8B
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DARY KANSAN
THURSDAY APRIL 3,2008
THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2008
Photos by Jon Goering/KANSAN
Kansas coach Bonnie Henrickson makes her way to center court after Kansas' 82-62 loss to OKahoma State March 12, at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. While the Jayhawks played consistently well at Allen Fieldhouse, they faced a number of losses on the road.
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》 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
The good,the bad,the offseason improvements
Five things Kansas did right and wrong this year and what to do with the down time BY TAYLOR BERN tbern@kansan.com
5 reasons Kansas was successful
1. Danielle McCray is a Beast
rebounds in the Jayhawks' final Big 12 road game.
2. Freshmen Phenoms
3. Taylor McIntosh down the stretch
Senior forward Taylor McIntosh has been called the grandma of this Kansas team since her sophomore year, but for much of the season granny was taking a nap. McIntosh took a back seat to Boogaard in the post, which was fine, but she didn't step back up when Boogaard struggled. However, at the end McIntosh was again a force down low. In Kansas' two victories against Nebraska, its last regular season and only Big 12 tournament victories, McIntosh averaged 12 points and nine rebounds. She also scored 15 points and pulled down 16
4. Rebounding
Out-rebounding the opposition was about the only constant, win or lose, throughout the season for coach Bonnie Henrickson's team. In several games, Kansas gave up a few too second chance shots thanks to offensive rebounds by the other team but on the season it gathered in almost three more rebounds than its opponents in each contest.
There's really no better way to put it. McCray led the Jayhawks in per game points (14.9), rebounds (7.1), minutes (31.9) and total steals (58). A 5-foot-11 guard shouldn't be as dominant on the boards as McCray is, which makes her a truly special player. McCray's unique combination of speed and power make her a threat for 20 points and 10 rebounds every game, and she was the go-to player for Kansas all season.
That's three more possessions each time they take the court.
It didn't take long for at least one of the trio of incoming freshmen to make a statement. In the first game of the year, a 76-72 victory against Hartford, forward Nicollette Smith led Kansas with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Smith then settled in as the Jayhawks' top three-point threat while center Krysten Boogaard emerged as the top inside threat and second scoring option. Boogaard led Kansas in points or rebounds 16 times throughout the season. The third freshman, guard Chaketeitha Weldon, tore her ACL on Feb. 5 and missed the remainder of the season, but in the three games previous to that she stepped up her game and gave fans a sneak preview of what's to come.
5. Chakeitha Weldon's pregame chant
It's difficult to describe other than to say that every witness to it, no matter their gender or age, is ready to suit up and take Michael Jordan one-on-one. Weldon dives into the center of her circle of teammates and goes into a trans-like state to deliver a spine-tingling cheer that's well worth the price of admission.
5 reasons Kansas disappointed
1. Turnovers, Turnovers, Turnovers
If there's one thing that the 2007-08 season will be remembered for, it will be the Jayhawks' chronic problem of giving the ball away. Traveling, offensive fouls, bad passes — Kansas did everything and more to give its opposition more possessions. The Jayhawks turned the ball over a Big 12 worst 19.4 times per game and there were more than a few games lost because they just couldn't hold onto the ball.
2. Second Half Jitters
Maybe Henrickson should of asked Weldon to bust out her pre-game chant again at halftime to get the team psyched up, or
maybe she could have channeled her inner Gene Hackman for a "Hoosiers" - half time speech. Either way something needed to be done because Kansas' lackluster performances out of the break were the key to its five game losing streak to end the regular season. No lead was safe – including a 12-point half time lead over Texas Tech – because a second half lapse was
3. Road Trips
- because a second half lapse was sure to come.
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5. Injuries
Boogaard, McCray, McIntosh and Smith, four of the top six scorers, combined to commit 359 fouls and fouled out of 10 total games this year, and you can't score points from the bench. Early in the Big 12 season the games got out of hand when McCray would go to the bench for picking up two early fouls and the other team would go on a big run. When the top point scorer also has the most personal fouls then there's a problem and that's exactly what took place.
4. Foul Trouble
THE MORE THE HAWKS WIN,THE LESS YOU PAY!
This is the major concern for every coach at the beginning of the season and it's impossible to control. For the most part Kansas got through the year with only minor scrapes - McCray and sophomore guard Kelly Kohn both missed time due to leg and ankle injuries - but the one major injury came at the worst possible time. Weldon was just starting to get some substantial playing time, working into the point guard rotation, and she went down right when it looked as if she could push for the starting spot.
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After Kansas finished 0-8 on the road in Big 12 play, Henrickson joked that she would look into playing all games at Allen Fieldhouse next season. No joke, this needs to happen because the road was cold and cruel to the Jayhawks this year. They were blown out at Nebraska, Baylor and Oklahoma, blew leads at Colorado and Texas Tech and simply couldn't hang on at Kansas State, Missouri and Iowa State. A few of those were close, but road trips to Texas, Texas A&M and Oklahoma State will be incredibly difficult next season unless Henrickson can pull off the greatest schedule alteration of all time.
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