Freshman Aishah Sutherland came to Kansas an athlete: a forward who could dribble, shoot three-pointers and hang on the rim.

Before the season, coach Bonnie Henrickson spoke of a player the likes of which Kansas hadn’t signed in her five years on the job. But, in each description, Henrickson bracketed her praise with the word “potential.”

In the basketball sense of the word, Sutherland is a project — a player who needs time to develop and grasp the finer points of the college game.

“There aren’t many players I’ve coached that can hang around the rim or hang on the rim and stand out there and knock down a three,” Henrickson said. “I’ve had separate players do it, but never coached a kid that you could say those two things about.”

If Sutherland’s athleticism landed her on the roster, inconsistent play in practice kept her off the court.

When the Jayhawks returned to Lawrence from winter break, Henrickson and Sutherland sat down for a pep talk.

The message? Reestablish the idea that consistent hard work in practice can lead to more minutes.

“No one should feel sorry for you,” Henrickson said. “I beg you to play everyday.”

For Kansas’ past two nonconference games, it appeared Sutherland might have cracked into the playing rotation. Sutherland played 29 minutes in those two games, an increase from the 28 minutes she played in the previous 11 combined.

Then, Big 12 games started and Sutherland played just four minutes in one conference game and sat out for three others.

But less than three minutes into Saturday’s game against Kansas State, Sutherland rose from Kansas’ bench and knelt in front of the scorer’s table — a surprising move to many except those who see her practice.

“Aishah is a beast when she wants to be,” junior forward Danielle McCray said.

Indeed, Sutherland demonstrated some of those qualities Saturday by scoring nine points and grabbing 12 rebounds. But more than any stat will tell, Sutherland proved that she’s capable of playing with Big 12-caliber athletes.

In preparing for K-State, Henrickson practiced Sutherland at the five position — the spot most responsible for playing near the basket.

“I thought, ‘Let me try this kid and reduce the offensive package and reduce the responsibilities,’” Henrickson said. “‘And we’ll let her rely on her athleticism until she gets it all figured out.’”

Less than a minute after entering the game, Sutherland appeared frustration when she posted up her defender and didn’t get the ball. She was frowning and calling for the ball. Her actions weren’t those of a selfish player, but instead demonstrated the level of confidence Sutherland has in herself and that which others have in her.

And, in helping Sutherland transition smoothly, Henrickson is going to continue practicing her at the five position. In doing so, Henrickson said Sutherland will have less responsibilities on offense, allowing her athleticism to flow more naturally.

“I think she kind of hurt herself,” McCray said of Sutherland’s Saturday performance, “because now she can’t come to practice being bad.”

After the game, players shared those same thoughts with Sutherland inside the Kansas locker room. The idea caught her off-guard, at least for a moment.

“I was like, ‘Oooohhh, I’m going to have to work harder in practice now,’” Sutherland said. “But that’s not a bad thing — it will make me better.”

In the postgame interview Saturday, Sutherland kept her plans for helping the Jayhawks short and basic — something Henrickson can appreciate.

“I provide rebounding and points,” Sutherland said, before Henrickson finished the thought:

“Just keep it simple, man. The game’s not that hard: rebound and points.”

— — Edited by Melissa Johnson