University Daily Kansan, August 22, 1984
SPORTS
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New, smaller ball will help Women cagers better in '84
By PHIL ELLENBECKER Associate Sports Editor
FILE PHOTO/KANSAN
Barbara Adkins, a 6-foot senior forward on this year's KU women's basketball team, scrambles after a loose ball during a game last year against Iowa State. Adkins, along with her sister Vickie, leads this year's Jayhawk returns.
The KU women's basketball team suffered through its worst season in seven years last year, but this year it'll be a whole new ball game with a brand new ball.
KU head women's basketball coach Marian Washington says she hopes that this year's recruiting class, one of the largest in recent years, can help the program return to respectability.
In addition to the new faces, the Jayhawk team will also be working with a new, smaller ball, which was approved by the National Collegiate Athletic Association for all women's collegiate games this year.
"I'M EXCITED ABOUT IT." Washington said. "It's been a long time coming. Several of our players worked with the new ball over the summer and were pleased with it. It'll make a big difference in scoring and will also cut down on turnovers. We'll have better batting, better. There's a big possibility that somebody's going to dunk it this year."
years
Last year the Jayhawks had an 11-16 record and finished fifth in the Big Eight Conference.
"We hope that we're healthy this year," Washington said. "The last two years injuries have hurt our depth greatly, and we're trying to make sure that we have enough depth this year."
This year's recruiting class includes Lisa Dougherty, a 5-foot-9 guard from Leavenworth; Kelly Jennings, a 6-4 center and Sandy Shaw, a 6-1 forward from Topeka; Jackie Martin, a 5-11 forward from Dublin, Ga.; Mesho Stroughther, a 9-9 guard from East St. Louis, Ill., and Bente Dahl, a 5-10 forward from Nadderder High School in Norway.
Dougherty and Shaw were both Kansas All-State selections.
WASHINGTON IS UNSURE at this point which of her recruits has the best chance to step in and play right away.
"I really don't know," she said. "There are several that have the
attitudes and the potential, but at this point I have no idea."
Washington said she was looking toward at least finishing in the top four in the conference this year.
"A lot depends on what happens with our inside game," she said. "When we lost Philicia Allen, a 6-6 center) last year it hurt us a lot on the boards."
Allen, who led the team in rebounding and made the All-Big Eight Tournament team two years ago, was ruled academically ineligible both semesters last year. Washington said she didn't know yet whether Allen would be playing this year. She isn't listed on the team roster.
KU'S LEADING RETURNEE is Vickie Adkins, a 6-1 junior who finished second on the team in scoring last year with an average of 16.9 points a game. She also led the conference in rebounding and was an All-Big Eight and All-Region VI selection.
Other returnees who started in conference games last year include Vickie's sister Barbara, a 6-foot
senior who averaged 10.2 points a game last year; Mary Myers, a 5-6 senior who averaged 8.3 points a game last year; Renea Page, a 6-3 sophomore; and Toni Webb, a 5-8 sophomore.
Also returning are Marilyn Jenkins, a 510 junior who became eligible the second semester last season and played in 11 games off the bench; Sherri Stockeeer, a 5-8 guard; and Everett Dormack, an unused member of the conference season as freshmen last year because of knee surgery.
KU lost two senior starters off last year's team, Angie Snider, a 5-10 forward, and Cindy Platt, a 5-8 guard. Snider will be especially missed — she led KU in scoring with an average of 21 points a game.
VALERIE QUARLES AND Ann Schell, who both saw action on the bench last year, will not return to the team this season.
"Anytime you lose a player like Angie you lose not only a lot of points but also her maturity and leadership abilities," Washington said.
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