5 things to watch for in the women’s Big 12 tournament

1) Will center Courtney Paris’ offer to pay back her scholarship affect Oklahoma? The now three-time Big 12 Player of the Year will give back her scholarship, all $66,000 of it, if the Sooners do not win the national championship. She’s committed to the cause, and you can bet she’ll be using these tournament games to get ready for the dance. This brings up another question: Can Courtney’s sister Ashley, forward, and point guard Danielle Robinson play to the same level?

2) Will Shalee Lehning be at 100 percent? The do-it-all K-State point guard has been plagued with mono during the past month, but she came back to record a triple-double in the last week of the season. K-State didn’t struggle too much without her, but it’s pretty clear they are not the same team if they don’t have their leader on the floor.

3) Is Baylor really Baylor without star Danielle Wilson? It’s hard to tell early on. They lost to Kansas on the road, but the Jayhawks were so hot from the field that they could have beaten just about anybody. However, Baylor finished their season with a win over #10 Texas A&M. It’s possible that other teams won’t know to expect from the Lady Bears without their huge inside presence. That could help them.

4) Which of the teams playing on the first day have a chance to make it to the title game? How about the more predictable picks? Texas and K-State are definitely capable of making it far in the tournament, but they both have issues. Texas comes in the tournament on a three-game losing streak and K-State’s playmaking point-guard is under the weather. A riskier pick? They are battle-tested having played Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Baylor all twice. If Andrea Riley gets hot, the Cowgirls could pull off a few upsets.

5) Can anyone beat UConn? OK, it’s the Big 12 tournament, not the Big East. And whatever happens in the Big 12 tournament will not change things too much in the tournament. But the road to the national title runs through Maya Moore and the Huskies. Oklahoma, Baylor and Texas A&M, all legitimate threats to get to the Final Four, need to start playing well.

4 players to watch throughout the tournament

1) Marlies Gipson, KSU — Gipson can be a beast if she sets her mind to staying in the paint. Without a healthy Lehning, Gipson will need to step up to help the Wildcats improve their seed.

2) Kierra Mallard, TTU — Just a freshman, Mallard is grabbing more than eight rebounds a game. She’s a poor-man’s Courtney Paris.

3) Takia Starks, A&M — She is the unquestioned leader of the Aggies. Combined with Danielle Gant, Texas A&M has the talent to challenge OU for the title.

4) Heather Ezell, ISU — This is the senior’s final go-around in the Big 12 tournament, and you can bet she will leave it on the floor. She has played big minutes since her freshman year.

3 factors that will affect KU’s game

The referees — The only thing really stopping Danielle McCray in her games against Nebraska was Danielle McCray. She needs to be aggressive early, notice how the referees are calling the game and adjust accordingly.

Energy — Both teams have something to play for, but junior Sade Morris says the Jayhawks are going to “come out on fire.” “We got to give it our all,” Morris said. “Give it our all, and we’ll be OK.”

Stopping dribble penetration — Kansas has been playing much better defense lately, but against Nebraska at home they allowed a lot of defenders to get by them and into the paint. The perimeter guards are then forced to help, which leaves open shooters, like Cory Montgomery, tons of time to get their shot off.

2 reasons KU will

advance to play Oklahoma

Danielle McCray — McCray has been the best player in the league in the last five games. She scored 30 points at Nebraska and 18 at home. If the game stays close, McCray will be willing to step up, or in most cases, step back, and hit the big shot.

Defense — It keyed the Jayhawks' streak. Their focus on the defensive end will frustrate Nebraska.

1 Prediction

Kansas 64, Nebraska 52 — Kansas is playing better and has the best player in the game, Danielle McCray. A loss, even in the 8-9 tournament game, would deflate the Kansas program.

— — Edited by Carly Halvorson