after
noons in the room discussing
Nebraska’s strategies. For three
years, she has joined her teammates
before every season to focus on
new goals.
eui it s ainerent mis season.
DeForge earned first-team All
Big 12 Conference honors last sea
son. She led the Huskers in scoring
19 times and became the 16th play
er in NU history to score more than
1,000 points. She achieved honor
able mention All-American status
in 1996.
DeForge has won many honors,
though her greatest goal has eluded
her for three years.
Sitting in the meeting room,
concentrating on the red carpet at
her feet, DeForge spoke slowly, her
eyes holding a steady gaze.
Planning her goals this season
means more than it ever has before.
“My major focus is to win the
Big 12 or just to get a ring some
how,” DeForge said. “I think there
would be something missing if I
didn’t. I would feel like I came up a
little short, like maybe my four
years were a little incomplete
because I didn’t get what I wanted.
“But either way, I’ll be happy
with the way our class and the
•ft
Anna is so smart
... She really
guides everybody
with her
knowledge of
the game ”
Emily Thompson
senior Husker player
classes before us have taken this
program to another level. You can
see the progress the team has made,
and it makes you so proud.”
uerorge conmouiea as mucn as
any one player to the Cornhuskers’
improvement over the past three
years. NU Coach Paul Sanderford
said DeForge, who led Nebraska in
scoring and assists and finished
second on the team in rebounds last
season, offers the Huskers a solid
all-around package.
“She’s a total player,”
Sanderford said. “And the thing
that she presents to opponents is
that she’s a 5-11 guard who can
take people into the post. If oppo
nents try to put smaller or quicker
guards on her, we’ll take advantage
of her strength down there.”
DeForge - who Sanderford said
has the ability to play professional
ly next year - does not expect her
all-around responsibilities to
change much in Sanderford’s first
season at Nebraska. DeForge spent
the majority of her career playing
under former Coach Angela Beck.
“As seniors, we just looked at
this as a new opportunity,” DeForge
said. “I think it could be hard if we
had not chosen to look at it that
way.
“This is going to be our last
year, so we just have to take things
day by day, knowing that it means a
lot more to us.”
A leader by example on the
court, DeForge found herself in a
new vocal leadership position when
Sanderford arrived at Nebraska,
one that DeForge said she isn’t
entirely comfortable with.
“She’s not a rah-rah type play
er,” Sanderford said. “That’s just
not her personality. But she’s very
intense, and she will become more
vocal. It’s something she needs to
do, although I think she’d just pre
fer to go about business and play.”
DeForge’s experience and phys
ical example on the court sets a
standard for others
senior Emily Thomf
“Anna is so smart/’ inompson
said. “She really knows basketball.
The coaches only have to tell her
something one time, and she will
remember it. If it’s a mistake, she
won’t make it again. She really
guides everybody with her knowl
edge of the game.”
DeForge hopes to translate that
knowledge and experience this sea- ■
son into Nebraska’s first-ever
league championship. NU returns
12 players from last year’s 19-9
team, including its top two scorers.
“I don’t think you ever want ■
your career to end,” DeForge said.
“But you know it’s going to end
sooner or later. So I wish I weren’t
a senior. But because I am, I can’t
look to the past, I have to look to
the future. *
“I have to do everything I can to
take advantage of this one last
year.”
Matt Miller/DN ■
ABOVE: ANNA DEFORGE has made the Bob Devaney Sports Center her home ■
the last three seasons. The senior from Niagra, Wis., wants to add a Big 12 ■
Championship trophy to her hardware collection.
RIGHT: TYRONN LUE looks small among his teammates. But the Junior point
guard from Mexico, Mo., has made it a point to be a leader this season for
the Huskers. • V'