University of Richmond Athletics
Rising Above The Rest
01/31/2001 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 31, 2001
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Who says good things don't come in small packages?
For the University of Richmond women's basketball team, 5-0 junior point guard Michele "Belle" Koclanes has emerged as one of the team's and nation's top point guards.
This season, the 5-0 Koclanes, the smallest Division I women's basketball player in the state of Virginia, has been ranked among the nation's assists leaders with more than seven assists per contest. She is also the team's second-leading scorer. Earlier this year, she eclipsed the 500 career-assist plateau and has far surpassed the school record of 381 all-time assists set by Julie Scherbenske. Though just a junior, Koclanes is already seventh among the Colonial Athletic Association leaders in all-time assists.
Koclanes finished last season averaging 7.56 assists per game. It marked the second straight season that she paced the conference in assists. The last CAA point guard to do that was former Old Dominion All-American, turned-Sacramento Monarch Ticha Penicheiro (1994-95 and 1995-96).
"'Belle' handles the ball better than any point guard I have ever seen," says Richmond head coach Bob Foley, who as a former assistant coach at Penn State under Rene Portland, also guided Suzie McConnell Serio, who now stars for the Cleveland Rockers. "People made a big mistake on her. They were scared by her size, but I measured the size of her heart. She is a very good athlete who just happened to be put in a small body. She is a terrific leader who does whatever it takes to be successful. 'Belle' makes everyone around her a better player. That, in and of itself, is the sign of a great player."
As a sophomore, Koclanes dished out a program-record 204 assists, shattering the previous record of 160 that she established as a freshman.
Making the feat even more remarkable is Koclanes' feet. Her right foot, to be exact. In preseason action last year, Koclanes tore an accessory navicular bone in her foot and played in pain for much of the 1999-00 campaign. Despite the injury, Koclanes reached career-bests in nearly every statistical category and delivered five double-doubles. In addition, she led the Spiders in assists in 19 of her 27 appearances and had five games with 10 or more assists. She did it on a youthful Spiders' team that lost its top four scorers from the previous year and welcomed five newcomers en route to posting a 12-16 record in 1999-00.
Koclanes has also stepped up big in critical situations as well. As a freshman, she authored one of the best performances in Spider women's basketball history. Playing 53 of the possible 55 minutes in a 116-111 triple overtime loss to East Carolina in the 1999 CAA Tournament Semifinals, Koclanes carried the Spiders on her shoulders, recording 26 points and handing out 11 assists while committing just three turnovers.
"I think I use my size to my advantage," Koclanes says. "I've never doubted my ability to compete and just love playing the game of basketball."
As a freshman, Koclanes earned her first collegiate start against Big Ten power Penn State on Dec. 6, 1998. Welcome to Division I college basketball. She scored 14 points against the Nittany Lions that day and has been a mainstay in the rotation ever since. When she starts, the Spiders own a 24-20 record over the past two seasons.
For Koclanes and the Spiders, prospects are high for the coming season with the return of four starters and a host of talented newcomers.
"Hearing people say nice things about you and the records are nice, but they are not something I think about," says Koclanes. "My main priority is helping this team win. We are not a Tennessee or a Connecticut and that is something I like. I like being a part of building something and that is what we are trying to do here at Richmond."
