Hanks brings size, shot to Big Green

As the Penn women's basketball team prepares to host its first two league games of the season this weekend, some of the best young talent in the Ancient Eight will be on display. Freshman sensation Hana Peljto of Harvard and Dartmouth sophomore Katharine Hanks will lead their respective teams into the Palestra. And the two represent serious threats to the Quakers' 11-game winning streak, as well as their unblemished 4-0 Ivy League record. But while Peljto has been impressive in her rookie campaign, it is Hanks who has proven herself to be one of the most dominant players in the conference for two years in a row. In her first-ever collegiate game at Kent on November 19, 1999, Hanks made her mark on NCAA basketball with a 30 point, 11 rebound effort that landed her in the history books. She became only the second Dartmouth player to ever score 30 or more in her debut, and the first in over 20 years. The 6'1" forward/center would continue her steady play throughout the season, as Hanks helped her Big Green squad win its third consecutive league championship last year. Along the way, she also earned Ivy League Rookie of the Year honors, an award that Penn's Jewel Clark and Peljto figure to be vying for in the 2000-2001 season. "I thought she was as good a freshman as anyone last year in the country," Penn head coach Kelly Greenberg said. Hanks, a Washington, D.C. native, and current resident of Detroit, was no stranger to success entering college. Not only did the sophomore standout win a state basketball title in her senior year at Detroit Country Day School, but she accomplished the very same feat with her varsity soccer team. Hanks' versatility and athleticism -- she also played volleyball in high school -- translates extremely well to the basketball court. She can beat you by breaking you down off the dribble, or by using her strength to push you out of position down low in the post. "She can score in a couple different ways," said Penn senior forward Diana Caramanico, who will likely draw the assignment of defending Hanks in at least some instances on Saturday night. "She can put it on the floor and play like a guard, and then she also goes inside, bangs, rebounds, finishes and can be very blue-collar," Greenberg said. Hanks will bring a healthy 15.8 points per game scoring average into the Big Green's weekend games against Penn and Princeton. No one else on her team has been able to average any better than 9.5 points per contest. And Hanks has averaged a club-high 8.4 rebounds this season. This marks an improvement over last year's impressive statistics, when Hanks recorded 15.4 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. "She's their go-to player," Penn senior guard Claire Cavanaugh said. "We are focusing a lot on her." And that's certainly with good reason. Although the Quakers are currently spending most of their time concentrating on tomorrow's opponent, Harvard, they would love to avenge last year's two losses to the Big Green. Hanks played a big hand in both of the Dartmouth victories, scoring 19 in each game. The Red and Blue are optimistic about their chances this year, though, as they feel that they still have an advantage at forward. "She kind of plays like Di," Penn co-captain and reigning Ivy League Player of the Week Erin Ladley said. Cavanaugh, standing beside the senior guard, added, "But I have no doubt that Di would win that matchup."

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