Point guard Carolann Cloutier's decision paying off for Minutewomen
1
2
AMHERST - As the 2010-11 school year wound down, Carolann Cloutier faced a difficult decision as she plotted her upcoming summer.
After sitting out the season at the University of Massachusetts under NCAA transfer rules, Cloutier could return home to Montreal and compete in the Canada Basketball Women's Elite Performance Program to further her hopes of someday being an Olympian, or stay in Amherst and try to help the Minutewomen get better.
Cloutier chose to stay. Projected as the Minutewomen's starting point guard, the sophomore wanted to work with her UMass teammates in hopes of being ready to take on the leadership role required of the position.
"I think I made the right decision," Cloutier said. "I got to know them and definitely got the trust from them. ... You want to be a leader, but you don't want to force it. You have to get to know the girls first and get chemistry before you can lead."
UMass coach Sharon Dawley recruited Canada heavily when she was at Vermont and tried to convince the 5-foot-9 guard to become a Catamount. Cloutier opted instead for Old Dominion where she averaged 3.0 points in 17.3 minutes mostly off the bench as a freshman. But when the Monarchs made a coaching change, Cloutier elected to move on and reconnected with Dawley, who'd taken over at UMass.
"We've watched her for years," said Dawley, who'd look down her bench last year and see Cloutier in street clothes and wish she could put her in the game. "I knew the impact she would make. It was frustrating waiting that year out."
Cloutier said she tried to get the most out of practice during her time off.
"Being a redshirt last year, getting to watch everything and getting to practice gave me a good start. I don't feel like I'm new. I feel like I'm a returner," Cloutier said. "It was hard because I didn't get to travel so I didn't feel like I was so much a part of the team. But the summer was the best. It's how we got closer."
Dawley said having Cloutier eligible helps her roster at several spots. Junior Dee Montgomery, who started 22 games last year at point guard, becomes the sixth man and will see minutes at the point guard and small forward spots. Senior Megan Zullo, who was pressed into backup point guard duties, can simply concentrate on playing shooting guard.
"If we played a game today, Dee would come off the bench and back up Carolann. That's a great job for Dee. Every great team needs a sixth man to come in and give you 200 percent energy. She fits that bill. She'll back up the one and the three. I love that we have a sixth man with her energy. Dee is the epitome of a team player," Dawley said. "This simplifies things for Megan. There were times last year where we had to ask her to play the point and she's not a natural point."
Cloutier is a natural point and Dawley is counting on her to lead an offense that will play faster this year.
"My court vision really helps on this team. I think about passing more," said Cloutier, who said she's studied her teammates during her year off to be better prepared to set them up. "You see them play, but it's about reading what kind of passes the posts like and how your guards like to shoot it coming off a screen or just a set shot. It's important for your point guard to know that to be successful in a game. We want to be a running team. It all starts with me. If I push the ball, they have to run the lanes."
Dawley has liked what she's seen so far.
"She's a very, very good point guard. She's a pass-first point guard which is great. We're trying to get her to look for her own offense a little bit. She's a great basketball player who can help us in a lot of areas," said Dawley, who expected everyone's offense to improve because of Cloutier. "In the open floor, if you do your job, you'll get the ball."
Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. Follow UMass coverage on Twitter at twitter.com/GazetteUMass. Get UMass coverage delivered in your Facebook news feed at http://www.facebook.com/GazetteUMassCoverage.
