All-American player picks Kansas, completes strong freshman class
By Gerry Fey Kansan sportswriter
A basketball team needs a good recruiting class each year to remain successful for an extended period of time.
Once again the Kansas women's team has gotten one.
This year marks the third straight season that Kansas coach Marian Washington has brought a high school All-American to Kansas. Guard Tamecka Dixon is the AllAmerican, who also was picked as the Big Eight's preseason newcomer of the year by NCAA magazine.
"This freshman class is one of the best in the nation," Washington said. "They work hard and learn quickly."
Quick learning may be necessary Because there are only 10 scholarship players on the team, Washington said, the freshmen might get more action than usual this season.
The other freshmen are forwards Jennifer Trapp and Shelly Canada and guard Angie Halbleib. The team also has two walk-ons, who made the team because of the lack of scholarship players. Their names have not been released yet.
Dixon sticks out as the best player in a strong freshman recruiting class for Kansas. Washington said Kansas was fortunate that Dixon chose Kansas. Despite Dixon's talent, seniors Michelle Leathers and Ericka Muncy will possibly play at the point guard position.
"Tamecka will be one of our point guards of the future," Washington said. "Leathers and Muncy will step up this year at guard. Anybody in the country would like to have a Tamecka Dixon on their team. That's a national consensus. She is one of the finest athletes I've ever seen."
Georgia, Houston, Iowa, Kansas and Michigan were Dixon's final five college choices. She said that those schools recruited her heavily but that her decision was made easy after a visit to Lawrence.
"After I came on my visit, I just knew this was the place for me," Dixon said. "I always wanted to play for a coach who had a good reputation, and Coach Washington has a reputation."
Canada said her Lawrence visit was also the clincher in her decision to come to Kansas.
"There was never anyone close," Canada said. "I hadn't seen anything I liked before Kansas."
Changing from a six-on-six game to five-on-five is something Canada had to adjust to, coming from Sapulpa, Okla. Oklahoma is the only state in the country that still plays girls basketball with three players on offense and three players on defense.
Since the three offensive players cannot cross the half-court line in that version of the game, Canada never ran full court in a game.
pretty good. The seniors are really helpful. Any questions I have, they've been really supportive."
"It's been a little bit of an adjustment running up and down the court and playing defense," Canada said. "I think it's going
Washington said Canada was making progress in her change to the college basketball game.
"She's a great offensive player," Washington said. "She's doing very well. It happens quickly sometimes, and sometimes it doesn't."
"It should be a lot of fun," she said. "I think we're going to be expected to contribute because of the numbers. We like the pressure."
A newcomer who Washington said was impressive was Trapp, a Lawrence native.
"I would really be shocked if she doesn't make it," Washington said. "She's not intimidated, which is rare."
This year's freshmen class will make an impact now and in the future, Washington said.
"Tamecka is going to help out," she said. "Our freshmen are going to see some time. I do expect Tamecka and Jennifer to jump right in."
John Gamble / KANSAN
Freshman forward Shelly Canada makes a basket during practice at Allen Field House. Canada is one of four freshman on the team this year.
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COLLEGE BASKETBALL PREVIEW • University Daily Kansan • November 17, 1993