Colorado University Athletics
Brooks: Shorter Memory Serving Fressle Well
January 23, 2010 | Women's Basketball, B.G. Brooks
BOULDER - In Alyssa Fressle's coming of age as a college basketball player, one of her biggest challenges has been learning how to forget.
The Colorado sophomore is not there yet. She will tell you so, as will her coach. Her pursuit of perfection is such that, unless she immediately re-focuses and centers herself, a mistake in her game can fester for minutes at a time, or for a possession or more.
But both Fressle and her coach, Kathy McConnell-Miller, also will tell you this: Fressle is miles and miles ahead of where she was as a freshman. Finally, she is learning to let go.
"Last year, I thought coach had to rely on me a little more because we weren't as deep," said Fressle. "I'd get down on myself if I wasn't hitting my shot or turned it over. This year, I've been able to just let it go a little bit more. Probably not every time, but it's better."
McConnell-Miller agreed: "She's improving on moving from one play to the next. I wouldn't say that it's a done deal. Sometimes it takes a timeout, sometimes a substitution (to settle Fressle down). She's a player that's extremely intense and wants to perform at her best on both ends.
"We have to do that with Chucky (Jeffery) a little bit . . . . At this level, the mentality of moving past the last play - good or bad - and maintaining a focus is hard to do. It makes you a more complete player, but it's difficult to do."
Even for someone who wasn't aware of the pressure she was piling upon herself in 2008-09, Fressle's confidence and composure are noticeably better. Maturity and a year's experience are two key reasons, but there's another, too.
Because reinforcements (read: 2009 signee Jeffery and a talented freshman class) hadn't yet arrived, McConnell-Miller was asking Fressle to be a true point guard - a position Fressle hadn't played with any regularity.
Recalled McConnell-Miller: "Last year as a freshman, we asked her to bring the ball up the court, to score, to defend . . . . Now, there are other pieces on the floor that allow Alyssa to do what she's good at - and she's starting to understand what she's really good at.
"She's trying not to be spread so thin . . . she's not carrying so much of the load."
Let's get a time out here: don't draw the impression that the 5-foot-10 Fressle flopped at the point. To the contrary, she was tops among the Big 12 Conference freshmen last season in assists (3.4 per game), steals (1.8) and minutes played (30.9).
Fressle's 99 assists in 2008-09 were the most by a CU freshman since Linda Lappe's 110 in 1999, and she finished ninth among all Big 12 players in that category.
Deservedly, she earned a place on the league's All-Rookie team, followed by the CU women's program honoring her as Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.
That last splash of recognition was a no-brainer; upon her arrival at CU, defense quickly became the athletic Fressle's calling card. Her indoctrination into the Big 12 included usually being matched against the opposing team's top offensive player.
The conference's leading scorer - Oklahoma State senior guard Andrea Riley (25.9 ppg) - makes a Sunday appearance at the Coors Events Center (2 p.m., FSN). So it's safe to assume that some of Fressle's afternoon will be spent in or near Riley's face.
Last season, Riley finished with 18 points and 12 assists as the Cowgirls hammered the Buffs, 79-43, in Stillwater, Okla. It was Fressle's first look at Riley, and the bulk of Fressle's 25 minutes of court time was spent in an educational mode.
Which doesn't mean Riley schooled the freshman . . . rather, Fressle learned a little about herself and a lot more about Riley.
"She talks trash the entire game . . . even to her teammates sometimes," recalled Fressle, who had been briefed by her veteran teammates on Riley's yapping.
"It's how she gets pumped," Fressle said. "You miss a shot, she'll say something. But I mean, ultimately, who cares? She's on the other team . . . we can't let that get to us."
McConnell-Miller plans to open with Jeffery on Riley, but says Fressle and Brittany Spears also will take their turns.
"When we pressure a little bit, it's hard to predict who ends up on whom," McConnell-Miller said. "All will guard her, all will have the opportunity - but not just one person.
"She's hard to guard because she's so deep (setting the offense at or behind the three-point arc). We have to make sure we contest her and that every shot she takes is challenged."
Fressle characterized Riley and the Cowgirls as more athletic than the Buffs' two most recent opponents - Iowa State and Kansas State. But, drawing on her debut season, she added, "The Big 12 is so tough . . . each team has its strong suits. It helps a lot having one year under your belt."
Through 17 games this season, Fressle's scoring is down slightly from 2008-09 (7.7 to 6.5). Fressle's steals have not dropped off; with 24, she's third among the Buffs behind Spears (43) and Jeffery (36) and almost halfway to her 2008-09 total (52).
And even though Jeffery has assumed most of the true point guard responsibilities, Fressle could be on pace for another stellar year in assists: Her 44 dishes are second to Jeffery's 52.
Fressle "loves playing the two guard," but after working the point last season she is comfortable returning to that position when Jeffery takes a breather.
"Whether it's hitting shots, playing good defense and distributing passes, at the end of the day it's a team game," Fressle said. "You've just got to do whatever's in your arsenal to help your team win."
Sometimes that means looking within, developing a short memory and learning to move on. Alyssa Fressle is fine with that - and it's showing.
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
