Quinn Makes Quick Impact

There are players you can watch and know immediately how good they are. There are players you can watch and reasonably project how good they will become.

Then there are players you watch, know how good they are now, and wonder just how good they will be.

That, in a nutshell, is Noelle Quinn.

The UCLA freshman forward was expected to be a solid player the moment she put on her blue and gold uniform. Oh, she would go through the regular ups and downs freshmen go through.

But Quinn isn’t wasting any time. She is a strong candidate for the All-Pacific 10 and All-Pac-10 freshman teams, and a leading contender for freshman of the year.

In 19 games (she’s missed three because of a foot injury), Quinn is averaging 14.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3 assists and 2.1 steals a game. Those numbers rise in conference play -- 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.2 steals.

Among Pac-10 players (conference games only), Quinn is fifth in scoring, tied for third in rebounding, sixth in steals and ninth in assists. She has scored in double figures her last 14 games. Last Thursday, she scored a career-best 25 points against Washington.

But she impresses not only with her statistics, but also with her style. There is both stealth and steel in Quinn’s game as well as a knack for what the Bruins need at the moment, be it scoring a basket or preventing one.

“There is a flow to her,” Coach Kathy Olivier said. “She likes structure, knowing what we’re trying to get out of certain offenses. Early on, young teams don’t execute as well. Now she knows where to go for her shot and where other people get their shots within the offense, and that is where she is most comfortable.

“But Noelle is also good in transition. She makes very good decisions; that’s why she doesn’t look like a freshman.”

Quinn came to UCLA as one of the Southland’s most decorated prep players. At Bishop Montgomery High in Torrance, she played on three Southern Section Division III champions and four CIF division state champions. As a senior, Quinn averaged 22.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 3.9 steals and had her pick of colleges.

She was the kind of player and student who lately has been wooed away from Southern California by national powers Connecticut, Tennessee, Duke and Stanford.

“Staying close to home was important because I wanted my family to watch me play,” said Quinn, studying business and economics. “I also wanted to help build up the program to where it was before, with Maylana Martin and Erica Gomez.

“Academically, you can’t go wrong with UCLA; it’s very prestigious. And hopefully we bring some fun and basketball attention to the West Coast, especially in Los Angeles.”

Quinn is not only living up to expectations, she is exceeding them.

“She is a great talent,” Oregon Coach Bev Smith said. “She understands her strengths and has become a go-to player for UCLA. Her presence on the floor is unbelievable for her age, and she is willing to take a shot every time they need her to. She needs to work on some things defensively, but her offensive presence you can’t teach. It’s natural.”

Quinn might be a potential star, but she doesn’t act like one. She still does the freshman chores on the team, like carrying the ball bags for road games. If she has a point to make, it’s usually done in a soft, sing-song voice. And, she said, the team comes before any individual concerns.

“I’m just trying to be a role player and do what I do best,” Quinn said. “I just want to fit in.... I feel very comfortable right now, and my teammates have done a great job in helping me adjust. Offensively, we are in a groove. I give all the credit to my coaches and teammates for helping me adjust to the college game.”

In the 17 years the Pac-10 has had postseason awards for first-year players, three UCLA players have been named Pac-10 freshman of the year -- Molly Tideback in 1988-89, Gomez in 1995-96 and Martin in 1996-97.

Tideback transferred to Iowa after her freshman season. But Martin is the Bruins’ second-leading all-time scorer behind Denise Curry. And Gomez wound up as the Bruins’ all-time leader in assists.

Where Quinn’s career path ends up, no one knows. But it appears the journey is going to be a rewarding one.

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The Mighty Quinn

UCLA freshman forward Noelle Quinn was a member of four state championship basketball teams and one state championship volleyball team at Torrance Bishop Montgomery High School. A look at her statistics this season:

*--* GP-GS FG-FGA Pct . PPG 3FG-FGA Pct. FT-FTA Pct . Reb. Stl. Avg. 19-18 113-274 412 14.4 11-48 229 37-62 597 7.3 39

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