Janowski Rebounds From Injuries

This was supposed to be the year Rose Janowski exploded onto the Harvard women's basketball scene. She was finally to put last season's troubles behind her and start playing ball.

Janowski thought health problems--like the previously undetected tumor in her abdomen that required immediate surgery last fall and kept her out much of last season--were a thing of the past when this year's squad faced Boston College in a season-opening exhibition contest.

She started the game, but 17 seconds into it, took an elbow to the face that broke the lower orbital bone of her right eye and left her vision blurred for days.

"I remember when she hurt her eye in the B.C. game, I sat with her at the end of the bench but she just wanted to talk about the game," co-captain Kelly Black says. "She never wanted anyone to pay any attention to her."

Janowski spent the night in excruciating pain at three different hospitals, before doctors finally decided that the eye itself had not been damaged.

Once again, Janowski was forced to focus on recovery rather than on the season ahead of her.

"The worst part is watching others play. If I were only at 75 percent, I'd be okay, but with the injury I couldn't be out there at all," Janowski says.

Rose rejoined the team the week of the regular season opener, while she still was seeing double whenever she looked up or down. She played 13 minutes in that game, and has started each game since.

The 6-2 Janowski has spent most of her playing time on the blocks, at center and power forward, and so has had to play physically and aggressively despite a tender right eye and limited playing experience. Re-joining the team has been a difficult process after being out of game situations for so long.

"I'm not used to the hustle and bustle [on the court], but I'm feeling better about my game each week," Janowski says.

Last year's tumor was more than any athlete can expect to endure, and the eye injury this year came at the absolute wrong time, and is still a constant hindrance on the court, but Janowski tries hard to roll with the punches.

"It's like someone wants me out there [on the court], but someone else keeps taking me away," Janowski says light-heartedly, making it seem as though she's willing to take anything that comes to her.

"I think the coolest thing about Rose is that she always has a positive attitude about everything," Black says. "It's hard when you're injured to keep a smile on your face. I think that's why she's able to jump right back in."

However the seemingly endless problems do take their toll on her.

"I'm definitely a little bit frustrated," Janowski admits after a while.

Despite the injury, Janowski has averaged about 20 minutes per game this year. She leads the Crimson with six blocked shots, and is second on the team with 20 rebounds.

Her shooting touch has not fully returned, however, as she is shooting only 36 percent from the floor, but the team is really helped by her size and strong play in the paint.

Now that Janowski is back in the lineup, she has had to deal with taking on the role of a starter after not practicing with the team in the preseason, but this too she seems to accept without losing any sleep.

"The coach said [I] need to step up for the team this year," Janowski says of the increased demands placed on her this year. "But [she's not putting pressure on me] to do anything differently."

"Rose is a big part of our offense," Black says. "It's very hard for any team to match up with the three of us (Janowski, Black and Feaster)."

Janowski still looks up to others on the team for leadership and help even as she is beginning to emerge as one of the pillars in the middle of the Crimson lineup.

"I still have a lot to learn. There's always something that someone else is better at, and that I can learn from," Janowski says in her typical, modest manner.

"I definitely believe that she's one of the best post players in the Ivy League," Black says. "But in our offense, no one has to do a lot. Our lineup is so balanced that there's room. She is a sophomore. You can't put undue pressure on people, especially an underclassmen."

Janowski also has seen no troubles re-joining a team that played together without her throughout the preseason.

"So many people have had injuries on this team, we've all gotten used to it."

Hopefully the team's injuries are behind them as the Crimson leave today for Arizona to play in the Copper Bowl Classic this weekend.