Prep Recruiting News

The Secret to USCB's Women's Recruiting
October 12, 1997

The Santa Barbara News-Press posted the following story today on USCB's women's reporting. The article is linked here, and because the Press-News does not archive it's articles, it is reprinted below in its entirety:

Don't be alarmed if two young women wearing lingerie outside their clothes and inner tubes around their waists come knocking on your door this weekend in search of a potato peeler.

And try to be nice. The future of UCSB women's basketball may depend on it.

They may look peculiar, but they're just two more mega-recruits - Michelle Greco and Lisa Hansen - making their official visits to the Wacky World of Gaucho Basketball.

Greco, a 5-10 guard from Crescenta Valley High, and Hansen, a 6-4 center from Bakersfield's Centennial High, will be in town through Monday, checking out the local university.

UCSB coaches won't say what they have planned for the pair. NCAA rules just about prohibit them from even acknowledging their existence until after the fall signing period begins Nov. 12. When asked about reports of their visits, Coach Mark French just smiled and
said, ``All I can say is that, yes, we're recruiting them."

But if recent history is an indication, Greco and Hansen are going to remember Santa Barbara - whether they want to or not.

UCSB recruits in the past have been spotted hula-hooping at Paseo Nuevo Mall, making burritos behind a fast-food counter and singing happy birthday into a Jack-in-the-Box speaker.``We do crazy things,'' conceded assistant coach Cori Close. ``We've taken recruits out to play flag football and inner-tube water polo. We'll get them out in the ocean on a surfboard. We've
held Karaoke parties."

And yeah, Patsy Cline's ``Crazy'' seems to be the song of choice.``We've had them go into Victoria's Secret,'' Close continued, ``put something on over their clothes and dance through the store.``We've also held scavenger games
all over town."

The obvious question is ... Why?``It helps them see different parts of Santa Barbara,'' Close said.

But, more importantly, it shows the fun kind of bunch we've got around here.``If you ask Nicole Greathouse and Tandee Taylor and Erin Buescher why they chose UCSB,'' said Close, referring to this year's freshmen, ``every single one of them would probably tell you, `The team.'``What sets us apart from an Iowa or a Notre Dame is our team. We really believe that if we get
you on campus, then you're going to fall in love with our team."

You might think that the Gauchos would want to hide Greathouse from Greco. Greco, after all, had to share last year's CIF-Southern Section Player of the Year award with the 6-2 former Buena High star.

But the two are actually good friends, by all reports, and have played together on all-star teams, along with fellow Gaucho Tawnee Cooper of Simi Valley.

Some Greco art would certainly spruce up the Thunderdome. She was picked as Cal-Hi's State Freshman of the Year, then Sophomore of the Year, and then Junior of the Year last season when she averaged 21.1 points and
11.1 rebounds.

French can spot a trend as well as anybody.

Hansen, who averaged 14.1 points and 10.9 rebounds for a 23-5 Centennial team, would help shore up the Gauchos' post play. She reportedly has already verbally committed to UCSB, along with 6-3 Katie Christiansen of
Northern California's Modoc High School.

French just shrugs and plays dumb when asked about those reports, but he does say that the Gauchos have a great chance at their third-straight top-20 recruiting class.

If he lands Greco and the two big girls, UCSB has a shot at finding a home in the top 20 that really counts.

The previous two recruiting classes played a big role in last year's 24-6, NCAA Tournament season. That success has helped interest such big-time recruits as Greco and Hansen.``We always feel like if we can make the recruits feel that basketball-wise, they're not giving up a thing, that the other intangible things about our program are going to win them over,'' said French. ``We just can't make them feel like they're taking a step down basketball-wise even though they maybe really agree with our philosophy and
like our campus outreach and how close our teams are."

There are other attractions, too, not the least of which is UCSB's strong academic reputation. Campus visits normally include stops with several academic advisors - often with Chancellor Henry Yang himself. Dr. Yang and his wife, Dilling, rarely miss a game.

UCSB will also probably show a few Michael Douglas films this weekend - not in such flicks as ``The Game,'' but in the background of many of the Gauchos' games. The local actor was such a loyal fan that he even made the trip to Washington D.C. to see UCSB play in the NCAA Tournament.

He wasn't alone, either. The Gauchos averaged 2,263 fans per game last year which included 4,760 for the Connecticut game when the students were on vacation.``The thing that has helped us this year in recruiting are the crowds,'' said French. ``In the past, it was difficult for kids to think that we were on the same level as Colorado and Iowa and Kansas when we were drawing only
400-500 people.``Now that our crowds are up to fifth best in the West, that really gives us credibility."

UCSB has also loaded up its schedule with home games this year against such powers as Final Four participant Notre Dame, Florida, USC and George Washington, as well as road games against other NCAA Tournament teams such as Arizona, San Diego State and Colorado.

But ironically, the Gauchos also have to battle some of those schools for recruits such as Greco and Hansen. Greco, in fact, plans to visit Colorado later this month - a school which also hotly pursued Greathouse.

Unfortunately for the Gauchos, there's no NCAA rule to gag the ultra-honest French when he's asked to explain this:``There are some similarities,'' he began. ``Colorado is a good academic school. Philosophically, Ceal Barry is someone who I really admire. I think that we tend to recruit similar types of players, not just talented athletes but people who can bring other dimensions to the program.``I'm very flattered when we're in the same mix as Colorado, obviously. I think she has really thought out her program very effectively, and she's been there a long time. She stands for a lot more than just being a great basketball coach."

Yeah, maybe. But something tells me she won't get Greco out surfing in some Victoria's Secret lingerie."

 

 

 

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