NCAA tournament: China Dow's transition from MTSU to FGCU has been quite a ride

Florida Gulf Coast University's bubbly fan favorite, stocky senior guard China Dow, still is not sure what happened at Middle Tennessee. 

"I couldn't tell you, honestly," said the 5-foot-8 Dow, who transferred away after her sophomore season. "I just started sitting. I always wanted to know that answer until this day."

As her minutes sank, so did her spirits.

"I started not caring about basketball and started gaining weight and just doing whatever I wanted to," Dow said. "Got in a little bit of trouble (post-party things in a school apartment) while I was out there, but it worked itself out."

Sure did.

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The FGCU senior accepts her second straight ASUN tournament MVP trophy from conference commissioner Ted Gumbart on Sunday. By Dana Caldwell

After a season and a half of mostly nice production, but not as much as she would have liked, at Middle Tennessee, the former 4-star recruit and ESPN's 90th overall from Louisville was looking for another place to land. FGCU assistant Chelsea Banbury heard of Dow's situation from her former AAU coach, and she seized the opportunity. 

Unlike when Dow chose Middle Tennessee -- she liked the successful program, and being a family-oriented soul, wanted to be close to home -- over about 29 other schools, Dow wasn't heavily pursued after leaving the Blue Raiders.

FGCU coach Karl Smesko -- whose 30-4 Atlantic Sun champion Eagles play Missouri in an NCAA tournament first-round game at Stanford on Saturday afternoon -- gave her a call and asked her to visit. 

"I really liked the campus, and at the time it was between me and another girl and they chose me, thank God," Dow said. "It's worked out for the better. I love this school and I love the program. Not only did the coaching staff and the players draw me, but the campus is beautiful, too. Who wouldn't want to be out here in this weather?"

Before Dow became the scorching-hot player down this season's stretch whom Eagles fans have fallen head over heels for, she went through a life-changing event in June. Her dad, Mike, was shot down and killed in her hometown. 

That's when Dow, who had lost a dear friend just prior to her dad's murder, found out what she really had. 

"I already knew FGCU was a great school, but when those situations happened ... I have never had a coaching staff that has been there for me like they have," Dow said.

Smesko flew to Louisville for the funeral. 

"He didn't even know my dad," Dow said. "I've always had respect for him, but I gained so much more respect for him."

Getting in the Game

Dow's mom, Tasha Booker-White, who has proudly stood beside her daughter in Alico Arena since the Senior Night game, including during Monday night's Selection Show, gave China her name because, "I had squinty eyes when I was born, like a china doll."

She began playing basketball at 4 with her cousins -- like DeVante Parker, the Dolphins wide receiver -- and other neighborhood boys. At first, they could do things she could not like dribbling behind the back, but she was a natural and soon caught on. 

"Runs in the family," said Dow, noting her dad played high school football and basketball, and her paternal granddad, Elmore Stephens, was an All-American tight end at Kentucky and a first-round NFL pick by Kansas City before things went wrong. 

She stays in close touch with Parker -- whom she credits with teaching her catching skills -- but doesn't take advice. 

"I got this," she tells him. 

Dow also played softball, but by middle school realized basketball was her ticket. She was the only ninth-grader who started on the Christian Academy of Louisville varsity team and even got a Division III letter of interest. 

As a junior, she led her state with a 26.8-point average. During her senior season, Dow averaged 27.2 points, 13.5 rebounds and 2.6 steals. She's the school's all-time leading scorer with 2,403 points.

In her last high school game, Dow poured in 51 points in a regional quarterfinal. 

"Yeah, we still lost," said Dow, laughing. "Trying to go out with a bang my last senior game." 

The Rest of the Story

Dow, who played in all 68 games at Middle Tennessee and averaged 16.4 points as a sophomore despite limited minutes -- had to sit out her first FGCU season of 2015-16 per NCAA transfer rules. 

Smesko said she did a "good job" in learning his complex high-motion system and with working against the Eagles on the scout team. 

She did -- and still does -- need some prodding, though. 

"There are definitely some times where you have to remind her about effort," Smesko said. 

But Dow -- the ASUN tournament MVP both times -- was a huge hit with her teammates and her talent was undeniable. 

"She has a very infectious personality," Smesko said. "She's just a very likable young lady. She was quick to make friends. And you could see she had some skills and some athletic ability where she could be really good."

FGCU fans immediately sensed that Dow -- who comes off the bench to give the Eagles a huge spark -- would be something very special. And they go berserk every time she checks in. 

"It's pretty dope," Dow said. "At MT, there were good crowds. But here it's like a different level. They come greet you at the game. Even when I was sitting out, they were like, 'Oh, we can't wait for you to play.' It's always positive vibes. I just put a smile on my face and show them that, 'We respect you guys, too; without you guys we wouldn't be the team that we are.' 

"I just love the energy and I just feed into it."

Dow, who also has played in every one of FGCU's games since becoming eligible -- averaged 8.7 points and 4.5 rebounds in 18 minutes as a junior. But she shot just 25.3 percent from behind the 3-point line. 

This season, Dow has averaged 11.8 points and 5.6 rebounds in 22.2 minutes. And she's shooting 41.4 percent from beyond the 3-point line. In the ASUN tournament home semifinal win against Lipscomb, she made 8 of 10 from behind the arc (tying the tourney record) while pouring in 30 points. 

"At MT, we didn't really practice on shooting like the way we do here, so my shot has gotten way better," Dow said. 

And that's helped everybody.

"She can take anybody to the basket and now she's a huge threat compared to last year from the 3-point line," FGCU senior guard Taylor Gradinjan said. "That's hard to guard. If someone's that hard to guard (other teams) lose focus on everyone else. It helps everyone score more just by her being on the court."

Smesko credited Dow with the dramatic 3-point improvement, but with an assist from assistant Jenna Cobb, a former Eagles sharpshooter who has worked a lot with her on it. 

"It's really made a difference for China because now teams have to come out and take away the 3, and that gives China a better opportunity to get by people and get easy baskets around the rim," Smesko said. 

Ah, driving. That's Dow's favorite thing. 

"Trust me, she comes at you in practice and that's one person you'll never be taking a charge on," Gradinjan said. 

But Dow -- who plans to take her game overseas after graduating with a communications degree -- has pulled back, at least in games. 

"I have slowed down a lot because I like to run over people a lot," said Dow, grinning. 

"I have learned so much. Coming here was the best decision of my life."
 

2018 Women's Basketball NCAA Tournament
FGCU's Draw: The 12th-seeded Eagles play fifth-seeded Missouri at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Stanford (California)
TV: ESPN2
Online: ESPN3 
Tickets: Go to fgcuathletics.com/tickets or ncaa.com/tickets/basketball-women/d1