As the Nova Southeastern University women’s basketball team breaks for the holidays, the media stopped by and showed Senior Stephanie Sarosi the attention she well deserves. This past weekend, Mark Decostis of Florida Today and Walter Villa of the Miami Herald spoke with Sarosi about her transition from a Division I school to Division II, as well as her recovery from her injury last season and her interest after graduation. Below are the features on the two-time All-American.
SAROSI'S VISION PAYS OFF IN MOVE TO NOVA
BY WALTER VILLA
Miami Herald Writer
One of the best women's basketball players in South Florida does not compete in Division I.
At least, not anymore.
Stephanie Sarosi, a 6-5 center, started 10 games as a freshman at South Florida, competing in the rugged Big East and finishing second on her team with 34 blocks.
But a desire to become an optometrist led her to transfer to Division II Nova Southeastern, where she became a two-time Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year.
``Nova has the only optometry program in the state and one of only 20 in the country,'' Sarosi said.
Now a senior, Sarosi is Nova's first All-American in women's basketball. She missed last season with a foot injury and said she is not yet 100 percent healthy, but she is back playing 22.4 minutes per game in Nova's full-court pressure system.
``She's in great shape and runs the court as well or better than most any player her size,'' Nova coach Ann Walker said. ``In the half-court, she gets fronted, double-teamed, sandwiched. But in our system, we are able to get her open looks.''
So far this season, Sarosi is averaging 16.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.3 blocks for 6-2 Nova.
``She has great footwork,'' Walker said, ``She's strong, and she has great touch all the way to three-point range.''
Sarosi said she likes the full-court system.
``It's definitely harder, and you get tired more quickly,'' said Sarosi, who is from Mims.
``But it's fun when you can reward yourself with a steal.''
Walker said she has no doubt Sarosi would have been All-Big East had she stayed at South Florida and also thinks her star could play in the WNBA or certainly pro ball overseas.
But Sarosi said this is the last year of her basketball career.
``I'm not interested in pro ball,'' Sarosi said. ``My heart wouldn't be in it.
``Ever since my junior year of high school, I've had a passion for eyeballs. I want to have a big senior year and then begin my career as an optometrist.''
HEALTHY STEPHANIE SAROSI NOW A PAIN FOR BASKETBALL OPPOSITION
BY MARK DECOTIS
Florida Today Writer
Astronaut High graduate and Nova Southeastern University redshirt senior Stephanie Sarosi has gone from crutches and a wheelchair to being back on the court.
And that could be bad news for the rest of the Sunshine State Conference. After all, the 6-foot, 5-inch Sarosi was the SSC Women's Basketball Player of the Year for the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 seasons and was poised for another banner campaign when she suffered a broken bone and torn ligaments in her foot. The injuries, sustained in an exhibition game, necessitated surgery and months of rehabilitation, forcing her to miss enough of last season to qualify for a medical redshirt.
Now she's healthy and getting back into the flow of the game.
"I feel good," the soft-spoken Sarosi said.
"I feel like I'm starting to be like my old self again. I feel better. I'm surprised that I feel like it's taken longer than I thought it would but I was out a long time, a whole season.
"I'm not fully like I used to be, but I'm definitely getting back. It's still taking time."
If overcoming the injury isn't enough, Sarosi and her teammates also are adjusting to a new coach in Ann Walker.
But things are falling into place and the remainder of the conference is noticing.
"She sat out a year; I imagine she's hungry, wants to finish," Florida Tech coach John Reynolds said.
"You love the competition, you always look forward to it. It forces you to find a way to beat that team. Are we going to beat her? No. We've got to find a way to deal with that and still win the game."
Tech did that in the 2008-2009 season despite Sarosi torching the Panthers for 32 points, 15 rebounds and 10 blocks in a 64-54 Tech home victory. The effort allowed her to become the first player in Nova women's history to record a triple-double.
In fact, she is Nova's all-time career leader in blocks (212) and is second in points (1,290), rebounds (623) and field-goals made (539). She'll seek to add to those totals when Nova (6-2) hosts Franklin Pierce in the Cruzin Classic on Friday in the NSU Arena.
"I think she might be the best all-around post player I've seen in my career and that's saying a lot because we played against (seven-time WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist) Yolanda Griffith (at Florida Atlantic University)," Reynolds said.
"Nobody finishes better around the basket, identifies where the double-team comes from or the triple-team and then gets the ball to her open teammate better than her. In all my years, I've never seen anyone better than that."
Walker appreciates the rare talent she has in Sarosi.
"From the outside looking in, it would be a pleasure I think for anyone to coach a player of Stephanie's caliber," Walker said.
"Getting to coach this team, to me that's just a bonus to have a player like Stephanie on any team."
Sarosi's numbers speak to her skills. She leads the team in scoring, averaging 16.5 points a game (the only player in double figures), in blocked shots with 26 and rebounds, averaging 7.8 a game. And she's accomplishing all that in just 22.4 minutes a game.
"We're really a deep team, so I'm probably only going to average that many minutes," Sarosi said. "I just have to make do with my time and do as well as I can. I think I'm holding up pretty well."
But there is room for improvement.
"I get double-teamed a lot, I need to work on not putting the ball on the floor and using my height to my advantage and being more powerful with it in the double team," she said.
She also is adjusting to the physical aspect, something she didn't experience in her year away.
"I still love playing with my back to the basket but it's not as confident as it used to be," she said. "It's still getting there. I haven't been pushed around in the post for a year so I'm still getting that touch back and the feeling of being bumped around.
"It's one thing to just do your moves on the side in practice but then to get into the game and have two people jump on you, it's a little difficult."
