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The supposedly undersized Barnes has made a big impact on the Wildcats.
(Ben Sanders/AP)
| Adia Barnes,
Arizona
Class: Senior
Position:
Forward
Height:
5'11"
DOB: Feb. 3,
1977
Hometown: San
Diego
High
School: Mission
Bay
Vital Stats:
21.9 points per game, 6.9 rebounds, 52.7% field
goals
by Dana
Gelin
Adia Barnes makes a habit of surpassing expectations, which
has proven quite beneficial for the University of Arizona
over the past four years. At Mission Bay High in San Diego,
the 5'11" Barnes was widely considered too short to
play power forward in
college. Even after watching film of her, Wildcats coach Joan
Bonvicini wasn't sure Barnes was the inside player she was
looking for. Then Bonvicini went to one of Barnes's games
and was impressed enough to offer a scholarship on the
spot. Barnes signed
and went on to earn the 1995 Pac-10 freshman of the year
award, something no other Arizona player had ever
won.
When Arizona didn't receive an NCAA berth in 1996, the
Wildcats took out their frustrations on the Women's NIT
field. Arizona won the championship and Barnes was named
the tournament's most valuable player. This season the
player thought too short for
her position led the Pac-10 in scoring with 21.9 points per
game and was named conference player of the year and
third-team All-America. "If you say she can't do
something, and I don't say that too often, she'll prove you
wrong," Bonvicini
says.
Barnes, who has the same size feet (13) and hands (huge) as
6'4" teammate Marte Alexander, tries to use her speed
and toughness to counter her lack of size. Her playing
style is similar to Charles Barkley's except that, well,
Barkley may be a little
softer. Arkansas coach Gary Blair calls Barnes the most
physical 5'11" player in the country, and even
Bonvicini refers to her player as "a mean
sucker."
Barnes, politely, begs to differ. "I'm just really
aggressive and competitive," she says. "I don't
like to lose, but I'm not
mean."
In addition to the assorted bruises suffered by her
opponents, Barnes has left her mark on the Arizona program.
She is the Wildcats' career leading scorer (2,174) and
rebounder (896) and holds 10 other Arizona records. Barnes
would like to be an
occupational therapist someday, but first she hopes to make
basketball her occupation. In the pros, she's prepared to
move to small
forward.
Before leaving Arizona, though, she has one more
expectation to surpass. Making their second appearance in
the NCAA Tournament after reaching the second round last
season, the Wildcats are hoping for an experience something
like their male counterparts'
1997 title run. "Looking at the men's team is
inspirational for us," Barnes says. "No one
expected them to be become champions. Maybe we can do that,
too. Anything's
possible."
Other Spotlights
March 16: Mateen Cleaves, Michigan; Murriel Page, Florida
March 15: Jason Hart, Syracuse
March 14: Kris Johnson, UCLA
March 13: Lee Nailon, Texas Christian
March 12: Brian Earl, Princeton
March 11: Tyrone Weeks, Massachusetts
March 10: Brett Robisch, Oklahoma St.
March 9: Larry Hughes, Saint Louis
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