Depending on which prep recruiting website you read, Natasha Howard was anywhere from the second- to fifth-rated girls basketball player in the nation during her senior year at Waite.

Last winter, she became the highest-rated recruit to ever sign with Florida State's women's basketball program, which was bringing in “arguably the most highly-touted women's basketball recruiting class in school history.”

Howard isn't wasting any time proving that all of her high school accolades were deserved, and 14th-year Seminoles head coach Sue Semrau, for one, isn't surprised how well Howard has performed as a freshman this season.

“I am not surprised at all,” said Semrau, the winningest women's basketball coach in FSU history. “Natasha showed that she was well beyond her years as a high school player. She’s got such a great basketball IQ. She’s not just talented, she’s also extremely knowledgeable about the game itself.”

Through eight games Howard, a 6-foot-3 starting forward/wing, is averaging 12.4 points and 6.3 rebounds a game and is shooting a team-best 58 percent from the field. She also leads the team in blocks (7), turnovers (34) and personal fouls (29).

Florida State University 6-foot-3 starting forward/wing Natasha Howard (Waite) drives to the basket as two Alabama State defenders chase. (Photo by Steve Musco/FSU Sports Information)

Howard's scoring and rebounding averages are second on the team to Ciera Bravard, a 6-4 junior forward from Sandusky Perkins.

“We're working together real good,” Howard said of Bravard. “I already know where she wants the ball; she tells me where to get the ball. I played against her in high school, so I know how she plays.”

Howard admitted that high school ball was “easier,” but she is adjusting well to the college game.

“It's more physical,” she said. “The tempo is faster than in high school. You have to work hard because the girls are definitely better than they were in high school. The girls playing against me are thicker and stronger than me, but I still have to be physical against them, too.”

Semrau is aware of Howard's strengths and limitations. As far as the coach is concerned, the sky is the limit for the 2010 Associated Press Ms. Basketball in Ohio, who led Waite to the Division I state championship game last March.

“Her role for us changes all the time as she continues to grow,” Semrau said. “Over time she will really become a go-to scorer for us, but right now it’s more rebounding and hustle plays. I think the strength of the college players is where she gets exposed, being a freshman. But as she continues to get stronger in the weight room and stronger with the ball in her hand, that will certainly change.”

Two weeks after graduating from Waite (June 4), Howard headed to Tallahassee, Fla., to train with FSU's strength and conditioning coach. Howard, a business major, began taking college classes on Aug. 23.

“I'm not homesick yet,” she said. “I've never been homesick since I came down here. College is different than high school. You have to stay on top of your homework. My tutors are helping me out a lot. I'm having fun, hanging out with my teammates and bonding. I'm still focusing on school work and basketball.”

Howard scored a game-high 20 points in her first college game, an 89-39 rout of Alabama State, and she also poured in 21 points in a 62-55 win over Arizona State on Nov. 27.

On Dec. 1, in FSU's 72-64 home loss to Michigan State, Howard had 13 points, a team-high 10 rebounds, two assists, two steals, one block and six turnovers in 33 minutes.

“Coach Sue has me playing the three and the four (position), the same thing I played in high school,” Howard said. “If I get a rebound, I just push it up the court and that fits my game real good. In high school I had to basically do everything. Now, everybody has a role and I have other teammates who can help me out.”

Semrau said Howard's ability to handle the ball, rebound and score (she is 6-for-11 on 3-pointers) make her a perfect fit for the Seminoles' style of play.

“Her versatility fits perfectly with the versatile way we play,” Semrau said. “She has such a strong inside-outside game that really works well with what we do. She is really rebounding the ball and she has a real knack for knowing where the ball is going to go. She puts herself in a great position for each rebound opportunity on the offensive and defensive glass.”

Howard doesn't have to be the star every night for her team to win. Last Saturday, the Seminoles improved to 7-1 with a 68-48 rout of Western Carolina. In 17 minutes, Howard shot 1-for-7 from the field and scored two points with five rebounds, one assist and four turnovers.

She is with an established program that has won at least 20 games in five of the last six seasons and last year reached the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament. FSU won its second straight regular-season Atlantic Coast Conference co-championship last season and set the school record for most wins in a season (29) and earned its highest national ranking ever at No. 9.

This year's team is young, with two seniors, one junior, four sophomores and four freshmen, but Howard said the 'Noles have high expectations.

“I'm excited to be down here,” Howard said. “Our goal is to win the ACC championship and then win the national championship. We have to stay focused in practice and prepare ourselves for each game.”
 

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