The Wake

She took three teams in a row to the Sweet 16, and in 2004 she led the Gophers to their first Final Four in school history. But after last year’s loss of an assistant coach and five non-graduating players including three starters, a shadow was cast over women’s basketball head coach Pam Borton. An internal review of the athletic department blamed poor communication within the women’s basketball department as one reason for the quick exit of the players. Media scrutiny followed, but athletic director Joel Maturi stood by Borton and her record. With a team full of new recruits– last year’s exodus included six graduating seniors too–the season is up in the air. The Wake played a little one-on-one with Coach Borton to find out what we can expect on the court from the fresh young team this season.

The Wake: It’s your fifth season and you’re five games away from your 100th win on the Gopher sidelines, any plans to celebrate the Big 100?

Coach Borton: Not really. The wins aren’t the most important thing, it’s watching your team get better. Hopefully we can get those five wins and have a lot more throughout the rest of the season.

The Wake: You only have three returning players who stepped on the court last season, how are you planning to rebuild the team?

Coach Borton: We’ve got a lot of talent on our team. We’ve got a young team, but we’ve got a lot of talent. It’s one of the most athletic and quickest teams since I’ve been at Minnesota, and we’re going to have a lot of fun and play an up-tempo game. Every year there are new players and a new system, and we’re going to have a lot of fun with it.

The Wake: An investigation of the departure of five non-graduating players and one assistant coach pointed to poor communication within the women’s basketball department. Are there any plans to strengthen communication this season to avoid something like this?

Coach Borton: It wasn’t an investigation–that was just a word the media was using. It was an annual review the department does every year with every team. We did make some changes, as far as staffing. We are going to be more open with communication–between the coaches and the coaches; between the coaches and the players; and between the players and the players. I think if there’s any issue you have any concerns about, you have to discuss it just like with any relationship you have–with players, friends, co-workers or anybody.

The Wake: With all the new faces this season are you worried about team chemistry at all?

Coach Borton: Not at all. Every year, no matter who is returning or who isn’t returning, we have new chemistry on our team. We’ve got great team chemistry that our team started building this summer. Everybody, the coaches and the players, we’re all on the same page.

The Wake: Should we expect any superstars this season? Anyone to replace last year’s lead scorer and rebounder Jamie Broback?

Coach Borton: Well, I don’t think we had any superstars on our team last year. Every year I’ve been here, we’ve always emphasized putting the team first. We’ve had Kodak All-Americans on our team, and I think those are superstars–you’ve got to have some go-to players on your team, some people that you really rely on in the game for consistency. Kelly Roysland [guard, Senior] is going to be that person, and I think Emily Fox [guard, Sophomore] is going to be another one. We’re really looking for big things from them this year.

The Wake: What should fans expect to see out of your freshman class?

Coach Borton: You’re going to see an extremely talented freshman class–a lot of athleticism. We’ve got some size and length and speed. It’s a class that’s going to be very, very good given a little time and a little development.

The Wake: Minnesota has ranked first in conference attendance the past three seasons. Is it going to be a good season for the fans?

Coach Borton: It’s going to be a great season for fans. Fans are going to see a team that plays together as a team. They’re going to see players playing for the name on the front of the jersey, not the name on back of the jersey. Fans are going to see a style that they haven’t seen for three years. It’s an up-tempo style and fans are going to see a bunch of kids playing with heart and passion.

The Wake: Of the 16 home games this season, which one shouldn’t we miss?

Coach Borton: You’re not going to want to miss any of the home games. This team is going to be exciting to watch, and it will grow as the season goes. Our fans are going to fall in love with this team and these players and what the team is all about.

The Wake: What do you have to say to people who think that women’s sports aren’t as compelling as men’s sports?

Coach Borton: I think those people really haven’t watched a lot of college athletics, or a lot of women’s sports. When you’re watching women’s sports, you’ve got a lot of team play and people that play the game fundamentally. There’s not a lot of playing above the rim with [women’s] basketball–both men’s and women’s sports are fun to watch, but you’ve got a whole different kind of team play when you’re watching women’s sports.

The Wake: What is the hardest part of your job?

Coach Borton: The recruiting. Recruiting is getting more challenging every year–trying to find the right person, and the right fit for you to coach, finding the kids that will fit into the program.

The Wake: And what is the most rewarding part?

Coach Borton: Watching these student athletes graduate after four years. It’s rewarding seeing how much they grow on and off the court and seeing them develop leadership skills, and other skills they need to go out into the real world.

The Wake: Since you’ve been head coach the team has boasted GPA averages over 3.0 every semester. Is GPA something you push to your players?

Coach Borton: Absolutely. Our kids go to class; they need to go to class. They’re expected to put as much effort into their classes as they put into basketball. It’s extremely important.

The Gopher women’s basketball team kicks off the preseason in an exhibition game against Winona State Nov. 1 at Williams Arena, 7 p.m. They face Northern Iowa in their first regular season game Nov. 10 at Williams Arena, 6 p.m.