Colorado University Athletics
Brooks: Houston Eyes Life In The Slow(er) Lane
December 29, 2009 | Women's Basketball, B.G. Brooks
The effervescent 5-foot-5 junior point guard arguably is the quickest member of the Colorado women's basketball team. She can be a blur with the ball, getting to the rim before a defender can blink.
Getting there never has been the problem . . . making the right decisions en route, protecting the ball and finishing is her on-going dilemma.
Often times, Houston plays too fast to be efficient. Constantly, her coaches have drummed into her the need not to speed - not if it proves a detriment to the offense.
Give her a bumper sticker proclaiming, "I Brake For Layups (And Assists)."
"I know I've just got to control myself better," Houston conceded. "And I still have got to learn how to use my speed to my advantage."
She might get more of a chance than usual Wednesday against Grambling State (7 p.m., Coors Events Center). Freshman Chucky Jeffery is nursing an ankle sprain suffered in a Sunday evening practice when the Buffaloes returned from Christmas break.
On Monday, coach Kathy McConnell-Miller classified Jeffery as "questionable," adding, "I won't play her if she's questionable."
Monday's practice went that way, with Jeffery watching and Houston playing the point. "Whitney has responded well," McConnell-Miller said.
If Jeffery is held out, sophomore Alyssa Fressle, normally assigned to defend the opponent's top offensive player, will move into Jeffery's role of pressuring the ball. Jeffery's 22 steals are second on the team to Brittany Spears' 25.
Houston, who missed last season while rehabilitating her surgically repaired left knee, is averaging 15.4 minutes and 5.0 points a game. In the Buffs' 2009-10 season opener - her first game in over a year - she hit a late layup and a critical three-pointer to help push CU past California-Irvine, 61-56.
That has been her only trey (seven attempts) in nine games, but she's contributed 15 assists and five steals. Her 20 turnovers, though, have been a problem, with many of those resulting from her playing too fast, too loose.
"Yeah, I need to shift down a little to see what I've got out there instead of going fast all the time - see what options I have . . . I'd rather take it down the middle than chose a side, but I know I've got to take a side," said Houston, a Memphis native honored by teammates in each of her two CU seasons (Most Improved Player in 2006-07, Sixth Man Award in 2007-08).
When she finally was able during last season's knee rehabilitation - in late September during an individual workout she tore her anterior cruciate ligament - Houston worked on her perimeter shooting.
Driving and finishing didn't get the attention they should have, and now she concedes, "I have to work on my layups and staying in control. And I need to learn to read plays and screens better."
As much as that, though, she wants to evolve into more of a distributor than a shooter, dishing to teammates such as Bianca Smith and Spears, her close friend and roommate.
"Drive and pitch . . . I feel comfortable doing that and kicking the ball out," Houston said. "We've got good shooters on this team."
She believes the Buffs are a good team overall, too, very capable of improving on last season's 3-13 Big 12 Conference record (11-18 overall). CU takes an 8-2 record into Wednesday's game and has three more home contests - including the Big 12 opener against Missouri on Jan. 9 - before making another road trip.
If the Buffs build on their unbeaten (7-0) run at the Events Center, they would be 12-2 when they travel for the first time in league play (at Texas Tech, Jan. 12).
"We just have to learn to play to our potential in every game, no matter who we play," Houston said. "I feel like we come out against a team that's less talented than we are and we play to their (level) - we shouldn't do that.
"I hate to bring up CSU (a 69-61 loss at Colorado State on Dec. 11), but we played the way CSU wanted to play instead of the way CU plays.
"That's our biggest deal right there. I know when the Big 12 comes around we're going to be ready for that competition and play to our highest peak every game. We just have to learn to do that when we play (every) team."
The Buffs - Whitney Houston included - still are several lessons away from where McConnell-Miller wants them. But here's the good news about this team: Thus far, it has taken well to being taught.
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
