Colorado University Athletics
Brooks: Hargis Finds Improvement By Taking Her Time
December 21, 2012 | Women's Basketball, B.G. Brooks
That was the message the Colorado women's basketball staff communicated to her when the 2011-12 season ended and during the summer. And, being an eager pupil and a quick study, Hargis downshifted.
"The biggest thing over the summer," said CU assistant Jonas Chatterton, "was having her understand the game and know her most efficient pace. It really was just about slowing her down."
If being more methodical means being more efficient, then so be it. Hargis' overall game - particularly on the offensive end - is on the upswing for the No. 25 Buffaloes. In a milestone 70-66 win last week against then-No. 8 Louisville, Hargis scored seven points, blocked a career-high seven shots, collected three rebounds and made two steals and one assist.
Hargis is a former three-sport high school athlete who grew up practically in Baylor's backyard - Robinson, Texas, is just southwest of Waco - and played club basketball with the daughter of Kim Mulkey. The iconic Lady Bears coach and Hargis were friendly, with Mulkey often offering advice and encouragement - but not a scholarship.
AND THAT WAS OK WITH HARGIS. "I was never that fond of Baylor anyway," she said. "I know they've got a great basketball team and I loved them watching them play when I was little. But going there was never like a big dream for me. It wasn't a blow (when Baylor passed her over)."
At Robinson High School, the 6-4 Hargis participated in track and field and played volleyball in addition to basketball. A couple of smaller schools took an interest in her as a volleyball player, but her college intentions never strayed from hoops.
She is the only girl among four siblings, and the Hargis clan of Robinson runs large. Her three brothers range from about 6-3 to 6-7, and her father stands 6-5.
Hargis played in all 34 games two seasons ago as a freshman and has steadily improved since her first year at CU. Buffs coach Linda Lappe said Hargis' athleticism always has been apparent, but as for Hargis' feel for her own game . . . well, not so much. Enter Chatterton, who according to Hargis, "does a pretty good job of pushing my buttons - which is good."
Among the things Chatterton and Lappe emphasized to Hargis at the end of last season and into the summer were being deliberate with the ball, understanding her opponent and recognizing what was happening on the court. As Hargis continues to grasp those fundamentals, her confidence continues to climb.
"Rachel really enjoys Jonas' mentoring," Lappe said. "He's kept things simple for her; sometimes you can try and teach a player too much. Jonas hasn't done that. He started with her last spring, teaching her to be deliberate but how to speed things up when needed. It's been a huge benefit for her."
Hargis' athleticism was hard to overlook, but Chatterton also saw a player who needed a strong dose of basics - particularly in finishing around the rim and becoming a more efficient passer. Hargis, who is ambidextrous, took up the former challenge immediately.
Said Chatterton: "She's always had athleticism. But now, her pace makes her not look so erratic and even more athletic. We never wanted her to develop these dynamic post moves; we just asked her to finish around the basket when she gets the chance. What we emphasized to her was that you don't have to catch and dribble. Instead, catch and see what develops.
"She doesn't have to do anything fantastic, just be solid and consistent. With Rachel, it's all about positioning. The deeper she can put herself (in the low post), the better for her. Getting the ball in the paint rather than outside is key for her."
HARGIS CAN SCORE WITH EITHER hand now in the low block, but she concedes the coaching staff "never wanted me to be like some great scoring machine. They wanted me to slow down and take the opportunities when I had them, not to force things. Jonas really helped me work on that this summer and in the off-season. It's really brought my game a long way since last year.
"I still have to tell myself every once in a while to 'slow down, you're going too fast.' But it's definitely become more natural to me now. I'm way more comfortable."
Becoming a more effective low-post passer was another matter, but Hargis is getting there. In fact, she might even be further along than that; she's tied for third on the team in assists (14). "And that's the thing I'm happiest about . . . that's a tremendous thing for her," Chatterton said.
He and Lappe don't have any difficulty getting excited about Hargis' shot-blocking ability. Hargis gives an assist to volleyball for helping to develop her timing, but blocking shots in the women's game usually comes from proper positioning rather than a player soaring in from the weak side for a rejection.
"It's hard to teach timing, but you can teach positioning," Lappe said. "In order not to foul, you have to be in good position. You have to stay on the ground and know when the offensive player is going to shoot. (Hargis) is right there when her player turns and tries to shoot. A lot of times it looks like her player is shooting into her hands; that's being in the right position and staying in the right position."
Added Hargis: "When I'm playing somebody defensively I'm starting to be able to know what the person is going to do. A lot of post players get stuck (on defense) and don't keep moving their feet as an offensive player moves. That's something that's really helped me. I continue to move my feet and I can still get to their shot even though they're trying to move away from me."
Senior point guard Chucky Jeffery said Hargis' ability to defend and block shots was immediately apparent, but added, "I think she's become a really good offensive presence for us as a post player. She's catching and finishing around the rim with her left hand, her right hand. She's really improved on that. And her decision making has gotten really good. She knows when to kick out, when to take her defender one-on-one and be aggressive and score. Rachel has really improved there."
Jeffery characterized Hargis as "goofy" (in a good way), upbeat and always right on the verge of having a good time. Hargis wouldn't disagree with that assessment: "Goofy? Yeah, probably. Me and Jen (Reese) do goof around a lot. I'm basically an easy going person; I don't get that angry very easy."
MAYBE SHE SHOULD. OR IF NOT getting snarling, spitting mad on the court, maybe getting mildly irritated would be sufficient. Hargis admitted that her laid-back temperament often produces a drop-off in her play against lower tier opposition.
"One of my weakest points is playing to the level of my competition," she said. "In big games I step up a lot better than when we play lesser competition. I kind of play down, but I've been working on trying to keep that edge the whole time."
She added with a laugh, "My parents have always been like, 'You just need to get slapped around a little bit before you play and you'll be ready to go.' (Chatterton) definitely brings it out in me. I do play better when I have a little bit of anger and that intensity. That's something I've also been working on bringing every game."
She obviously "brought it" against Louisville. Having played previously against Cardinals' starting center Sherrone Vails in summer club ball, Hargis knew what to expect physically. "Their post, No. 3 (Vails), every time we played each other we got double technicals for just beating the crap out of each other," Hargis said. "I was looking forward to playing her again to see how she'd improved since then."
Score a big one for Hargis and the Buffs: In 11 minutes, Vails went scoreless and collected one rebound. Meanwhile, Hargis' seven blocked shots were her team's season high and one shy of the school's single-game record. She has nine swats over the past three games, a dozen for the season, and is averaging 5.9 points and 2.4 rebounds.
If Hargis needs to be more cognizant about keeping her game elevated against "lesser competition," just such an opportunity arrives Saturday at 1:30 p.m. It amounts to a seismic shift for the Buffs; they move from matching up against a Top Ten opponent to playing unheralded Utah Valley (4-9) at the Coors Events Center.
It marks the unbeaten (9-0) Buffs' next-to-last non-league tune-up, with New Mexico visiting the CEC on Saturday, Dec. 29 (2:30 p.m.). Pac-12 Conference play begins the following week with three consecutive home games, and let's just say Hargis' battery shouldn't need a boost. No. 1 Stanford visits first (Jan. 4), followed by No. 8 California (Jan. 6) and over-the-mountain rival Utah (Jan. 8).
Hargis' emergence in the post - along with fellow insiders Reese, Arielle Roberson and Jamee Swan - offers the Buffs more depth and talent in the paint than in their debut Pac-12 season.
"We've got four really solid posts, but only one is 6-4 and that athletic and strong," Lappe said. "Rachel is going to have to do lot in terms of holding her ground once we get into the conference. We need her offense and her defense. We've told her to just keep improving in what you do. So far we've been able to see that in her. She's very competitive and wants to be the best. Anytime you have that in a player, it's something very good to work with."
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
