At the beginning of the season, the Utes looked set at every position except one8212;floor general. Of all the positions to have question marks, point guard is probably the last one you hope for.
How freshmen Hannah Stephens and Janita Badon would fill in for the departed all-conference guard Leilani Mitchell was a primary concern. After the first few games of the season, there were some troubling signs. For one, the turnovers were sky-high and the assists were extremely low8212;a sign that the offense wasn’t running efficiently. Slowly but surely, however, the turnovers started to drop and the assists started to climb. When conference play began, Utah was last in the conference in turnover margin. Turnovers are still higher than coach Elaine Elliott would like, but the numbers are improving. With only four games left in conference play, the two freshmen point guards have helped Utah lead the Mountain West in assists per game at 15.5. It’s a sign that the two are maturing into their roles.
“Both of them have really come along,” Elliott said. “We are getting much better and consistent play out of them. We have really developed a two-headed attack with the emergence of Badon. They’ve been a great addition to the team.”
A lot of freshmen say the biggest transition from high school to college ball is getting acclimated to the speed of the game. They are no longer the most athletic players on the court, and it can take some getting used to. But now that they are more than three months into the season, Stephens and Badon feel that game is much easier to grasp.
“At first, it was definitely a lot faster than high school,” Stephens said. “But getting more game experience has made everything flow a lot better. Offense and defense has really slowed down once we got everything underway.”
“I wouldn’t say the game is slowing down for me; it’s still fast,” Badon said. “But I’m starting to understand everything more.”
Something else that helped the two young point guards mature was the team’s tough non-conference schedule. There were some growing pains when the team went up against the likes of Virginia and Louisville, but both players stayed confident through the tough stretch benefited immensely from getting that dose of competition.
“Those games helped us a lot,” Badon said. “Those games showed us who and where we were. After those games, we put a lot of work into practice to be where we are now.”
The two players have also developed a tight bond during the course of the season. Both players have been able to rely on each other, and their chemistry has helped their play.
“Hannah has helped me a lot,” Badon said. “She learns faster than I do, so I’m able to sit and watch her and just do what she’s doing when I get out on the court.”
“It’s been much more beneficial for me to have Janita there,” Stephens said. “We’re both learning and we definitely improve off each other.”
With the improved play in the point-guard spot, the Utes are in a prime position to capture their second straight conference title. Stephens and Badon will take to the court Wednesday against UNLV.
Tyler CobbPoint guard Hannah Stephens has helped fill the void left by the departure of Leilani Mitchell.
Erik DaenitzJanita Badon is a critical part of the Utes? backcourt through her point guard play.
