Completed Event: Women's Basketball at Eastern Kentucky on March 19, 2026 , Loss , 58, to, 72
Final Score
Women's Basketball
58
at Eastern Kentucky
72
The University of Utah Athletics
Women's Basketball Starts New Era
6/21/1999 12:00 AM | Women's Basketball
October 6, 1998
SALT LAKE CITY -- When asked to talk about her 1998-99 team, a typical response from Elaine Elliott is to shake her head, smile wryly, put her index finger in the air and trace out a big question mark. Who can blame her? After all, any coach who had just bid farewell to a senior class that posted a 90-27 record, won a Western Athletic Conference championship of some form every year and played in four consecutive NCAA Tournaments would probably respond in the same manner.
Then, when you take into consideration that this year's Utah roster includes five freshmen, four sophomores and no seniors... well, you get the idea. Question marks, question marks and more question marks.
A veteran coach who has posted over 300 wins in 15 seasons at Utah, Elliott makes no bones about her prognosticationor lack there offor the season ahead.
"I have no answers to many questions," says Elliott, pointedly. "At this time a year ago, myself, the rest of the coaching staff and the team spent a lot of time talking about the high expectations that we had for taking this program to a whole new level before we closed out a great run. My enthusiasm heading into this year revolves around finding the answers to questions, not about realizing expectations. And, while that is a much different kind of approach, to me it's still very exciting."
As the caretaker of a program that ranks 28th in NCAA Division I in all-time wins with an astounding 488-197 record in its proud 24-year history, building a team from the ground up isn't a task that Elliott has been faced with too often. However, when she took on such a task four years ago, the result was the greatest four-year run in the history of the program.
After Utah stumbled to a 12-14 record in 1993-94-its first losing season ever-Elliott proceeded to reevaluate every facet of her program and sign Utah's best recruiting class to date. Four year's later, the cycle appears to be repeating itselfjust without the losing season as a precursor. Facing the task of replacing half of her team from last year with just six letterwinners and one redshirt sophomore returning, Elliott has brought in another top-notch freshman class. Among the five newcomers, three of them have combined to win four state Player of the Year awards. Another is the reigning Canadian Player of the Year.
"You can rank recruiting classes for what they are coming out of high school and for what they do during their college careers," explains Elliott. "In terms of a class coming out of high school, I am more than willing to say that this group ranks as first rate. All of them have the background that leads me to truly believe that they can make a mark on our program."
The returning players, who have patiently waited their turn to step into major roles, have great potential as well. Junior center Kristi Rose, who started 25 of 27 games last season, could be on the verge of a break-out season. Junior point guard Tiana Fuertes has shown great promise in a back-up role. Redshirt sophomore forward Lori Red played in every game as a true freshman in 1996-97. And, sophomore forwards Kristina Andersen, Amy Ewert and Lindsay Sodja all saw significant playing time in their first collegiate seasons. Granted, their abilities to become go-to players at the college level is, as Elliott would say, still a question mark; but the upside of the maturing talent on the 1998-99 Ute roster is vastly apparent. Just because the expectations are lower doesn't mean the potential is, as well.
"I'm not willing to say how good this team can be because I don't have a handle on it in terms of its strengths and weaknesses, yet," assesses Elliott. "However, I do know that we have a group of talented returning kids on this team who have been role players for the past couple of years and now have the opportunity to step up into new roles. We also have some new kids coming in with great credentials. Because of that, I'm excited about building a new team and teaching a new wave of kids how to succeed at a high level."
Back Court
Amidst the flood of questions facing Elliott, the predominant one is, "How do you replace the best guard court in Utah and WAC history?"
Among the five seniors and seven letterwinners who departed after last season were Julie Krommenhoek and Alli Bills, the all-time scoring and assists leader, respectively, in both the school and conference record books.
"No doubt about it, the kids that play on the guard line this year have some big shoes to fill," confesses Elliott. "But, they are also very fine players in their own right who bring some different dimensions to the floor. We will just have to give them some space and some time to develop their games."
The only guard returning with significant playing experience is Fuertes. However, while patiently waiting her turn to take over as the Utes' floor general, the 5-3 junior was an understudy to one of the best point guards in the nation the past two seasons.
"She is a very good point guard," raves Elliott. "She did well by learning from Alli, and I think people are really going to like her. It's just a matter of her getting the opportunity."
Fuertes has seen action in 52 games as a Ute, including three starts in 1996-97 when Bills was injured, averaging 1.6 assists in 10.7 minutes. But, Fuertes' numbers don't reveal her lightening-quick speed and ability to create scoring opportunities in transition.
In past years, Utah has relied mainly on its half court offense to create scoring opportunities. Now with a change in the guard, here's one more question for you: Will this change in personnel also bring about a change in style of play for the Utes?
"That's a good possibility." confides Elliott. "As a coach, you have to do what the kids you have do best. Tiana is very quick and can push the tempo, and she is at her best when she can keep the ball on the break and get it into the paint. We also have some big kids who can run. We'll do some exploring early in the season to see just how successful we are with more of an up-tempo style play."
The off guard position appears to be in good hands as well. Erin Gibbons may be just a freshman, but the 5-9 native of Salmon Arm, British Columbia, has already drawn comparisons to her predecessor. "For those people who are worried, we haven't lost all of Krommenhoek," says Elliott. "Just like Julie was, Erin is an excellent three-point shooter, and she's used to shooting from the deeper international three-point line. She is an extremely gifted player who has been playing the game a long time and brings unexpected maturity to the court."
It's easy to understand why Elliott is excited about the addition of Gibbons. The 1997-98 Canadian Player of the Year averaged 27 points, 10
assists, 10 rebounds, four steals and two blocks as a senior in high school. She will play primarily at off guard, but can also run the point.
The Utes have also gained another fine young player in Lindsay Herbert, who can swing between the off guard and small forward positions. Herbert, a 5-11 freshman from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, is a two-time state Player of the Year.
"Herbert's one of those kids who in high school played every position, brought the ball up the floor and just did it all," says Elliott. "Because of that, she's very comfortable with the ball in her hands. Lindsay has well-rounded offensive skills, both faced up to and with her back to the basket."
Another player pushing for playing time at the off guard position is Janna Whitman, a 5-10 junior from Magna, Utah. Despite seeing action in just 16 games over the past two years, Whitman is a deft shooter with fine offensive skills.
"This has been an important off season for Janna," says Elliott. "With two seasons behind her now, Janna has the chance to resolve the things that have kept her from playing more. I'm anxious to see if she can bust out into a bigger playing role based upon her progress since last year."
Front Court
Of the six returning letterwinners from last year, four of them play at the forward and center positions. Rose, a 6-4 post player from Palmdale, Calif., is the team's only returning starter. She averaged 7.7 points and 5.6 rebounds in 24.1 minutes per game last season.
"Kristi has had a solid first two years of progression in this program," emphasizes Elliott. "She has learned what it takes to compete at this level. If she's worked hard during the off season, there's a great opportunity waiting for her this year. No question, she's a highly skilled player. She just needs to get more comfortable with the physical nature and the daily grind of the college game."
A prolific shot blocker, Rose is on pace to break the Utah career record this season, needing just 27 more rejections to do so. Leading the WAC in blocked shots last season (2.0 bpg) and ranking third in 1996-97 (1.1 bpg), Rose already has 88 career blocked shots to rank fourth all-time at the U. She sent back 54 opponents shots last season alone, missing the single-season school record by just one.
"One thing Kristi has consistently done in her first two years is to be a defensive presence around the basket." says Elliott. "We haven't had that before. She just needs to bring her offense up a notch to match her defensive prowess."
Lauren Beckman, a 6-2 freshman from Elko, Nev., is the best candidate to share time at center with Rose. Beckman was the 1997 Nevada Player of the Year and a Blue Chip Illustrated All-American. "Lauren's skills are best suited to play close to the basket," explains Elliott. "She's a physical player with good strength."
Katherine McColl, a freshman from Hamilton, Ontario, will play mainly at power forward. However, despite measuring up at just 6-foot, the two-time first-team all-Canadian selection can also hold her own at center. "I felt that we had a need for a strong, physical player to play under the basket, and Katherine filled that need for us," says Elliott.
Three other players who have the size to move in and out of the post, as well as the ability to run the floor, are sophomores Andersen and Sodja, and freshman Erin Hansen.
A good shooter with three-point range, the 6-1 Andersen played in 19 games last year, averaging 2.3 points and 2.2 rebounds. "Kristina did a nice job of filling in at important times last year," says Elliott. "She competed at a high level in high school and in AAU ball, and with that experience she was able to come in and play with confidence. She's the best passing big player we have, and because of that it's going to be tough not to have her out on the floor."
Sodja, a 6-1 forward from Taylorsville, Utah, saw significant playing time off the bench late last season, playing in 18 games and starting one. Sodja had the fifth-highest scoring average on the team of 5.8 points per game and averaged 2.8 rebounds per contest.
"Lindsay played last year because of her offense," confesses Elliott. "We needed a punch off of the bench, and she responded well. She worked very hard on improving her defense this summer. If she continues to progress in that area, she can make us a better team. Her athletic ability gives us a nice dimension because she can finish plays."
Hansen comes to the U. after recently completing an outstanding high school career down the road at Mountain View High School in Orem, Utah. She was named a pre-season honorable mention All-American by Street & Smith's and the Utah Gatorade Player of the Year in 1997-98.
"Erin is an exciting player," raves Elliott. "She is well-skilled, has good size and is very mobile." With three-point range, Hansen is a nice face-up player who can stretch opposing defenses. Her biggest challenge will be adjusting to the physical play at the collegiate level."
The style of play Elliott chooses to employ could very well determine who plays at the four and five positions. While Andersen, Sodja and Hansen are not true post-up players like Rose, McColl and Beckman, the former give the Utes versatility.
The small forward position looks to be filled by committee. At the top of the list of candidates are two sophomores who played significant minutes as freshmen.
Six-footer Amy Ewert, a native of Vancouver, British Columbia, played nearly 17 minutes per game off the bench last season. She averaged 2.8 points and 2.6 rebounds, while shooting 48.2 percent from the field.
"Amy did an admirable job as a freshman in a back-up role," says Elliott "She is a tough defensive player, who is difficult to pass around because of her height and long arms. Amy just needs to work on her offense to make herself more of a threat."
Red played in all 31 contests two years ago before sitting out last season. The 5-11 Provo, Utah, native averaged 2.7 points and 1.8 rebounds in just over 10 minutes per game in '96-97. "Lori's coming off of a redshirt year, and hopefully she's gained her strength back and is ready to go," says Elliott. "Her comeback will really help stabilize this young team."
The Schedule
This youthful group will be tested early, facing a slew of tough teams even before the WAC season begins. After opening at Bradley on Nov. 14, the Utes play their next five games in the Jon M. Huntsman Center. However, during that home stand from late November through early December, Utah hosts Intermountain region powerhouse Montana, Kansas State of the Big 12 Conference, and one of the preseason favorites to win it all in the WAC this season, Colorado State, which is placed opposite of the Utes in the Mountain Division. Utah also hosts another league title contender from the WAC Mountain, SMU, on Jan. 5 in its final contest before the start of conference divisional play.
"No question, we have a very difficult preseason schedule," admits Elliott. "Even with a young team, we still insist on playing quality teams. That's the philosophy that works best for our program."
Grouped with Utah in the WAC's Pacific Division is Hawai'i, a solid program year in and year out. The Rainbow Wahine are also among the early title favorites with three returning starters. However, with most of the other teams in the division suffering substantial losses, like Utah, the other contenders for the Pacific Division title may be the teams that mature the fastest.
The Synopsis
The backbone of Elliott's teams has always been stifling, man-to-man defense. However, with a roster full of young players, Elliott knows that aspect of her team's play will need some time to solidify.
"With young kids, there seems to be an inverse relationship between what they know offensively and what they don't know defensively," says Elliott. "We have our work cut out for us in that area."
Yes, Elliott must replace some of the best players to ever come through the Utah program in 1998-99, but don't let the question marks she poses fool you. For a program that has entrenched itself among the nation's elite in recent years, and one that is brimming with an abundance of young, but very talented, players, perhaps the term that best describes Elliott's task this season is "reloading," not "rebuilding."
The wins may not came as easily as they have in recent years; but, with one of the best coaches in the nation on the sideline to guide this team through its growing pains, don't be surprised to see Utah win 20 games and be in position for an NCAA Tournament bid once again.
Question marks aside, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Notes and Numbers
1998-99 Personnel Breakdown
- Front court Letterwinners Returning (3) Pos. Player Ht. Yr./Exp. G/GS 1997-98 Stats 4/3/5 Kristina Andersen 6-1 So./1L 19/0 2.3 ppg, 2.2 rpg 5 Kristi Rose 6-4 Jr./2L 27/25 7.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.0 bpg 3/4/5 Lindsay Sodja 6-1 So./1L 18/1 5.8 ppg, 2.8 rpgRedshirts Returning (1) Pos. Player Ht. Yr./Exp. G/GS 1996-97 Stats 3 Lori Red 5-11 So./1L 31/0 2.5 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 0.5 apg
Newcomers (3) Pos. Player Ht. Yr./Exp. Hometown 4/5 Katherine McColl 6-0 Fr./HS Hamilton, Ontario 5/4 Lauren Beckman 6-2 Fr./HS Elko, Nev. 4/5 Erin Hansen 6-3 Fr./HS Orem, Utah
Letterwinners Lost (2) Pos. Player Ht. Yr./Exp. G/GS 1997-98 Stats 4/5 Laura Ross Allen 6-2 Sr./4L 27/3 3.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg 4 Angie Thill 6-0 Sr./4L 25/25 13.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg
- Back Court Letterwinners Returning (3) Pos. Player Ht. Yr./Exp. G/GS 1997-98 Stats 3/2 Amy Ewert 6-0 So./1L 27/0 2.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.1 apg 1 Tiana Fuertes 5-3 Jr./2L 23/0 1.4 ppg, 1.4 apg, 0.7 rpg 2 Janna Whitman 5-10 Jr./2L 8/0 1.1 ppg, 0.3 rpg
Newcomers (2) Pos. Player Ht. Yr./Exp. Hometown 2/1 Erin Gibbons 5-9 Fr./HS Salmon Arm, B.C. 2/3 Lindsay Hebert 5-11 Fr./HS Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Letterwinners Lost (5) Pos Player Ht. Yr./Exp. G/GS 1997-98 Stats 3/2 Amy Alcorn 5-8 Sr./4L 27/27 3.4 ppg, 2.3 apg. 1.3 rpg 1 Alli Bills 5-7 Sr./4L 27/27 11.1 ppg, 7.9 apg, 5.8 rpg 2 Julie Krommenhoek 5-9 Sr./4L 27/27 20.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.6 apg 3/2 ReShawnda Richardson 5-7 So./1L 14/0 1.0 ppg, 0.7 rpg 1/2 Rosie Shelley 5-9 Jr./2L 3/0 1.7 ppg, 1.7 rpg
Numbers Coming Back: Utah returns six of the 13 letterwinners from last season. Here is a statistical breakdown of what the Utes bring back in 1998-99.
Points 26.4% Rebounds 40.3% 3-Point Field Goals 14.7% Assists 18.9% Steals 17.9% Blocks 78.9% Minutes Played 31.9%
Classroom Champions: Five of the seven returning Utes earned recognition for their success in the classroom in 1997-98.
Academic All-WAC Janna WhitmanFreshman Academic All-WAC Kristina Andersen Amy Ewert Lindsay Sodja
WAC Scholar-Athlete Kristina Andersen Amy Ewert Lori Red Lindsay Sodja Janna Whitman
At the Gate: Utah ranked fourth in the WAC in attendance in 1997-98, averaging 1,502 fans over 13 home dates.
Home Sweet Home: Utah enters the 1998-99 season with a 13-game homecourt winning streak that ranks as the 13th-longest in NCAA Division I.
1998-99 Utah Women's Basketball Quick Facts General Information Location Salt Lake City, Utah Founded 1850 Enrollment 26,183 Colors Crimson and White Nickname Utes Mascot Swoop (Red-Tailed Hawk) School Song "Utah Man" Conference Western Athletic (WAC) Division Pacific Arena Jon M. Huntsman Center (15,000) President Dr. J. Bernard Machen Faculty Representative Larry Gerlach A.D./Assistant to the President Dr. Chris Hill Associate A.D./SWA Amy Hackett Assistant A.D./Development Peter Hart Assistant A.D./Marketing Marc Amicone Athletics Department Phone (801) 581-8171 Ticket Office Phone (801) 581-UTIXBasketball Facts Started Basketball 1974-75 All-Time Record 488-197 (.712)/24 Years All-Time WAC Record 87-25 (.777)/8 Years 1997-98 Overall Record 21-6 1997-98 Conference Record 11-3 1997-98 Conference Finish 1st/Division NCAA Postseason Record 0-1 Lost to Louisville (69-61) Starters Returning/Lost 1/4 Letterwinners Returning/Lost 6/7
Basketball Staff Head Coach Elaine Elliott (Boise State '77) Record at Utah/Years: 302-133 (.694)/15 Years Career Record/Years: 302-133 (.694)/15 Years Conference Record: 149-41 (.784) Associate Head Coach Joe Legerski (Wyoming '79) Office Phone: (801) 581-4839 Assistant Coach Shelley Jarrard (Vanderbilt '93) Office Phone: (801) 581-6230 Assistant Coach Carter Shaw (Utah '95) Office Phone: (801) 581-4366 Secretary TBA Office Phone: (801) 581-6445 Basketball Office Phone: (801) 581-7037
This is Utah Women's Basketball
Utah's all-time record of 488-197 in 24 seasons ranks 28th on the NCAA Division I wins list. Among programs with 300 victories or more, Utah's all-time winning percentage of .712 ranks 16th.
A winner from the beginning, The U. has won 15 regular-season conference titles and four league tournament championships. In the last four years, Utah has won the WAC Tournament (1995), the WAC regular-season championship (1996) and back-to-back WAC Mountain Division titles (1997 and 1998).
The Utes have been invited to participate in postseason play 14 times, including nine NCAA Tournaments. Utah has played in the NCAAs six times in the '90s and has made four-consecutive appearances heading into this season.
The U. is the most successful program in the WAC, leading the 16-team league in overall wins, conference wins, league titles and NCAA Tournament appearances.
Utah ranked seventh in the nation in scoring defense, 27th in scoring margin, 10th in three-point field goal percentage and 11th in three-point field goals made per game in 1997-98.
Utah ranked 17th in the nation in scoring defense in 1996-97. The Utes were also 17th in the NCAA in winning percentage with the fifth-highest RPI rating.
Utah ranked 28th in the nation in scoring defense and 29th in three-point field goal percentage in 1995-96. In 1992-93, The U. ranked ninth in the country in scoring defense. In 1990-91 and 1991-92, Utah ranked in the top 25 nationally in rebound margin.
The Utes have ranked first through fourth in the WAC in scoring margin six times in the '90s, and have been in the top-four in rebound marginincluding third in 1996-97 and again in 1997-98-all eight seasons.
Utah climbed into the Top 25 in both the USA Today/ESPN and Associated Press polls for the first time ever during the 1998-99 season. The Utes were ranked in the Top 25 in at least one of the two polls for 11-consecutive weeks.
The Utes became the first team in school and Western Athletic Conference history to move into the Top 10 in the national polls when they were tied for ninth in the USA Today/ESPN Poll on Jan. 26. Utah also peaked at No. 11 in the Associated Press Poll on Jan. 26.
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