Dec. 16, 2008
By Trey Miller, Athletic Communications Student Assistant
As many know, Penn State is regarded as one of the top linebacker schools in the nation. Each year, they consistently churn out premiere linebackers. But what many people seem to forget is that Penn State is also "Point Guard U".
Jess Strom entered the Penn State media room on the evening of November 9 immediately following a loss. This time, though, it wasn't as a Penn State point guard. Strom, now an assistant women's basketball coach at California University of Pennsylvania, was a Lady Lion point guard from 2001 until 2005. Strom talked about the point guard tradition here.
"I think everything that I learned here definitely carried over," Strom said. "It's just funny that I understand more now and that's what I'm trying to teach them, everything I learned here."
In her time here, Strom led the Lady Lions to three-straight Big Ten Championships and finished third in school history in steals and fourth in assists. Strom was also a first team All-Big Ten selection in 2005. Strom is considered by many to be the fourth in the line of great Penn State point guards and is mentioned with the names of Suzie McConnell, Tina Nicholson and Helen Darling.
"It's amazing. I feel really honored," Strom said about being mentioned with those names. "They were all great players and just to put my name in there is really an accomplishment."
Now, it is Brianne O'Rourke's turn. A senior point guard for the Lady Lions, O'Rourke has started since she was a freshman, adding to the line of four-year starters. Before the start of the season, O'Rourke ranks ninth on the Lady Lions' career assists list. In the 2007-08 season she was named third team All-Big Ten and finished the season with a conference-leading 4.7 assists per game. O'Rourke feels a similar way about being mentioned as the next great point guard.
"It's really a great honor to be mentioned with names likes of (McConnell, Nicholson, Darling and Strom), outstanding players, not only here at Penn State, but throughout the NCAA history."
Coach Coquese Washington, a former Notre Dame point guard, likes what she sees in her current signal caller.
"Her strongest quality is her competitiveness. She wants to win," Washington said.
Strom had only good things to say about the point guard who took her place. The two already had some things in common, both being from Pittsburgh.
"I love Bri. I've known Bri since she was 10 years old because we were both from Pittsburgh. She's just so tough. Everything she does is 100%. She goes so hard. She will leave her mark here too and will be mentioned with all of the great names," said Strom of O'Rourke.
"We're both from Pittsburgh. She was a tremendous point guard in the `Point Guard U' tradition. I grew up watching her. Obviously, she was the last point guard here before me so I learned a whole lot from her," said O'Rourke on the relationship.
The two have now added to their similarities as O'Rourke has proven that she can carry on the tradition.
The tradition started in 1984 when McConnell began her storied career. McConnell left her mark as the first of the great line of point guards to follow. McConnell set an NCAA Division I record with 1,307 career assists and in 1988, she was a gold-medalist as a part of the U.S. Olympic Team.
Jess Strom |
Nicholson came in to fill McConnell's shoes. From 1993-1996, Nicholson finished second on the Lady Lion's all-time assist list and was a first team All Big Ten selection three times.
Helen Darling continued the tradition from 1997-00. Darling led the nation in assists her senior year, was named a Kodak All American and led the Lady Lions to the 2000 Final Four. Darling then went on to be the 17th overall pick to the WNBA.
But, as the point guards will tell you, it isn't easy being the center of the Lady Lion offense.
"You have to have a special personality to be able to handle it. Everything is your fault, you're the floor general. You're the leader on and off the court. It's tough, you really have to be mentally strong," said Strom.
"There are a tremendous amount of duties. You're really the coach on the floor and your teammates look to you and every play, not just offensively but defensively as well," O'Rourke added. "You have to be a tremendous leader. I've just learned a whole lot over my four years here at Penn State. It's been a great ride."
The ride, and the tradition, continues.
"Absolutely, we want to keep great point guards suiting up for the Lady Lions. I think Brianne is going to be another really outstanding point guard," says Coach Washington.
The Lady Lions are 5-5 on the season with O'Rourke at the helm. The leader is confident in her team with Big Ten play starting on December 21 against Michigan State.
"We want to be Big Ten Champions, we want to do well in the Big Ten Tournament and we want to make an NCAA Tournament appearance," said O'Rourke. "It's a whole lot of hard work that's asked of us, but I think if we have that in the back of our minds, we can accomplish it if we work hard day in and day out."