North Carolina State University Athletics
Bell Is Glue For Pack
2/11/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 11, 2005
RALEIGH, N.C. -
Yow's Glue
By Chennelle Miller
Senior Kendra Bell is a point guard for NC State. If fans have not noticed the 5-foot-5 player wearing jersey number 30 commanding the floor, they have missed what head coach Kay Yow considers to be the "glue" of the 2004-05 team.
Coach Yow sees Bell as more than a scorer, although Bell is plenty capable of contributing points. She is averaging 7.4 points per game after 19 games and is shooting 40 percent from the floor. Bell is a leader on the court, a calming presence amidst an intense atmosphere. She not only has to keep herself and her four teammates calm, but also serves as a reassurance to the bench and the coaching staff on the sidelines. As Coach Yow communicates plays and sets to Bell, Bell then in turn relays those instructions to the players in the game. Yow is so confident in Bell that she keeps her on the court more than any other player on the team. Bell has played in six games throughout her career for more than 40 minutes at a time. The Fayetteville, N.C. native has played in four games this season in which she has played 40 or more minutes. She is just one of five players in the ACC to accomplish such a feat. Bell averages over 30 minutes a game, more than any other NC State player. In addition to that, Bell leads the team in assists and assist/turnover ratio. Her solid play is a result of credible persistence and experience.
This is Bell's fourth-year with the Wolfpack and second as the team's starting point guard. In the last two seasons she has started all but three games and two of those were due to mononucleosis during the ACC Tournament last season. With all that experience is no surprise to see Bell as a calming and reassuring presence during her court time. Her patient guidance is a true reflection of her mentor, Coach Yow.
"I feel like I am an extension of her [Coach Yow] on the court," said Bell. "I have been with her for four years and I know what she expecting. I just try to relay that to my teammates."
Bell had the opportunity to gain additional experience working with Coach Yow and her teammates when the group traveled to Italy and Greece last spring. The co-captain, nearly led NC State to an upset of the 2004 Olympic semifinalists, the Greek National Team. The four games overseas allowed Bell to formulate a chemical bond within the team and with the coaching staff. In an environment that was adorned with only a small crowd of at times less than 50 people, Bell kept her team involved and focused. They were forced to rely on each other for support. To this day Bell believes playing in that type of atmosphere may have something to do with the team's success over ranked opponents and on the road this season.
"I think playing overseas has helped in our tough road games," commented Bell. "When we were in Greece it was just us relying on each other for support. So now when we travel to face teams on the road, the situation seems very similar. The crowds are against us, but we are there for each other."
NC State is enjoying its best season since 1999-2000 and made its first appearance in the Associated Press Top 25 poll for the first time since Dec. 17, 2001. The Wolfpack has shown that a team's success is not dependent on one or two individuals, but as a whole. And Bell, as the team's "glue" is there to keep the team together.
"Every time I step onto the court, my goal is to keep everyone together," said Bell. "I want to help accomplish what the team and Coach Yow wants."
Bell realizes it takes a team to win and she will be there to make sure her team stays glued together.
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