She Should Wear Rose-Colored Glasses

Big things are expected of Kristi Rose this season at Cal State Northridge.

But such is life for the 6-foot-4 Rose, a transfer from Utah and post player the likes of which the Matador women’s basketball team has never seen.

Rose, a Times’ All-Valley selection as a senior at Palmdale High, played three seasons for the Utes, leading the Western Athletic Conference in blocked shots as a sophomore. She sat out last season under NCAA rules, sitting on the Northridge bench for home games while anticipation of her debut as a Matador senior mounted.

If Rose, a good shooter and remarkably versatile for her size, will deliver seems anything but doubtful.

Except, sometimes, for herself.

“I love being tall, but I used to hate it,” Rose said. “I’ve been tall my whole life. I was 5-11 in the seventh grade and I used to get teased and picked on a lot. I think that’s why a lot of times my self-esteem isn’t as high as it should be.”

Northridge (2-4), trying to overcome a slow start, plays San Diego (2-1) on Saturday at Northridge. Rose boasts team-high averages of 14.3 points and 8.7 rebounds, numbers indicative of the size advantage she enjoys over almost every opponent.

The Matadors, picked to finish second in the Big Sky Conference, have struggled to jell and have played poorly in spots. Coach Frozena Jerro, who guided Northridge to a Big Sky title in 1999 and the conference title game last season, is shuffling a lineup filled with newcomers.

But it all centers around Rose.

“You can’t have a player of that caliber and not make her a focal part of your team,” Jerro said. “I want her to bring all the things she’s capable of doing to this team. I don’t know if it’s that she has low self-esteem, she just asks a lot of herself.”

Rose characteristically shoulders the blame for the team’s shortcomings.

“It’s not that I don’t think I’m good enough to be here,” Rose said. “Everyone is telling me I am. But there are a lot of times I doubt myself and I don’t believe I’m one of the better players out there. Sometimes I just think, ‘Why am I starting? I don’t deserve to start.’

“I shouldn’t have that attitude. I’m one of the best post players on this team and I have to play like it every game.”

Therein lies the challenge for Jerro, who has tried to encourage her new standout.

“She just gets too hard on herself and it gets to the point where I’m cautious,” Jerro said. “I know how hard she is on herself at certain times. I don’t think Kristi is comfortable being a vocal leader, but she leads by example. You look at her and she does kind of stand out a little.”

Quite an understatement, if you ask Rose. A lifetime of being high profile has had its drawbacks.

Rose recalls being denied access to rides at amusement parks because of her size. In high school, she sometimes was mistaken for a teacher.

“I couldn’t get on the little kiddie rides at Magic Mountain because I was too big,” she said. “My Mom would say, ‘Come on, she’s 4 years old!’ It’s like I never got to be a kid.”

Rose was a three-year starter for Palmdale, averaging 15.5 points as a senior and leading the Falcons to a third consecutive Golden League title.

At Utah, Rose made an immediate impact as a reserve her freshman year. But she grew frustrated being a role player rather than a go-to gal. That and increasing homesickness led to her leaving before her senior year.

“I felt if I went somewhere else, they could use me a lot more than Utah would use me,” Rose said. “I worked extra hard at Utah, but it was like my hard work wasn’t paying off.”

ReShawnda Richardson, a Northridge guard, played at Utah with Rose for one season before transferring to a junior college.

Richardson was happily reunited with Rose after transferring to Northridge last season.

“Kristi just wants to get the job done,” Richardson said. “Some of the things she’s starting to do are resembling what I saw her do at Utah. Certain things are familiar.

“She’s very versatile. She has a million moves in the post and she can shoot three-pointers like a guard.”

Rose figures to post up against a few familiar faces during Big Sky play. Rose played in several nonconference games against Big Sky teams while at Utah. Yet, she won’t likely match up against a player her size in conference play.

Playing against smaller defenders sometimes poses problems for Rose.

“Sometimes, when I have someone shorter than me guarding me, I’ll try these fadeaway jumpers and do all these little things instead of taking the ball to the basket,” she said. “So, I’m not using my height to my advantage.

“All last night I was thinking about it. It’s totally mental with me. If I really want to do something, I’ll do it. It’s just a matter of getting to the point where I think I’m better than anybody.”

Those close to Rose expect her to dominate important games. The Matadors, she said, will come around, too.

“I like the talent on this team,” she said. “Once everybody figures out how to play together, we’re going to be so awesome.”

Bold words for Rose.

“Well,” she said, “I’m talking about my team now.”