GIRLS HOOPS PREVIEW: Q&A with Marjorie Heard and Danielle Love
Published 12:29 pm Friday, November 27, 2009
Years ago, then-budding basketball stars Marjorie Heard and Danielle Love were on the same youth select team.
Imagine that: Two future Pac-10 recruits merging their talents on one squad. What a lucky coach.
Since then, Heard and Love split off to different select teams, became high school foes and accepted big-time basketball scholarships.
A year from now they will be college rivals, a Husky and a Duck. Heard, a bruising 6-foot-1 forward, will suit up for the University of Washington and Love, a versatile 6-2 forward/post, will play for the University of Oregon.
But right now the dominant seniors are focused on making the most of their final high school season. Heard hopes to lead the second-year Glacier Peak Grizzlies of the Western Conference South Division to new heights. Meanwhile, Love wants to help the Cascade Bruins (Wesco North) build on the postseason appearance they made last season.
Learn more about Heard and Love, two must-see players this winter during the 2009-2010 girls basketball season.
MARJORIE HEARD Q&A
Q: What do you hope to accomplish this year?
A: “Knowing that there’s no more (college recruiting) pressure, just to have fun with the season. I’ve always played for my teammates and never the coach or myself — just to give everything for my teammates and have a successful season. Making it to state and hopefully placing — that would be great.”
Q: What have you been working on since the last high school season?
A: “Outside shooting (and) taking the one-dribble layin. This is where I’m going to have to practice (to prepare for college), on the high school court. I’ve got to be a triple threat, which is from the 3-point line.”
Q: What was the most exciting basketball experience you had since the end of last season?
A: “Traveling with my select team, The Way To Win (which practices in Sammamish). A couple of my best friends are on the team so I was blessed to play with such fun girls. We traveled non-stop from state to state.”
Q: As a senior, how will your leadership be important?
A: “Last year was a lot of pressure (on Heard) as the one player who had ever played on varsity and a Division-I recruit. It was more like performing for the team but this year it’s showing that I’m the leader, the captain, the Division-I player, but also involve the whole team.”
Q: Who are the teams to beat in your league this season?
A: “Jackson, (just) down the street, and Edmonds-Woodway. The whole league, but those are the two that stand out.”
Q: Where does your team fit in?
A: “I definitely think we have the potential to win the Wesco South — come out on top and win districts. That’s a huge goal that we are setting for ourselves.”
Q: Who is the best high school player you’ve ever gone against?
A: “Probably (Jackson grad and current Washington player) Kristi Kingma. I never guarded her but she’s always a threat all over the floor. She’s got that little drive inside and you’ve got to stop her because she’s got that outside shot.”
Q: Who is your favorite basketball player?
A: “Definitely (Snohomish High grad) Jon Brockman. He is a well-rounded player. He’s committed. He puts the time in. He works hard. He’s physical. He loves to rebound (and) I love to rebound. He’s devoted to his family and God, and he’s a good role model.”
Q: What is your favorite basketball movie?
A: “The two I’d say are ‘Love &Basketball’ and ‘Hoosiers.’”
Q: What music do you listen to before a game?
A: “I kind of listen to Switchfoot — rock or something upbeat. Nothing too sad or slow.”
DANIELLE LOVE Q&A
Q: What do you hope to accomplish this year?
A: “I’m the only senior (on Cascade’s team) but definitely I want to go back to districts again and hopefully do better. We made it last year but we didn’t do well in the beginning.”
Q: What have you been working on since the last high school season?
A: “Definitely I’m going to shoot a lot more because I’ve always been one to pass it before I shoot it. But I’m the best shooter (on the team) and have the most chance of making a shot so I should take more. I’m definitely going to work on being more assertive with my game.”
Q: What was the most exciting basketball experience you had since the end of last season?
A: “It was exciting to talk to all the (college) coaches and then see them at my (select) games. When you talk to them and see them, it makes it so much more real like, ‘Oh my gosh. I could be going to one of those schools.’”
Q: As a senior, how will your leadership be important?
A: “This is my third year as a captain so I will be working hard and pushing them to get better and encouraging them when they’re down, but also making sure that I lead by example so that they’ll want to do the same thing.”
Q: Who are the teams to beat in your league this season?
A: “This year everyone’s kind of pretty well-matched. It seems like there’s not one big group of (talented) girls at a certain school.”
Q: Where does your team fit in?
A: “It’s pretty spread out so it will be a dogfight. The games will be close.”
Q: Who is the best high school player you’ve ever gone against?
A: “I don’t know. Everyone is good in their own way. Some people will have one really nice move and no matter how much you try to stop it, they just have that move. But there’s not one person that stands out to me.”
Q: Who is your favorite basketball player?
A:“I don’t watch basketball on TV. I’d rather watch football. If I was a guy, I’d probably be a football player.”
Q: What is your favorite basketball movie?
A:“‘Love &Basketball.’ That’s every girl’s favorite basketball movie. You wish you were her (Monica, the main female character). She plays in college and I grew up like ‘Oh, I hope I get to do that one day.’ And now I do.”
Q: What music do you listen to before a game?
A:“Before every home game, we always have dance parties. We play everything: rock, hip-hop and pop music. We scream the words out loud and dance. It’s kind of embarrassing but it gets us pumped up.”
Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/heraldnet/doubleteam.
