6B
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2007
COUNTDOWN TO TIP-OFF
QUESTION MARK
Will the Jayhawks box out?
A BATTLE OF THE BIRDS 5-1 Jayhawks face off against the 4-1 Golden Eagles KANSAS VS.MARQUETTE 7 tonight, Allen Fieldhouse
The unquestioned leader of the offense, McCray is the only Kansas player to score in double digits every game this year. She has the ability to score from the perimeter, mid-range and down on the block. McCray can take over the game when she needs to, and that skill should be on display tonight as the Jayhawks try and win their biggest game of the year thus far.
Will the Jayhawks box out?
Kansas has had a problem keeping its opponents off the glass, and that about the only thing that went wrong in the last two victories. If the Jayhawks hold the Golden Eagles to 10 offensive rebounds or fewer, they will win. Any more than 15 and Marquette will have the opportunity to get second-chance points and build a lead at the free-throw line.
Sophomore guard Danielle McCrav
Taylor Bern
PLAYER TO WATCH
It should have been impossible for Kansas to match its performance from the 91-56 victory it rolled up over Creighton on Nov. 27, but coach Bonnie Hendrickson team found a way. Sunday afternoon the Jayhawks (5-1) shot 51 percent to put away St. Louis 81-55. Sophomores Danielle McCray and Sade Morris have lived up to every bit of hype, and freshman Nicollette Smith found her long-range stroke again, providing a nice third scoring option. Kansas still lacks a consistent inside post presence, but sophomore Porscha Weddington looked better against St. Louis after suffering an ankle injury in the middle of November. Junior point guard Ivana Catic has an excellent assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.63, and she'll need to be at or above that to ensure a productive offensive outing.
OFFENSE
DEFENSE
The only knock against Kansas in its two previous blowout games is that it has been allowing too many offensive rebounds to its opponents. St. Louis grabbed 17 offensive rebounds while Creighon came away with 24 caroms. That's the one thing that both Henrickson and her players have spoken about negatively after each game. Marquette comes into the game averaging almost 18 rebounds a game, a stat McCray rattled off right after the St. Louis victory, which makes it even more important for the Jayhawks to box out. Their overall defense has improved in the last few games, but this is the best team they will play to date. Kansas can't have any lapses, because the Golden Eagles won't need much time to put the game out of reach.
The Golden Eagles' offense revolves around dynamic junior guard Krystal Ellis. The junior was an All-America Honorable Mention and All-Big East selection last year. She returned from a three-game layoff with 21 points against Green Bay on Dec. 1. In that game she scored her 1,000th point for the team. Marquette's offense will revolve around getting Ellis into position to score whether from the outside or via dribble penetration. But the Golden Eagles are also turnover prone and over-reliant on the ability of Ellis to generate offense. If Kansas can stop Ellis, offense will come slowly for Marquette.
COACHING
It's time for Henrickson to find out what her team is really made of at this point in the year. Marquette has some potent scorers, and the last time Kansas played anyone close to the overall talent of Marquette was in the loss to SMU. In their two wins, the Jayhawks didn't have a let-down
like they did in every other victory. It's important that they keep that trend going, because it's doubtful that the Jayhawks will have a 15-point lead to work with like they do in most of their games. Kansas has never been down at halftime, which is a great thing, and this isn't the kind of game where it wants to start. A quick start
consistent defense will guide the Jayhawks to their 300th victory in Allen Fieldhouse.
DEFENSE
Marquette is a physical Big East team that could give Kansas fits on the defensive end. The Golden Eagles limit their opponents to 60 points per game and force almost 24 turnovers a game. Senior forward Svetlana Kovalenko averages nearly a double-double with 10.8 points per game, 9.5 rebounds and almost three steals per game, providing an anchor in the middle. Marquette has a plus-eight rebounding margin and averages 14.2 steals per game. The Golden Eagles play a pressure defense that could disrupt the thriving Jayhawk offense.
COACHING
Simply put, coach Terri Mitchell is Marquette women's basketball. She has the most wins, the best winning percentage and most postseason appearances than any other Marquette women's basketball coach. The Golden Eagles have made five straight trips to the postseason, including last years NCAA Tournament. Her team was 26-7 last year, the seventh time her teams won 20 games.
MU
TIP-OFF
PLAYER TO WATCH
Junior guard Krystal Ellis
Ellis will be the best player on the court tonight. She's averaging 21.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and almost four rebounds from the guard position. Against Wisconsin in Milwaukee, she scored 31 points to lead her team to a victory in the inter-state rivalry.
QUESTION MARK
Can the Golden Eagles find someone other than Ellis to score?
Without Ellis, Marquette lost two out of three games. With her, they are 4-1. The Golden Eagles must find another source of offense in order to be successful. They should get their chances as Kansas focuses on limiting Ellis offensively.
— Andrew Wiebe
women's basketball notebook
associated
POLL POSITION
The Big 12 is well represented in the newest As
sociated Press Top 25 poll, which came out Monday. Five Big 12 teams are in the Top 25.
Hendrickson
including No. 9 Oklahoma,
No. 10 Baylor, No. 12 Texas
A&M, No. 22 Texas and
No. 25 Oklahoma State.
Also, Texas Tech received
66 votes, which put it at
No. 27. Further down the
totem pole is tonight's opponent Marquette, which
received three votes. If Kansas takes care of Marquette and wins its Sunday afternoon game against Indiana, there stands a good chance that the Jayhawks will receive votes in next Monday's poll.
PAYBACK?
Kansas and Marquette met only once before, but it was on the big stage of the NCAA tournament. In 1999, the Jayhawks picked off the Golden Eagles 64-58 in the team's first round matchup. Henrickson coaches against Marquette for the first time tonight, but Golden Eagles coach Terri Mitchell patrolled the
sidelines during that 1999 tourney defeat.
300:THIS IS ALLEN FIELDHOUSE!
The Kansas women's basketball team is going after its 300th career victory in Allen Fieldhouse against Marquette tonight. The Jayhawks are 5-1 overall this year, which includes a 4-0 record at home. Including this season, coach Bonnie Henrickson has compiled a 35-22 record in the friendly confines of Allen Fieldhouse.
Taylor Bern
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