Illinois Standout Allison Curtin Transfers to Tulsa
8/23/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Aug. 23, 2001
Tulsa, Oklahoma - University of Tulsa Head Basketball Coach Kathy McConnell-Miller announced today that Allison Curtin has transferred to Tulsa from the University of Illinois. Curtin will sit out the 2001-02 season, and have one year of eligibility in 2002-03.
A two-time all-Big Ten First Team performer, Curtin led the Illini to two NCAA Tournament second-round appearances in 1999 and 2000 and to a WNIT berth in 2001. The five-foot, 11-inch guard started 72 of 97 games played and led the Illini in scoring the past two seasons. She leaves Illinois as the school's all-time leader in steals with 252 and ranks fifth on the all-time scoring list with 1,529 points, fourth in three-pointers (114) and ninth in assists (311).
"To coach Allison Curtin again is something I never thought I would have the opportunity to do when I decided to leave Illinois and become the head coach at Tulsa," said McConnell-Miller. She is a dream to coach. I have not coached many players with Allison's God given talent, determination, work ethic and personality. That combination is what makes her one of the premier women's basketball players throughout the country.
"Although she will have to sit out this season, she will have an immediate impact on our program. She will raise the standard of play in our practices and will also pay huge dividends in our recruiting. Our present players bonded with her immediately and welcomed her as their teammate. With Allison's post-season experience over the past few years, she will assist in leading this team to a WAC Championship and the NCAA Tournament," McConnell-Miller added.
In 2000-2001, Curtin was named to the all-Big Ten First Team for the second straight season. She completed the regular season ranked among the top 10 players in the conference in scoring (8th, 14.4 ppg), steals (2nd, 3.04 spg), assists (7th, 4.18 apg), free throw percentage (9th, .768) and 3-point field goal percentage (10th, .348). She ranked first in the Big Ten with an average of 3.31 steals per game against conference foes.
Curtin earned the Team's MVP award for the second consecutive year and garnered the Ralf Woods Free Throw Trophy for the third straight season. She tied a Big Ten Tournament scoring record by amassing a career-high 35 points vs. Iowa, and ranks second in Big Ten Tournament history with 179 points, just 31 behind Purdue's Katie Douglas. In five post-season games last season, she scored 126 points for a 25.2 ppg average. Curtin scored her 1,000th career point in the season opener against Clemson.
"I'm very excited about coming to Tulsa," Curtin said, "My parents and I really enjoyed our trip to Tulsa and quickly fell in love with the city and the campus environment. We really liked the players and the assistant coaches. My mom thought Tulsa was a little piece of heaven. I know Coach McConnell-Miller very well. She recruited me to Illinois when she was an assistant coach for the Illini and I'm excited about playing for her at Tulsa.
"I'm leaving Illinois because of some differences with coach (Theresa) Grentz. I feel that it's best for me to transfer at this time."
As a sophomore, Curtin was named First Team All-Big Ten by the Coaches and Second Team All-Big Ten by the media. She ranked third in the Big Ten in scoring (17.5 ppg), third in steals (90), which ranks second on the school's single-season list, and was fourth in the conference in free throw shooting (.821). She earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors after averaging 22 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 3.0 steals per game in wins over Boston College, Duquesne and Notre Dame.
In her first season at Illinois, she was named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team and was selected as the University of Illinois' "Newcomer of the Year". Curtin was named to the Big Ten All-Tournament team after averaging 22.3 points in three games. She broke Big Ten Tournament records for three-point percentage in a game (1.000, 4 of 4), and tournament (1.000, 5 of 5). Curtin set a new Illinois freshman record with 400 points, breaking the old mark of 373.
Curtin was named Ms. Basketball for the state of Illinois after she averaged 29 points, 10 rebounds and five steals as a senior at Taylorville (Ill.) High School. She was named first-team all-state by the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times and the Champaign News-Gazette. She earned 11 varsity letters in high school, including four in track and three in cross country.
