Former Scarlet Knight Pointer Added to Columbia Staff
Sep 24 | Women's Basketball
NEW YORK, NY - Former Rutgers point guard Tasha Pointer has been named an assistant coach for the Columbia women's basketball program, head coach Traci Waites announced.
Pointer (1997-2001) posted career totals of 1,456 points (eighth all time at Rutgers), 839 assists (first), 292 steals (first), 257 free throws made (third) and 531 free throws attempted (tied-third), playing in 129 games (tied-third) during her four-year career 'On the Banks.' She recorded four triple-doubles during her career, the most in BIG EAST history, and ranks third in assists (460) and 14th in steals (154) on the BIG EAST regular-season charts. She was named one of 15 members of the BIG EAST Conference Silver Anniversary Team last March.
Pointer led RU to four trips to the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the second round in 2001, the Sweet Sixteen in 1998, the Elite Eight in 1999 and the Final Four in 2000. She was named an honorable mention Associated Press All-American in 2000 and 2001, earned first-team all-BIG EAST honors in 1999 and 2001, and was the BIG EAST Rookie of the Year in 1998.
Most recently, Pointer attended the preseason camp of the WNBA's New York Liberty this past spring and played for the Chicago Blaze of the NWBL during the winter of 2003-2004. Last season with the Blaze, she appeared in 19 games, averaging 7.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. A 2001 draft selection of the WNBA's Portland Fire, Pointer has been involved with many basketball camps, including Three Female Ballers in Accra and Kumasi in Ghana, Africa, and Michael Jordan's Basketball Camp in Chicago, IL.
"I am very excited to have hired a coach with her background, enthusiasm, and knowledge,' Waites said in a statement released by Columbia. 'With her skill level, she will improve the quality of our guards. Tasha will also be an incredible asset in recruiting and I believe that she will be able to pull great talent from the New York and New Jersey area. As a staff, a team and a department, we are very thrilled to bring her in."
