FEATURE 15
ing cream, a color that is harmless by itself but embodies rivalry when aligned with crimson. That's right, Sade Morris was born and raised in Norman, Okla. — Sooner Country.
"Sooner born, Sooner bred," Morris says
The lanky guard with the spot-on jump shot grew up like any young Normanite hooper.
"I was a Sooner fan," she says. "I watched every sport!"
When Morris was 6 years old, she moved to a new neighborhood and started playing ball. Before long, the young Morris was looking for as much basketball as she could get.
"I went around knocking on doors" she says.
"I knocked on the door of a young girl, her name was Aubrey and her father was an AAU coach," Morris says. "He found out that I liked basketball, so I ended up joining his team."
Then one day, she knocked on the door of opportunity.
The rest is history.
"I went to every home basketball game; Morris says. "I grew up watching Laneisha Caufield, Rosalind Ross and Stacey Dales play at OU."
Meanwhile, Morris' Sooner-ship was strengthening with the program.
In 2002, the Oklahoma women's basketball team advanced to the NCAA national championship game. While the Sooners lost 82-70 to Sue Bird and her 39-0 Connecticut Huskies, the team nonetheless influenced Morris in her dreams of being a college basketball player.
"The OU women's basketball team was who I looked up to," Morris says. "They gave me the inspiration to continue to play and play in college."
Morris wanted to be just like her home town heroes.
"I just thought, I'm gonna be a Sooner one day," Morris says.
In her junior year at Norman High School, Morris led her team to a state championship. Everyone was convinced that her glory as a Sooner was up next. That's when Morris threw a curveball and went north to Kansas.
"I came here to try to make a difference here for the women's team," Morris says.
With such a surprising decision, her family and friends were understandably caught off-guard, to say the least.
"Everybody was shocked." Morris says. "They couldn't believe that I actually chose not to go to OU."
As a star athlete at Norman High School, Morris's skills were only magnified for nearby Oklahoma University. The school showed heavy interest in the promising talent.
She says the school recruited her extensively, but in the end it came down to Kansas and Oklahoma. At first, Morris simply desired a change of scenery.
"I wanted to get out and grow up on my own," Morris says. "I wanted to be around something different."
Then she found Lawrence.
She says the friendly demeanor of Lawrencians was a breath of fresh air.
"When I came here for my official visit, I just felt like I was at home." Morris said.
"I'm usually a shy person. I usually don't talk at all when I meet new people." Morris says. "But I came here and it was like, Oh hey, you doin'?" "Nice to meet you."
Then she felt the local love for basketball and the state champion was lured away from Oklahoma to Lawrence, which she says is more of a basketball town.
Now in her senior season at Kansas, Morris is a three-time letter winner and one of the top scoring options for the 20th-ranked women's basketball team. She started every game as a sophomore and junior and was named the best defender at the 2009 team reception.
After posting 17 points per game during the five-game stretch up until last year's loss in the WNIT championship game, Morris was named to the 2009 WNIT All-Tournament Team.
Morris is ready to watch the accolades keep piling and she's brought one of her biggest fans along for the ride.
"It kinda opened my eyes to Kansas because she was coming here," freshman point guard and fellow Oklahoman Angel Goodrich said.
But that wasn't the start of Morris' unofficial recruiting career.
Looking back on her days before Lawrence, senior guard/forward Danielle McCray still remembers a phone call that she had with Morris before they committed.
"Hey, if you're gonna be a Jayhawk, then I'm gonna be a Jayhawk," McCray said.
Morris and McCray were roommates back in their freshmen years. Today they are a top tier guard tandem and the two leading scorers for Kansas.
"We've been that duo here." McCrav said.
Coach Bonnie Henrickson has had the pleasure of watching the pair grow as athletes and as people.
"Those are two awfully special kids that have carried the program" Hendrickson said.
Morris grew up a true Sooner fan, idolizing the neighborhood sports legends that shuffled with the years.
But now it's Morris' turn for all the fanfare.
"Every game I got everybody's autograph," Morris says.
"It's kind of weird to take a step back, knowing that I'm at KU, and I'm signing autographs for kids" she savs.
It couldn't have been a better fit
"We thrilled that she went from one Big 12 town to another"Henrietta
2. down to another," Henrickson said.
So is she.
"I love Lawrence." Morris said. "I won't leave here."
Top right: Sade Morris stretches for a rebound during Kansas exhibition game against Emporia State. Kansas wins 85-48.
Bottom right: Morris dribbles up the court against Pittsburgh State in the jayhawks 86-56 victory. Morris finished with nine points and four assists.
Ryan Waggoner/KANSAN
Weston White/KANSAN
THE WAVE NOVEMBER 13,2009
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN