RitaPnt

Ticha Penicheiro Rita Williams Kelly Jolly
Old Dominion University University of Connecticut Tennessee State University

THE POINT GUARDS

From the Desk of 'Pappa Corn'
No discussion about NCAA point guards can possibly start at the desk of good lo pappacorn without paying homage to the greatest of the great...the top-o-the-class...the numero uno...master of the point gizzame. That's right. I'm talkin bout Jen Rizzotti.
This ball-hawk exemplified the art of playing the gestalt...that place in the comfort zone where the sum of the parts equals more than the whole. When you talk about the point you're talkin bout a defensive cornerback and an offensive quarterback. Its an added blessing when you've got a point that can score in the clutch. Peripheral vision, quick reflexes, fast feet, faster passes, overview concept and most of all...Heart with the capital H. We miss Rizzotti on the college scene cause she's got all of the aforementioned. The Blizzard, however, is looking up.

LET THE GAMES AND THE HOOP-LA BEGIN!

Any ole solid 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper can tell you what the point man is up against in a combat situation. Jar heads( highly publicized marines) can't carry these guy's water bucket. You looking for land mines, best possible cover in case of attack and you are the first person to see the enemy and the first person an enemy sniper sees.

In bucket land, the top three NCAA teams all boast top-notched, hip shaking, fast-breaking point guards that will razzle and dazzle opponents and fans alike in the upcoming race to the final four. Like the ole paratrooper, they are prepared to do combat on anybody's court...be it oak, concrete, or tile.

Representing ODU, in Papa Corn's home state and stomping grounds, down in tidewater Virginia, in Norfolk and a stone's throw from the sandy pebbles at Virginia Beach is a young lady out of Figueira da Foz, Portugal by the name of Ticha Penicheiro.

And I do believe that ODU is undefeated on their home court this year. Correct me if I'm wrong. Papa Corn 'do believe' that this 1997 Kodak All- American and 1998 Naismith Candidate is preping to double clutch when the dust clears and only a quartet of hoopster teams is around when the fat lady sings. The monarchs will be among those still standing.

The Volunteers, with a point that also can dust folk from the foward position, are laying in the cut for this senior dean's list making communications major who jammed 25 points down their throats at their last meeting. Ticha had five games last year where she communicated with her team mates enough times to claim 12 assist on the fly.

Looks like a shootout at the O.K. Corral to me. Order the popcorn and pizza now for Feb. 7 of 'this here year' cause its gonna be a good time in the ole town this coming Saturday night. Tisha now lives a long jog or a short bus ride from the hometown of Allen Iverson
of Georgetown & the 76er's. Hampton also is the town where Papa Corn spent his formative collegeiate years working on a C- average and hundreds of bottles of Mother Vineyard wine at Hampton U. Better known as the 'Citadel by the Sea'.

Fourth Ranked Louisiana Technical University Won Its Last Six Games

The way Ms. Peniecheiro is playing 'rounball' these days she might be looking to steal Iverson's job in the 'City of Brotherly Love'. With that dean's list grade point average you know I'm staying out of her way. Communications is my game and she might be looking to grab my post during off season.

Good luck to Ticha and the Monarchs. I got you pegged for 3rd when the shootings done. You may prove me wrong and ole Pappa Corn's home girls might come on through. But as you well know, there's a couple 'mo' TAPS (Tough-Ass-Pointguards) sitting on the point and laying in wait to ambush the 'good ole girls' from Tidewater.

24,000 Tickets Sold for Volunteer vs. Monarch Women This Saturday

Speaking of folk laying in wait, Rita Williams , field marshall of the Connecticut Huskies, can't wait to shut down the respirator on the Volunteers and anybody else that thinks they're gonna get their ball-hawking paws on that trophy when the aria is over. Reeling from a recent defeat in Tennesee at the hands of the belle-tinkling rounball artist in Knoxville and a solid victory over the outplayed, that day, Monarchs of Norfolk,Va.

Rita and the Huskies are the opponents worst nightmare. Papa Corn 'doth think' that dem dere 'Women of Storrs' will be taking on Tennessee in the final reel. One thing I gotta say right now is this: Rebecca Lobo is a great player and a great newscaster. What makes her even greater is the fact that she doesn't rely on pointing out the mistakes a player may or may not make during a game. That 'nut' that co-commentates with her is another story all together. She seems to have nothin else to do but point out Rita's mistakes and never fails to fail to mention the great plays she makes. Some college players are going on to the pros and many are playing because they enjoy the game. Bad-mouthing college level players is stupid and unprofessional. It ain't proper protocol in the pros either but that comes with the territory because they get big bucks to put up with that 'it-shay'. 95% of them half-baked announcers couldn't make two free throws out of 100 and couldn't make a lay-up if they were on a ladder just over the rim. Replay a film of some of the critics that played ball and you would think they were on the team because their daddy's were on the board of trustees. Give me a break and throw some of these no ballplaying pontificators into the Long Island Sound !

See Papa Corn's Advice to the Administrations at Historically Black Universities

Don't get me started. As quiet as it is kept, Rita Williams is as good a point guard as anyone out there and second to none. Hell, she scored over 1900 points in high school and can shoot you out of the gym if she has too. In the Huskies scheme of play, the point needs to be more of a tactician than a scorer. They have the top guns in the nation at the forward and shooting guard positions.

Other Huskie teams have had seasoned seniors down low that could score almost at will. When they had an average or mediocre game the point guard had to take the bull by the horn and do some scoring. This husky teams down low players are just coming into their own. They're young and developing. Watch out for them next year. This team, with their best in the east fowards and shooting guards, requires a point that can get the ball to three or four of the best players in the country with split-second timimg and a transition driven sense of defense. That is exactly what they have in Rita Williams. If she scores more than eight points something is wrong in the transition game or the Huskies are way out front and it has turned into another 'fun' game. Williams is a 'Sunday player' who will score when she has too. If I needed somebody to watch my back...I would select Rita Williams.

Good luck to Rita Williams and the Huskies. I got you pegged for 1st or 2nd. Its too close to call. Who knows, Papa Corns favorite team just might be able to get past the Women of Tennessee. But 'yawl' will hafta get up mighty early in the morning to keep the south from 'risin agin'.

The Volunteers of Tennessee are Untied and Undefeated and Boast a Record of 24-0

The song goes like this: "You may sing about your village maids and dream of Rosalee, but the yellow Rose of Texas beats the Belles of Tennessee". Whoever wrote that song, obviously was not making reference to the belles at the University of Tennessee.

If Papa Corn remembers correctly, it is the high-flying women from Knoxville who consistantly beat the yellow roses of the Lone Star State each and every year. But the Texans shouldn't feel lonely 'cause Papa Corn doth see' them Ladies beating up on everybody whether they got stars, stripes, or stars and stripes in their flag.

One of the major reason they ain't taken no prisoners is because of that no nonsense, ball-hawking point guard and sometimes forward by the name of Kellie Jolly. This lady can bring smoke, fire and brimestone down on some of the best point guards in this here country. She fired off 40 points in one high school game. The opponents ran out of the gym while the fans called the fire department because she smoked opposition so bad.

Speaking of running out of places, I've got to run out of here and catch the Tennessee vs ODU game that is getting ready to kick-off in just a few ticks of the ole Great Ben. Kelly and Ticha are a great match-up that one should not miss if at all possible. Papa Corn picks Tennesse over his home girls from the 'state that is made for lovers'...but you can bet your bottom dollar that there will be no love lost between the Vols and the Monarchs today.

Papa Corn Over & Out