Jolene Anderson is once again guiding the Badger women's basketball team and leading in numerous statistical categories.
The second-year player from Port Wing, Wis., has definitely not had any hint of a sophomore slump.
The Badgers have faced a recent rash of injuries to starters Ashley Josephson, Janese Banks and Annie Nelson. Through just 15 games, UW has already used nine different starting lineups.
The loss of Banks will test the Badgers' and Anderson's ability to adapt, since Banks currently ranks second on the team with 13.7 points per game and leads the team with an average of 4.6 assists.
"With Janese Banks going out for two weeks, that's going to put me in the point guard position for a couple games," Anderson said. "That is something I'm going to have to look forward to more, setting up my teammate for a shot."
Wisconsin has needed Anderson to step up and make up for the lost production. She has not disappointed, as shown in her 17.8 points a game, good for fourth in the conference.
Anderson leads the team in rebounding at 7.5 boards a game — seventh in the Big Ten.
She also averages 3.4 assists, showing her versatile game. She is the only player in the Big Ten to average at least 15 points, five rebounds and three assists a game.
"I can't ask any more out of Jolene Anderson. The kid has to score, she has to rebound, she has to bring the ball up the floor, she has to defend, she has to play the whole game," head coach Lisa Stone said.
Her improved play started in the off-season with her experience overseas. Anderson spent the summer playing with the USA Basketball U-19 team, which won the gold medal.
Anderson attributes her improvement to the opportunity to practice with the best young players around the country each day and compete against others around the world.
"I improved tremendously there, coming in and working with [assistant] coach Schmitz daily. I think one thing I have improved on from last year is my defense," Anderson said. "Whether it's watching film or practicing on the court, [I've been] working on things that I need to improve in order for this team to get wins."
The sophomore guard has scored in double digits in every game this year and is well on her way to earning the preseason accolades that had her tabbed as a first-team all-Big Ten player before the season began.
But the honors are just a side note in her quest to get this young team to be a true Big Ten competitor.
"[The honors] mean a tremendous deal to me, but I don't think about accolades like that going into a game or a season. I just look forward as a team to being as successful as we can," Anderson said.
The honors have also put a bull's-eye on the guard — not that last year's Big Ten Freshman of the Year needed the extra attention.
All of the Big Ten now knows where No. 41 is when she is on the court.
"Penn State was denying me the ball all over the court," Anderson said. "If they're just going to be pressuring me more and more, that's when I need to make better decisions to get open on the wing more and set up my defender."
The Badgers have had some tough losses this year, and for a team that was picked to finish sixth in the Big Ten, they will have to perform better than they have throughout the first quarter of the conference season, where they have started out 1-3.
"It has been disappointing. Going into every game, we just give it our effort, but sometimes the outcome doesn't go our way. But that's when we have to stay together as a team," Anderson said. "We just have to continue to work hard in practice and bring our effort daily to the coaching staff."
"We have to score off their turnovers and capitalize on the offensive end ourselves without letting other teams go on scoring runs," Anderson continued. "The biggest thing is communicating on the defensive end and … limiting the other team to just one shot.
Working together is the main thing, and things will turn around for us."
