When Jenni Dant hangs out, it’s usually on the basketball court getting close to other players. A bit too close for their comfort.
And that’s why the Stevenson senior is considered one of the state’s best defensive players–good enough to merit a spot on the Tribune’s 2000-01 All-State Girls Basketball Team, an all-senior group headed by Marshall’s Cappie Pondexter, the only repeat selection. Joining them are Sarah Kwasinski of Class AA champion Fenwick, Maggie Fontana of Mid-Suburban League champion Fremd and Angelina Williams of Public League runner-up Washington.
DePaul women’s coach Doug Bruno, who will have Dant in his program next season, says Dant plays defense with a passion few players possess.
“Most recruits do it all on offense and you’re hoping you can get them to do it on defense,” Bruno said. “Jenni wants to do it on defense. We’ve long loved Jenni’s quickness, attitude and combativeness.”
So has Stevenson coach Frank Mattucci. Dant has played more girls basketball games in a Stevenson varsity uniform, 134, than anyone else. She tied Tauja Catchings’ record of 529 career steals in her last game, a quarterfinal loss to New Trier. And she’s second to Catchings, who went on to star at Illinois, in career rebounding with 917.
“I don’t think a lot of coaches emphasize defensive technique as much as Coach Mattucci does,” Dant said. “He gives us all that detail.
“The rest is heart.”
But no one should get the idea that the Parade All-American is one-dimensional. Her 567 points this season gave her a career total of 1,577–second to Catchings on the all-time list. The 5-foot-10-inch guard was especially valuable at the free throw line. Over her four-year career, she made 528 of 691 foul shots–both Stevenson records. This season Dant nailed 82 percent of her attempts.
“I saw tremendous growth in this girl,” said Mattucci, whose teams had a four-year record of 107-27 with Dant in the lineup. “By her senior year she had become a great basketball player–and I think there’s an upside to her offensive game.”
Bruno does too.
“On offense, she’s got great vision and gets the ball to people quickly,” the DePaul coach said. “Her team didn’t need her to be taking the 12- to 15-foot pull-up jump shots. But I’ve seen her make those in summer.”
Summer is yet another reason Dant has grown into an All-Stater. Since entering Stevenson in 1997, Dant figures she has played an average of 65 games each summer, putting her well over 300 in her high school career.
“It keeps you busy,” she said. “It’s a ton of games. `Is this going to happen every summer? I’m going to die,’ I said to myself.
“And during the school year I barely get time to think. I’m either eating, in the shower or getting rest.”
Marshall’s Pondexter so impressed coaches and members of the media last year that they voted her Ms. Basketball–and Marshall didn’t even get to its usual slot in the Elite Eight.
Dave Power, coach of state Class AA champion Fenwick, has seen plenty of the 5-foot-9-inch guard and believes she simply has unique skills. Power said Pondexter performs the “up and under” move like no one else in the girls game.
“She’s the only girl I’ve seen in the history of the game who can pull that move off airborne,” said Power, who has won two state titles and been coaching the girls game since 1977 at Proviso West.
It’s Pondexter’s hang time that’s so impressive, Power said.
“No one I’ve seen in recent years can create an offense for a team when nothing is there,” Power said. “She can.”
Not surprisingly, Pondexter has a long string of honors. She recently was selected to play in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association All-American High School game and is a Parade All-American. Last summer she helped the U.S. junior national team, composed mostly of college players, to a world championship.
The Commandos have a 116-9 record with Pondexter in the lineup and won a state title, too, when she was a sophomore. And though Marshall has had a number of outstanding players, Power believes the Rutgers-bound Pondexter could “stand out as the greatest player for [Marshall].”
Power has an All-Stater, too, in Kwasinski. The 6-4 center dominated the middle in the Friars’ run to their first state basketball title.
“She was the anchor of a defense that was, without a doubt, one of the top defenses in the state,” said Power, whose team set a Class AA championship game record with its 33-point victory margin. Neuqua Valley’s 32 points were also a Class AA title-game low.
Kwasinski blocked 211 shots in 36 games–seven in the victory over Marshall in the state quarterfinals.
Like Dant, she has been impressive on offense. Part of the reason for that is her footwork. Childhood dance lessons helped that, as did Jim Marino’s coaching. The former DePaul player and a Fenwick parent, Marino has passed along to Kwasinski George Mikan’s footwork drill.
“Very few people know how to coach this,” Power said. “And she has it all down.”
Kwasinski has it all down in the classroom, too, where she carries a 4.43 grade-point average and is in the top 10 percent of Fenwick’s senior class. She’s also a member of the National Honor Society.
Fremd’s Fontana is so involved in the community, one wonders where she finds the time to play basketball. She’s a member of Students Against Drunk Driving, Service Over Self and the National Honor Society.
The 5-11 forward has found the time to help out Fremd coach Carol Plodzien too.
“Gee, Maggie, our point guard is sick,” is Plodzien’s description of a conversation she might have with her multitalented senior. “Go and play the point. Our center is sick, go and play center.”
The Most Valuable Player in the Mid-Suburban West for the last three seasons and a Street & Smith preseason All-American, Fontana made opponents ill most of the time. Her 2,527 career points is a Mid-Suburban League record.
Plodzien recalls a game in Barrington’s old field house when Fontana was a sophomore.
“The score was tied and we needed a basket to win,” the coach said. “We had the ball under our basket with seven seconds left. We throw the ball in and it goes through her hands. She ran from the baseline to near our bench, picked the ball up, turned and shot.”
Fremd won the game on that highlight-reel three-pointer.
Washington coach Willie Byrd minces no words when it comes to Angelina Williams in comparing her with three former standouts.
“Kina Brown, Tangela Smith, Leslie Hill and Angelina are my four best players,” Byrd said. “And Angelina is at the top of those four.”
The 6-1 forward didn’t get off to a very good start at Washington.
“She really didn’t play much her freshman year,” said Byrd, who said Williams appeared in only six games.
“Her mother took her off the team because she wasn’t satisfied with her grades.”
By her sophomore season, Byrd said Williams’ grades came around–as did her game. Like Pondexter, Williams will be playing in the WBCA All-American game and is a Parade All-American pick. She’ll be playing for coach Theresa Grentz at Illinois next season.
But Williams did struggle a bit back on Dec. 2. She managed only eight points against Stevenson.
The player guarding her? Jenni Dant.
JENNI DANT
STEVENSON
Senior, 5-10, guard
The numbers
15.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game for the 31-5 Patriots, Class AA quarterfinalists. An 82 percent free-throw shooter, her season-high 27 points helped Stevenson get past Libertyville in the sectional semifinals.
College
DePaul
The buzz
DePaul coach Doug Bruno says she has “inner desire to dominate” like Rita Hale and Liz Galloway McQuitter, his favorite defensive players.
CAPPIE PONDEXTER
MARSHALL
Senior, 5-9, guard
The numbers
24 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals a game for the 26-5 Commandos, who lost to Class AA champion Fenwick in the quarterfinals. Scored a personal-best 47 points against Hanford, Calif., and finished 58 points short of 2,000 for her career.
College
Rutgers
The buzz
“She’s a tremendous competitor with a will to win and skills of an Allen Iverson,” Fenwick coach Dave Power says.
MAGGIE FONTANA
FREMD
Senior, 5-11, forward
The numbers
22.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals for the 28-4 Vikings, eliminated by Stevenson in the supersectionals. All-time Mid-Suburban League scoring leader with 2,527 points, surpassing Buffalo Grove’s Michele Ratay.
College
Holy Cross
The buzz
Asked how she’ll replace Fontana next season, Fremd coach Carol Plodzien says, “It’s going to take five players.”
SARAH KWASINSKI
FENWICK
Senior, 6-4, center
The numbers
12.2 points, 11.2 rebounds, 5.9 blocks a game for the 36-2 Friars, Class AA state champs. Hit 59 percent of her shots from the field. She was better in the Elite Eight: 18-for-26 for 69 percent.
College
Northwestern
The buzz
One statistic that isn’t kept but would be telling of her dominance: How many shots did she alter to avoid being blocked?
ANGELINA WILLIAMS
WASHINGTON
Senior, 6-1, forward
The numbers
19.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.3 steals a game for the 22-11 Minutewomen, losers to Marshall in the Public League title game. Had season-high 43 points against Westinghouse and 26 rebounds in victory over Fenger.
College
Illinois
The buzz
Played the major role-27 points and 9 rebounds-in handing Fenwick its only in-state loss of the season.
