The complete package

Adrienne GodBold of Marshall will continue her basketball career next season at Illinois.
(Sun-Times News Group)

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Adrienne GodBold can still recall an eighth-grade basketball game that was her first encounter with Marshall coach Dorothy Gaters.

‘‘We were losing, and our coach called a timeout,’’ GodBold said. ‘‘She told us that one of the greatest high school coaches ever was there to watch, and with Dorothy Gaters in the stands, we better step it up.

‘‘I found out later that my mother [Crystal] had invited coach Gaters to the game.’’

GodBold, nicknamed ‘‘NuNu,’’ has been a fixture in the Commandos’ lineup for four years. The talented forward follows Marshall greats Janet Harris, current assistant coach Jennifer Jones, Marie Christian, Kim McQuarter, Sheryl Porter, Toni Foster, Kim Williams and Cappie Pondexter as Player of the Year.

Last summer, GodBold exploded on the national scene.

‘‘She is a dynamic player who can run, jump, shoot, rebound and defend,’’ said veteran Maine West coach Derril Kipp, who coached GodBold the last two summers. ‘‘She can do everything, and would fit in with all of the other great Marshall players.

‘‘NuNu is a complete player who is exciting to watch and can do pretty much everything. She stood up and shined against almost every major player in the country.’’

Steppin’ out

Last summer also allowed GodBold a chance to play her more natural outside position, and she excelled.

‘‘She has been one of our tallest players [5-10] and best rebounders, so she has played out of position,’’ Gaters said. ‘‘This year we have given her more of a chance to step out and face the basket. It’s been a sacrifice, but she has really worked on her game.’’

Said Kipp: ‘‘It was hard to put into words how much her outside shooting has improved in a year. But like Dorothy has said, NuNu will be missed as much for what a great kid she is than what a great player she has become.’’

In November, GodBold signed with Illinois and coach Jolette Law. She is one of the major pieces in a recruiting class that ranks among the top 10 in the nation.

She’ll stay close to home

‘‘I remember my sophomore year, this coach from Rutgers came to watch us play,’’ GodBold said. ‘‘I couldn’t talk to her and really didn’t know who she was. When Illinois started recruiting me and sending me mail, I saw coach Law’s picture.

Until then, I didn’t know who she was.

‘‘It all worked out great because I wanted to stay close to my family so they could see me play. I know Illinois has had some rough times, but I think our class can help them get better in a hurry.’’

Said Gaters: ‘‘Illinois is getting a player who is not a finished product. Coach Law got a kid who is going to work hard and I think will be a great player for Illinois.’’

Most acknowledge that GodBold is an outstanding athlete who can dazzle with her skills.

‘‘She could be very good at a variety of sports,’’ Gaters said. ‘‘She probably could be world-class in track at 200 meters or in the [heptathlon] like Jackie Joyner. She is a phenomenal athlete and a competitor. If someone is in front of her, she’ll want to catch them.

‘‘But basketball is her first love. It’s what she does. From my experience, she is typical kid. She’s shown a lot of growth.’’

Said GodBold: ‘‘I do things outside of basketball. When I was younger, I ran track at the YMCA. But in high school, I had to choose between softball and track. To be honest, I chose softball because I didn’t want to stay late for track practice. But the track coach asks me every year to come out.’’

GodBold was a big piece of Gaters’ eighth state title last season that added to the legacy of a coach who will receive the Morgan Wootten Award for lifetime achievement April 1 in Miami.

And as for her nickname ...

‘‘When I was little there was an old song and the chorus had words like new, new, yeah, yeah. I would dance to it, and my grandmother started calling me NuNu.’’

GodBold is the fifth Sun-Times Player of the Year to choose Illinois and the first since Maine West’s Dawn Vana in 1998.