Height not enough to earn spot under basket for Bishop
Kentucky Wildcats forward/center Azia Bishop (50) shoots a layup during the second half of UK Hoops vs. Duke at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky., on Sunday, December 22, 2013. Photo by Emily Wuetcher
October 22, 2014
By Kevin Erpenbeck
With the graduation of center Samarie Walker and forward DeNesha Stallworth after the 2013-14 season, a hole opened up under the basket for a tall, forceful player to take their place. Senior 6-foot-3 center Azia Bishop looked to be the candidate to step up and fill that hole.
But prior to this season, UK Hoops head coach Matthew Mitchell brought in 6-foot-6 transfer center Ivana Jakubcova from Murray State as Walker’s supposed replacement, along with 6-foot-3 freshman center Alyssa Rice to add depth to the position. With Bishop contributing very little to the offense last season as a backup to Walker and Stallworth (5.3 points a game), it’s hard to find where the consistent playing time is going to come from for the veteran center this year.
Bishop was inconsistent when she stepped in for the two bigs last season. While her playing time was short (averaged just under 16 minutes a game), the Toledo, Ohio native was still hard-pressed to find an offensive flow to her game, often shooting at or below the .300 range.
There were plenty of opportunities where Bishop had the chance to improve her offense and cement her status as a possible starter after Walker and Stallworth left. Walker was often in foul trouble during each game in which she started, leaving Bishop to fill the center position and play in all 35 games last season.
But Bishop could only contribute to blocks (a team-high 41) and rebounds (averaging 5.3 a game) during her 2013 playing time. Naturally, a majority of her numbers came because of her height alone. But that height didn’t add to her shooting accuracy around the basket.
With the introduction of Jakubcova, Bishop will no longer have a height advantage, and her numbers in blocks and rebounds might not nearly be as high as they were last season, if she even finds a way to replicate her 2013-14 average playing time.
Bishop showed signs of promise toward the end of the season, going 15-for-29 in her final seven games while still contributing with blocks and rebounds. The improvement of her game gave a glimmer of hope of Bishop contributing to the team during her final year at UK, perhaps even at the forward position alongside Jakubcova.
But that’s only possible if the improved and consistent Bishop carries over into the 2014-15 season. If that version of the senior center doesn’t make an appearance, then her preexisting height advantage on the team will be a nonfactor as she slides further down on the bench.
