8A
SPORTS / TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
Sophomores play to each other's strengths
Monica Engelman and Carolyn Davis will be featured offensively
Monica Engelman, front, and Carolyn Davis will be a major part of the Jayhawks' production this season. Engelman averaged 12.1 points while Davis averaged 15.2 points and 8.4 rebounds last season.
BY MEGAN RUPP mrupp@kansan.com
After ending last season 17-16, Davis said she had one thing on her mind: to win.
Monica Engelman is the ideal perimeter player; pass first, shoot second, play fast and keep everyone involved. Carolyn Davis is her complement: an active forward who goes beyond her role as an inside scorer and rebounder by trying to create open looks for her teammates. Together, the two sophomores are a powerhouse.
"Ive got high goals," Davis said. "I want to go all the way."
Her ultimate goal could be tough with such an inexperienced team. In the offseason, the roster underwent drastic changes, including
the loss of five seniors and two transfers. It also welcomed four freshman guards and two new assistant coaches. So what does the team need to find the synergy to advance further this season?
"Somewhere in our group of girls, we got to
"I think it helps that we're close off the court, too. When we get out there, we know what's in each other's head."
find some leadership," Engelman said. "Both of us are taking that leadership role and growing together."
MONICA ENGELMAN Sophomore guard
"We just have the same personalities," Davis said. "We're both really laid back."
both really and less.
They may be laid back off the court, but the dynamic offensive producers show no sign of that once the first whistle blows. After filling a permanent spot on the starting lineup, Engelman averaged 12.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. She also reached double-digit scoring in
FRESHMANYEAR
When asked how she felt about having three more seasons to play with Davis, Engelman was all smiles. She said it was exciting to think about the future of the program with such a young team learning and improving together.
"I was known as the spark," Engelman said. "When the team was down, I'd come in and make
something happen."
Davisalso had an effect with an average of 15.2 points and 8.4 rebounds
something shaped With a solid starting position, Engelman has advanced beyond that role. She and Davis had 13 career starts and will return to the starting lineup, after earning the spots midway through last year's injury-plagued season. It came as an unexpected surprise for the teammates, who quickly connected.
10 games last season, including a career-high 22 points a g a i n s t Texas.
engelman didn't start her collegiate career with the prominent role she now has. Both she and Davis started their freshman seasons watching from the sidelines. Engelman said she appreciated the time she had on the bench to adjust to the college arena and contribute as an important role player.
per game after joining Engelman on the starting lineup.
"You can tell that me and her bonded really well even in the game," Engelman said. "She'll set the on-ball screen and if I'm coming off the screen and I can't shoot, I'm looking for her."
Davis said they became close friends shortly after meeting each other the summer before their freshman season and have been inseparable since. Developing a friendship was a great way to adjust to college life far from their Texas homes, but it also meant a successful offensive relationship.
"I think it helps that we're close off the court, too," Davis said. "When we get out there, we know what's in each other's head."
At such different positions, Davis said their bond could be used as an offensive weapon. She also said it was important for her to be an
active rebounder. Davis grabbed 152 rebounds as a freshman,95 of which were defensive.She said she would make it her priority to also dominate the offensive boards and give her team more second-chance opportunities.
Known for their effective transition game, the team doesn't often look to run a set-up offense, but Engelman said she liked knowing she had someone accountable inside.
"It's a confidence builder for me because I trust her and know that if I give her the ball she's going to finish." Engelman said.
This confidence comes from more than just their friendship. Last season, Davis hit 71.9 percent of her shots, setting a Kansas record for single-season field goal percentage.
"I have a lot of confidence knowing that I'm coming off a good season," Davis said.
Davis was named Big 12 Freshman of the Week twice in February. To say she had a good season is modest. Her 11 rebounds and career-high 31 points in last year's Big 12 Championship opener against Oklahoma State was more than good. Despite her performance, the team still lost that game.
MOVING FORWARD
"It just shows the importance of having other scorers," Davis said. Monica knows she has to produce. Everyone has to produce and balance each other out."
To make sure she does her part, Davis said she focused her offseason efforts on developing a broader range. She was already
strong inside, but in a conference heavy on competitive post play, she made it her goal to become more of a threat by developing her outside game.
they each emphasized the importance of offensive execution both down low and on the perimeter. Engelman said the team was guard-heavy last season, but was working to improve that before the season opener on Nov. 14 against South Dakota. Both players agreed that they would need to be effective from all ranges in order to reach their conference goals.
"It takes a really special defensive team to be able to shut down the inside and outside at the same time." Davis said.
The hope is that with this dynamic duo dominating the court, the defense won't be able to do so and
the team will see a better outcome because of it. Engelman already averaged 37.6 percent from the field last year and said she practiced hard to maintain that accuracy for the upcoming season.
Hitting 30 of an attempted 80 3-pointers last season wasn't good enough for Engelman, who said she had worked to improve her consistency from beyond the arc even further. She said the hard work had helped her confidence, but no one is more confident in her abilities than Davis.
"It's good to know that you have someone outside that you can look to knock down the shot," Davis said. "We trust each other. She knows she can pass it to me and I'm confident that I can look to her."
Edited by Tim Dwyer
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