Rivals.com Home  

November 26, 2001

Michael Watson
CaliforniaPreps.com

For the last two years the Narbonne girls basketball team has won a Los Angeles City title. Two consecutive times they have beaten Berkeley for the California Division I state title. And for the first time in history USA Today has crowned the Lady Gauchos it's national champion, first in 2000 when current USC forward Ebony Hoffman led them to a perfect 34-0 record while being named to the USA Today first team and again last year when Tennessee freshman Loree Moore led the way to a 28-3 record while she was named to the first team.

All the while, Lisa Willis was laying in the shadows and quietly doing the things that needed to be done to help her team win. Willis is now ready to be heard. The senior guard has consistently been the player head coach James Anderson has counted on to do the things that has made Narbonne a winner.

Lisa Willis"We can do so many things with her because she is smart, and doesn't depend on athletic ability to be a threat", says Coach Anderson. "She has been the type of player that doesn't have to score to be effective because she truly is our best all around player.

"The thing about it is she does what we need to help us win", Anderson said after a recent tournament. "She is in the same position (current University of Connecticut freshman) Diana Taurasi was, she isn't overly athletic but she does so many things so well. She is an excellent passer, she can rebound and she is a good outside scoring threat."

After averaging 9 points per game during the regular season Willis said she felt her play in the playoffs was part of the difference in her team repeating as City champions.

"We felt going into the finals (against Westchester) they were talking a lot in the papers about how they were going to beat us", Willis said. "And I love a challenge. If you think you can beat me it just makes me play harder".

Many hours are spent in the gym working on her game. She admits she isn't the best ball handler and needs more confidence in that part of her game, but she also understands what it takes to make it to the top. This summer she was selected to compete in the prestigious Nike Camp in Indianapolis and was named to the Street & Smith All America team. But for the last three years she has had to wait her turn behind Hoffman and Moore.

"I realize that I won't just be given anything," she says. "I know I'll have to earn it. But that's alright because I am a very hard worker. I put in endless hours working on my game to be the best player I can be."

She understands that nobody is just giving out any awards to her because she plays for a national championship team and says that she isn't looking for handouts, adding: "I'm going to get what's mine in due time."

The time is now.

After watching other Southern California players like Taurasi and Hoffman bypass UCLA two years ago and USC's Rachel Woodward, UC Santa Barbara's Kristen Mann and Colorado's Veronica Johns-Richardson last year, she made the choice to stay at home and attend UCLA after she is done playing at Narbonne.

"I watched them leave," she says. "But I've wanted to attend UCLA since the 7th grade. I just think playing for Coach (Kathy) Olivier is the right thing to do. She is just so enthused about her job, about her program and the sport of basketball that it's the right place for me.

"I could have gone to other schools outside of California, but why, when I'll just come home to play. I could have been at Tennessee looking into the stands and I would have seen lots of fans but at UCLA I can look into the stands and see my family."

At UCLA Coach Olivier is very pleased to have local student-athletes come play for her. She also has an early committment from Moreno Valley's Emma Tautolo.

UCKA"I like the direction we are going in", says Olivier. "We want to obviously be successful in the Pac-10 and win a national title. And there are so many local players (in Los Angeles, Orange County and in the Inland Empire) that we are trying to get out and see them all."

The one thing she can't do is be everywhere at once. Saying "I wish we had twins so the kids could see that we are out there watching them."

Willis noticed. She felt playing for Coach Olivier would be a lot different than playing for Coach Anderson.

"She is full of high fives", says Willis. "And I like that. I like her style, I don't have a problem with Coach Anderson getting up in my face like he does some of the other players but I think once you get to college you should know what to do. And she is right there taking you out of the game giving you a high five and telling you how you messed up."

Willis hasn't messed up much. She got side-tracked a bit in the recruiting process but has since found her way.

When you walk into her home in Long Beach you can find it decorated with lots of blue and gold. Her family has backed her decision and she felt she didn't have to go to other schools because everyone else was leaving.

"I like the fact that if I wanted to take a study group down to the beach we could do that", she says with a smile. "The last thing I wanted to do was go to a championship team and be bored. I think you can go to a school and try to beat those schools. That's fun. You can help make that team a winner."

During her senior year, when the target is clearly on her chest, she will continue doing things that has helped put Harbor City on the map.

"Lisa has always given us balance", says Coach Anderson. "Even when we had Ebony and Loree she was solid for us. She gives us the flexibility to move her around and because she passes so well she is often overlooked."

Not anymore. Although the Lady Gauchos have seniors Willnett Crockett and Amber Pruitt teams will have to gear their defenses to stop Willis or they will have to pay.

"Yes, it's going to be tough to win another title", says Willis. "Every year it gets harder and harder. But just like we have lost great players so have other teams."

With Hoffman they were supposed to win it. With Moore last year no one thought they could win it. And this year?

"This year will be even harder", says Willis.

But you can bet she is up for the challenge.

Rivals.com News
Rivals.com is your source for: College Football | Football Recruiting | College Basketball | Basketball Recruiting | College Baseball | High School | College Merchandise
Site-specific editorial/photos © Rivals.com. All rights reserved. This website is an unofficial and independently operated source of news and information not affiliated with any school or team.
About | Advertise with Us | Contact | Privacy Policy | About our Ads | Terms of Service | Copyright/IP policy | Yahoo! News Network