Gators Freshman Guard Bonds is a Straight Shooter
Wednesday, March 2, 2011 | Women's Basketball, Scott Carter
Ask Florida freshman guard Jaterra Bonds about her first season with the Gators, and the answers come as no surprise to those who know her best.
How long did it take Bonds to fit in?
“I felt good my first game,'' Bonds replied.
A closer look reveals she did make an immediate impact for the Gators, scoring 15 points in her collegiate debut against UCF in mid-November.
“I knew I could play with them, but I wanted to see if the things I do would still work the way they did in high school,'' she said. “When I saw they were, I felt the confidence.''
Ask Bonds when she truly started to feel comfortable in her role as a combo guard, she says it happened in her SEC debut when the Gators faced Arkansas – their opponent in the first round of the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament on Thursday in Nashville, Tenn. – in early January.
More research reveals that Bonds had a stellar performance that day with nine points, a career-high eight rebounds and two assists as Florida upset the No. 22-ranked Razorbacks at the O'Connell Center.
Ask Bonds what the biggest adjustment she has been forced to make since arriving at UF following a standout career at Gainesville's P.K. Yonge High, and Bonds shoots straight.
It's not the additional travel or full class load or improved competition or the intense practice schedule. Nope, it's the way she releases her shot.
“The only thing I would say that I have had to change is pulling up quicker, getting my shot off quicker – and running the team in a better way,'' she said. “I try to do it all.''
Florida coach Amanda Butler might have a different opinion in certain areas, but one thing she knows about Bonds is that the feisty 5-foot-7 playmaker isn't short on confidence or potential.
Despite her college career being just 30 games old, Butler calls Bonds the Gators' best defensive player, a combination of quickness and toughness that you can't teach.
“Whoever is hot on the other team, Jaterra is who I want guarding them,'' Butler said Tuesday prior leaving for Nashville.
While Bonds' work on defense is crucial for the Gators to make a run in the SEC Tournament, she also plays a critical role on offense. Bonds has started 13 games but has spent the past month as the first guard coming off the bench.
Sometimes Butler needs her to run the point, making sure she gets the ball to the Gators' hot shooter. Other times the Gators need Bonds to be the one taking the shots. The latter was the case in Sunday's regular-season finale against No. 22-ranked Georgia.
The Gators' offense needed points, and Bonds was more than happy to oblige, scoring a career-high 22 points in UF's 74-71 win. Bonds tied a freshman school record with five three-pointers, scoring the most points since those 15 she tallied in her college debut more than three months ago.
Asked if she had been waiting on that kind of breakout game, Bonds replied: “I wasn't waiting. It could have happened in any game.''
Sounds like a scorer.
“She can sense when we need her to be point guard and to lead the team instead of other people, and make sure other people are doing the right things and getting the people who are hot the ball,'' Butler said. “And [she knows how] to balance it out with the nights when it's her game.
“The thing that ties both of those nights together, and that won't waver, is that she is our best defender.''
Bonds drew interest from other programs coming out of high school, including a late run from Rutgers and veteran coach C. Vivian Stringer. While she flirted with the thought of leaving home and playing somewhere else, Bonds felt a strong bond with Butler and wanted to play her college ball close to home.
When the Gators are at the O'Connell Center, Bonds often has a large group of family and friends in the stands cheering her on.
“It feels just like a high school game with everybody I know at every game,'' she said.
While Bonds isn't lacking for confidence, she did join Florida's program with some hefty credentials to back up her talent. She led P.K. Yonge to a state championship her final season. She averaged 16.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists, helping P.K. Yonge win its first state title in 27 years by scoring 23 points in the Class 2A title game against the Community School of Naples.
All those qualities wrapped up made Bonds a top priority for Butler and her staff on the recruiting trail. But there's more to Bonds than what people see on game day.
“The biggest thing with Jaterra is that she wants to learn, and she wants to be coached,'' Butler said. “I can get onto her, show her things, and she is immediately trying to make changes to be a better basketball player for herself and her team.
“She doesn't take it personal and go into a shell.''
Bonds in a shell is difficult to imagine once you meet her.
