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February 23, 2007 > Sports > Focus on: Lauren Neaves

Focus on: Lauren Neaves

One of the top players in the country, the senior forward has the Owls poised for another run at the postseason.

By Justin Hudson | Thresher Editorial Staff

Of the 120 games she has played in her career, in none of them was senior forward Lauren Neaves more dominant than a 70-56 win over the University of Houston Jan. 21. She controlled every aspect of the game, scoring 23 points, pulling down 19 rebounds and blocking 8 shots. Sure, Neaves has scored more points in a game, grabbed more rebounds and even blocked as many shots at least once during her time at Rice, but at no time did the Owls need her more. Playing in front of a national television audience, decimated by injuries and coming off a horrendous stretch — the Owls had lost seven of nine — Rice had to get a strong performance out of its senior leader to avoid falling out of contention in Conference USA. Neaves delivered, hitting her last six free-throw attempts down the stretch to help seal the victory.

Known to get down on herself after mistakes, Neaves relaxed and was able to overcome her earlier miscues at the free throw line — she missed five of her first six. Fellow senior forward Samantha Stovall said such instances have become common as Neaves has gotten more comfortable being the team’s go-to player.

“She has really tried to not let [mistakes] affect her as much during games, and [she knows] that she has to score for us to do well,” Stovall said.

Neaves arrived at Rice in Fall 2002 as one of the top players in the nation. In water polo. In high school, Neaves never intended to become so committed to the pool — to her, it was just something to do in between swimming and basketball — but she soon discovered her talent. By the time Neaves graduated, she was a three-time all-American and Broward County (Fla.) player of the year in water polo.

Not surprisingly, she was highly regarded on the hardwood as well. Neaves averaged a staggering 28.4 points, 17.4 rebounds and 7 blocks per game on her way to a number of all-state honors and a district championship. When she came to Rice, some observers said she had the potential to be one of the best post players ever at the school, but as a freshman, she could hardly get off the bench. Neaves came to an Owl team that was already stacked with five players in the frontcourt.

Seeing that playing time was going to come at a minimum, she went to then-head coach Cristy McKinney and asked to be redshirted. The decision meant she would have to be sidelined an entire season in the sport she loved the most, but Neaves knew it was for the best.

“I wanted to use that year to try to hone my skills and have a little bit more experience going in,” she said. “I think it really helped a lot.”

The time off proved good for Neaves. She has since become a force on both sides of the ball, leading the Owls to new heights and rewriting the Rice record books in the process. Neaves has made the all-conference first or second teams each of the last three years and seems poised to do so again this year. She broke Rice’s all-time blocks record as a sophomore. She became the school’s all-time rebound leader — men’s or women’s — last weekend, an impressive feat given her six-foot, two-inch frame, which is small for a forward. The Owls’ leading scorer the last two years, Neaves will probably finish as the third-highest scorer in the history of the women’s program.

But perhaps more impressive than all the individual records is Neaves’ history of winning. Along with fellow seniors Krystal Frazier and Stovall, Neaves led the Owls to their second-ever NCAA tournament appearance in 2005, as well as two berths in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament, marking the longest streak of postseason appearances in Rice history. This is what Neaves is most proud of. In fact, she refuses to contemplate her individual legacy, saying that she hopes most for one final trip to the Big Dance.

“It would be nice if we made it to the [NCAA tournament] so that they can see that we had during my time here four postseason appearances in a row,” she said. “Not only would it be a tribute to me, but [also] to the entire program and to Krystal and Samantha.”

Despite suffering season-ending injuries to sophomore guards Whitney McCauley and Catherine Flores, as well as sophomore forward Emery Carter, the Owls are still in contention in an extremely close Conference USA. Of course, Neaves is at the center of Rice’s success. She enters the final weekend of the regular season averaging 16 points and a career-high 11 rebounds per outing. Neaves’ impact is especially felt on the defensive end of the court. She may not average seven blocks a game like she did in high school, but she is still a prolific shot blocker — her average of 2.17 is good for second in C-USA this season. Head coach Greg Williams (Hanszen ‘70) said Neaves’ shot-blocking makes her a cornerstone of the Owl defense.

“The blocked shot in women’s basketball is a real weapon,” he said. “There aren’t a lot of great shot blockers in the women’s game, [and] she’s certainly one of them.”

Neaves says she focuses more on her defense and rebounding than on her offensive game.

“I pride myself on my defense,” she said. “Some nights I won’t be able to score or have a bad night shooting, but there should always be a good night of defense.”

Assistant coach Carlos Quintero (Baker ‘98), the only assistant from McKinney’s staff still at Rice, has taken to calling Neaves the “silent leader.” The nickname is apt. Neaves has played most of the year with an injured hip that actually caused her to miss four games in December, the first injury absence of her collegiate career. Yet she continues to dominate opposing defenses without so much as a peep, preferring instead to let her play speak for itself. Quintero said Neaves’ play sets an example for the rest of the team.

“We know what we can get out of her,” he said. “It’s also good for the young [post players] to say, ‘Hey look, this is what she’s doing, I want to be like her and get to that level.’”

Driven by a close loss to Tulsa University in the C-USA championship game last March, Neaves focused on starting off the year strong. Determined to avoid the slow starts that have hampered her in the past, Neaves gained 15 pounds of muscle over the summer to become even more unstoppable in the post. Her hard work paid dividends early in the season. The forward’s strong play led to key wins over the University of Mississippi, which beat the Owls by 47 the previous year, and Texas A&M University, ranked 10th in the nation at the time, along the way to a 7-3 start.

Then injuries started to mount for the Owls. Six players, including Neaves, missed time over the course of one month as Rice floundered into the conference season. Neaves was especially frustrated with being injured during a tournament in Miami, near her hometown of Cooper City, Fla., and with the prospect of missing time during her senior season. However, Neaves actually looks at her time on the bench as a blessing in disguise for the rest of her team.

“In the long run, I think me being out might have been a little beneficial, in that it helped everyone step into a more aggressive role on offense and defense,” Neaves said.

With Neaves’ return to the lineup, the Owls have once again begun another strong finish in conference play. The team’s recent 7-2 run has been a total team effort, as players like Stovall, junior forward Tiffany Loggins and freshman guard Tara Watts have stepped up to fill new roles. However, Williams is aware of how important Neaves’ play will be down the stretch.

“That’s something that she’s proven throughout her entire career,” Williams said. “As the season winds down and you get down into conference games, important games, conference tournament games, she’s stepped her game up, and that’s the mark of a really great player.”

As one of the top seniors in the country, Neaves has garnered attention from the WNBA and European professional leagues. Williams, himself a coach in three different women’s professional leagues, sees her continuing her success.

“If she gets with the right team, she has a chance, because she is a great rebounder, she is a shot blocker, [and] she can score around the basket,” Williams said.

Neaves, though looking forward to playing professionally down the line, now is focused on the task of winning conference and continuing the rise of the program since McKinney’s tenure.

“It would be such a great finish to my career,” she said. “It would be such a great thing for us to make it. … We’re talent-wise the best team in the conference, and we just need to all show up ready to play on the same day.”

Indeed, a win in the conference tournament and an appearance in the NCAA tournament would help to cement the legacy of the best class in Rice women’s basketball history, a group that has made winning the norm rather than the exception. But ask any Owl fan and they’ll say Neaves’ legacy has already been set.

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