Channon Fluker Brings Big Game, Bigger Heart to CSUN Women's Hoops
3/22/2016 9:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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Freshman Center Enjoyed Stellar Rookie Season
By: by Tera Trujillo
by Tera Trujillo, CSUN Media Relations Intern
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. --- As CSUN women's basketball freshman Channon Fluker sprints down the court with two defenders hovering around her at seemingly all times, she somehow manages to still get the ball around the rim. She rebounds once, twice and finally sinks the shot. This was a normal and constant sequence for CSUN in 2015-16, whether or not she put up the initial shot.
At 6-4, Fluker is a force to be reckoned with on the court, but you would never guess that by examining her personality: a mixture of powerful yet sweet qualities that makes her teammates respect and support her.
Sophomore Serafina Maulupe even compared the freshman star's persona to that of Baltimore Ravens football player and Super Bowl champion Michael Oher saying, "Channon is so funny and so big and tough [on the court], but really she has such a soft heart."
There is no blind side when it comes to Fluker as she finished off her first season of NCAA Division I basketball by earning National Mid-Major Freshman of the Year from CollegeSportsMadness.com, Big West Conference Freshman of the Year and First Team All-Big West honors.
In 28 games as a rookie, Fluker averaged 13.7 points and 9.9 rebounds per game while shooting 49.7 percent from the court. Fluker was just two rebounds shy of averaging a double-double per game for the season, but she did average a double-double throughout Big West play: 18.5 points and 12.4 rebounds per game while shooting 55.2 percent from the field. In turn, she became the first rookie to earn a spot on the First Team All-Big West since 2002.
Channon Fluker finished with four games of
at least 30 points and 10 rebounds.
These statistics were not produced without a great deal of sweat and grueling work and it was the determination of herself, teammates and coaches that helped her reach her goals this season.
"I couldn't have done it without my teammates," said Fluker. "I love being a part of our team's atmosphere."
Early in the season, Fluker showed flashes of brilliance but had trouble adjusting to the rigors and demands of Division I basketball and CSUN head coach Jason Flowers. She even sat out three games in late December as she worked to meet the standards that were presented to her.
"It was hard for her in the beginning," said freshman Claudia Ramos. "But instead of letting it get to her she took action and just grew into an awesome player."
"She realized how much work she had to put in and chose to put it in," said Flowers. "She grew in a lot of different ways this season."
For Fluker, her toughest obstacles to overcome were her transition to the college game and improving her fitness and conditioning; neither of which came without dedication.
"I didn't know what to expect," said Fluker. "My coaches and teammates pushed me a lot."
It was not only her teammates and coaches that helped her along her journey to success; her family was there for her every step of the way.
"My brother was the one who got me into the game because I never wanted to," said Fluker. "He took me up to the coach and got me started."
Fluker wears jersey number 33 to represent her brother, Collin Fluker, and mother, Jodi Graves, each of them symbolizing the number three. But, Fluker also stated that during her junior year of high school she was able to reconnect with her half-sister and former Tennessee women's basketball player, Tyesha Jones.
"She would come out and practice with me," said Fluker. "She wanted me to be able to play against girls my size and beat them."
That happened when the calendar rolled over to 2016 and a new, dominant Fluker emerged and made her presence felt on the floor.
Fluker had two games of 19 rebounds in 2015-16 and set a school record with 15 offensive rebounds at UC Santa Barbara on Feb. 18.
She set a school record with 15 offensive rebounds in a game at UC Santa Barbara and finished with 12 double-doubles on the season, eight of them being consecutive during Big West Conference play.
Fluker made team history with 278 rebounds on the year, beating out Denise Sitton for third place in program history for a single season. Fluker also finished fifth in program history for a single-season with a rebounding average of 9.9 per game.
She was the only player in the Big West to reach 30 points and 10 rebounds this year, doing so in four different games, and was able to close out season play with a career-high 34 points in the regular season finale against Long Beach State. Fluker also earned back-to-back Big West Player of the Week awards in January.
During the year, teams began to double and at times even triple-team Fluker, but Fluker nevertheless managed to compete and put the ball in the basket. With only one to two other players in the conference matching up against Fluker's physicality and skill set, it makes her an extremely tough opponent to beat.
"She's like Shaq, you always know she's going to be there," said Ramos. "She is a huge presence on the post."
Her tenacity helped her dominate around the basket, much like that of Moses Malone or Shaquille O'Neal, who like Fluker, felt most comfortable, as Fluker put it, "right underneath the basket."
"She is just a really strong person at the post," said Maulupe. "She helped give us confidence and helped us all stay focused. She definitely carried us a lot through conference play; she grew and matured so much."
It is hard to believe sometimes that she did not start playing the game until 14 and that this year was just her fifth of competitive play.
As Beverly Powell, her coach at Maranatha High School, said, "It is Channon's consistency that makes her great and she's carried that onto college. She can score buckets and defend."
During her first season at CSUN, Fluker broke personal and team records, reaching heights she was not even expecting to see this early in her career. The scary part is that she continues to improve every day and aspires to play overseas after her career at CSUN is over.
With all of Fluker's accomplishments this season, it would seem that a bright future lies ahead for both herself and the Matadors.
"The sky is the limit for Channon," said Flowers. "The only thing stopping Channon is Channon."
