Oregon women’s hoops

coach signs first recruit
It didn’t take long for Oregon women’s basketball head coach Bev Smith to make good use of her Canadian roots.
Smith landed her first recruit Wednesday, as 6-foot-3 post player Carolyn Ganes signed a letter of intent to play for the WNIT champion Ducks.
Ganes, from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, helped Aden Bowman Secondary to consecutive undefeated seasons and two straight provincial titles. This past year, Ganes averaged 25 points, 10 rebounds and five blocked shots as her team went 30-0 and won the Saskatchewan Class 4A provincial championship.
“I think she has great character both as an athlete and as a student — qualities that we’d like to build our program around,” Smith said. “She will have an impact on our program because she has great determination and is very ambitious.”
A four-year letterwinner, Ganes was selected the Kinsmen Athlete of the Year, which is awarded to the best athlete — amateur or professional — in the city.
Ganes’ experience on an international level also should help the Ducks in 2002-03. Last summer, Ganes, who turned 18 on Wednesday, earned a spot on the Canadian senior national team, where Smith coached for five years before current Oregon assistant Allison McNeill succeeded her this past fall. Ganes also competed for the Canadian junior national team for two years.
“Having seen her play on an international court allows us as coaches to understand how she will impact our program in practices and in competitive situations,” Smith said. “She’s young, but she has some solid experience that not all freshman have coming in.”
Ganes will help bolster a front line that lost senior forwards Ndidi Unaka and Alyssa Fredrick to graduation.
“She has just been a workhorse of a person,” said Wendy Benson, who has coached Ganes the past two years at Aden Bowman. “Even in the off-season, she is shooting in the gym all the time, which has made her a fabulous player. She’s won a few three-point contests this year. She’s a great student, too, and works hard in school.”
Ganes is the lone signee thus far in the 2002-03 recruiting class.
The Ducks finished 22-13 last year and wrapped up their season by winning seven of their final eight games and the WNIT championship.

— from staff and wire reports