For the record(s)
| Saturday, Nov 07 2009 11:15 PM
Last Updated Saturday, Nov 07 2009 11:15 PM
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Kelley Tarver established herself as one of the best-ever players at CSUB in her first four years. Here's how she ranks all-time:
Catergory Rank Total
Points 3rd 1,231
Points avg. 5th 13.4
Rebounds 6th 335
Assists 2nd 306
FT made 1st 359
Steals 3rd 188
3-pointers made 6th 72
Games 6th 92
Games started 2nd 90
Images:
Casey Christie / The Californian CSUB player Kelly Tarver drives for a lay up, during recent practice at Cal State. Tarver is bouncing back from a torn knee ligament from last season.
Casey Christie / The Californian CSUB basketball player Kelly Tarver encourages teammates during recent practice at CSUB. Tarver is a fifth-year player, after bouncing back from a torn knee ligament from last season that got her an extra year.
Casey Christie / The Californian CSUB hoopster Kelly Tarver, drives around a coach during a recent practice at Cal State. She is wearing a right knee brace after bouncing back from a torn knee ligament from last season.
Casey Christie / The Californian CSUB player Kelly Tarver drives past a teammate during recent practice at Cal State. Wearing a knee brace on her right knee after coming back from a torn knee ligament from last season.
Casey Christie / The Californian Head coach for CSUB women's basketball team, Tim La Kose, keeps an eye on a recent Cal State practice.
Kelley Tarver has already established herself as one of the best-ever players in the 10-year history of women's basketball at Cal State Bakersfield.
Now the 5-foot-8 senior guard from Valencia faces a new challenge: coming back from a catastrophic injury.
"It just takes time," Tarver said as the days approach for CSUB's season-opening game Monday against Fresno Pacific.
"It" is her right knee. Last Dec. 20, in the final minutes against Oklahoma in a tourTanament at San Jose State, Tarver had the ball and did what she has done hundreds -- if not thousands -- of times before: a jump stop.
Only this time, the knee gave out.
"It's something I'll never forget. The worst pain I ever felt," Tarver said.
The diagnosis: a torn anterior cruciate ligament, plus damage to the meniscus and a piece of cartilage broke off.
That ended her season after eight games and she had reconstructive surgery on Jan. 7. Tarver wasn't cleared to resume full basketball duties until this past August.
But because the injury occurred in only her eighth game, she was able to apply to the NCAA for a medical redshirt, which was granted.
So she now has a second chance at her senior season.
"It was definitely a blessing," Tarver said. "No one wants their career to end like that. I'm glad I'll have a chance to play a full season."
Tarver said her knee is about 95 percent of normal.
"Definitely the reaction time is slower," she said. "I've talked to a lot of people who have had this type of injury and they all say it takes time."
CSUB coach Tim La Kose said: "She has a little way to go, but she's ahead of schedule. I didn't think she'd be this far along this soon. That's a credit to her and our sports medicine team."
La Kose said he thinks Tarver can be better than ever as her knee improves.
"She has the experience, the mental part of the game," La Kose said. "She's surrounded by a lot of talent, a lot of speed. That will help her."
The Tarver family has had strong ties to Kern County.
Her late father, Bernard, and uncle John were outstanding athletes at Arvin High. Bernard also played football at USC and John played in the NFL.
Tarver's first cousins, Josh and Seth Tarver (John's sons) are seniors on the Oregon State basketball team. And another first cousin, Bakersfield High grad Justin Cheadle, is a starting offensive lineman at Cal-Berkeley.
Tarver has been a starter since her first game, which is also her fondest memory: CSUB's exhibition win over UC Santa Barbara against a Gauchos team that had a 64-game homecourt winning streak and several straight years of winning Big West Conference championships.
"That exhibition game: I thought Kelley and Krista (Arase) were two of the best players on the floor," La Kose said. "They helped us beat Santa Barbara and that was a sign of things to come."
