Jan. 23, 2002

By Philip Allison, Tulane Media Relations

In the seven previous seasons that Lisa Stockton has been coach of the Tulane women's basketball team, the Green Wave have enjoyed the services of a dominant center. Both Barbara Farris and Janell Burse, both All-Americans and both currently playing in the WNBA, helped send Tulane to seven consecutive NCAA Tournaments. Now in Stockton's eighth season, junior Teana McKiver is following the tradition started by Farris and Burse.

However, McKiver's story doesn't begin at Tulane, but rather at new Conference USA rival East Carolina. A native of Beulaville, N.C., McKiver was recruited by a host of schools, including Tulane, after a senior season that saw her earn Most Valuable Player honors in the state championship game. She ultimately chose to attend ECU, 90 minutes from Beulaville, in part to be close to her mother. But, prior to her freshman year, ECU head coach Anne Donovan left to coach in the American Basketball League (ABL), leaving McKiver unsure about her future.

"I really wanted to come to Tulane, but I also really wanted to stay close to home," McKiver said. "I liked the coaching staff at East Carolina with Coach Donovan. After she left for the ABL, I didn't want to stay at ECU because she was a big reason why I signed with them. The new coaches asked me to try it out for a year, but things just didn't work out. Tulane was the first place I thought about because they really cared about me."

McKiver, a 6-3 center, transferred to Tulane in the spring of 1999 after her freshman season, but was forced to sit out the 1999-00 campaign to satisfy NCAA regulations. However, she was able to work out with the Wave that season and put that time to good use by practicing against the 6-5 Burse. She returned to the court in 2000-01, but found herself backing up Burse - who would go on to earn All-America honors - just as Burse had backed up Farris during her first season at Tulane.

However, even backing up Burse, McKiver showed signs of what was to come. She averaged 8.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest as a sophomore, while her 54.5 field goal percentage and 58 blocks ranked second in Conference USA behind only Burse. For her efforts, she was named Conference USA's Sixth Player of the Year, an award Burse had won herself as a sophomore.

"In Conference USA, there was no post player as good as Janell, so playing against her every day in practice kind of prepared me." McKiver said. "If I could at least contain her a little bit, then I felt like I could stop anyone in Conference USA. And if I could score against her, I felt like I could score against anyone in Conference USA. She really helped my confidence a lot. I took a lot from playing against her - how she reacted under pressure when she was the go-to player for example. It was a learning experience to watch her play. Even the year I sat out, when Grace was the go-to player, Janell was an impressive presence in the paint."

It is obvious that McKiver has taken those lessons to heart during her time at Tulane. Despite not earning a spot on the 15-member postseason All-Conference USA team last season, McKiver was one of just six players chosen to the preseason All-Conference USA team in a vote by the league's coaches this year. So far this season, she has led Tulane to team titles at three different tournaments - the San Juan Shootout, the Tulane Invitational and the DoubleTree Classic - earning Most Valuable Player honors at all three events. In the Wave's trip to Puerto Rico, McKiver was almost unstoppable, hitting 28-of-30 shots in three games (93.3 percent), while averaging 23.7 points and 9.3 rebounds. She earned Conference USA Player of the Week honors on Dec. 31 and leads the league in field goal percentage while also ranking among the leaders in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots.

"It goes without saying that Teana has been great for us," Tulane head coach Lisa Stockton said. "I think her coming off the bench as our sixth man and playing behind Janell Burse made her so much better of a player. It may have been frustrating for her at times, but she learned so quickly. Teana has come in this year and not missed a beat. I can't say enough about what she does on both ends of the floor. It can be difficult to become the go-to player in every game when you haven't been in that position before, but Teana has developed in to that player."

While some post players excel on either the offensive or defensive end of the floor, McKiver has become an all-around player just as likely to grab a steal or block a shot as she is to score. When it seems like the team needs a basket, Tulane can turn to McKiver, as it did when she scored a career-high 33 points against league foe Southern Miss. When the team needs a lift on the defensive end, McKiver's 10 rebounds and four blocks against Final Four participant Southwest Missouri State showed she can provide that as well.

"Teana is one of the most versatile player players I've ever coached," Stockton added. "She can shoot from the outside. She's got great hands. She can finish around the basket. She has really developed her position defense - at being there for a steal or not letting her opponent touch the ball. When they do, she is such an intimidating force to score over. She alters more shots than she blocks and she blocks a lot of them. Teana has really learned the importance of working hard and I think she will continue to improve."

McKiver's quick transition to Tulane has made her accomplishments all the more impressive. But perhaps the most exciting thing for the Tulane faithful is that, having played less than two full seasons at Tulane, McKiver has another year to go.

"I think I have surprised myself a little," McKiver said. "Playing behind Janell, I never thought I'd be in this position so soon. I don't know how to explain it. My coaches and teammates have made the transition a lot easier than I expected it to be. I was worried about not living up to other people's expectations. I talked to Janell when she was in for Christmas and she said she was really proud of me because I was playing well. Hearing her say that really meant a lot to me because, when I got here, I knew she was who I wanted to be like."

So far McKiver has done more than simply follow the trail first blazed by Burse and Farris. She has begun to chart new territory for herself and the Tulane women's basketball team. With the remainder of this, her junior year, and another full season yet to play, McKiver is definitely well on her way to becoming Tulane's next Center of Attention.