Danielle McCray is the kind of shooter who seems to be able to make a shot from anywhere on the court. In her first few games as a Jayhawk, the freshman quickly found a place she couldn’t score from: the end of the bench.

Despite her shooting ability and offensive versatility, McCray found herself fighting to stay in the lineup and out of coach Bonnie Henrickson’s doghouse.

McCray’s problem was one that went beyond the basketball court. It was that she simply couldn’t keep up with the pace of Division I basketball due to poor conditioning.

“I knew how good a player I could be if I could stay in shape,” said McCray. “I felt that my physical condition was holding me back.”

The Olathe native impressed fans with her polished moves, but she labored running up and down the court for more than a few consecutive minutes. Her fatigue resulted in quick exits from several early-season games. The 5-foot-11 forward played seven minutes at Creighton, nine at Indiana, and only four against Northern Illinois.

The low point of McCray’s freshman season came when Henrickson chose to sit her for the entirety of the Jan. 6 loss to Baylor.

McCray’s problems with conditioning had little to do with laziness or a poor attitude. She suffered debilitating injuries to both legs. She underwent surgery on both shins the summer before her freshman season, setting her training back for one month.

Once she recovered from her injuries, McCray had trouble convincing herself she was able to play basketball against such strong competition.

“A lot of it was between her ears,” Henrickson said. “She was questioning whether or not she was capable of the conditioning required at this level.”

Henrickson kept pushing McCray every day in practice, convinced the freshman possessed the toughness to fight through the sprints and drills. Henrickson was correct — McCray already had the inner strength, and would soon develop the physical endurance to compete in the Big 12 Conference.

That extra endurance came from special post-practice workouts and a healthier diet. Half-hour sessions on the stationary bike or elliptical machine started paying off when the pounds started falling off.

“I knew getting my weight down a few pounds was important,” McCray said. “It would let me be quicker and better overall.”

Three months and 20 pounds later, McCray is consistently one of Kansas’ best performers. She has broken the 20-point mark in two of her last three games, and most importantly, has shown the ability to play full-throttle for long periods of the game. McCray played 32 minutes at Colorado last Saturday and totaled 47 minutes in a double-overtime victory against Kansas State on Feb. 18.

The change in body composition is noticeable. She retained the strength that allowed her to control the paint while she shed the extra weight that slowed down her perimeter defense. The newer, more streamlined version of McCray is almost always the most physically impressive player on the court, complete with bulging biceps and calves that were not quite as visible in November.

“I feel like I did before my injury,” McCray said. “I’m so much quicker and stronger than I had been. It makes the game easier.”

McCray has made an outstanding amount of progress since arriving on campus, but there is always work to be done, Henrickson said.

“We still want to change her body a little this spring and summer,” Henrickson said. “To get her a little leaner with some more explosiveness.”

McCray knows this can only mean one thing: a little more time on the elliptical. If her past determination provides any indication, she will be more than willing to step up to the task.

Kansan sportswriter Asher Fusco can be contacted at afusco@kansan.com.

— Edited by James Pinick