These days, Kansas University women’s basketball interim head coach Lynette Woodard wakes up each morning wondering what might happen next.
Woodard — a four-time Kodak All-American, and the women’s college career scoring leader — has seen everything from KU coach Marian Washington taking a leave of absence for undisclosed medical reasons to being named one of 16 finalists for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
“It’s a whirlwind. There’s just so many changes,” Woodard said. “All I can say is, 2004 is starting off with a bang. It’s exciting. Every time I wake up something else is happening here.”
How long Woodard will remain the Jayhawks’ head coach is anybody’s guess. Washington announced Jan. 29 she would take a leave of absence and Woodard — who said she hadn’t talked to Washington for a week or so — is not sure when, or if, Washington will return before the season ends in March.
Woodard’s first game as interim coach was a win over Oklahoma State. Since then, however, the Jayhawks have dropped four in a row. They’ll try to stop the bleeding tonight against Iowa State.
Tipoff will be 7:05 p.m. in Allen Fieldhouse. The game will be broadcast on the Jayhawk Radio Network, including 1320 KLWN.
“We have the perfect opportunity,” Woodard said. “We want to get back on the winning track. We’re not settling for losing. We’ve dropped these games, but we have to put them behind us. We’re at home, and we have to play like we’re at home.”
Iowa State is not nationally ranked like so many of KU’s other Big 12 Conference foes, but the Cyclones (11-11 overall, 4-7 Big 12) have pulled off some impressive wins, including a 81-72 victory over No. 18-ranked Baylor Saturday in Ames, Iowa.
While the Cyclones have been awesome at home, also upending nationally ranked Texas Tech and Oklahoma at Hilton Coliseum, they have struggled on the road, going 4-7. But then again, the Jayhawks (9-13, 2-9) haven’t exactly stayed close with many conference opponents in the fieldhouse.
Kansas has won only one of five Big 12 home games, and lost the other four by an average of 21.5 points a game.
Despite that glaring stat, or the fact there seems to be little stability involving Kansas women’s basketball lately, sophomore forward Crystal Kemp believes the Jayhawks can end the slide tonight.
“It’s kind of frustrating in a way not to know what’s going on,” Kemp said. “There’s always something different every day, but everyone’s done a pretty good job adjusting through it. As far as it affecting us on the court, I don’t see it.
“We’ve got to keep with our gameplan, keep playing hard.”
