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Seminoles count on talking point

Coach Semrau has encouraged guard Petra Hofmann to expand her leadership role.

By BRIAN LANDMAN

© St. Petersburg Times, published November 17, 2000

TALLAHASSEE -- Florida State point guard Petra Hofmann knows the score only too well.

On a team with a talented and uncommonly deep frontcourt, led by All-America candidate Brooke Wyckoff at small forward and standout April Traylor at shooting guard, the lone missing ingredient appears to be the savvy playmaker.

Everything hinges on that: a winning season, which would be the first since 1991-92; and respectability in the Atlantic Coast Conference, where FSU has finished in the top five one time, in 1992.

The ball is in Hofmann's hands.

"I know the expectations and I feel kind of weird about it," said Hofmann, a junior college transfer from Cowley County (Kan.) College by way of Hungary. "I know I have to get stronger and faster and I have a lot of things to learn."

FSU coaches and players hope Hofmann is a quick learner.

"Petra has such an astute knowledge of the game that she doesn't just run the play, she plays the game," coach Sue Semrau said.

"She's so smart out there on the court," said Traylor, who was forced to play point guard last season, "and she has great poise."

No one should be surprised.

Hofmann, 20, led her Hungarian high school to a national title, and she played on Hungary's junior national team since age 14.

She also played at one of the nation's best JUCO programs. Hofmann played both guard positions as a freshman, teaming with All-American and current Southern Cal senior Ayeshia Smith. Last season, she played strictly point guard and averaged 10.8 points, 7 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 3.2 steals. Cowley County finished 30-3 and won the Jayhawk Conference title.

"We already miss her," Cowley County coach Darin Spence said. "She's got a great feel and understanding and not a lot fazes her. Up five, down five, you'd never know the difference. Her expression never changes."

The one area she had to work on the most was her speech.

Her English is fine, but she is unassuming and speaking up isn't easy for her.

"I want to do well and sometimes, I want to do it so badly that things just aren't happening the way I want them to," she said. "Sometimes it's difficult because I'm scared to talk, scared to say stuff to the players because I'm new here."

Spence said Hofmann didn't have to be vocal as a freshman, not with Smith around, and he was "pretty hard" on her last season for being a bit reticent.

"But when the big games came, she did it; she'd let everybody know where they need to be and what they need to do," he said.

Semrau has made a point to tell her new point guard in front of the entire team that she expects her to speak out.

"Hopefully it's given her more freedom and confidence to do that with a new group of people," Semrau said. "This is a mature group we have and they respect who she is and what she's done already. You can see that.

"It obviously was a missing element for us in the past, having a kid who didn't need to score. With April at the point, her mentality is a scoring mentality and we needed to utilize that. Petra fills a desire everybody has had."

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