KANSAN.COM / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2010 / BASKETBALL PREVIEW
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WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Jayhawk post players step up on guard-heavy team
BY MEGAN RUPP
mrupp@kansan.com
With only a handful of post players this season, junior forward Aishah Sutherland is ready to step up and make a difference for the women's basketball team, in the hope of earning the Big 12 Championship.
New assistant coach Tony Verdi, who specializes in post play, has had his work cut out for him with the guard-heavy team. He refuses to go easy on any of his posts, including Sutherland. She's thankful for it.
Sutherland and Boogaard were visibly excited while talking about their broadened offensive options, but they were even more excited to welcome teammate Angel Goodrich back to the floor after her recovery from a second season-ending ACL injury suffered in January.
"He's actually a great coach," she said. "He pushes us hard and makes us a lot better as post players."
Sutherland said she has seen significant improvements in her ability to knock down the pull-up jumper that she struggled to hit last season.
Sutherland said Verdi has spent a lot of time with each post player to improve their individual skills.
"I've been playing the same way, with my back to the basket, for three years, but he's helping me extend my game out so it's not so predictable," Boogaard said. "I'm getting to step out a little bit more and look for a mid-range shot."
Senior center Krysten Boogaard said she was excited about the more dynamic role Verdi has allowed her to fill on offense. Boogaard averaged 8.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game last season, but said she expected her scoring ability to improve with the new offensive approach.
"She's a game-changer and she sees the floor like no other point guard I've seen before," Boogaard said.
Sophomore guard Monica Engelman said the energy in the gym changed the second Goodrich
stepped onto the floor for the team's first practice. Engelman said she was excited to see the offense catch up to Goodrich's quick style of play and knew the team would be better for it.
Engelman said Goodrich caught Sutherland off guard in their first season practice. With a momentarily lapse of attention, Sutherland laughed as she explained how she nearly missed a pass from Goodrich, even though she should have known it was coming.
"I went to the spot I was supposed to go in, but my hands weren't really ready," Sutherland said. "Luckily, I've got fast reflexes, though, so I caught it."
Sutherland may have been lucky once, but she said she won't count on it in the future. She said Goodrich told her she needed to be ready for that pass and she planned to from then on. She is ready to make more of an impact this year than she was able to last season.
Having Goodrich back on the court made her confident that she would be able to do so. She said Goodrich's ability to spread
the floor for both posts and guards made her a threat the team needed to advance to the NCAA tournament rather than the NIT.
"A ng el pretty much makes it easier for anybody," Sutherland said.
"I just lost concentration at the end," Sutherland said. "It's a mental thing for me, I just need to stay mentally prepared. Coach has been pounding that into me, 'Stay consistent, stay consistent.'"
Sutherland showed considerable potential early last season, but hit a rough patch in the latter third. Though she earned back-to-back double doubles in November, she reached 10 or more points only twice in the last 11 games. She said she learned from last year's inconsistency and has worked hard this offseason to make sure she did not repeat that performance.
Sutherland averaged 9.3 points and 7.1 rebounds last year, but said she hoped to see those numbers go up after all her work with Verdi. She ranked second on the team in rebounding and said that would always be her number one role, but hoped to be an active offensive threat by finding gaps for mid-range jumpers. Sutherland said she hoped to average at least 10 points per game and to achieve "more than a few" double-doubles, but was glad to have Carolyn Davis there to pick up the slack.
"Her quickness makes up for anybody messing up"
"She brings a lot of energy, her finishing around the rim, everyone just gets excited about it," Sutherland said. "She'll make it even if you foul her, it's amazing the kind of power she takes it up with."
"We have great freshmen and we have people that know what we need to get done, so I'm expecting to have a great season."
With Goodrich recovered and ready to take the floor, Davis coming off of a record-setting season. Engelman having a consistent out-
KRYSTEN BOOGAARD Senior center
istry "just felt right." With each post player looking to earn a Big 12 Championship title this year, Bogaard said it was important to master the small things if they want to achieve their lofty goals.
side shot and the contributions of the new freshman, the three posts said the season is looking much more promising than it did last year. Sutherland said the team's "looking good" and Booqaard said the chem-
"We have great freshmen and we have people that know what we need to get done," Boogaard said, "so I'm expecting to have a great season."
Edited by Tim Dwyer
Junior forward Aishah Sutherland says she's looking forward to working with new assistant coach Tony Verdi, a specialist in post play.
Adam Buhler/KANSAN
WOMEN'S (CONTINUED FROM 8)
Kelly, a Lincoln native, averaged 12.6 points per game last season while playing 24.6 minutes per contest. She'll be joined by sophomore guard Lindsey Moore, who averaged 28 minutes per game last season while averaging 6 points. Head coach Connie Yori welcomes in a highly touted recruiting class highlighted by forward Jordan Cooper, who Yori claims as "one of the best players to ever come out of our state." Cooper looks to replace the void in the post left by Montgomery and Griffin. The Cornhuskers open the season at home against Pittsburg State on Oct. 31.
— Kory Carpenter
OKLAHOMA SOONERS (27-11, 11-5)
Vs. Kansas: Noon, Jan. 23.
Lawrence
Key Losses: Amanda Thompson,
Abi Olajuwon, Nyeshia Stevenson
Key Newcomers: Aaryn Ellenberg
and Nicole Griffin
Breakdown: The Jayhawks will face the Oklahoma Sooners on Jan. 23. Oklahoma was predicted to finish third in the regular season by conference coaches in the Big 12 Women's basketball coaches preseason poll.
Oklahoma ended the season ranked No. 3 in the final ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll. It ended its season in the national semifinals. The Sooners lost three seniors to the 2010 WNBA Draft in Amanda Thompson, Abi Olajuwon
and Nyeshia Stevenson. Thompson was an All-Big 12 First Team and Academic All-Big 12 Second Team member. Thompson also served as a team captain for three seasons and became the first Sooner to record 250 assists, 100 blocks and 100 steals in a career. She ended her career with 1,202 points and 940 rebounds.
The Sooners will return State Farm Coaches' All-American Danielle Robinson and 2009 Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Whitney Hand, who tore her ACL after five starts last season. Oklahoma will also introduce six new athletes this season including Aaryn Ellenberg and Nicole Griffin who were both high school All-Americans.
— Kathleen Gier
OKLAHOMA STATE COWGIRLS (24-11, 9-7)
Key Newcomers: Tiffany Bias,
Vicky McIntyre
Vs. Kansas: 7 p.m., Feb. 23,
Stillwater, Okla.
Key Losses: Andrea Riley, Tegan Cunningham
Breakdown: It will be tough for the Cowgirls to replace their top two scorers from last year's team, Andrea Riley and Tegan Cunningham. Riley led the Cowgirls with 26.7 points per game. Oklahoma State is coming off a second round NCAA Tournament appearance, and they hope to get back this year. Questions remain on whether the team can replace its huge loss in scoring with
its top returning rebounders and scorers, Precious Robinson and Toni Young. Robinson and Young look to pick up where Riley and company left off as they head this year's crew. It could be a tough year for Oklahoma State as it is projected to finish eighth in the Big 12. The biggest matchup for the Cowgirls will be when they face-off against highly ranked Baylor and Texas A&M. The key to this year's season will be whether or not someone can step in and replace the giant scoring void left by last year's senior class.
TEXAS LONGHORNS (22-11,10-6)
Vs. Kansas: 2 p.m., Feb. 5, Austin,
Texas
Key Losses: Erika Arriran, Kristen Nash, Brittaine Raven
Breakdown: With the graduation of Brittainey Raven, the team's leading scorer, and two other seniors, the addition of five freshmen makes the Longhorns a considerably younger team. The biggest asset that the team boasts this year is Kathleen Nash. The senior from Plano, Texas, averaged 11.7 points per game last year, the second highest total on the team (Brittainey Raven: 14.3 points per game). Nash has already earned a preseason All-Big 12 honorable mention, along
Key Newcomers: Chelsea Bass, Chassidy Fussell, Anne Marie Hartung, Shanice McKoy, Tiffany Moore
with junior teammate Ashleigh Fontenette. After losing in the first round of the NCAA Division I tournament, the Longhorns are looking to rebound from the disappointing end by returning the tournament for the third time in the last five years. Texas placed fourth in the Big 12 preseason poll behind Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Baylor.
Blake Schuster
TEXAS A&M AGGIES (28-8.10-6)
Vs. Kansas: / p.m., Feb. 12, College Station, Texas
Key Losses: Tanisha Smith, Damitria Buchanan
Key Newcomers: Karla Gilbert, Krista Grant, Kelsey Bone
Breakdown: Texas A&M's women's basketball team will look to build on last year's season. It had its third Big 12 Championship and fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
The season ended abruptly, however, in the second round of the NCAA tournament with a one point loss to Gonzoga. The team went 26-8 in the season and 10-6 in the conference.
A game that is sure to stick out in senior Danielle Adams' mind. The 6-foot-1 forward/center from Kansas City, Mo., was just named to the Preseason All Big-12 team last Tuesday. She led the team in assists last season and averaged a team-leading 16.3 points per game.
Along with the returners come a
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Samantha Anderson
There will still be a lot of leadership on the team, and there are only two true freshman on the team, Gilbert and Grant. The team has nine returning letter winners and three starters returning. The Aggies are ranked second in the Big 12.
TEXAS TECH
LADY RAIDERS
(18-15, 5-11)
One player who will be missing from the roster is Kansas City, Mo., native Tanisha Smith. The forward will trade her A&M jersey for a Seattle Storm jersey. Smith went 22nd overall in the 2010 WNBA draft. Last year Smith averaged 15.1 points and 2.2 steals per game.
Vs. Kansas: 7 p.m., Jan. 8,
Lawrence
-Katie Priebe
few fresh faces. Former McDonald's All-American Kelsey Bone transferred to Texas A&M from the University of South Carolina. She will not be able to play until the 2010-2011 season when she will be a sophomore.
Key Losses: Ashlee Roberson, Tilmila Martin, Jordan Murphee Key Newcomers: Haley Schneider, Antiesha Corners, Shauntaal Nobles Breakdown: The 2010-2011 Texas Tech women's basketball team started its season as it spent eight days in Canada. The team won all four games during the tournament and all 15 players were able to suit up for the game. Texas Tech coach Kristy Curry has a lot to prepare for as the team is returning eight letter winners and has added seven newcomers to the roster. Texas Tech will return three starters, which were among the eight letter winners from last year. Kiera Mallard, Jordan Barncastle and Monique Smalls will return to the team. Mallard averaged 11 points and 7 rebounds during the 29 games played in last year's season. Smalls finished the season last year with a team-high of 135 assists, which is the second best all-time for a Texas Tech freshman.