Volume 124 Issue 100
kansan.com
Monday, February 20, 2012
Zenger may have to choose
Pretty soon,he'll have to make another: should he keep Bonnie Henrickson on as the women's basketball coach?
Athletics Director Sheahor Zenger made his first bigtime move by biring Turner Gill and hirting Charlie Weis to rejuvenate Kansas' football program.
Kansas lost to Missouri at home on Saturday afternoon, 70-65. Home losses are never good, but this one stings even more — the Tigers came into the game with an 0-13 conference record.
It's a horrendous loss that comes at the absolute wrong time for Kansas (17-6, 6-8).
Junior forward Carolyn Davis, a bona fide All-American candidate, suffered a dislocated knee and torn anterior crucial ligament on Feb. 12 at Kansas State.
The Jayhawks finished with 43 points in the loss to the Wildcats. Iowa State routed them on Wednesday. Kansas needed a home victory against a Big 12 doormat to gain some confidence after losing its best player to injury.
With Saturday's loss, Kansas sits, for seemingly the 38th season in a row, just on the outside of the NCAA Tournament. ESPN.com Women's Basketball Bracketology slots Kansas as an eight seed, but the predictions haven't been updated since last Monday.
A loss to a wristless conference team at home will probably take the Jayhawks off the bracket.
But here's the question: how much can you pinpoint this stretch on losing Davis for the season?
"This game hurts. This one is a dagger," Henrickson said in the postgame press conference.
It's an interesting question that Zenger will have to ponder over the next few months. He'll certainly have to examine the unique circumstances Henrickson team faced this season.
With Davis healthy, the Jayhawks were 17-6 overall with a 6-5 conference mark in arguably the toughest conference in women's basketball. Junior guard Angel Goodrich, senior forward Aishah Sutherland and Davis made for a pretty nice trio.
Kansas has all the resources to compete on a national scale in women's basketball. We'll soon see if Zenger thinks Henrickson is capable of taking the program to another level.
If Zenger wants to make Kansas women's basketball a perennial NCAA Tournament team, one that can compete for a conference title every once in a while, he might be watching these last few games of the season with a careful eye.
The Jayhawks were poised to make the NCAA Tournament, finally escaping the binds of the WNIT.
The injury to Davis put Kansas to the test. The Jayhawks haven't responded and now need to win some tough games to have a shot at making the Big Dance.
Ultimately, Zenger's decision will come down to what he expects from the second team in Allen Fieldhouse.
If he's satisfied with WNIT runs and just-under-.500 conference records, he knows he can get that with Henrickson.
Edited by Max Rothman
Junior forward Thomas Robinson shoots a free throw during the first half against Texas Tech. Robinson scored 16 points and eight rebounds in Kansas' 83-50 victory on Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse.
TRAVIS YOUNG/KANSAN
A STRANGE SATURDAY
KANSAS 83. TEXAS TECH 50
KORY CARPENTER
KURY CARPENTER
kcarpenter@kansan.com
Any worries Kansas fans had of a possible letdown in the rematch against Texas Tech Saturday night were quickly squashed, as the Jayhawks cruised to an 83-50 victory with four players scoring in double figures.
"Things didn't necessarily start off smoothly, however. The popular pre-game video shown before Kansas players are introduced failed to start, altering a part of the ever-consistent Allen Fieldhouse pre-game rituals.
"I didn't know what was going on," coach Bill Self said of the malfunction. "It was kind of a dower to me. I look forward to that every time."
With or without the video that often results in an Allen Fieldhouse volume decible reading in the triple digits, at least one person was worried about a sluggish start by Kansas against Texas Tech, a team that has proven to be inferior.
"It is not the way you want it to
"I think it's definitely something coach worries about," senior guard Conner 'Teahan said. "Especially today with that awkward introduction."
The opening sequences couldn't have gone much better for the Jayhawks. They hit their first seven shots and opened up an early 17-7 lead.
happen, obviously," Red Raiders coach Billy Gillispie said after the game, describing a pair of defensive miscues that led to the early onslaying of Kansas buckets.
The Jayhawks shot 57.7 percent in the first half and took a 44-22 lead to the locker room at halftime, led by junior forward Thomas Robinson eight first-half points.
The initial obstacle of not overlooking Texas Tech was a success, but not coming out flat in the second half was a new challenge. Is staying focused with a big lead difficult?
"I think it is for this particular group," Self said. "I think it's human nature, but we have shown over time that we're not the most mature team or handle prosperity that well."
Led by eight points and five rebounds in the second half by Robinson, Kansas kept Texas Tech at a comfortable distance for the remainder of the game. However there was a moment midway through the second half that made Self a little worried.
The popular "Pop Up Video" clip was airing during a timeout, this time highlighting Robinson. Out of the huddle and waiting for action to resume, the players' eyes were glued to the video board.
guys are out there watching it and laughing and smiling and the officials are smiling with them," Self said. "I thought maybe thered be a chance we could lose a little focus".
"I thought there might be a problem whenever they did the Thomas Robinson bit on the video and our
They didn't, and there's just one more mental hurdle against Texas
"If you work your tail off all year
A&M on Wednesday night in College Station, Texas, before the much-hyped rematch with Missouri on Saturday. The questions of focus were already being asked in regards to Wednesday night's titl.
long to put yourself in a good position” Self said. “How can you look past anybody when you can see the light at the end of the tunnel?”
Edited by Max Rothman
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Comeback try not enough vs. Tigers
Junior guard Angel Goodrich covers her face with her jersey after the Kansas 70-65 loss against Missouri on Saturday afternoon at Allen Fieldhouse. Goodrich scored 13 points and nine assists.
CHRIS BRONSON/KANSAN
KATHLEEN GIER
kgier@kansan.com
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Kansas trailed Missouri the entire game but brought the margin back to three points with 1:15 left. But Kansas fell 70-65 at Allen Fieldhouse in the final regular-season installment of the Border Showdown.
Kansas gave up an 11-2 Missouri run and trailed 15 points at halftime. In the second half, the Jayhawks gained momentum and brought the game within three points with under one minute left. But Missouri's Christine Flores hit two free throws to capture the 'Tigers' first conference victory of the season.
The Jayhawks talk about examples of resiliency such as fighting a 15-point deficit or adjusting their game plan after losing leading scorer Carolyn Davis. This part of the season has been a test for the young Jayhawks, who lost their third straight game Saturday night. Resiliency has been challenged.
"It's a dagger" coach Bonnie Henrickson said.
The Jayhawks debuted a new starting five with freshman forward Chelsea Gardner in for Davis and sophomore guard CeCe Harper in for junior guard Monica Engelman. Engelman was benched for the second time this season for a lack of productivity, according to Henrickson. The Jayhawks were out of rhythm and quickly fell behind 8-0 after two Missouri three pointers.
"We were just trying to stay as a team and stay positive with everything that has happened," sophomore forward Tania Jackson said.
Kansas worked in practice on defending perimeter shooters, but gave up open looks to the Missouri guards, who hit seven of 12 shots from three point range and six of eight in the first
half. The Jayhawks only connected on four of their 14 three-point shots and had to fight for points by the basket.
Senior forward Aishah Sutherland led the Jayhawks with 23 points. After starting just two of seven from the field in the first half, Sutherland hit eight of 10 shots in the second half to rally the Jayhawks. Defensively, she took on Flores, the biggest challenge, who finished the game with 24 points.
"When they hit a three, it's not time to put our heads down," Jackson said. "It's time to stay focused and stay as a team."
That focus was rattled just before tip-off when Davis fell again after she abandoned her crutches to cheer on her teammates. Coaches and trainers rushed over to help Davis to the bench where she sat with her leg propped for the remainder of the game.
Gardner, who started in Davis's place, quickly fell into foul trouble. Jackson subbed into the game and finished with 11 points and a game-high seven rebounds.
"Tania is an upper-classman and she understands the rivalry and she knew what this game was going to feel like," Henrickson said. "Tania came out and was aggressive."
Junior guard Angel Goodrich finished with 13 points and nine assists, but was disappointed with seven turnovers.
"You can lose, but you have to go out there and give it your all." Gooddrich said. "The second half, yes, but the first half we didn't do any of it. That dug us a hole."
Kansas has four games left in the season and they need three victories to end their 12-season NCAA Tournament drought.
"This is going to hurt us a lot," Goodrich said. "I feel like we can still finish strong and the only ones who can stop us are ourselves."
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Edited by Max Rothman