WEDNESDAY, NOV. 7, 2001
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PREVIEW
BRANDIMCGINEST
Freshman ready to play following ankle injury
By Jessica Scott Kansan sportswriter
After almost a year of not being able to play basketball, freshman Brandi McGinest is eager for the 2001 season to begin.
"I broke my ankle last year so I've been through a lot of therapy this summer," McGinest said. "I was released in June to play basketball, so once they released me, I was on the court playing."
McGinest comes to Kansas from Long Beach, Calif., where she attended high school at Long Beach Poly. The 5-foot-10 forward averaged 11 points and 9 rebounds before breaking her ankle during her senior campaign.
"My goal is to bring intensity and play good defense — that's one of my main things, playing very hard defense," she said.
McGinest also runs the floor well and can score off the offensive boards. Head coach Marian Washington said she already had faith in McGinest's shooting ability.
Although only a freshman, McGinest said she thought she had a solid grasp of Kansas' approach.
"We need to work hard and be positive with each other." McGinest said. "We just need to try and work on the small things, and the small things are what's going to get us to
Year: Freshman
Position: Forward
Height: 5-10
Hometown: Long Beach, California
Favorite movies:
Austin Powers and Superstar
They attended my high school:
Cameron Diaz,
Snoop Dogg
the big picture."
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SHARONNESPENCER
Sophomore excited to join teammates on the court
By Eric Flaton Kansan sportswriter
Perhaps the player who is most eager for this season to begin is sophomore Sharonne Spencer. After tearing her anterior curcinate ligament during preseason practice last year, Spencer said she couldn't wait to get back on the court.
Spencer was also unable to compete her freshman season because she was academically ineligible according to NCAA
"It was very tough last year dealing with my knee problem and seeing my team go through a bad season," the 6-foot-2 forward said.
guidelines.
Kansas coach Marian Washington said she was looking forward to having Spencer in her arsenal, after Spencer's redshirt season.
"Sharonne has shown more comfortableness with her knee and there is no reason why she can't go full," Washington said. "She can be as tenacious as we were looking for her to be on the boards."
While Spencer spent last season encouraging her teammates, she plans to be part of the Jayhawks' turnaround this year.
Washington couldn't agree more.
"She's going to be a real
Year: Sophomore
Position: Forward
Height: 6-2
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
I came to Kansas because of: Coach Washington
After a game, I unwind by: Playing
Playstation 2
important player for us," Washington said
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VALERIE MIGICOVSKY
Canadian adds toughness
By Jessica Scott Kansan sportswriter
Valerie Migicovsky, a 6-foot-4 freshman forward, will add vigor inside the paint to the Kansas women's basketball team this season.
Migicovsky is from North Bay, Ontario, making her one of two international Jayhawks. The other is sophomore guard Leila Menguc, who is from Stockholm, Sweden.
Migicovsky helped her Algonquin Secondary High School squad capture the Silver National Championship in Canada during her senior season.
She said her aggressive
nature on the boards could help the Jayhawks' post game. After a summer of running and weight lifting, Migicovsky said she was ready to transition to college basketball.
Coach Marian Washington said Migicovsky's contributions to the Jayhawks would be her ability to play defense and to be a presence under the basket.
"We'll have to depend greatly on our ability to hit the boards I think even better than we did a year ago and find different ways to score,"
"I can run the floor well, so I think that will really help the team," she said.
Year: Freshman
Position: Center
Height: 6-4
Hometown: North
Bay, Ontario
A famous person I
have met: Steve Nash
I would buy a ticket
to watch: An Olympic
event
Washington said.
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Young talent will be key to success
By Eric Flaton Kansan sportswriter
BLAIR WALTZ
In the 2001-2002 season, the Kansas women's basketball team will have to rely on several young guns. One of these athletes is Blair Waltz, a 6-foot guard/forward from Blue Valley North high school in Leuwood.
The freshman led Blue Valley North to two state championships and as a senior, averaged 18 points, seven steals and five assists per game. Kansas coach Marian Washington said she would look to the young shooter to make up for the scoring power the Jayhawks lost to graduation.
"Blair is a competitor. I don't have to beg her to shoot the ball," Washington said of the newcomer. "We'll be working on developing her as a total player, being able to create off the dribble as well."
Waltz stayed in Lawrence last summer and practiced with the team.
She said she hoped her familiarity with winning would continue at Kansas. She said for the team to succeed, it would need a strong defensive game.
Year: Freshman
Position:
Guard/Forward
Height: 6-0
Hometown:
Leawood, Kansas
My pregame
superstition:
Chewing green
Extra gum
Favorite movie:
Gladiator
"I think the team goal should be that we need to be the defensive team of the Big 12, because of how young we are," Waltz said.
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OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma returns as Big 12 champs
By Eric Flaton Kansan sportswriter
Oklahoma comes into the 2001-2002 season as a team on a mission. The Sooners will it all in the Big 12 tournament last season and are favorites again this year. After finishing last season ranked seventh in the country, Oklahoma starts this year in the fifth spot.
"It is certainly an honor and it is nice to see that respect across the nation," said senior guard Stacey Dales.
The Sooners return with Dales, a Kodak All-American, All-Big junior forward Caton Hill and sen-
warrior guard LaNeishea Caufield, a defensive team All-American. Dales, a 6-foot guard from Brockville, Ontario, led the team in scoring last season. Caufield returns in her senior season as the school's all-time steals leader with 305. The triple threat is complete with junior forward Caton Hill. Hill led the team with 315 rebounds in her sophomore campaign.
"It is how you put those kids together and how those kids play together," said coach Sherri Coale. "We will not be the most talented team on the floor, but we could be the best."
Coale, who returns to Oklahoma for her sixth season, has brought in two Big 12 season titles and has gone to the Sweet 16 in both of the past two seasons. Coale earned the Women's Basketball Journal and Sports Illustrated coach of the year awards last season as her team finished 28-6.
The schedule will be challenging for the Sooners this season. The team faces ranked Purdue, Illinois and Connecticut teams. But Coale said her team didn't have to leave the Big 12 for good competition.
"It is awesome to compete in this league," Coale said. "I have never gone into postseason and felt unprepared a lot of that has to do with the Big 12 Conference."
This year's team will use last year's success as motivation going into the season, Dales said.
Old and new players to help Buffaloes' season
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COLORADO
By Jessica Scott Kansas sportswriter
Colorado coach Ceal Barry left her familiar mountainous campus for three weeks this summer and traveled to Austria and Germany to coach the Big 12 Conference Women's Basketball All-Star team. The all-stars compiled a perfect 5-0 record against some talented international teams.
"We are really looking forward to the season," said Barry, who is
beginning her 18th year at Colorado. "I think will be really good for our team to get some games under our belt until we enter our regular season non-conference games and into the Big 12."
Barry hopes to repeat that success with the Buffaloes this year. She led her team to an overall 22-9 record last season, finishing fourth in the Big 12.
again. Led by seniors Mandy Nightingale and Jenny Roulier, the Buffalo team has the only allsenior backcourt in the Big 12. Nightingale led the team in scoring (13.9), assists (3.9) and steals (1.7) last season. Roulier finished
Colorado's backcourt will be the strength of the team once
Nightingale boasts a talented bench as the Buffaloes return six underclassmen and welcome four talented freshman to the roster. Barry anticipates that two newcomers will be crucial contributors to her team.
the season with 21 double-digit scoring outputs and was also named to the second team academic All-Big 12 team. Both guards received third-team All-Big 12 honors last season and will continue to build on last year's success.
As a senior at Troy High School in Fullerton, Calif., JohnsRichardson was ranked the No. 14 point guard in the country by the All-Star Girls Report and was named the Orange County player of the year by the Los Angeles Times.
think our two freshman, Syreeta Stafford and Veronica Johns-Richardson, are both adding some speed and quickness to our lineup."
"If there is a knock on our team, at least what I have heard is that we are not overly athletic or quick," she said. "Although I
Roulier is already impressed by Johns-Richardson.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN - 13B
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