Eight games is just a glimpse into the women’s basketball season. Not enough to judge the Jayhawks comprehensively, but plenty of time to see the tantalizing potential hiding behind their inconsistent play.

Kansas isn’t an NCAA tournament team. Early-season stumbles and conference letdowns ensured that. But if you had watched coach Bonnie Henrickson’s team rack up six victories in its last eight games, you might think differently.

Then again, if you had watched Monday night’s lackluster 79-64 victory against Creighton, you might agree with the selection committee’s decision to leave Kansas out of the field of 64.

The Jayhawks missed their first seven shots. Creighton collected 15 offensive rebounds with only one starter taller than six foot. The Bluejays even outscored the home team by two in the second half after Kansas ended the first half on a 23-6 run.

Not exactly what you would expect from an NCAA tournament squad, let alone a team hoping to embark on a lengthy WNIT run.

Henrickson said she asked her players how they would grade their defensive performance in the locker room after the game. The consensus answer, which Henrickson said she was inclined to agree with, was a D. At least they are honest.

The most frustrating part is that the Jayhawks know what heights they’re capable of reaching. Victories against No. 5 Baylor and No. 21 Iowa State during Kansas’ current run speak to that.

And even though their performance Monday night wasn’t perfect, there were still those signs of superior talent and potential poking through all the imperfections that make you wonder what could have been.

Juniors Danielle McCray and Sade Morris combined to score 46 points and pull down 16 rebounds against a Creighton squad unable to deal with their superior athleticism and length. Kansas shot 54 percent from the field, bouncing back decisively from its sluggish start.

Even freshman forward Aishah Sutherland, who didn’t see a second of playing time in the two teams’ matchup earlier this season, contributed a career-high 15 points and 12 rebounds.

There were a few rough spots, streaks of inconsistency and even a lack of effort at times, but Kansas is still to the WNIT third round. The season continues, and hope remains that this postseason run — NCAA tournament or not — will better prepare the Jayhawks for a make-or-break season next year.

Kansas will play host to Arkansas Thursday at 7 p.m. in Allen Fieldhouse, where it is 14-3 this season. A victory against the Razorbacks would send the Jayhawks to the WNIT’s equivalent of the Elite Eight.

Kansas may not be an NCAA tournament team now, but — inconsistencies aside — maybe these past eight games are an indication of what is to come.

— — Edited by Melissa Johnson