She Aims To Score Ex-Kansas Prep Star Ready To Cut Loose For Idaho
With every shot hoisted toward the hoop, Susan Woolf is rediscovering her touch.
Tonight, when the University of Idaho women’s basketball team plays host to league-leading Nevada, Woolf would like to find the shot that turned her into one of the most productive high school scorers in Kansas history.
“I feel real comfortable now and I’m getting back to the way I like to play - fast-paced,” said Woolf, a 5-foot-5 point guard. “In the beginning of the year, I was still timid because it was like my freshman year.”
Seven games into last season, Woolf experienced every athletes’ nightmare. She was going up for a jump shot in a game against Washington State and wham! She blew out her left knee. Season over, reconstructive surgery scheduled for Christmas break, rehab to follow.
At the time, Woolf was coming off the bench and averaging 12.4 points per game on 39 percent shooting.
But the Vandals would have to do without Woolf, once described by UI coach Julie Holt as “a player, in terms of recruiting, (who) gives the program instant credibility.”
Indeed. Woolf, who grew up in the Wichita suburb of Andover, Kan., is the second-leading scorer in Kansas history - boys and girls - with 2,847 points. She holds the record for most 3-pointers in a season (89) and most in a career (297). She was twice voted the Kansas 5A player of year. Division I schools such as Mississippi State and Tulsa came calling, but Idaho won.
“I really like coach Holt, I love the way she coaches,” said Woolf. “And I love the area up here. I figured I wouldn’t be able to go home anyways because of basketball, so why not play at a place I liked the most?”
Woolf, along with her teammates, must wait to find out what Holt’s plans are after the season. The coach’s husband, Nick, recently accepted an assistant football coaching job at the University of Louisville, and it seems highly likely Holt will join him in Kentucky.
But, for now, Woolf and the Vandals are putting their energy into jumping back in the Big West Conference race. After Thursday’s stinging 71-56 loss to Boise State, the Vandals dropped to third in the Big West Eastern Division at 3-2 (7-11 overall).
The Broncos, a 46-45 loser to Nevada on Saturday, are second at 4-2, 10-8.
Woolf chipped in seven points against Boise. That subpar night came four nights after she scored a career-high 19 points against UC Irvine and dropped her average to 11.8 on 34 percent shooting, third best on the team.
The Wolf Pack brings a seven-game winning streak and a 13-4, 5-0 record to Moscow. One of Nevada’s most impressive wins came against Big West power UCSB 71-68 in Reno. Idaho travels to Cheney to play non-conference rival Eastern Washington Tuesday night.
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo
MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: TONIGHT Nevada at Idaho Memorial Gym, 7