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THE UNIVERSITY HARY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2007
SPORTS
7B
HAWKS UTILIZE STRONG OFFENSE IMPROVE DEFENSE FOR UMKC GAME
KANSAS VS. UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI KANSAS CITY 7 p.m.; Wednesday, Allen Fieldhouse
PLAYER TO WATCH
Freshman Nicollette Smith
Smith was named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Rookie of the Week after her blistering debut of 19 points and 10 rebounds. The Tulsa, Okla. Native was 4-of-7 from beyond the arc and 7-for-7 from the free throw line in the Jayhawks 76-72 victory over Hartford on Sunday. She isn't afraid to pull the trigger from anywhere on the court, and at 6-foot-2 she can also post up on the block.
OFFENSE
Kansas won't always be able to shoot nearly 70 percent from beyond the arc, but it's nice to see that it can from time to time. The Jayhawks' inside game has been struggling — Hartford out-scored Kansas 30-14 in the paint — and that needs to improve before Kansas gets to its conference opponents. Freshman Nicollette Smith recorded a double-double in her first collegiate debut, a great start for the 6-foot-2 sharp shooter. While sophomore Danielle McCray leads Kansas in points most nights, the team needs strong outings from Smith and sophomore Sade Morris to pick up the slack when McCray is off.
The Jayhawks offense is good at building up a lead and unfortunately, their defense is pretty good at giving that lead back. Kansas held a 15-point advantage in the first half of its Sunday afternoon win, then allowed Hartford to get within two points at several times in the second half. The Jayhawks still give up too many three-point attempts — Hartford tossed 17 threes — and when those start dropping they're going to be in trouble.
QUESTION MARK
Henrickson's crew hasn't had any trouble getting out of the gate and into a lead, but what they haven't been able to do is keep their opponent at a distance. It's nice to play with a lead as long as they can figure out how to keep the game from getting close at the end. It's a nice problem to have, but a problem none the less.
Can Kansas hold a lead?
OFFENSE
COACHING
The Kangarooos relied on a score by committee approach last season. Senior center Alysa Klein averaged 11.9 to pace the team, and and three others followed with more than eight points per contest. This year UMKC turned to Klein and sophomore guard Chazny Morris to carry the bulk of the load on the offensive end. Through two games the pair has guided the Kangaroos to two victories while combining for more than 30 points per game and 14 rebounds. Despite their success, the UMKC offense is far from prolific. The team averaged 18 turnovers per game last season and is averaging almost 20 through two games.
The early season is a frustrating time for coaches, because with few exceptions there are more mistakes than good plays. That's true for Kansas, but coach Bonnie Henrickson has a lot to be excited about. Her players are shooting lights out but the defense hasn't come around yet. Once everyone shakes the rust off, Henrickson will get to show off her full arsenal.
DEFENSE
UMKC will try to funnel Kansas dribble drives into Klein to maximize her ability as a shot blocker. Last season in Allen Fieldhouse, Klein used her 6-3 frame to block seven shots. The Kangaroos are no slouches on the perimeter either. Morris and junior guard Taushelle Rushing are tenacious ball hawks that could force Kansas' point guards into silly mistakes. Rushing broke the all-time NJCAA record for steals in a season by averaging 5.8 steals per game last season at Seward County Community College Through two games the duo has combined for 14 steals and belined force 45 turnovers
UMKC TIP-OFF
PLAYER TO WATCH
COACHING
Taylor Bern
Senior Alysa Klein
Coach Candace White-Whitaker is definitely young. She is only five years removed from leading Texas Tech to consecutive Sweet Sixteen appearances. In fact, White-Whitaker is the youngest head coach at the division one level. Despite taking on her first head coaching job, she wasted no time after being hired in March. During a short period, she compiled the 38th best recruiting in the country according to the Dan Olson Collegiate Girls Basketball Report. By using her deep roots in Kansas' junior college community — four of the six commits were junior college players — she should be able to improve on last season's 10-20 campaign.
If Klein can duplicate her shot-blocking performance against Kansas last season the Kangaroos could have a chance. She nearly recorded a triple double by scoring 16 points, collecting 13 rebounds and blocking seven shots. She will need to induce Kansas' post players into foul trouble and limit points in the paint to prevent a repeat of last year's 66-53 defeat when Kansas outscored UMKC 38-22 in the paint.
Danielle McCray
QUESTION MARK
>> Can Kansas' guards handle the Kangaroos defensive pressure?
Kansas will have to get intelligent play the point guard position tonight. The team has averaged more than 19 turnovers per game so far this season. UMKC should punish those mistakes even more than the Jayhawks three previous opponents. Kansas cannot waste possessions if it hopes to walk away with a fourth straight win.
— Andrew Wiebe
What will Lilly provide for my pharmaceutical sales career?
Answers.
Eli Lilly and Company is a global, research-based pharmaceutical corporation dedicated to creating and delivering innovative, pharmaceutical-based health care solutions to confront many of the world's most challenging diseases.
Please join us! We are hosting an information session on November 14th starting at 6pm in the McCook room of Burge Union. We will be sharing information about Lilly and our internship and full time positions.
If you are interested in joining our team, we are currently seeking candidates for the following positions:
Internship Sales Positions: Candidates must be 21 years of age by June 1, 2008, have 3 years of undergraduate work with an expected graduation date of December 2008 or May 2009,and have a cumulative undergrad GPA of 2.75 or above. Positions are paid and include an allowance for housing and car.
Pharmaceutical Sales Positions: Candidates should have a bachelor's degree and a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or above.
If you are interested in an internship or full time employment, we encourage you to apply at www.lilly.com/careers. Eli Lilly and Company is an equal opportunity employer.