Steadiness is not a word easily thrown around in the world of sports. The pendulum of performance swings back and forth so often that only the best can remain steady.
UT senior point guard, Angela Guiu, gives her team that presence. Coach Tom Jessee referred to her steadiness as her best quality.
“You know what you will get from her,” Jessee said. “She doesn’t get temperamental or moody. We can pat her on the back or tell her we need something more, and we get the same response. We always get a smile from Ang.”
Guiu came to UT from Lake Mary, Fla., where she played on a state championship team at Lake Mary High School. Jessee was looking for a point guard who could fit his system when he discovered Guiu at the state tournament. She knew all about the Sunshine State Conference and saw opportunity when the Spartans came calling.
“I always followed Rollins because the school was right next to me,” Guiu said. “So I’ve always been in touch with this conference. I would watch the championship games on TV and UT was always a competitor. So I came on an official visit and I loved it.”
Guiu quickly thrived as a long-range shooting threat. She became a full-time starter after starting 10 games as a freshman. She ranks third of all-time in three-pointers made (149) and three-point shooting percentage (.394) here at UT.
On a team stacked with quality shooters, Guiu scaled back on shooting this year. Last year, she attempted 155 shots and made 55 (.355). She has just 106 shots this season, but her percentage is up to .425. While not setting many career highs in numbers, she has become more efficient.
Jessee describes Guiu’s current role as a “coach on the floor,” setting up the offense and finding the open person.
“She plays the hardest position on the floor,” Jessee said. “She has to be an extension of me. She has to bear the brunt of whatever we do, right or wrong, and she takes responsibility.”
Jessee added that Guiu can be “very successful in life.” She holds high ambitions for her life after UT. She plans to prepare for the GRE and eventually go for her master’s degree in industrial organizational psychology.
No matter what the future brings, Guiu will always look back and appreciate her years in Tampa.
“I have had a more than awesome experience,” Guiu said. “Our team is super close. Coach Jessee and the staff have treated me like royalty. I have no regrets about my decision to come here.”
Jessee offered up the ultimate compliment to his point guard.
“I could only hope that my daughter will grow up to be as good as Angela.”