University of Massachusets Athletics
Campbell Picks Up Offensive Slack
December 29, 2003 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 29, 2003
Coming into a team that just lost seven seniors and nearly 90 percent of its scoring from a year ago, junior Brooke Campbell was not sure what to expect. The Baltimore, Md., native transferred from Midland Junior College in Texas and has made an immediate impact on the 2003-2004 University of Massachusetts women's basketball team.
"I don't even worry about it," said Campbell about the added pressure of coming into such a young team. "I just go out every day and play my game. If I were to let it get to me, it would probably offset my game."
Campbell, in essence, is replacing 2002-2003 All-American Jen Butler. Butler was the nation's leading rebounder at 14.7 per game and also paced the team in scoring at nearly 18 points per game. Campbell started off slow, but has picked up her production dramatically in the last few weeks. The 6-0 forward averaged just 5.0 points in her first three games for the Maroon & White, but has poured in 13.0 in the six games since then. Campbell has scored in double-figures in five of those games and is also the team's leader on the glass. She is pulling down 8.6 boards a game and has grabbed double-figure rebounds on three occasions.
"Brooke has been wonderful this year," said Massachusetts head coach Marnie Dacko. "She is still improving. Our staff has been working feverishly with her to improve upon her game from where she was in junior college."
Campbell's coming out party, so to speak, was at the Coca-Cola Classic in Bridgeport, Conn., over Thanksgiving weekend. While the Minutewomen registered a third-place finish, Campbell showed UMass fans flashes of brilliance. Campbell averaged 18.5 points and 13.0 rebounds in the two days en route to all-tournament team honors. In UMass' first win of the season, a 55-52 victory over Brown University in the consolation game, Campbell established career-highs with 20 points and 15 rebounds. It was the first 15-board performance this season in the Atlantic 10 Conference. She was also named the Dinn Brothers UMass Athlete of the Week on Dec. 3.
"I think I am starting to fit in now," said Campbell. "I definitely have more to learn in terms of how the program is run and how coach wants me to perform on the court, but I feel a lot more comfortable. It helped having so many of my teammates in the same shoes as I was. I also need to improve my defense. Everyone is always telling to keep my hands up and be more active when my player has the ball."
Campbell then followed that weekend in Connecticut with a 12-point, eight-rebound performance at home against Vermont. Then for the second straight weekend, Campbell was named to an all-tournament team. She had 19 points and six rebounds in a win over Utah State, and the nine points and nine boards in a loss to Arizona at the Fiesta Bowl Classic in Tucson, Ariz.
"The only difference is that now I am doing what I should have been doing," said Campbell. "I have shocked myself. It is not until I see the box score after the game where I realized that I scored 20 points or had 10 rebounds. I just said, 'wow.' I didn't even remember doing it."
Another transition Campbell is making this year is taking the outside shot. Opposing teams know about her ability to slash to the basket, so the outside shot has been open. It took a while, but Campbell is starting to get the hang of it. After nailing her first three-pointer in the Dec. 3 win over Vermont at Curry Hicks Cage, Campbell took six trifectas on Dec. 6 against Utah State in the first round win of the Fiesta Bowl Classic. She drained two of the six shots, including one deep one from beyond the NBA line.
"In high school and junior college, I primarily drove to the basket," said Campbell.
"Here, they want me to shoot and drive, so it is a little new to me. Early on, I was passing up some good shot opportunities, but now that I am getting the hang of it, I am enjoying it. It either goes in or it doesn't. If you don't take the open shot, then you'll never know. I am just having fun out there."
Coach Dacko has been trying to get Campbell to take the open shot since the pre-season and she is just starting to get the hang of it.
"I guess once I am able to show the other teams that I can shoot, then they will have to come out and guard me," said Campbell. "Then, I can do what I know how to do and drive to the basket."
It has been tough for UMass thus far, but they are showing signs of improvement with every game. After starting the season 0-4, the Minutewomen reeled off three consecutive wins to get back near the .500 mark. The Minutewomen are young and inexperienced but Dacko and her staff will have this hungry team ready to compete when conference season begins next month.