Two games don’t constitute a career, yet Ivana Catic has been a picture-perfect point guard so far.
Catic, a 5-foot-8 Kansas University freshman, is averaging 12.0 points a game while posting an eye-opening assist-to-turnover ratio. She has 16 assists and only two turnovers.
“We thought she’d be very, very good,” KU coach Bonnie Henrickson said, “but she’s been a freshman who doesn’t look like a freshman.”
Today, Catic and the Jayhawks (2-0) will meet Northeastern, an NCAA Div. I mid-major from Boston.
Tipoff will be 1 p.m. in Allen Fieldhouse. Sunflower Broadband Channel 6 will have a live telecast.
Catic, a native of Serbia and Montenegro who played last year at a prep school in Wheeling, W.Va., has made 10 of 15 shots, including three of six from three-point range, but Henrickson has been more impressed with Catic’s court presence.
“She has lots of poise and has really been a good decision-maker,” the KU coach said. “She has a very good basketball IQ.”
Catic’s emergence has enabled Henrickson to use Shaquina Mosley, last year’s NJCAA player of the year, more at off guard – a necessity with senior swing guard Erica Hallman benched for the first two games because of academic deficiencies.
Hallman, the Jayhawks’ second-leading scorer last season, is expected to return today, but Henrickson said it would be a game-time decision. Hallman resumed practicing Thursday.
“There’s a chance she’ll get to suit up,” Henrickson said.
Two of Northeastern’s best players missed the Huskies’ first two games, and it showed. Northeastern was waxed by Holy Cross (76-60) and Boston University (73-46).
Kansas will entertain Birmingham Southern at 6 p.m. Friday and New Orleans U. at 1 p.m. Saturday.
