Rachel Seymour

Junior guard Erica Hallman looks for an open teammate while coach Bonnie Henrickson shouts from the sideline during Kansas’ Big 12 Tournament matchup with Missouri Tuesday. The Jayhawks will rely on Hallman and junior forward Crystal Kemp next season to make their goal of playing in the postseason happen.

Less than 48 hours after the Kansas women’s basketball team’s season-ending loss to Missouri in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament, the Jayhawks’ attention has already turned to next season.

After finishing eighth in the Big 12 Conference this season when coaches predicted them to finish 11th, the Jayhawks are optimistic that next season will be special for the women’s basketball program.

The Jayhawks will return the team members responsible for more than 80 percent of their scoring from this season and more than 82 percent of their rebounding. They return four starters and could benefit from a year in coach Bonnie Henrickson’s system.

The optimism for next year’s team is pinned on two players, junior forward Crystal Kemp and junior guard Erica Hallman. Kemp, who averaged 13.9 points and 8.8 rebounds per game this season, will enter next season as one of the best senior post players in the Big 12 Conference. Hallman will return for her senior season after she averaged 13.1 points and a team-high 5.1 assists per game this year.

“The fact that me and Erica will both be seniors is a big plus,” Kemp said. “We know what to expect and how to lead the team. We have learned from other seniors that we have played with, and know what it takes to win.”

Henrickson, The Kansas City Star’s choice for Honorable Mention Big 12 Women’s Coach of the Year, said she was pleased with the progress of her team this season, but she said team members needed to work hard in the offseason if they were going to compete next season.

“We’re very proud, as a staff, of what our kids did this season,” Henrickson said. “The growth we made this season was important for us. We understand as a group, though, that we need the same amount of growth next year that we had this year from the kids that are returning.”

A key next season will be the addition of Henrickson’s first recruiting class. Four new faces — three freshmen and a junior college transfer — will join the women’s team this summer and will do their part to help Kansas reach the postseason.

Jennifer Orgas, a 6-foot-2 forward from Omaha, Neb., was the first recruit to commit to Henrickson and her staff.

“She believed in us right away,” Henrickson said. “She will provide us with a strong body in the post with her tenacity and work ethic.”

Orgas will provide some much-needed depth at the post position for Kansas. The Jayhawks had only four post players this season. A senior at Scutt Catholic High School, Orgas averaged 13 points and seven rebounds per game as a junior last season.

The other three signees are all guards, including Ivana Catic, a 5-foot-8 guard from Wheeling, W.V. Catic is originally from Zrenkanin, Serbia and Montenegro, and before arriving in the United States, she played for the Serbia and Montenegro Junior National and National teams.

“We’re thrilled to have Ivana join our program,” Henrickson said. “She brings enthusiasm and has a great personality. When she visited during Late Night and played with our kids, everyone told us that we needed her because she was a great leader. Her international experience will also be a huge asset.”

The other two recruits are Shaquina Mosley, a 5-foot-6 guard from Lancaster, Calif., and Sophronia Sallard, a 5-foot-10 guard/forward from Syracuse, N.Y. Mosley is transferring from Central Arizona College where she averaged 15.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 6.6 assists and led the Vaqueros to a 33-3 record during her freshman season.

The women’s team is reflecting on a successful season and already looking toward next fall.