Spring Break
Dixon playing with confidence
After a rocky freshman year, point guard looks to improve in order to help team
Brittany Perotti
Issue date: 11/14/08 Section: Husky Hoopla
Three years ago, Lorin Dixon was the buzz in the high school basketball world. Sites like Rivals.com kept readers posted on her progress.
In fact, though only a sophomore, Dixon scored the highest on the SPARQ (Speed, Power, Agility, Reaction, Quickness) test that year, which measures all-around athleticism.
She averaged 17 points a game in high school.
And she was Miss New York Basketball in 2007.
So when she joined her former Christ the King teammate Tina Charles this past season, people expected her to shine.
There were moments where she did, as in the countless times this past season when she blew past defenders.
But other times, Dixon said, her playing in a game seemed to put the Huskies at a four-on-five disadvantage on offense.
This past season, she averaged 2.1 points per game. On the road against Rutgers, some said she looked scared.
She said that when she made mistakes, she would get frustrated, perpetuating a cycle of more mistakes and turnovers.
In the Final Four, Ketia Swanier got into foul trouble early and Dixon was called on to play. Coach Geno Auriemma said it was in those situations in particular, that the team needed her to step up.
"Last year, I felt like I let myself down, my team down, even my family," Dixon said.
Her self-perceived failure became her motivation to work even harder this summer. Her coaches and teammates have noticed a difference since the season ended.
"Lorin made some big strides," said assistant coach Shea Ralph. "And I think that - I know that - she's had a lot of stuff going on and she had to go through a lot of things and she's had to learn a couple things the hard way. But I think sometimes that's also the most effective way."
In fact, Ralph said that hurting her teammates, having to face them and let them know that you let them down, is one of the hardest things. It is something that she said has affected Dixon.
But that has translated to more dedication in everything, not just basketball.
In fact, though only a sophomore, Dixon scored the highest on the SPARQ (Speed, Power, Agility, Reaction, Quickness) test that year, which measures all-around athleticism.
She averaged 17 points a game in high school.
And she was Miss New York Basketball in 2007.
So when she joined her former Christ the King teammate Tina Charles this past season, people expected her to shine.
There were moments where she did, as in the countless times this past season when she blew past defenders.
But other times, Dixon said, her playing in a game seemed to put the Huskies at a four-on-five disadvantage on offense.
This past season, she averaged 2.1 points per game. On the road against Rutgers, some said she looked scared.
She said that when she made mistakes, she would get frustrated, perpetuating a cycle of more mistakes and turnovers.
In the Final Four, Ketia Swanier got into foul trouble early and Dixon was called on to play. Coach Geno Auriemma said it was in those situations in particular, that the team needed her to step up.
"Last year, I felt like I let myself down, my team down, even my family," Dixon said.
Her self-perceived failure became her motivation to work even harder this summer. Her coaches and teammates have noticed a difference since the season ended.
"Lorin made some big strides," said assistant coach Shea Ralph. "And I think that - I know that - she's had a lot of stuff going on and she had to go through a lot of things and she's had to learn a couple things the hard way. But I think sometimes that's also the most effective way."
In fact, Ralph said that hurting her teammates, having to face them and let them know that you let them down, is one of the hardest things. It is something that she said has affected Dixon.
But that has translated to more dedication in everything, not just basketball.
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