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FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
TOURNAMENT PREVIEW
COMMENTARY Notice women's games
Monday evening, I sat in my apartment watching the ESPN women's
Monday evening, I m apartment using the ESPN women's NCAA Tournament selection show. A few miles away, the Kansas women' s team sat in the Naismith Room of Allen Fieldhouse waiting to hear if they would make the tournament or play in the WNIT.
The regions were narrowed down. Only the Des Moines section of the bracket was left. The No. 1 team was announced: Kansas. I felt a sense of release. I was elated. For some reason, I felt like I should call my mom to let her know how fantastic this was.
Why such joy for a women's basketball team, you may ask.
The answer is simple. As a designer at the Kansan, I have watched the entire season from afar. I read through every stat, saw every photo, skimmed through every story — all this to see how best to highlight the key moments of each and every game.
This Kansas women's basketball team was projected to do well. At the beginning of the season, the team went on a nine-game winning streak. Kansas dropped a game to Alabama in 80-76 defeat. Then, the team began a five-game winning streak, including a 72-67 victory against Texas in Austin.
Keep it close. Hold on to it until Sunday. Flip on ESPN2 at 6:50 p.m. The women are taking on Nebraska in Little Rock, Ark. It should be an interesting game. From what I've seen, the women play better away.
After all, it is March. You never know what could happen.
I think it is a fair bet that many students have never attended a Kansas women's basketball game. But this is your time to show your support for the women. The men play Detroit tonight at approximately 9, but hold on to the excited feeling in the pit of your stomach.
After the Davis injury, the team was obviously shaken. I could see it in the photos and stats that came across my computer screen. I could see that the team had lost a leader and the women were trying to find someone who would fill Davis' role.
Freshman forward Chelsea Gardner stepped up to play in the post for Davis. The team was rebuilding and developing a playing identity without Davis on the court.
After that weekend in Texas, the season was rocky, but the team and coach Bonnie Henrickson still had NCAA tournament chances. The team essentially hit rock bottom mentally when junior forward Carolyn Davis dislocated her knee and tore her ACL Feb. 12 in the Jayhawk's 47-43 defeat to Kansas State.
Meanwhile, students on campus were relatively oblivious to what the women's team was doing. I doubt many knew or cared that the women were still being talked about as an NCAA tournament team. The men's basketball team was gearing up for the final Border Showdown against Missouri.
Fast-forward to this Monday. The campus' focus was on the No. 2 men's team, not on the group of women's basketball players, coaches and supporters waiting to hear the news. The news came across the screen: Both men's and women's basketball teams would compete in the NCAA tournament.
Edited by Katie James
Freshman guard Asia Boyd lifts up junior guard Angel Goodrich in excitement after ESPN announced Kansas's No. 11 seed in the NCAA tournament. The Jayhawks will face Nebraska at 6:50 p.m. Sunday in Little Rock, Ark. The game will be aired on ESPN2.
ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Henrickson downplays tourney pressure
KATHLEEN GIER kgier@kansan.com
Freshman forward Bunny Williams was looking for a partner for a shooting drill in practice. She looked to the sidelines and asked coach Bonnie Henrickson to join her. Henrickson jumped in, but kept freshman guard Asia Boyd on hand as a potential substitute.
Since their selection to the NCAA Tournament on Monday night, the Jayhawks' practices and locker room have been more lighthearted and fun. However, Henrickson ensures that when they need to work, her players are focused and attentive.
"We've been cheering in the locker room, just ready to go to
In the first round of the tournament, Kansas will face former Big 12 Conference foe Nebraska at 6:50 p.m. in Little Rock, Ark. The two teams split the series last year and the coaches have stayed close.
Little Rock," freshman forward Chelsea Gardner said.
After junior forward Carolyn Davis' ACL injury, Nebraska coach Connie Yori was one of the first people to text her condolences to Henrickson. The two also ran into each other while recruiting in Wichita last weekend and sat down to swap stories from the season.
Kansas also has another connection with Nebraska, through assistant coach Tory Verdi, who coached with Yori for five years
Nebraska won the first matchup last season in overtime, but Kansas avenged the loss by turning around and winning in Lawrence.
Nebraska point guard Lindsey Moore and power forward Jordan Hooper are the two players Kansas is most concerned about.
at Nebraska before moving to Kansas.
Moore and Kansas guard Angel Goodrich are both finalists for the Nancy Lieberman Award, which honors the top point guard in the nation. Moore caused trouble last season against Kansas, scoring 23 and 33 points in the teams' two meetings.
"We know how they play, and I know a lot of the girls on the team, so this will be a match-up," Sutherland said.
Hooper can catch and drive, but also pull back and shoot three-pointers.
Yori has added six freshmen to the team, five of whom play consistent minutes for the Huskers. Kansas also has five freshmen on the team, with two of them starting and the other three coming off the bench.
Gardner said she is working on guarding the three-point line, since Hooper and other forwards can step out and knock down shots from long range. The Huskers average seven of 24 from the three-point line per game.
"I just need to step up and be more of a defender, guard the three and just work hard." Gardner said.
Kansas will be competing in its first NCAA Tournament appearance under Henrickson and the program's first appearance since 2000. Henrickson said the team has stayed loose and has become used to playing under duress this season, with strong performances on the road, especially late in the season.
"There is pressure, but think about how long we have felt pressure." Henrickson said. "It shouldn't feel any different right now than on that trip to Lubbock and the trip to Norman. To me, it all felt the same."
Edited by Ian Cummings
(24-8)
CONNIE V. BONNIE
Breaking down the Nebraska-Kansas coaching relationship
(19-12)
Connie Yuri
Overall Record:
385-265
(22 years head coach)
Record at Nebraska:
190-125, 10 seasons
NCAA Tournament Appearances:
8 (2 Creighton, 6 Nebraska)
Little did they know that on Selection Monday the two would be paired together for the first round of the tournament in Little Rock, Ark., playing on Sunday night at 6:50 p.m. when the 11th seed Kansas will face off against 6th seed Nebraska.
RYAN MCCARTHY rmccarthy@kansan.com
Both coaches were doing what coaches would be doing with their free Saturday: looking to bulk up their rosters with new talent.
It was just a coincidence that both Nebraska coach Connie Yori and Kansas coach Bonnie Henrickson ran into each other last Saturday at a Jayhawk junior college conference playoff game.
"I really have respect for her" Henrickson said. "Not only that she's been successful, but how she's handled success and how she goes about her business."
The two discussed their seasons and the teams' chances of making the NCAA Tournament.
Although the Cornhuskers are now in the Big Ten Conference, Yori and Henrickson still text and call on a regular basis. Yori was one of the first to reach out when
Yori also grabbed several national coach of the year awards.
The pinnacle of this turnaround in 2010 was when Nebraska grabbed a No.1 seed after going the whole regular season with a 29-0 record and an undefeated mark in the Big 12. It ended up getting bounced in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, but it concluded the best season in Cornhusker history.
Henrickson continues to go through a similar experience at Kansas but has not had the same success.
Both Yori and Henrickson came into the Big 12 conference in similar situations. In 2002, Yori looked to turn around a Nebraska program who was a proverbial loser in the conference.
After nine years with the program, Henrickson hopes she can start moving Kansas up into the elites of women's college basketball.
Kansas' junior forward Carolyn Davis went down with a knee injury earlier in the season.
Edited by Bre Roach
Overall Record:
294-182
(15 seasons head coach)
Bonnie Henrickson
Record at Kansas: 136-120,8 seasons
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 6 (5 Virginia Tech,1 Kansas)
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