THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
SPORTS
7B
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SEASON IN REVIEW
The Kansan's 2008-2009 report card
BY JAYSON JENKS
Danielle McCray, junior forward
McCray entered the year as Kansas' best offensive player, but early in conference play she struggled. Over the course of the season, though, McCray developed into one of the most prolific scorers in the Big 12. Down the stretch — and the season, for that matter — McCray hit big shot after big shot. And, on top of that, McCray led Kansas in almost every major statistic. When her career is done, she'll find herself as one of the top scorers in Kansas women's basketball history.
Sade Morris, junior guard
Morris suffered an injury early during Big 12 play, forcing her to miss three and a half games. Even after returning to the lineup, Morris took time to work back into the flow of the game. But in their run late in the season, Morris provided the Jayhawks and McCray with the perfect secondary scoring option. She couldn't have played much better down the stretch.
Ivana Catic, senior guard
For much of the nonconference season, Catic served as Kansas' backup point guard. But on Dec. 31 against Houston, Catic entered the starting lineup and never back, Coach Bonnie Henrickson placed the responsibility of running Kansas' complex offense on Catic. The senior did just that, while providing a much-needed calming presence.
Nicollette Smith, sophomore forward
Smith entered the starting lineup only after an injury forced her to do so. Once viewed as solely a three-point specialist, Smith took great strides to develop a more well-rounded game. There's little doubt that she struggled with her shot, especially late in the season, but she provided Kansas with a hard-nosed post defender and a vocal leader that Henrickson's team desperately needed.
Aishah Sutherland, freshman forward
The sheer athleticism Sutherland possesses is game changing. But, for a variety of reasons, Sutherland hardly played at the beginning of the season. But as her practice habits improved, and her ability to influence a game became more apparent, Sutherland developed into one of Kansas' most dependable players late. She averaged 7.5 points and 5.7 rebounds after the start of Big 12 play and only progressed as the season wore on.
Krysten Boogaard, sophomore center
This season was marked by a series of ups (back-to-back 20-point games in December) and downs (four points in a loss to Oklahoma) for Boogaard. But in Kansas' last three games, Boogaard materialized into a dependable post player. She averaged 13 points and 7.3 rebounds in that span. Now, the key will be to develop consistency.
LaChelda Jacobs, junior guard
Jacobs started the year as Kansas' starting point guard but relinquished the role because she committed too many turnovers. And that may have been the best thing that happened to her. Jacobs was the Jayhawks' first guard off the bench and became much more dependable. As good at getting the basket as most guards in the Big 12, Jacobs must work on finishing around the rim.
Kelly Kohn, junior guard
Kohn played rather significant minutes in the nonconference season but struggled in matchups with more athletic teams. The result? She played just 11 minutes in Kansas' final eight games. Her ability to shoot and her energy could make Kohn an important piece off Kansas' bench next season, but she must find a way to create shots and scoring opportunities to continue seeing playing time.
Porscha Weddington, junior forward
Weddington opened the season in the starting lineup before moving to the bench because she struggled with consistency. Then she played only a handful of minutes in the middle of conference play. True, Weddinton must become a better finisher. But, more importantly, she must develop into an aggressive rebounder for Kansas next season. That wasn't always evident this year.
Coaching
Sure, Kansas could have started better in conference play. And sure, the Jayhawks appeared rather uninspired at times early in the season. But coach Bonnie Henrickson and her staff got this team to improve late, and that can be a very difficult task. At the end of the season, the Jayhawks were as good as any队 in the Big 12 (except for Oklahoma). Henrickson continued to push this team and the players never stopped listening. The reward was 16,113 fans in attendance to watch the WNIT championship game.
MASTERS
Some say Augusta National too tough
ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUGUSTA, Ga. — The azaleas are brighter than ever. As usual, not a blade of grass is out of place. Anticipation is higher than it has been in years at the Masters, with Tiger Woods a winner again after knee surgery and Padraig Harrington going for a third straight major.
But the buzz at Augusta National has been tempered by three years of more teeth-gnashing than fist-pumping.
Players are becoming more vocal in their criticism of a course that has produced so much excitement from so many charges over the
Birdies have been replaced by bogeys.
years. They say it has become too long, too tough.
"Criticism hurts a little bit," Payne said Wednesday. "It's like when you go to a piano recital of one of your granddaughters and you hear somebody say, 'Boy, that's the worst kid I've ever seen.' It hurts your feelings."
The cathedral of golf is starting to remind Masters chairman Billy Payne of a concert.
The club also enlarged the tee boxes on the par-4 seventh and par-5 15th, allowing officials to move the tees a little more forward to make the hole play slightly shorter.
Payne responded by making the course shorter — by 10 vards.
control so much can only hope Mother Nature is on its side.
Otherwise, a club that tries to
"This week is an important test," Payne said. "Since the most recent, substantial changes to the course in 2006, we have not had good weather over the weekend. The players have not, in fact, had the opportunity to demonstrate their skills against the competitive test of the course. It looks like we are going to have some pretty good weather this weekend."
Spring felt like winter two years ago when Zach Johnson became the first Masters champion in more than 50 years to finish over par. A year ago, whipping wind sent Trevor Immelman to a 75, matching the highest final round by a winner.
grass. Turns out there was a frost delay, although sunshine warmed the course considerably in the afternoon, and it is supposed to get better for the next four days.
It sure hasn't started out that way.
Jim Furyk was among the first on the driving range Wednesday morning, and as he walked to the first tee, he was taken aback when a security guard told him he was not allowed to walk on the
Will that be all it takes to bring the roars back to Augusta National? To restore hope that someone who is three shots behind going to the back nine on Sunday still has a chance to win?
Tiger Woods isn't so sure.
"The golf course has changed quite a bit," he said. "Your strategy has changed. You don't go out there looking to shoot super-low rounds because they are not out there anymore, especially with these conditions that we've had the last two years."
How much has it changed?
Woods has been a runner-up the last two years and has broken par only twice, with just one of those rounds in the 60s.
But it's more than the 510 yards that were added to the course since Woods captured his first green jacket in 1997.
awards
PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Junior forward
Danielle McCray
This should come as no surprise. McCray led Kansas in points, rebounds, steals and blocks, while piecing together big game after big game of- densely. But more important - and less quantitative - is this: McCray carried the Jayhawks late in the season and hit countless big shots.
BEST STORYLINE:
Catic started the season coming off the bench, a reserve point guard who played to give junior guard LaCahelda Jacobs a brief rest. But as the season progressed, Catic entered the starting lineup and became the conductor of Kansas' offense. Plus, after a long four years in a losing program, seeing Catic's ear-to-ear smile as she ran onto the court in front of 16,000 fans was priceless.
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER:
Sophomore forward
Nicollette Smith
Smith entered the season as a three-point shooter off the bench. Then, after injuries forced her into the starting lineup, Smith reworked her game to become a hard-nosed post defender and Kansas' most vocal player on the court.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Junior guard Sade Morris.
Throughout the season, Morris found herself guarding an opponent's best offensive player. The fact that Morris was also expected to score on offense makes her stingy defensive efforts more impressive.
— Jayson Jenks
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