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Kansas freshman shines on the court

By Max Rothman

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Senior guards Sade Morris and Danielle McCray are in the midst of their last hurrah in a Kansas uniform. It’s a duo of two fabled careers, each accomplishing 1,000 career points and holding lofty expectations in their final season.

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Photo by Ryan Waggoner

Coach Bonnie Henrickson says freshman guard Angel Goodrich has a calming influence on the team. "I think it's contagious," Henrickson said.

But instead of putting all the weight on their shoulders alone, they’re turning to their guardian Angel for help — and she’s just a freshman.

If you focus your eyes and pay close attention you just might see her zipping by.

That’s her, getting the ball right off of the rebound and blazing down the court to find an open shooter. That’s her again, starting the whole operation, calculating defenses like a mad scientist, schematically maneuvering through defenses like a chess player and foreseeing not just the next play but the next three plays before they happen. And again, she’s just a freshman.

“She sees plays before they even develop,” Morris said.

That’s point guard Angel Goodrich for you. She doesn’t believe in tempering ambitions because of age, as she has made the adjustment from high school basketball in Oklahoma to Division I college basketball in Kansas relatively seamlessly.

Morris and McCray are giving thanks, along with the rest of their teammates.

“It makes us a lot harder to guard,” Morris said. “We have more than just two weapons.”

In her first year as the team’s quarterback Goodrich has sparkled, flashing doses of bursting speed, steady ball control and remarkably calm nerves for a rookie trailblazer.

She is averaging 7.4 points, 8.2 assists and 33 minutes per game, behind only McCray for the team lead.

“It means a lot that I’m getting so much playing time,” Goodrich said.

The allocation of minutes speaks volumes to coach Bonnie Henrickson’s confidence in Goodrich. Senior guard LaChelda Jacobs has seen a steady dip in her playing time as her freshman successor has risen to prominence. As a result, the entire team has taken positive mental notes on Goodrich’s laid-back approach and settled down.

“I think it’s contagious,” Henrickson said of Goodrich’s calming influence on the team.

During a team practice last week before a trip to the Bahamas for the Junkanoo Jam tournament, many of Goodrich’s teammates were joking around and impersonating Michael Jackson. They laughed and showed the personality that can often be overlooked in a team atmosphere. But off to the side at her own hoop Goodrich was just shooting; no smiles, no jokes, just practice. It’s a work ethic that has served her well.

“There’s always room for improvement,” Goodrich said.

At Sequoyah High School in Tahlequah, Okla., Goodrich led her team to three AAA state titles and one runner-up finish. She also earned All-State honors as a sprinter for the track team in 2006. After her senior year in 2008, averaging 14 points, six assists, five steals and four rebounds per game, Goodrich was hyped as one of the top point guard recruits. But her highly anticipated freshman season at Kansas was cut short after she tore her ACL in just the second practice of the season.

“I was crushed,” Goodrich said. “I couldn’t believe it.”

Goodrich was a redshirt player last year, which preserved her four years of eligibility while she rehabilitated from reconstructive surgery. While on the sidelines, she earned a spot on the 2008-09 Athletic Director’s Honor Roll.

“My parents always said, ‘Under a B, no sports,’” Goodrich said.

Now she’s taking her wisdom back to the court, completely healthy and ready to lead Kansas to supremacy.

“She has a very high knowledge of the game of basketball,” Morris said.

And many believe that Kansas hasn’t even seen the best Goodrich has to offer. Despite her advanced maturity on the floor, Goodrich’s game should continue to develop.

“There’s no telling how much better she can get,” Morris said.

Just make sure you don’t ask the freshman to pass the ball. By the time you’re done demanding, it’ll already be there.

— Edited by Samantha Foster

Comments

Kansas freshman shines on the court

Have you ever played basketball before? It's impossible to see "the next three plays before they happen." Wordy commentary like this only serves to sensationalize stories - it doesn't say anything of value. I'm surprised the editors let all these empty words through - I thought space was money in newspapers.

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