by Jens Deju
Katie Berwanger is a junior on the SIU women's basketball team. Berwanger missed the entire 2000-2001 season due to a partial ACL tear and missed much of the beginning of this season before returning earlier than expected to the court. She recently took some time off to speak to Jens Deju of the Daily Egyptian.
Daily Egyptian: How would you describe yourself as a player?
Katie Berwanger: I guess intensity. I just like to keep real intense and hustle. I'm not really a big scorer or anything like that.
DE: Off the court?
KB: Always smiling, fun. I'm a goofball. I always get teased about being kind of wacky, and I'm always trying to make someone laugh.
DE: Do you have any superstitions?
KB: Not really. Some people like to do the socks and the underwear or whatever, but I'd just rather have my stuff clean.
DE: Obviously you guys don't get the fan support you'd like here, but how grateful are you for the people who do show up every week?
KB: When you don't get a lot of fans and you're having a season like we're having, then you know every fan that's in there is just the most supportive person in the world of you. I'd rather have the number of fans that we have that are as supportive as they are than have 3,000 fans in there, because you know each and every one of them is rooting for you, so that's real important.
DE: How tough have the past couple of years been for you with your knee injury?
KB: It's been real hard because as a freshman you don't get a lot of minutes and you have a lot of practicing. We didn't have a great season that year either, and then my sophomore year, I really felt like I improved a lot and I was really going to come out and get to do some damage and right before our first game, I damaged my knee. Then I was working all towards this year and then the same thing happened, so it's a big disappointment. All I wanted to do when I came back was try to make a difference and it hasn't happened yet.
DE: How much work did it take for you to be able to come back this year when it was thought at first you'd be lost for the season?
KB: The biggest thing is the risk factor. You're working towards coming back, but at the same time, you know that if you do come back, you have more of a risk factor if you're not out for that five to eight months, and I was only out for four months. With this being my second knee surgery, I kind of feel like I'm balancing and teeter-tottering back and forth. I really want to play, but at the same time, if I damage my knee again, what's going to happen? It's just hard mentally, and sitting out is always hard because I'm a competitor and I can't stand to sit on the bench. But I'm back now, so I'm happy.
DE: What's it like to have to play with the big brace you have wear on your leg?
KB: I try not to notice it, but it's annoying. I was real fast and I'm not quite as fast as I used to be, so I've got to make a lot of adjustments as far as playing someone defensively and even offensively. My coaches say it's good that I slow down on offense a little bit.
DE: Favorite actor?
KB: Mel Gibson is one of my favorites probably.
DE: Favorite movie?
KB: I don't really have a favorite movie. I like "Love and Basketball." That's kind of the big one the basketball team's been watching, so I'll say "Love and Basketball."
DE: Favorite TV show?
KB: I watch "Seinfeld" a lot and "The Simpsons," big "Simpsons" fan. When I watch TV, I just want something that takes absolutely no thought.
DE: Favorite musician?
KB: I'm real into the Dixie Chicks right now. I listen to a lot of Dixie Chicks. I've never listened to country before I came down here, so it's kind of new.
DE: Favorite local restaurant?
KB: Oh gosh, there's so many. I'm a big fan of Quatros - a big fan.
Reporter Jens Deju can be reached at jdeju@dailyegyptian.com
Published on 11/17/05; 12:24:44 PM
