Glogovac hopes to go out a state champ

VIRGINIA CITY - Gigi Glogovac is playing her last week of high school basketball, and her emotions are going up and down like a roller-coaster.

"I'm really excited," she said earlier this week. "Hopefully it's going to end well. No girls basketball team has ever won a state title at Virginia City, and I really would like to be a part of that excitement to see how it turns out.

"No matter what it will be sad. I'll miss being around the girls. I'll miss being part of a team and being all together as a group."

That's Glogovac in a nutshell. She screams team. Her main concern is hoisting that state trophy up in the air early Saturday evening. Nothing else matters.

It would be only fitting for Northern Nevada's top 1A player , who averages 20 points a game, to go out a champion. A big reward for the hours of work that she has put in.

"I've had a number of people tell me how easy she makes things look," Virginia City coach Todd Hess said "She is the hardest working player I've ever had. We'll have an intense 2-hour practice and then she'll spend another hour or 90 minutes working on her own.

"On Sundays, she spends three hours in the gym by herself. I'm concerned that she pushes herself too hard physically. She's the most internally driven player I've ever had."

The Sunday practice has been a ritual for Glogovac throughout high school. Even though the Muckers might play two or three games a week, you will still find her sharpening her skills on Sunday, a day of rest for most people.

"I love playing basketball," she said. "Coach (Hess) will give me drills to work on. I definitely shoot as much as I can."

If somebody locked up the gym on Sundays, Glogovac might go through withdrawals.

Known just as an outside shooter the last couple of seasons, Glogovac also has become a more complete player on offense this year. And, she has taken on the role of team leader, according to Hess.

"This year her role changed," Hess said. "Last year she was more of a catch-and-shoot player. She's creating more on her own.

"She's taken on a strong role as a leader and our captain. She makes adjustments on the floor, (she) is like a coach on the floor. She has a great basketball mind. It's (being a leader) not a natural role for her, but she has had a huge effect in our locker room."

And, she's averaging around 10 rebounds a game.

"I'm trying to fill my sister's role (Sophie, a starting post player last year)," Glogovac said. "She was a good athlete."

One wonders what Glogovac would have done if she attended school at Carson or Douglas. Would she have scored as much? Would she have started?

"It's gone through my head, definitely," Glogovac said. "Being at a small school, I've gotten so many more opportunities. I don't regret coming to Virginia City."

Carson High's Gina Bianchi played in a summer league with the Virginia City girls, and said Glogovac is the real deal.

"For sure, she could have played," Bianchi said. "She just understands basketball."

Glogovac is realistic. She knows she has to continue to work hard and keep improving her game.

"I'm not perfect," she said. "I turn the ball over a lot and I miss too many shots. I do all that I can to help out the team. If I keep working, I'll get better at dribbling, at shooting and playing better defense. Ballhandling can always get better. I don't think anybody has the perfect dribble."

Despite her gaudy stats the past two years, Glogovac, if she opts to play basketball next year, is likely to end up at a junior college. Glogovac is fighting the tag of being a big fish in a small pond. There are always doubts that small-school players can make the jump to higher levels of play.

"After the season is over, we're going to take a trip and see as many school as possible to see if one is a good fit," Hess said. "That's the way it is. Division I schools aren't going to offer. The level of play can't be simulated (in a game or practice). The best thing to do is get in there with some of their players at the schools we visit, and we're going to do that in March."

One of the schools Glogovac will visit is College of the Siskiyous, located in Weed, Calif., near Mt. Shasta. She has also talked to the coach at Feather River College.

"If I play basketball, I know it will be at a JC or small college," said Glogovac, who is interested in becoming a pediatric nurse. "I might end up going to UNR with the Millennium Scholarship and just focus on academics, but it has always been my dream to play basketball in college. Academics are important to me. If I can find a school that offers me what I want to do, and if there is basketball, then it's a bonus.

"If I play JC basketball, it will prepare me if I want to transfer and play basketball at a bigger school."

How well she plays at the next level could depend on where a coach puts her, according to Hess.

"She's a 6-foot player," Hess said. "She has played all five spots on the floor at various times. They will have to decide whether she is a 2 or 3 (shooting guard or small forward) or possibly even a point guard."

Glogovac wouldn't care where she plays, she just wants a chance to play.