Gamecocks’ Alicia Tournebize talks about her journey and adjustment to college basketball..

 

Gamecocks’ Alicia Tournebize talks about her journey and adjustment to college basketball

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — She enrolled at midseason, and fans couldn’t get enough of her, even though it took a few games to actually get her on the court. It was the classic case of what can be replacing what is and when what can be is a 6-foot-7 18-year-old who has proven she can dunk with two hands …

 

Well, you can forgive them for the stars in their eyes.

 

Alicia Tournebize has played well. Better every game. She’s given South Carolina the most precious gift she could — depth — when the entire season has been a dreaded daily look at the availability report.

 

But no, there was never going to be a way she could live up to what some envisioned. Not immediately. There was simply too much coming at her too soon.

 

Which is why what she’s presently doing is more than enough for those who understood this was a marathon, not a sprint.

 

“Ali is on an upward trajectory. It’s taken the normal time. I actually think she’s a little bit further along than we thought she would,” USC coach Dawn Staley said. “Some of that is just throwing her out there. Some of that is just holding her out to see, to not put her in a situation where you’re hurting her confidence.

 

“But I think she’s a pretty confident young lady. You can see it in her play. She’s unbothered out there.”

 

The points (4.3) and rebounds (3.2) aren’t nearly as important right now as the minutes (12.6). Only four of her 17 games have had her on the floor for less than 10 minutes, and the 10s and 12s that used to be hers are no

w 16s and 18s.