Feb. 8, 2001

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Samford head women's basketball coach Janet Cone just smiles whenever senior forward/guard Wendi Wilcox shows up five minutes late for practice these days. Because Cone knows the team's co-captain is right on time.

Scheduled to graduate in May, exactly four years after she enrolled at Samford, Wilcox is fulfilling her student teaching requirement this semester at a local elementary school. Which requires the physical eduation major to put in a 7:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. workday before heading to Samford and a two-hour practice.

Versatility and hard work are nothing new for the Vestavia Hills native, however. From seventh grade until her sophomore year of high school, Wilcox says she went from "volleyball to basketball, from basketball to tennis." These days her schedule also includes making time for her sorority, community work and academic achievement.

And then there's basketball ...

"Wendi brings the intangibles of 'I'm gonna get after it ... Something good is going to happen,' every time she steps onto the court," Cone said of the player who has elevated her game to become Samford's third-leading scorer (7.3 ppg) and rebounder (4.2 rpg) this season. "She has maximized everything she does in her four years here and, and I'm thrilled to see that kind of person graduate from our program.

"She is everything you would want both in a player and as a person. I told her high school coach (Vestavia Hill's Fran Braasch) just today, 'Fran, send me another one like Wendi.'"

One of the original 15 student-athletes who comprised Samford's first-ever women's basketball team in 1997-98, the 5-foot-10 Wilcox signed with the history-making program after a stellar prep career at Vestavia Hills. Voted one of the top 12 senior players in Alabama by The Birmingham News, Wilcox says it was not her intention to attend an in-state university. Much less one only 10 miles down the road from her home.

A visit to the picturesque Birmingham campus on a sunny spring day quickly changed Wilcox's mind. So did Samford's academic reputation, as well as the chance to become a pioneer for the school's women's basketball program.

"Being a part of the first-ever team, forming those bonds of friendship with the players who started the program, winning our first game ever, against Wofford (in 1997), and taking the huge step of going 19-10, beating every team in our conference at least once and winning our first game in the TAAC tournament last year ... it's been a blast," said Wilcox, who competed in Samford's 100th game as a women's basketball program recently. "Sure, it's been a hard road sometimes, but the high points are what keep you going."

Such as Samford's three victories during its inaugural season, a campaign in which the true freshman saw action in all 26 games, 18 as a starter. The competitive Wilcox scored 11 points in a narrow 80-77 loss to Alabama State in the program's debut. Or the team's rally from an 0-11 start in 1998-99 to win seven out of the last 12 games. Last year's 19-10 record reflected the fifth-largest turnaround in Division I, a transformation that Wilcox was instrumental in paving.

A versatile athlete who has logged time at the two-, three- and four-guard positions, Wilcox also brings a strong defensive presence to the starting lineup. The player's hard work during the offseason has gone a long way in improving her quickness and strength, and ultimately has contributed to Wilcox missing only one practice and one game due to injury during her four-year career. Unselfishness, leadership and dedication, both on and off the court, also are attributes Cone is likely to impart when describing the team's co-captain.

Those traits apparently apply to Wilcox's academic pursuit as well. Taking the maximum number of hours, or more, each semester, the senior will graduate after earning academic all-conference honors all four years. The enthusiastic Wilcox also has been known to send her coach e-mails with words of appreciation or motivational messages, whether the team has just been victorious in its 100th game as a program or stuggling to a 5-14 performance this season.

"Ten years from now, we won't remember any of the records. Because that's not what's been most important," Wilcox said of her time at Samford. "Records don't show what we've accomplished as a team ... or as a program."

Special thanks to The Birmingham News for permission to reprint