Alli In Charge Nieman Devotes Herself Full Time To Idaho’S Basketball Fortunes

It’s a statement that has as much authority as one of Alli Nieman’s turn-around jump shots.

“For the first couple of years, I was just on the team. Now, I feel it’s my team,” Nieman said.

It’s not that the University of Idaho women’s basketball team didn’t lean on Nieman her freshman and sophomore seasons. But the Sandpoint sensation and former Idaho high school A-1 player of the year is a junior now, an upperclassman with the upper hand. And a third straight .500 season isn’t what she and the Vandals have in mind.

“I think this is the best team I’ve been on at Idaho. This team is really special,” Nieman said.

Special, and one with a few new twists.

For starters, Nieman gave up volleyball after her redshirt freshman season. She played well, earning All-Big-West freshman team honors, but a funny thing happened on the way to the basketball court.

“The main reason I stopped was because I wanted to concentrate on basketball,” Nieman said. “Basketball is my first love, my passion.”

She’s also changed her work ethic in the weight room and is noticeably leaner and less round.

“Because the seasons overlapped, I missed all preseason conditioning for basketball. I missed out on everything,” she said.

Her new coach, Hilary Recknor, a good 3 inches taller than 6-foot-1 Nieman, knows a few things about playing post. The former Bellevue Community College coach (1991-97) played at the University of Washington (1983-87) and helped the Huskies to three NCAA Tournament appearances.

After one year as Julie Holt’s assistant coach, she was named head coach when Holt joined her husband in Louisville, Ky.

“I was pulling for Hilary to get the job,” Nieman said. “I knew her. I knew what she wants to do and I thought she’d really be able to take our program up to the next level.”

So who exactly did Recknor inherit to play in the middle?

The only Vandal to reach 1,000 points in her first two seasons.

A player whose two-year average is 17.5 points and 8.3 rebounds rebounds per game. Only the best on the team both years.

A player who hasn’t scored fewer than eight points in any game.

The Big West Conference 1996-97 freshman player of the year and two-time Big West Conference first-team selection.

Achievements worthy of being considered an All-America candidate? A national panel isn’t convinced yet. Erin Buescher of preseason No. 24 UC Santa Barbara was the only Big West player who received votes in the Associated Press’ preseason poll.

But the Vandals will stand by their Nieman.

“She’s legit,” Recknor said. “She’s so good, she doesn’t miss. The girl just doesn’t miss.”

Nieman doesn’t miss much. Her combined two-season field-goal average is .487 and she’s at it again. In Friday’s 92-73 season-opening win against Brigham Young, she led the Vandals with 27 points on 11-of-18 shooting. She had eight rebounds and two blocked shots. Perhaps the best number was her turnovers. She didn’t have any. Last year, she turned over the ball 94 times, the year before 90 times.

“With her presence on the court, she really leads the team,” said sophomore reserve guard Kelly Benad, who played two years at Mead High before finishing her prep career in Eugene, Ore. “She’s great about everything and so modest. She doesn’t take her stardom to her head.”

And she certainly isn’t picky about how she gets her points.

Nieman’s favorite spot on the floor?

“Anywhere,” she answers and quickly flashes her innocent grin.

This season, there’s a good chance Nieman will shoot more from the outside. She’ll continue to play post, but her true position is small forward.

The Vandals - coming off a third-place 9-4 finish in the Big West Conference Eastern Division - also plan on running more. They think they’ve got the personnel to do that with point guard Rikki Jackson of Spokane’s Central Valley High School heading a class of talented newcomers.

“Julie was more set from point A to point B. With Hilary, you can improvise a little bit more and play,” Nieman said. “To be able to play the style of play Hilary likes, you have to have basketball instincts.”

And Nieman will be asked to head the class.

“We’ve talked a lot,” Recknor said. “Because she’s so talented, she was just getting her 20 points and 15 rebounds, but we weren’t necessarily dominating the game. We weren’t winning some of the games and she was a non-factor in terms of leadership.

“An All-America candidate does more than that.”

IDAHO WOMEN’S BASKETBALL AT A GLANCE Coach Hilary Recknor (first year)

Assistant coaches Mavis Washington, Erin Royse, Chelsea Herman

1997-98 record 15-15, 9-4 Big West Conference (3rd place Eastern Division)

Players to watch Alli Nieman (16.6 ppg, 7.2 rpg); Jennifer Stone (9.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg), Susan Woolf (12.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg).

Key newcomers Junior transfer Kelly Bartelson, freshman Rikki Jackson, freshman Julie Wynstra

Bonus points Basketball News magazine voted the Vandals recruiting class the ninth best in the country with its five freshmen, Jackson, Wynstra, Meg LaBlanc, Darci Pemberton and Jennae Krell. … The University of Washington is on next year’s schedule … Chelsea Herman, a 1997 Gonzaga grad, joined the staff as a graduate assistant.

Outlook Both coaches and media polls picked Boise State to finish first and Idaho second in the Big West Conference Eastern Division. The two meet Jan. 30 in Moscow in a game that will be televised, and in the last regular-season game of the season at Boise on Feb. 27. UC Santa Barbara is the big favorite in the Western Division. The Gauchos were ranked No. 24 in the preseason poll and are in good hands with former Mead star Stacy Clinesmith, now a junior, at point guard. They’ll be in Moscow Jan. 8.

ROSTER Name Pos. H Yr. Hometown/Previous School Susan Woolf G 5-6 Jr. Andover, Kan./Andover HS Jennifer Stone C 6-2 Sr. Craigmont, Idaho/Highland HS Tasha Rico G 5-6 So. Toledo, Wash./Toledo HS Dana Purcell C 6-1 Jr. Mercer Island, Wash./Bellevue CC Alli Nieman F 6-1 Jr. Sandpoint/Sandpoint HS Kelly Bartleson F 5-11 Jr. Spokane/EWU Suzy Goss F 5-11 So. Boise/Boise HS Kelly Benad G 5-10 So. Eugene, Ore./Sheldon HS Laura Bloom F/C 6-1 So. Lewiston/Lewiston HS Rikki Jackson G 5-9 Fr. Spokane/Central Valley HS Jennae Krell G/F 5-11 Fr. Bothell, Wash./Bothell HS Meg LeBlanc G 5-10 Fr. Corvallis, Ore./Crescent Valley HS Darci Pemberton F 6-0 Fr. Everett/Everett HS Julie Wynstra C 6-3 Fr. Lynden, Wash./Lynden Christian HS

SCHEDULE Date Site Time Nov. 13 vs. Brigham Young W, 92-73 Nov. 17 vs. Lewis-Clark State 7 p.m. Nov. 20 at Portland 7 p.m. Nov. 22 at Oregon 1 p.m. Nov. 27 *at Colorado 6 p.m. Nov. 28 *vs. Miami (Ohio) or George Mason 4 or 6 p.m. Dec. 4 **vs. Northern Arizona 7 p.m. Dec. 6 **vs. San Jose State 2 p.m. Dec. 8 at Washington State 6 p.m. Dec. 12 vs. Utah (Kibbie) 7 p.m. Dec. 18 at Eastern Washington 7 p.m. Jan. 2 at Gonzaga 2 p.m. Jan. 8 vs. UC Santa Barbara 7 p.m. Jan. 10 vs. Cal Poly SLO 2 p.m. Jan. 15 at Cal State Fullerton 7 p.m. Jan. 17 at UC Irvine 2 p.m. Jan. 21 at North Texas 7 p.m. Jan. 28 vs. Pacific 7 p.m. Jan. 30 vs. Boise State 2 p.m. Feb. 5 vs. New Mexico State 7 p.m. Feb. 7 vs. Nevada 2 p.m. Feb. 12 at New Mexico State 7 p.m. Feb. 14 at Nevada 2 p.m. Feb. 21 vs. North Texas 2 p.m. Feb. 25 at Long Beach State 7:30 p.m. Feb. 27 at Boise State 7 p.m. March 3-6 Big West Tournament at Reno, Nev. TBA All home games played at Memorial Gym, unless noted *-Coors Classic, Boulder, Colo.; **-Idaho Classic, Moscow