Victoria Kenyon giggled.
The Australia native, reflecting on why she decided to come to Oregon, suggested a reporter turn off his recorder.
Moments later, she gave in and revealed her answer.
“I wanted to continue my basketball development and I found out that the University of Oregon was also highly regarded in the business department, so I thought it was a good mix of my two priorities,” Kenyon said.
All right, so the 17-year-old who turns 18 on Friday may need more time to get ready for post-game press conferences, but her decision to join the Oregon women’s basketball team before winter term is paying off.
Kenyon has followed in the path of freshman Mary Sbrissa as two international players who have joined the Oregon women’s basketball team early and redshirted a season so they could adjust to school (academically and socially), as well as travel and Division I basketball.
“(She is) learning what university in America is all about and how to get from one classroom to another classroom,” assistant coach Phil Brown said. “There is a process of independence there as well, and I think she’s done a great job to make that adjustment.”
Kenyon watched home games along the Oregon sideline and went with the team on away games. She witnessed the atmosphere of thousands of fans within McArthur Court and the pressure of a double-overtime game at USC.
“I think that’s really helped her because there’s a wow factor a little bit, particularly coming from Australia. You’re probably not that in tune with the enormity and the size of the NCAA Tournament or even the crowds,” Oregon coach Bev Smith said.
Kenyon agrees. She says she’s going to be able to go through pre-game warm-ups calmer and more excited for the games.
“The level I was playing or even any level (in Australia) really is nothing compared to this,” Kenyon said. “Especially when we played Wyoming at Wyoming, it was like 7,000 fans. I kept looking around the stadium thinking ‘Oh, my gosh.’”
She eased into practices with the team, initially overwhelmed by their high level of play. The 6-foot-1-inch Kenyon was developed as a forward in Australia, but in the United States she is adjusting to the three position or guard/forward spots.
Her individual coach in Australia, Murry Aldred, worked with her since she was 4 or 5 years old, and saw the need to learn the perimeter position.
“Luckily, my individual coach recognized that I wasn’t going to be that internationally or further on in my career so he started training me as a three. In games I’d start at five, but then he was training me as a three, so it helps,” Kenyon said.
Thursday afternoon, Kenyon closed her individual workout by shooting jump shots along the perimeter. Brown rebounded and tossed the ball out to Kenyon, who smoothly swished three-pointers, an impressive sight since she started practicing the long-ball last October, she says.
Kenyon came to Eugene from the Queensland Academy of Sport before winter term began.
“I knew, like, no one,” Kenyon said. “I’d heard of El (Haring) and Phil and obviously the coaching staff. When I came over, and in this first six months, I’ve met so many people. It’s crazy.”
It’s one of the many perks for Kenyon and Sbrissa, who both have benefited from playing under an experienced core of seniors. Haring, a forward, is one such senior and an Australian native who transformed from a complementary player to a go-to scorer in her four years in Eugene.
“It’s really good being able to talk to her and hear about her history and how she’s developed through her four years of being here,” Kenyon said. “It’s kind of inspiring seeing how she’s made such a large footprint on Oregon as a community and how much everyone loves her and respects her game.”
Kenyon contributed to Queensland’s 2006 under-18 state title in the School Sport Australian Championships. A quick learner, Kenyon began playing basketball at age 12, and by 14 earned a scholarship to Queensland.
Sbrissa can relate to Kenyon’s experience. Sbrissa, too, came early in January 2006. She played in the club system in Italy for San Martino Di Lupari, where she led the team with averages of 12.1 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.
She attended home games, but stayed in Eugene for away games and adjusted to campus life socially and academically.
“It took some stress off me, and I was a spectator and I was able to grasp the things and … understand what it was going to take for me to play at this level or compete and help in practice,” Sbrissa said.
While her work in practice and off-season hasn’t translated to playing time in games, Sbrissa has remained supportive and hopes her opportunity comes soon. Sbrissa made five appearances in games last season, averaging 2.8 minutes per game and 0.6 rebounds.
“I want this team to be successful because I knew how hard we worked during spring practices and how much we worked during the off-season, and I think this team deserved … the postseason,” Sbrissa said. “I wanted to be positive for (the seniors) and for helping them reach these goals, so I tried to do my best in practice and be always positive also.”
Minutes were few with four post players ahead of her in Jessie Shetters, Eleanor Haring, Jamie Hawkins and Carolyn Ganes and Sbrissa still adjusting to Oregon’s up-tempo style.
Next year, only a sophomore, Sbrissa will be one of the more experienced returnees with six incoming freshmen.
“I’m really excited because this year was a bit difficult for me,” Sbrissa said. “I knew that I had to compete for a spot with four other seniors so I knew that I had to focus on the practices to prepare them better for the games.”
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