Courtney Paris is the most dominant player in college basketball.

Not just Division I women’s basketball, but all genders and all levels of collegiate basketball.

On Sunday, Paris poured in 18 points and pulled down 14 rebounds in Oklahoma’s 65-57 win over Georgia, for her 78th consecutive double-double.

She has defined the center position in the Big 12 for the past three years, but in another year Paris will graduate. That means the door will be open for the next dominant Big 12 post player, and tonight’s matchup between Paris and Kansas freshman center Krysten Boogaard could be a case of present versus future with respect to that title.

Athletics runs in the family of both players, as Paris’ father was an All-Pro for the San Francisco 49ers and Boogaard’s brother is a left wing for the Minnesota Wild.

While Boogaard’s freshman campaign hasn’t been nearly as successful as her counterparts’ – Paris became the first player in NCAA history to collect 700 points, 500 rebounds and 100 blocks in a season – there has been a drastic improvement in her play from game one to the present.

At the beginning of the year, coach Bonnie Henrickson worked hard to rid Boogaard of her tendency to dribble in the post. Now she keeps the ball high and powers her way to the basket.

Other areas of Boogaard’s game have expanded as well, and they were on display in Saturday’s loss to Texas A&M.

In Kansas’ first possession of the game, Boogaard caught a pass at the free throw line, put the ball on the floor and slipped past a defender for an easy bucket. On defense Boogaard recorded three blocks, one of them where she came in from halfway across the court.

“I thought she handled the speed, athleticism and strength really, really well,” Henrickson said. “And I was anxious to see that, because every night in this league it’s something different inside.”

Aggie coach Gary Blair decided to play behind Boogaard instead of fronting her, and after the game he admitted that she was too much to handle that way.

“She dominated,” Blair said. “She dominated my All-Big 12 center and she dominated my back up. This is the best five player I’ve seen since (Crystal) Kemp got out of here. This kid has a great future.”

That future is taking shape with every game she plays, but tonight’s is of extra significance because Boogaard will see how she stacks up against the best center in the conference and in the country. It will actually be the second time the players square off, as both participated for their respective countries’ junior national teams two years ago.

“It was really tough to play against her but I’ve improved since then and I feel that I can go up against her now,” said Boogaard, the Regina, Saskatchewan native.

Now the only thing to find out is when the future becomes the present.

—Edited by Russell Davies