Welcome to our online chat with Kansas University women's basketball coach Bonnie Henrickson.

The chat took place on Thursday, October 6, at 9:30 AM and is now closed, but you can read the full transcript on this page.

Moderator: Hi and welcome to our chat today. I'm Andy

Samuelson the online sports editor for KUsports.com and I will be today's chat moderator. Today we our joined by Kansas University women's basketball coach Bonnie Henrickson. Thanks Bonnie for taking time out of your busy schedule to join with our KUsports.com readers this morning. I hear that you're actually on the recruiting trail this morning, how are things going?

Bonnie Henrickson: Hi Andy, thanks for having me. Very good. This is our last day of recruiting during this period. Things went well, but it will be great to get back and be with our kids everyday preparing for the season.

Moderator: Moderator: Well there is only about a week until the season tips off next Friday at Late Night. What are your initial impressions of your team this, your second season, at Kansas.

Bonnie Henrickson: We have improved in conditioning dramatically thanks to Coach Andrea Hudy. We have also had improvement in skill at each position.

Moderator: Well lets get to some questions.

Logan, Salina, Kan.: Obviously, KU women's basketball has been down for a couple of years now. You had great success at Virginia Tech, taking them to the big dance every year you where there. How long do think it will take till the Hawks are in the big dance?

Bonnie Henrickson: Obviously it will depend on our first couple of recruiting classes. I think it's realistic to think we can have a postseason at some level this year. That will depend on how consistent our seniors are and what we can get out of those young kids.

Julie, Kansas City, Mo..: Is this year's team much more talented than last year's? If so, how much does that increased athleticism help you in a conference as tough as the Big 12?

Bonnie Henrickson: I think we have improved the quality of depth that was glaring last year with so many players playing 33 plus minutes in such an athletic, tough conference. I think we've added playmakers at the guard position and we've added more skill to our post position.

Philip, Omaha, Neb.: What do you think of the other Big XII teams this year?

Bonnie Henrickson: Similar to the conference last year, you have several teams that could vie for the conference championship and the quality of teams run deep into the league. Texas and Oklahoma both had excellent recruiting years. The quality of coaching is fantastic and the fans support makes it one of the most difficult leagues to play on the road in.

Dallas, Topeka, Kan.: I know that our hometown girl Crystal Kemp has had a pretty special career at KU. If she is able to finish up as both a top-10 scorer and rebounder for the Jayhawks, where do you think that places her in Kansas women's basketball history?

Bonnie Henrickson: Should Crystal Kemp have the senior year she is capable of having and would finish in the top 10 of both those categories, those numbers speak for themselves in where that ranks her in great players that have played at Kansas. I believe her leading this team to post season success moves her to a higher level.

Gob, Kansas City, Kan.: What is the biggest strength of this year's freshman class? Is it fair to think that they can elevate this team's play?

Bonnie Henrickson: On the perimeter with Shaq (Shaquina Mosley) and Sophronia (Sallard) and Ivana (Catic) we've improved our playmaking ability. They can penetrate towards the basket and be able to create their own shot or dish off to a teammate. In the post we've improved the quality, our depth, and our skill with Jen (Orgas) and Marija (Zinic). Overall, it depends on how well they can handle the transition to college, and we need to get great leadership from the senior class. But we certainly have expectations of them contributing and taking us to the next level.

Moderator: Bonnie, looks like one of our readers wants to throw you a bit of a curveball.

C. Murph, Lee's Summit, Mo.: What is exactly Bonnie Ball?

Bonnie Henrickson: Well the slogan started at Virginia Tech. At the same time people were using with Beamer Ball with our football team because of football coach Frank Beamer and it kind of took off from there. But if people want specifics of how we play. We play intense defense and push the ball into transition we get the chance. But at the same time we try and execute in our own half-court offense at the other end. That's how we always play and as our depth improves we can improve in those areas as well.

Renee, Lawrence, Kan.: Hi Bonnie. What do you think will be the team's biggest challenge to overcome in order to produce a winning season?

Bonnie Henrickson: Just getting the group of younger players to mesh with the veterans. Being consistent in our effort and concentration.throughout every game the entire season. We learned a few lessons last year about not being consistent and lost some games we should have won because of that. If you want something you've never had, you have to do something you've never done. There's a lot of responsibility on the upperclassmen to lead the the younger kids.

Tom and David in Roanoke,VA.: Bonnie, what are your thoughts on recruiting nationally versus regionally. Which one is harder to get a player to commit? Will the national recruit have a tendency to think about getting homesick and have a harder time adjusting versus a local recruit maybe wanting to get farther away from home for their college experience? Thanks.

Bonnie Henrickson: Each has unique challenges because every recruit is different. Every player chooses an institution for different reasons. One night a school could be too close to home, another night it could be too far away. Having a national reputation I think allows you too attract kids from father distances. Right now we've done both here. We've recruited locally, nationally, and even internationally. Typically recruiting from father away makes it more of a challenge. But all recruits want something different.

Colin, Wellsville, Kan.: I think we are good enough to beat the Cats this year, what do you think? : )

Bonnie Henrickson: I think we have a chance to be a better basketball team than we were last year. Does that mean we can beat K-State? I think we've helped ourselves. I think we're a long ways from being able to predict that game -- which I wouldn't do anyway.

They're in a similar situation as us, they have some young players who need to step up, but they''ll relay heavily on their upperclassmen as well. We'll go into that game like we do every game, prepared to be successful -- and expecting to be successful.

Daniel, Lawrence, Kan.: Coach,

I have been an Aquanita Burris fan for the last four years. She is one of the most intense players I have had the pleasure to watch. Who on the team this year will provide that kind of intensity?

Bonnie Henrickson: Right now I believe Sharita Smith is ready to step into a role as being a defensive stopper. I believe she'll be able to provide ball pressure and cut off passing lanes which will allow us to create offense off of our defense. She's probably our most improved player right now.

Sarah, Lawrence, Kan.: How have Jamie B. and Taylor M. been looking during the off-season? Do you expect to see significant progress during their sophomore seasons?

Bonnie Henrickson: Jamie Boyd has showed significant progress in the offseason. Offensively's she's made herself tougher to guard. She's looks a lot better in the high post. I think Taylor (McIntosh) still will be a special player like she showed during stretches her freshman year on defense and rebounding. She gained a valuable year which should help her a great deal in her sophomore season. Offensively, she'll have to make herself tougher to guard.

Larry, Omaha, Neb.: Bonnie, now that your first season is done with and you have established yourself, are you going to start any of your own traditions such as doing a "Pack the Fieldhouse"? Or is there something else you have in mind so that KU fans will start giving more support to the women's team?

Bonnie Henrickson: I think the most important thing for us to do to get more people in the Fieldhouse is to improve our quality of play and the talent in our program. Our staff works every day to do those two things. We certainly work with promotions and marketing to get the first time fan in here and to keep the fans that have watched us for years and years to keep coming back. But I guess the best thing we can do for ourselves is to just keep playing better so the fans want to come out and watch us.

Moderator:: Looks like we have time for one last question.

Tony, Overland Park, Kan.: Coach, your team looked like it was in much better shape last year, but was lacking some depth. Is the team going to be in better shape this year, and what is it going to take to reach the next level?

Bonnie Henrickson: They are all in better shape, our strength and conditioning is greatly improved over last year. Through recruiting I think we've improved our quality of depth as well. The next level is to continue to improve the quality of play. Defensively we were pretty good last year, but offensively we needed to improve and we'll have to continue to improve.

Moderator: Well that does it for our chat with Kansas University women's basketball coach Bonnie Henrickson today. Thank you very much Bonnie for taking time away from your busy schedule, on the recruiting trail nonetheless, to chat with our kusports.com readers. And another big thanks to our readers out there for their interest in KU athletics and kusports.com.

Bonnie Henrickson: Thanks for having me and thanks to all the readers and KU women's basketball fans out there for their interest.