Goble: Women’s basketball ranks high

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Just in case you didn’t notice, the women’s basketball team played further into March (and April) last year than the men’s team did.

Senior Danielle McCray averaged nearly 30 points and eight rebounds per game in the Jayhawks’ surprising WNIT run. They lost a heartbreaker to South Florida in the championship game, but the sentiment from all the players after the loss was the same.

Senior LaChelda Jacobs said it the most succinctly: “We definitely won’t be here next year. We’ll definitely be in the tournament.”

When Jacobs uses the word “tournament”, it’s clear she’s referring to the Big Dance. Making the WNIT was nice and all, but it’s not like Dancing. Unless Lady Luck throws a few injuries into the mix, the Jayhawks will make the tournament.

And I think they’ll win the Big 12 Championship too.

It’s not ludicrous. The coaches tabbed Kansas to finish tied for second in the preseason poll. They received three first-place votes.

Baylor, No. 1 in the poll, has otherworldly freshman center Brittney Griner and poses the biggest challenge. In her senior year of high school, Griner put up numbers that would make LeBron James blush: 33 points, 15.5 rebounds, 11.7 blocks (!), 3.4 steals and 3.1 assists per game.

But maybe the most jaw-dropping stat? Griner’s 1.6 dunks per game.

Griner can throw down and throw down hard. There won’t be too many defenses in the Big 12 that can contain a 6-foot-8 center who can dunk. Check that — there won’t be any.

I’ll channel my inner Kenny Mayne to describe Griner: “You can’t stop her, you can only hope to contain her.”

So it won’t be easy. But all the pieces are there. McCray is an extremely talented scorer who will put the team on her back in the closing moments of a game.

Senior Sade Morris is a willing sidekick who quietly puts up 20 points a night. Junior Nicollete Smith provides an outside look, and junior Krysten Boogaard and sophomore Aishah Sutherland can convert around the bucket.

But the key for this year’s team is the development of the point guard position. Ivana Catic was steady last year but not threatening. She graduated and two players are competing for the spot: freshman Angel Goodrich and junior college transfer Rhea Codio.

Whether one wins the job or they split time is irrelevant because they are both playmakers. As they mature in the position, this team will only get better.

With a Big 12 North-heavy schedule, the Jayhawks will be right there with Baylor. The Bears and Jayhawks face off Feb. 28 in Waco, Texas on ESPN2.

It’s early, but the Jayhawks will win that one and take home their first conference championship in women’s basketball since 1997.

— Edited by Samantha Foster

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