THE CHRONICLE THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 2010 | 5

POSTSEASON PREVIEW ALLISON VERNEREY, THE IMPORT

MICHAEL NACLERIO/CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO

Allison Vernerey’s first career start came against North Carolina at Cameron Indoor Stadium, and Duke won her dream debut at home.

Vernerey translates game, lifestyle to NCAA athletics

MELISSA YEO/CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO

Freshman Allison Vernerey’s versatility down low has allowed her to develop her post game, first in limited minutes and lately as a starter.

by Tom GierynTHE CHRONICLE

There are some who say that basketball is a universal language. And in a way, they’re right. You can put a center from Cameroon with a point guard from Paris and a small forward from Slovakia, and they might be able to put a ball through a hoop with ease. But at Duke, women’s basket-ball isn’t just about basketballs and backboards. The sport may not get lost in translation, but the players sure can.

The closest Durham to Allison Vernerey’s home in Al-sace, France is nearly 800 miles away—in Great Britain. The Durham where she goes to school—in North Car-olina—is more than 3,000 miles from home. It’s taken all of her considerable talent to make the transition to basketball, and life, in the United States.

Vernerey was born in Paris. Her father is a professional basketball coach, and her mother and sister also played at high levels in France. It was only natural that a six-year-old Allison got in on the action. By age 15, she was repre-senting France in the U-16 European Championships. She would go on to be captain of her U-16 team, and eventu-ally, of France’s U-18 team as well.

In France, Vernerey said, there is little concept of a stu-dent-athlete. You either become a professional athlete, or

you become a student.“I didn’t want to have to choose one and let the other

one go,” she said. “I want to keep my options open.”And as it turned out, Vernerey wasn’t the only one dream-

ing of her move to America. Scouts at the European Cham-pionships took notice too, and Vernerey’s name reached the ears of Duke head coach Joanne P. McCallie. Still, as a foreign player, it was up to her to make first contact, and Vernerey sent letters and video footage to all the major col-lege programs: Duke, Connecticut and Maryland.

But it wasn’t just basketball that attracted McCallie’s attention. Vernerey is the epitome of a worker: She un-derstands her skills, but doesn’t play them up and is al-ways eager to get better.

McCallie had been impressed with the game tape she’d seen, but Vernerey the person blew her away on an even higher level than Vernerey the basketball player.

“Her eyes are so bright, her excitement, her alert-ness, her confidence in pursuing her dream of coming to the States for an education,” McCallie said. “I thought she was courageous, brave.”

Vernerey was especially interested in Duke from the start. Allison’s uncle Laurent Vernerey had received an MBA from Duke in 1998. Duke was bigger than any school Allison had ever attended, and a transition to a huge state school like Connecticut or Maryland would have proven even more dif-ficult. Duke combined the quality basketball program she needed with the scholastic reputation she wanted.

Duke was just a far-away thought in Vernerey’s head at that point, but McCallie’s visit sealed the deal. She came to Allison’s hometown, met the Vernerey family and Allison felt a connection immediately.

A week after McCallie’s visit, Vernerey officially com-mitted to the Blue Devils. But that was the easy part. The translation was just beginning.

Vernerey says her English was better than that of her peers in France, but that wasn’t enough to mean she could waltz right into American life.

And then there was the food. She’s been to Vin Rouge but not Parizade. She spent most of her dinners eating Marketplace pizza.

SEE VERNEREY ON PAGE 9

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