Julie Seabrook’s career as a CU Buffalo is marked by transition.
When Seabrook arrived at CU four years ago the program looked a lot different than it does now. Still a member of the Big 12, and under the tutelage of a coaching staff led by Kathy McConnell-Miller, Seabrook never got much playing time.
Senior forward Julie Seabrook drive toward the basket against USC on January 26th. The Buffs won 69-67.(CU Independent/James Bradbury)
“Looking back, freshman and sophomore years were pretty hard,” Seabrook said. “I wasn’t playing as much, and I wasn’t very happy about it. That was hard for me, but I took time to work on my school work. Obviously, I was still trying to get better and coming into practice and working hard.”
Seabrook took that time, however, to work on herself outside of the court.
“I got to experience college and also got into the business school, which is something I really wanted,” Seabrook said.
Under the previous coaching staff, Seabrook averaged only 8.2 minutes per game for her first two years here. McConnell-Miller didn’t see in Seabrook what coach Linda Lappe saw when she took over last season.
“Definitely [Coach Lappe’s] confidence in me as a player put confidence in me so when I got out there I wasn’t nervous to take a shot like I might have been in the past,” Seabrook said.
Last season, Seabrook saw her career turn around. She started all 34 games and took on a bigger role as not only a leader but someone who made her teammates better.
“Last year I wasn’t really in as big of a scoring role,” Seabrook said. “I’ve strived to make my teammates better, I was really there to get shots for other people by screening and rebounding.”
But over the last two years she’s evolved into a scoring threat, being an undersized center that can score from the inside or outside. Last year her field goal percentage was nearly 50 percent and her 3-point percentage just as impressive, rounding out at 40.7 percent. She averaged 5.3 points per game, and grabbed 5.4 rebounds per game.
“I’ve improved my post-game, but one of the best games I’ve developed while being here is my ability to step out to the 3-point line,” Seabrook said.
As a scorer, it’s been paying off, as this year she is averaging 7.5 points per game.
The changes haven’t just come to her as a player, but the actual teams she’s playing along the way. With the move into the Pac-12 this year, Seabrook was excited.
“It’s not as physically demanding as a post player,” Seabrook said. “The Pac-12 posts are a bit more athletic, versus the Big 12 back you down strength wise, which has been a lot better for me because I’m a bit more of a quick finesse player. It’s been a good transition.”
Though she was excited about the transfer into the new conference, Seabrook is heading into her last regular season conference game against Oregon State University on Saturday. With her last games as a Buff, she is facing yet another transition — moving from college to the “real world”.
“I’m hoping to play a little bit longer once I’m done [here],” Seabrook said. “It would be difficult to stop playing and then start up again. So I’m hoping to play in Europe for a couple of years after I graduate. And after I’m done playing I’d like to go into something marketing or finance oriented.”
Even with all of the talk of the future, it’s hard for Seabrook not to reflect on the past.
“Everyone’s goal is to come in and win an NCAA championship, but we’re rebuilding a program, and I realize that,” Seabrook said. “I’m not disappointed, I’m happy that things are getting better and its great watching us grow and grow.”
Her selflessness is what’s made her a great leader on and off the court. For Seabrook, it has always been about putting the team before the individual, and she says leaving CU will be a new challenge.
“I’m definitely going to miss my teammates and being a part of something so big and influential,” Seabrook said. “People look up to us. Being a part of that community is really cool and watching it grow has been great. It’s difficult to put into words.”
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Ryan Sterner at Ryan.sterner@colorado.edu.
