Blocked shots are all about timing.
Back in the day, University of Iowa center Acie Earl jumped rope to get a sense of the timing. His timing was so good that in a 1992 NCAA tournament game against Duke he blocked eight shots, one short of tying Navy’s David Robinson for most in one men’s tournament game.
Another thing that usually helps with blocks is height. Earl was 6 feet 10 inches. Brittney Griner, a women’s basketball star, stood 6-9 and had more than 700 blocks at Baylor.
There are exceptions to this rule. Not all tall players are good shot-blockers. And some smaller players can be a force.
Take Arizona’s LaBrittney Jones. The 6-1 forward enters Saturday’s game at Kansas just seven blocks away from moving into fourth place in UA history. Marte Alexander, who played with first-year coach Adia Barnes in the 1990s, currently holds that spot with 121.
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“It’s funny,” said Jones, who is a senior forward. “My high school coach thought I was a magnet towards the basketball. I think it’s natural for some people to be shocked that I can get as many blocks as I can.”
Jones doesn’t jump rope, but credits volleyball for her timing. She played in middle school.
“It’s all about waiting for that person to release the ball,” Jones said. “The timing is natural now, it’s a habit. I try to block everyone’s shot in practice, but my coaches don’t like it. They say I’m getting beat on defense.”
Her coaches preach rebounding and working on her all-around game. Jones has taken this to heart, as for her it’s all about helping her team win.
“That’s kind of crazy to see all this stuff as a senior,” said Jones. “To be one of the best to come through UA. If I can do some of these things to help us win and get the accolades.”
Although, it’s definitely fun blocking a shot.
“I get an adrenaline rush,” said Jones. “Sometimes I want to see how far the block will go — maybe into the stands. Sometimes, they never want to let the ball go. I get pumped up to play better (when I make a block) and it gets my teammates going, especially with the highlight films — it pumps them up before games.
“Rebounding is an important part of the game. I have to get better on my offensive rebounding. We work a lot on rebounds—boxing out and getting the ball off the rim before it hits the ground. All of this has helped me be better with my rebounds.”
This isn’t a knock on her rebounding. Jones is good at that, too, as she is 48 away from sealing a place in UA’s all-time Top 10. She is averaging six rebounds per game for her career, which places her seventh on the UA career leaders list.
“She’s not that tall, but has the ability to understand how to contest a shot,” said assistant coach Salvo Coppa, who works individually with the taller players. “It’s all about the timing and she’s good at that, although rebounding is more important.
“Honestly, we don’t work on blocking. We work on inside moves to the basket, for her to face the basket, to be dangerous from the perimeter, boxing out and rebounding. At the end, the objective is for her to be an all-around player.”
The Italian-born Coppa has coached teams to the FIBA Cup Final 8, the Thailand National gold medal team in 2011, and the Sicily gold medal team at the Island Games. Through his international experience he is reminded of one special player when he looks at Jones.
“Tania Seino who played on the Cuban National team for two Olympics,” said Coppa. “I coached her in Italy and she was a great defender. She was physical and learned to be a good perimeter player. LaBrittney has a lot of the same characteristics. She can be as good as her with experience.”
UCLA’s Monique Billings is one of the Pac-12’s top shot blockers. This season, the 6-4 junior forward has grabbed 85 rebounds and blocked 13 shots. Jones is looking forward to this tough matchup on Jan. 29.
“She is a great rebounder,” said Jones. “She’s tall and bouncy and moves a lot. It will be a challenge to keep her off the boards.”
Jones is sixth in the Pac-12 in rebounding with 8.8 a game. Her average of two blocks a game puts her in third in the conference .
Jones’ favorite block came last year against Colorado. Jamee Swann, the former Marana High School star, was on the receiving end.
“That was a pretty good one,” said Jones. “Sometimes I feel like a hunter. I wait, get ready and get up there before I get contact with someone’s body, which I learned from volleyball.”
