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LOU MISSELHORNFormer Wharton standout Candice Dupree has recovered from a broken foot and is anxious to rejoin her Temple teammates.
PHILADELPHIA - Candice Dupree was wet with sweat when she called home to Tampa, and playing full-court pickup never felt better to the former Wharton player. The 6-foot-2 Dupree hadn't gone this hard since the winter, when a broken left foot halted a promising freshman season at Temple University. Trainers said she needed more rest, but Dupree figured 51/2 months was long enough. She was right.
"It was great to finally go against some competition, to finally have someone come out and play defense on you," Dupree said of the mid-July workout.
Doctors cleared her to play Aug. 6.
As a healthy freshman Dupree led the Owls (14-15) in rebounding and was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team.
In hindsight, all the sitting and waiting wasn't such a pain. The layoff made Dupree appreciate the game more. She trained hard to grow stronger and more durable, and she's focused on the upcoming season.
"At first (the layoff) was a problem," said Dupree, who remained in Philadelphia for the summer to attend classes. "But now I see it as a positive. It's pushing me. I want to be the one bullying people in the post this year."
She bench-presses 120 pounds, a 45-pound gain from the fall. She's a wiry 170 pounds, but her muscles are toned and she's 5 pounds heavier than last season. She runs 2 miles a day, five times a week.
Temple coach Dawn Staley appreciates a hungrier Dupree. Her pupil plays with poise in the paint. Her array of inside moves, including a feathery hook shot, might even land her in the pros one day. But Staley said Dupree needs to push herself more, to go beyond her comfort level.
"I want her to be more aggressive," said Staley, a former U.S. Olympic player and current WNBA All-Star guard. "I want her to make aggressive mistakes."
A starter in Temple's first 18 games, Dupree averaged 7.6 rebounds and was third in scoring (10.4), including a team-high 23 points against Boston College, where she played before a throng of family members.
Then came the Feb. 1 practice. Stepping out to play defense, she planted her left foot. It turned over and broke. Her season was over.
Dupree began moping on the bench, staring at the floorboards, head resting on her chin. Sitting wasn't something she did in high school. What good could come of this, she thought.
Think, assistant coach Ervin Monier told her. Watch and think. Count how many times they throw the ball to the post, he said. Count shots. See how many times the defense fronts the post. See how the game is played.
"She's a bright kid and she's open to what you have to say to her," Monier said. "I think she has a better understanding of basketball, that it's not just something you play."
Dupree, who turned 19 Tuesday, agreed.
"He knows I get bored easily," Dupree said. "But I started to see what the coaches are talking about and what I had to do."
Dupree's mother, Patty Mungenast, hears about it nearly every day when her daughter calls home. Instead of having to offer encouragement, Mungenast simply listens as Dupree talks about her training regiment, the upcoming season and the ability to play again.
"She has," Mungenast said, "new blood in her system."