Eagerly awaiting women’s hoops

Sudden, loud noises rank near the top of my long list of pet peeves, such as the horn at women’s basketball games in Allen Fieldhouse. For one thing, it used to startle me awake. I hated that.

But that was then. This is now: Not even midway through September, I’m sitting here doodling about what would make the most exciting starting five for coach Bonnie Henrickson’s ninth Kansas University team. Senior point guard Angel Goodrich has transformed its entertainment value so completely that I can’t wait for the season to start, and I never thought I’d feel that way about the sport.

Henrickson has recruited around Angel well enough that if the coach can get the team’s five most talented players’ heads in the right place at the same time and motivate them in such a way as to bring out the best in them, joining big Allen Fieldhouse crowds to witness Angel’s final season could become the thing to do for students and city basketball fans alike.

Most of us wrote off the Jayhawks when leading scorer Carolyn Davis went down with an ACL injury. The players took the opposite approach and Goodrich, led the team all the way to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

“Obviously, it was a heartbreaker when she went down,” Goodrich said recently. “We knew something was going to have to change, whether it was more perimeter scoring or it was a big stepping-up.”

Both happened. Goodrich looked to score more, and then-freshman center Chelsea Gardner proved ready for prime time in a big way.

“It either can break you or it can make you stronger, and I think it made us stronger,” Goodrich said of Davis’ injury.

Assuming Davis fully recovers, pairing her with Gardner underneath has exciting possibilities.

“We started doing that right before Carolyn got hurt,” Goodrich said. “Coach Bonnie was playing Carolyn and Chelsea together, trying to see how that would work. In practice, it looked really good.”

Goodrich at the point, Davis and Gardner on the blocks. The trio needs a shooter on the wings, one with enough size to guard a small forward. Enter senior Monica Engelman and sophomore Asia Boyd.

Both talents underachieved last year, Engelman mired in a slump, Boyd making the difficult transition to Div. I basketball, which requires more intense work and attention to detail.

“I went up against Monica in pick-up,” Goodrich said. “Big improvement over the summer from when she went into a little slump. She’s got a lot of confidence back in her.”

Boyd wouldn’t be the first major talent to make a gigantic leap from freshman to sophomore season.

Goodrich’s KU finale opens against Idaho State in Allen Fieldhouse and is just 59 days away. Can’t wait.

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MinnesotaJay 8 months, 1 week ago

I'm with you. This season is shaping up to be a lot of fun.

phogthedog 8 months, 1 week ago

Looking forward to the season opener.The Lady Jayhawks ended on a terrific note last year. I must admit to being amazed to see some press this early........usually have to search pretty hard to find any coverage.

OakvilleJHawk 8 months, 1 week ago

It feels like decades since I've found an article about the LadyHawks posted this early in the year.

I will light candles to St. Albans, the patron saint of ACLs, to protect our team this season and, maybe, just maybe, Bonnie will fulfill the promise of greatness we all expected almost a decade ago.

johnnyphoton 8 months, 1 week ago

Slip a dollar in the coffer and light a candle to the patron saint of recruits.

liljayhawker15 8 months, 1 week ago

This is just proving how good of a job Zenger has been doing to improve all areas of KU athletics. The KU women's team should be ranked in the top 25 heading into the season, the ady Jayhawks soccer team is off to a hot start and has the chance to make a little run in the NCAA Tournament if they keep playing well. Also, women's volleyball is much improved and I am looking forward to seeing them earn a better record in conference play. Football on the other hand, is having a tough year (that's obvious). For them, being competitive in each game of the season is all that matters. Next year under Weis is going to be a different story with many talented players returning, having Heaps as QB, and McCay FINALLY being able to play. Rock Chalk!

KGphoto 8 months, 1 week ago

Don't forget women's track!

kubiggestfan 8 months, 1 week ago

We shall see......Next season will be interesting to say the least! Can't live on past accomplishments, gotta build on the future. It took more than 2 or 3 players to pull it off last season, and it will surely take that again this season....NEED TO SEE A MORE DEFENSIVE PRESENCE FROM ALL OF THE PLAYERS IF WE ARE TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

TheSychophant 8 months, 1 week ago

It's about time!!! Bonnie has been mired in mediocrity since she came here.

hawk316 8 months, 1 week ago

But to be fair to Bonnie, the team has seemed a little "snake-bit." It's been a long, sad story of one key injury after another over the years. Let's hope for a season where everyone stays healthy for a change!

wildjayhawk 8 months, 1 week ago

You hit the nail on the head there.

KGphoto 8 months, 1 week ago

Angel is my favorite women's basketball player ever, not named Lynette Woodard. Keegan is dead on. I would be at every home women's game if I could, just to watch her play. Get out there people!

One more that should've been mentioned. Natalie Knight came on and quietly made big plays down the stretch. A couple of big threes in our 2nd half surge vs. Delaware. She also had 5 dimes and 2 steals in that game. Against Nebraska in the tourney opener she had a big steal and a layup that effectively iced the game.

That kid is a solid player at both ends. She started all 34 games as a freshman, and once Keena Mays left, she almost never came off the floor. She doesn't turn it over and she led the team in 3pt.%. If she picks up where she left off, we'll have one of the best backcourts in the Big 12. I'm guessing she's good for at least 10pts, 4asst, 2stl/game.

hucking_fawks_rock 8 months, 1 week ago

Because of title IX we have stupid articles like this.

milehighhawk 8 months, 1 week ago

I know, man! Girls are gross, right?

onlyoneUinKansas 8 months, 1 week ago

We BARELY snuck into the tourney. We got the BEST draw EVERin the history of the game for a low seed. It basically put lipstick on the Pig(Bonnie).

We have the talent, we have the facilities, we even have pretty solid local talent. CAN HER! This season will be more of the same! WVU is better than Misery(who we lost to AT home!) and hell TCU has had some solid years. GET RID OF BONNIE AND LETS GET THIS THING GOING! She has shown she cannot beat Deb and sorry thats not saying a whole lot!

sylviejr 8 months, 1 week ago

Tom,

It's good to see you've turned around your opinion of women's basketball. The women are faster and just as skilled as the men.

Hurrah for Title IX.

p.s. DId you notice US Women outpaced US Men in both Olympic Gold and overall metals? And, somewhere I heard that if the US Women were their own country, they would have come in 3rd overall. We still like the men, too, of course.

jayhawkfanall12 8 months ago

Do you guys think the girls would have even went that far (or made the tournament) had Carolyn Davis not gotten hurt? We all were sad to see her fall. However, i believe it was a key factor in the change of this program. They were more free flowing, and did not feel obligated to get ONE person the ball. The team had better chemistry, and Angel Goodrich was a much better leader (in my opinion). Let Angel run the show don't try and make Carolyn the hero, she scores but only when wide open around rim and does not look to pass out or play effective defense.

kubiggestfan 7 months, 3 weeks ago

Lindy's preseason top 25 is out, and there are several big 12 teams on it. Looks like we have our work cut out for the 2012-2013,season. New member West Virginia is rated pretty high, with baylor, ok state, Oklahoma, and Texas all making the list. Can't go back to playing the 1-2 game, it never worked in the past, and it surely won't work this year. Gotta gain confidence in all 11,players on the roster if we are to be nearly as successful as we were this past season. I am rooting for a great season, but I have to be realistic that it wont happen if we don't commit to playing better defense as well.

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Women's Basketball

Keegan