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Friday, March 29
The Indiana Daily Student

sports

Wildcat coach learns from mistakes

Northwestern women's head basketball coach June Olkowski understands the position that IU's women's basketball coach Kathi Bennett holds. Olkowski was a first-year coach last year.\n"As a competitor, you want (to win) right now," Olkowski said. "(But) no matter what happens, you have to patient, and good or bad, you have to maintain balance."\nIt took a losing season in Olkowski's first year for her to recognize and re-evaluate her coaching methods. Last year, the Wildcats were not one team, but 12 individuals, and Olkowski spent more time yelling than teaching, she said.\nThis year, she and the team have a new focus, and it has nothing to do with the game itself. This year's goal is to regain team unity and instill more dedication in her players.\n"The one area we've improved on is our work ethic," Olkowski said. "We just work harder and efficiently. We've worked at an intensity that you need to win games."\nSo far, the Wildcats are 4-3, an improvement from last year's 2-5 start. But as a whole, the Wildcats are light years ahead of last year's team.\n"The first year with coach was rough," senior guard Tami Sears said. "There was a lot of head butting on both sides. But the spring took a dramatic turn; everything went great."\nWhat Olkowski said she expects out of Sears and senior guard Dana Leonard is another big year. Last year, Sears was the leading rebounder and scorer, and is expected to have a repeat performance this year, Olkowski said. Leonard ranked third in the Big Ten for most three-pointers (54), and is one of six guards suiting up for the Wildcats. \nSophomore guard Emily Butler is one of those players expected to join Leonard in the backcourt. Butler won the starting position as a freshman, and started 24 out of 28 games last year. This season, Butler has already scored a game-high 25 points in an exhibition game, and led the team in scoring against Drake with 18 points.\nButler, Leonard, two sophomores and two juniors round out the guard positions for the Wildcats.\n"I am excited to see what they will add to the mix this season," Olkowski said.\nSears will be the leader in the post position for Northwestern. She had 7.6 rebounds per game last year, and despite suffering from stress fractures, Sears is healthy and improving, Olkowski said.\nThe change this season was keyed over the summer, when the Wildcats built a strong team bond. Now, they're one team. \n"We all changed," Leonard said. "The relationships between the players and coaches are unbelievable."\nDespite being last, or close to last, in almost every Big Ten statistical category last season, the Wildcats have high hopes for this year.\n"They are still very young, but last year they got their feet wet, and that will pay off this season," Olkowski said. "I am excited to see what they will add to the mix this season"

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