At 6 feet, 5 inches and over 200 pounds, wearing jersey No. 00,
Arizona’s Shawntinice “Polkey” Polk is hard to
miss.
Her raw strength and dominating interior game have made her the
leading candidate for the Pac-10 Women’s Basketball Freshman
of the Year award along with UCLA’s Nikki Blue.
The two young superstars will share the court for the first time
this season when the Bruins (10-4, 5-0 Pac-10) travel to Tuscon to
face off against the No. 22 Wildcats (10-4, 4-2 Pac-10)
Saturday.
“Polk is an exceptional player,” said Washington
head coach June Daugherty. “She excels in (Arizona’s)
high-low game and has tremendous hands and feet.”
One of the strongest post players in the Pac-10, Polk has become
Arizona’s most formidable threat on the court, averaging a
double-double with 18.5 points and 11.7 rebounds per game.
Nonetheless, despite her impressive statistics, Polk is more
concerned with her team’s success than her own individual
accomplishments.
“I just want my team to be the best it can be,” she
said. “I could care less about being Freshman of the
Year.”
Polk is not the only contender for the honor, however. With the
Bruins currently atop the conference standings, Blue’s
contribution to UCLA’s early season success cannot be
overlooked.
The freshman guard is averaging 14.1 points per contest, but she
has been more impressed with Polk’s play than her own.
“(Polk) is very, very good. I think she’s one of the
best post players in the nation,” Blue said. “It all
comes down to who works the hardest.”
Although Blue is not Polk’s match statistically, she is
focused on improving her game for the remainder of the season.
“I know what I need to do to be Freshman of the
Year,” she said. “That is to be more consistent and
hustle on both the offensive end and the defensive end. I guess
we’re both putting up pretty good numbers.”
That they are.
While Blue’s strength lies in her perimeter game, Polk
overwhelms opponents in the paint. She currently leads the Pac-10
in rebounding and is second in scoring only to UCLA’s
Michelle Greco.
Aside from her immense natural ability, Polk’s success has
been attributed to the experience that she gained during her
redshirt year last season after being deemed ineligible to play due
to academic reasons.
“I got a chance to practice, and I had time to
adjust,” Polk said. “Learning to play the post (at the
collegiate level) was a learning experience.”
UCLA head coach Kathy Olivier knows how much the redshirt year
has helped Polk, and has been preparing for the matchup
accordingly.
“It’s not going to be fun dealing with
Polkey,” Olivier said. “She’s in better shape,
and has worked on her already great game.”
While Blue did not not sit out a season after high school, she
has adjusted seamlessly to the collegiate game nonetheless.
A true freshman, she brings an all-around presence to the court
and a decisive decision-making ability that shows a level of
maturity that is unique for a freshman. Olivier consistently labels
her “way beyond her years.”
Arizona head coach Joan Bonvicini is also impressed with
Blue’s play thus far, and is excited to see her and Polk on
the court together.
“These are two very talented freshmen,” said
Bonvicini of Polk and Blue.
“Both offensively and defensively, they bring very
different strengths to the floor, and they’ll both stand
out.”
Although the season is only half-way done, both Blue and Polk
have already established their own identities on the court ““
identities which Pac-10 foes will need to familiarize themselves
with throughout the following four years.
Polk has actually been compared to Los Angeles Lakers center
Shaquille O’Neal, but says she is more than content just
being herself.
“He’s on a whole other level,” she said.
“I’m not Shaq. I’m just Polkey.”