6B SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2009
BASKETBALL
(CONTINUED FROM 1B)
The Kansas women's basketball team will try to continue their season success tonight in the WNIT semifinals against Illinois State at 7 p.m. in Allen Fieldhouse.
Catic's story fits this team, this Kansas program, perfectly.
Chance Dibben/KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Catic, a native of Serbia, followed Henrickson to Lawrence with the idea of changing a program that hadn't won much in recent years.
Yet the task didn't always flow smoothly. Kansas went to the WNIT twice in Catie's first three years but never made it past the second round. Those teams never won 20 games.
"This staff came here to turn the program around, and all of us who came here to play with Bonnie and her staff had that in mind," Catic said. "It's not exactly like going to the tournament, but it's still a great thing."
Then came this year — a pivotal point in Henrickson's five-year tenure — when many demanded for progress to be made. The Jayhawks' 21 victories are the most in a decade and this is the furthest Kansas has ever been in the WNIT.
Perhaps that's the most accurate sentiment of Kansas' current run in the WNIT. Sure, the Jayhawks would much rather have made the NCAA tournament, but the WNIT semifinals serve as a step forward and a form of progress.
And Catic has seen it too. Her teammates are not only accepting what coaches are saying — they're accepting responsibility.
"People started holding each other and themselves accountable for things on and off the court," Catic said. "We all realized at some point it's not just about what you do on the court."
After returning from New
Mexico, junior guard Sade Morris spent part of Tuesday practicing basketball, the other part making sales pitches with her teammates asking everyone to attend tonight's game.
On Monday night, Kansas witnessed perhaps its most hos-
title playing environment this season. Fans threw ice on the court after the game and, at times, junior forward Danielle McCray said it was so loud she couldn't hear herself think.
Kansas wants that same enthusiasm and fan support for its women's basketball program.
"For the people that didn't really beieve in us then, now they can beieve in us," Morris said. "Yeah, we were on that great stretch before
the WNIT and now look how far we've gotten. That probably surprised a lot of people."
Why wouldn't it have?
At one point this season, Kansas struggled to a 2-9 record in the Big 12, including losses to Colorado and Missouri, neither of whom made the NCAA tournament or WNIT.
"For the people that didn't really believe in us then, now they can believe in us."
That losing wore on the players, who still had to practice just as hard — if not harder — despite seeing few positive results.
SADE MORRIS Junior guard
"You think you're giving it your best, but it's not good enough so you have to give even more when
you don't think you have it in you," Catic said. "But somewhere we all had to find it in ourselves because it wasn't good enough."
The Jayhawks couldn't score, couldn't defend and appeared destined for a finish near the bottom of the Big 12. But somewhere along the line, after months of Henrickson's constant prodding, those fortunes reversed.
"In the beginning, it was hard losing that many games. Just
doing the whole thing over and over again, losing that many games over and over," McCray said. "But Bonnie was never going to give up on us and we were never going to give up on each other."
Morris added that Henrickson "would be picky about everything, and at first wed be upset and be like, 'it's not that big of a deal,'" Morris said. "But she said the little things are what win games for you. And we finally bought into that and that's the truth."
In the midst of the chaos of coaching, Henrickson has found time to watch her team and simply enjoy the beauty of it all.
"We keep trying to tell them what winning is like and how much fun it is." Henrickson said. "When you buy into it and do the things we've asked, it's fun to sit back and watch them celebrate."
But Henrickson and her players insist they aren't satisfied yet, and that this road still has a few turns and stops left.
To cast off Kansas' success as irrelevant because it's the WNIT, not the Big Dance, is shallow-minded.
Programs, the same as buildings, are built on foundations. And Kansas' current run appears to be the start of a sturdy and
Kansas vs. Illinois State
| P | No. | Kansas | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| G | 3 | Ivanic Cata | 5-8 | Sr. | 2.4 |
| F | 4 | Danielle McCray | 5-11 | Jr. | 21.2 |
| G | 20 | Sade Morris | 5-11 | Jr. | 12.7 |
| F | 24 | Nicollette Smith | 6-2 | So. | 6.7 |
| C | 14 | Krysten Boogaard | 6-5 | So. | 8.7 |
WHEN/WHERE...
Tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m. at Allen Fieldhouse.
WHO TO WATCH FOR...
Senior Kristi Cirone. She's among the 40 finalists for the Coaches' All-American team and was the Missouri Valley Player of the Year, if she scores 17 points and dishes out two assists, she will hold the Illinois State single-season records for both categories. Senior Ivan Catic will likely draw the quick guard and must contain her for the Jawhayes to win.
The Jayhawks clicking on all cylinders. They've been able to get the balanced scoring they've been looking for all season and have seen major improvements from their bench. Freshman Aishah Sutherland likely won't get into the starting lineup, but she has been the best post presence for the Jayhawks in the postseason.
WHAT TO EXPECT...
P No. Illinois State Ht. Yr. PPG
G 10 Kristi Cirone 5-8 Sr. 18.6
G 32 Maggie Crick 5-11 Jr. 12.6
G 33 Shala Jackson 5-9 So. 9.1
F 40 Ashleen Bracy 6-0 Jr. 9.2
C 33 Nicolle Lewis 6-5 Jr. 10.1
WHY KANSAS WILL WIN...
The Jayhawks are much more battle-tested. Illinois State hasn't played too many quality opponents this year. Kansas will likely be the toughest team Illinois State has faced all year. On the other hand, the Jayhawkes have beaten Iowa State, a team that just lost in the Elite Eight, and Baylor, a No. 2 seed in the tournament, in their past 10 games.
HOW THE GAME IS IMPORTANT...
promising base.
One victory takes the Jayhawks to the pinnacle of the WNIT; the championship. With two wins, Kansas will signal its emergence and possibly leave a few Big 12 coaches with their jaws on the floor.
MAGIC NUMBER...
"It it just finally feels good to be on the right side of things," Morris said. "It allows us to know how
62. 5 percent — The Redbirds field-goal percentage in their 66-55 victory against Indiana in the WNIT quarterfinals. If they want to stay hot, the Jayhawks will need to help McCray in the scoring department to win.
Clark Goble
I'd rather not see in Lawrence).
That's the environment Kansas was faced with winning in on Monday. Behind a spectacular — if unsurprising — 32-point and nine-rebound effort from Danielle McCray, Kansas did just that.
And so the layhawks get to return home. But if they'd like that homecoming to be a happy one, McCray might just need to put up similar numbers. The funny thing is, it would be surprising if she
BEECHER (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
"Next year, we don't expect to be back in the WNIT tournament. We
expect to be in the NCAA tournament."
good and how great we're capable of being.
didn't McCray, a 5-foot-11 junior forward from Olathe, dropped 25 points and grabbed 13 boards against Creighton in the opening round of the WNIT. She followed that with a 35-and-eight effort against Arkansas. Given her 21-and-eight average (she also leads the team in free-throw percentage, three-point shooting, blocks and steals — no big deal), it's easy to take stats like that for granted. See her play in person
Edited by Grant Treaster
It's being played in Allen Fieldhouse tonight. One of those teams has "Kansas" on the front of its jerseys. If you're a still-drotted Jayahawk basketball addict, consider this your perfect excuse to relapse.
and you won't make that mistake
"She's just playing with so much confidence," coach Bonnie Henrickson said. "She's a kid that can take tough shots and hit tough shots in so many different ways."
LIED CENTER OF KANSAS
But in Kansas't three WNIT games, McCray has played even better. She's averaging 30.7 points and 10 rebounds in that stretch.
Of course, Kansas' late season success can't be attributed to one player alone, however gaudy her numbers. There's plenty of credit to go around. Junior Sade Morris provides valuable supplementary scoring from the guard spot. Her backcourt mate, senior Ivana Catic, has the steadying hand and leadership abilites coaches love from point guards. The rebounding and presence sophomore center Krysten Boogaard offers, along with the continued emergence of freshman forward Aishah Sutherland (who had 10 rebounds off the bench against Oklahoma's titanic Paris sisters earlier this season), has shored up the interior.
"Nobody is pouting that they're not starting," senior guard Ivana Catic said. "Everyone is still competing in practice. Sometimes when we play in practice, the bench beats the starters."
women's basketball notes
To put it as succinctly as possible: This is a final four (not the official title, but it has a nice ring to it) game between two good teams.
But in the shadows is Kansas' bench, led by Aisha Sutherland and LaChelda Jacobs. Early in the season, reserves provided little support for the starters.
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As the season has progressed, though, so has Kansas's bench.
Kansas is good. Advancing to this stage isn't a fluke. But then, Illinois State wouldn't be here if it didn't have ability too.
BETTER BENCH PLAY
During this current run, Kansas' biggest players have stepped into the spotlight.
Junior forward Danielle McCray has been good offensively all season.
MCCRAY CONTINUES TO IMPRESS
Edited by Brandy Entsminger
Jayson Jenks
THE MIDLND
ALIVE WITH HISTORY & MUSIC by 4mc
Tickets are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, online at ticketmaster.com. The Midland box office or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000 www.midlandkc.com
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SECOND KU-MU GRADUATE HISTORY CONFERENCE
"Kingly Concerns: Cultural Concession & Change in the Pre-Modern and Modern Worlds"
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Panels of graduate and undergraduate students will present on topics in many historical periods and geographic specialties
University of Kansas Kansas Union April 3-4,2009
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