UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Monday, March 10, 1997
1.4
13B
Talent of 'Hawks bench vital to postseason play
By Tommy Gallagher and Spencer Duncan Kansan sportswriter and Kansan sports editor
While the No. 9 Kansas women's basketball team relies heavily on its starters, the bench is an important part of how the team plays.
The Jayhawks' reserves have accounted for more than 23 percent of the team's offense in 24 victories, but producing just 12.5 percent of the offense in its five losses.
Kansas had a season-low one point from the bench in its 73-58 loss against Kansas State in the Big 12 tournament semifinals. That point came when guard Erinn Reed made one of two free throws during the second half.
The poor bench play in the loss was something Kansas coach Marian Washington said
her team would have to improve.
"It's a definitely something that we will look at," Washington said. "If you want to win games in the tournament then you have to get some quality minutes from the people who come off the bench. If we don't, then we will not be as successful."
The top point producers off the bench have been three forwards — Patience Grayer, Suzi Raymant and Shelly Canada. Grayer averages 5.7 points, Raymant 4.7 points and Canada 3.4 points per game.
Canada said she knew that her role off the bench was just as important as the role of a starter.
"They can't do it all." Canada said of the starters. "I want to go in there and play hard and help us win. If I can play well when I get the chance to be on
the floor, then that just makes us a better team."
In her two seasons at Kansas Rayman has been considered a three-point threat. Last season she shot 33 percent from the three-point line. However, she has struggled this season.
Raymant was suspended for four games by the NCAA in January for violating amateurism regulations. She has been slow to regain her shooting touch since then.
In the loss to Kansas State in the Big 12 tournament, Raymant was 0-2 from the three-point line.
One player off the bench who has seen little playing time this season is center Kova Scott.
At the beginning of the season, Washington said she wanted to see Scott contribute more. That hasn't exactly happened.
Last season Scott averaged six
minutes of playing time a game. This season she played just more than two minutes a game.
"She hasn't done as much as I had hoped," Washington said. "But she has played at well at times when we needed her."
Scott had sore knees early in the season, and although she has recovered, it has effected hergame.
In the Jayhawks' loss to Kansas State, just five players scored. Four starters scored in double figures and Reed had one point.
This team knows that it cannot go far in the NCAA tournament with a repeat performance. That means that the bench will have to play well.
"We know our role." Grayer said. "We need to step up and play like we are starters if we want to win, and that is what we have been trying to do. We want to give a team effort."
Geoff Krieger / KANSAN
Patience Grayer is the top scorer off the Jayhawks' bench. She averages almost six points a game.
Seeding,ranking important in postseason
Kansas women's team thinks playing at home will help it win games
By Tommy Gallagher
Kansan sportswriter
When it comes to women's college basketball, national rankings and earning a high seed in the NCAA Tournament are enormous factors in having postseason success.
In the women's NCAA Tournament, the top four seeds in each region enjoy homecourt advantage for first- and second-round games. That makes the women's tournament vastly different from the men's, where every game is played at one of 13 neutral sites during March Madness.
Kansas women's basketball coach Marian Washington said she
preferred the men's NCAA Tournament format because no team has an advantage during postseason play.
"If I had a chance to change the rules, every tournament game would be played on a neutral court," Washington said. "When you work as hard as you do all season long, then have to go on the road in the postseason, it's wrong. For teams that have to play first and second-round games at Connecticut or Stanford, it becomes much tougher trying to make the Sweet 16."
Of the current homecourt winning streaks in college women's basketball, six of the top 10 streaks belong to teams ranked ninth or higher nationally.
No. 3 Stanford has the longest homecourt winning streak. The Cardinal streak is 46 games, dating back to Nov. 25, 1994. The streak is the ninth-longest in women's
college basketball history.
No. 5 Louisiana Tech ranks fourth with 32 consecutive home victories, and top-ranked Connecticut is fifth with 25 consecutive wins.
No. 9 Kansas recently tied its school record for consecutive homecourt victories at 20. The Jayhawks tied the mark with a 92-69 victory against Oklahoma, and can break the mark by winning their first-round NCAA Tournament game, which will be held at Allen Field House.
Behind Kansas is No. 3 Old Dominion and No. 4 North Carolina, both of which have won 13 consecutive games at home.
With homecourt advantage assured, Washington said she was concerned with Kansas' postseason seeding.
"I felt secure in that we were going to be in the NCAA Tournament, but we needed to get a good
seed," Washington said. "Last year we got the first two rounds here, but we were seeded fourth so we immediately had to face the No. 1 seed in the Sweet 16. This year we wanted to earn something different, like the No. 2 seed, or the No. 3 seed at least."
The Jayhawks made the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history last year after winning two games at Allen Field House. Kansas defeated Middle Tennessee State 72-57 in the first round, and Texas 77-70 in the second round.
Kansas forward Jennifer Trapp said that playing two games at Allen Field House is a huge advantage.
"Last year it was really great to have the tremendous amount of support that we had," Trapp said. "With the women's game, if you have the opportunity to be a home seed, it helps you get past those first two games. You agree that it's
"When you work as hard as you do all season long, then have to go on the road in the postseason, it's wrong."
Good Luck, KU
Marian Washington Kansas women's basketball coach
an advantage if you're playing at your place, but you disagree if you have to go somewhere else."
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