Kansas To Face Perennial Power Tennessee in Sweet 16 Saturday
March 22, 2012
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LAWRENCE, Kan. – For just the third time in program history and first since 1998, Kansas women’s basketball has advanced to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. Eleventh-seeded KU defeated No. 3 seed Delaware on March 18 to advance past the first weekend and will face perennial power Tennessee, a two seed, on Saturday, March 24 at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa on ESPN. The Jayhawks have the first game of the day with a tip time of 11 a.m. Top seed Baylor and No. 4 seed Georgia Tech will play the second regional semifinal game. The regional final contest will take place on Monday, March 26 at 6 p.m.
Follow the Jayhawks
Fans can watch Saturday’s game live on ESPN. The Jayhawk Radio Network will broadcast the game over the air waves or fans can listen online through Jayhawk All-Access at www.KUAthletics.com.
Fast Breaks
– Kansas is making its third-ever trip to the NCAA Tourament Sweet 16 (1996, 1998). Ironically, one of KU’s two meetings with Tennessee on the hardwood was during the 1996 Sweet 16. Tennessee won 92-71 on its way to the national title that season.
– Junior Angel Goodrich has three-straight 20-point games, including 27 in KU’s second round upset over Delaware, one shy of her career best. She is averaging 23.5 ppg through two NCAA Tournament games which ranks fifth among all players during this year’s NCAA postseason play.
– Goodrich averages a nation-leading 7.4 assists per game.
– Freshman Chelsea Gardner had a career-high performance going for 15 points and 16 rebounds versus Nebraska in the NCAA Tournament first round for her first career double-double. Her 16 boards also tied the KU record for rebounds in an NCAA Tournament game, last done by Lisa Tate in 1994.
– Gardner and Goodrich are each shooting over 50 percent in NCAA Tournament games. Gardner leads Kansas hitting 58.8 percent (10-for-17) while Goodrich is at 53.8 percent (21-for-39).
– KU is without leading scorer Carolyn Davis (16.9 ppg) who suffered a season-ending knee injury at Feb. 12. The Jayhawks have had the misfortune of four ACL tears in the last four seasons- Angel Goodrich (2009, 2010), Danielle McCray (2010) and Davis (2012).
– The Jayhawks rank ninth in nation with a 45.5 field goal percentage.
– KU leads all 64 NCAA Tournament teams in three-point field goal defense holding opponents to 9.1 percent during the postseason. In two games, teams have gone 3-for-33 from beyond the arc versus the Jayhawks.
– For the second-straight season and third time in the last four years, Kansas has amassed at least 21 wins.
– Kansas is 4-5 versus ranked teams in 2011-12.
– Prior to its contest at Oklahoma on March 4, the Jayhawks were averaging 3.3 made three-pointers per game. Over its last four contests however, the team is making 6.0 threes per game.
– Kansas had eight Big 12 wins, its most since 2000 and also its last trip to the NCAA tourney.
– The team collected the second-best road mark among Big 12 schools going 5-4 as KU earned its most league victories on the road since 1997.
About the Jayhawks
Kansas defeated its second-straight top 25 opponent as it upset No. 7 Delaware 70-64 to earn a spot in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1998 … KU owns one of the top shooting teams in the nation as it ranks ninth with a 45.5 field goal percentage … Senior Aishah Sutherland and junior Angel Goodrich both average a team-high 13.7 ppg … Goodrich, who also leads the nation with 7.4 apg, has three-straight games with 20 or more points … Sutherland paces the Jayhawks on the glass with 8.9 rpg and is coming off her ninth double-double of the season … Freshman Chelsea Gardner has started in place of injured the Carolyn Davis and has come on strong in the last three games averaging 12.7 points and 10.7 rebounds, more than double of her season marks, while shooting 60.9 percent from the field … Freshman Natalie Knight has started all 33 games alongside Sutherland and Goodrich … She has scored 11.3 ppg in the last four games.
Scouting No. 7/9 Tennessee
No. 2 seed Tennessee advanced to the Sweet 16 for the 30th time in program history after defeating UT-Martin, 72-49, and DePaul, 63-48, in the first weekend of NCAA Tournament play … UT is 26-8 overall this season and claimed the SEC Tournament Championship … A trio of Lady Vols average double-digits led by Shekinna Stricklen’s 15.2 ppg … Her balanced stat line also includes 6.4 rpg and her 62 assists and 43 steals are both second on the team … Glory Johnson is tops on the boards pulling down 9.8 rpg to go along with 13.9 ppg … She is 11th in the nation shooting 54.1 percent from the field … Meighan Simmons chips in with 10.9 ppg … UT is active on the boards holding a +14.9 rebound margin to rank 13th in the country … Legendary coach Pat Summitt has guided Tennessee to a 1,097-207 mark in her 38th season at UT.
Series History
Tennesse has won both meetings with Kansas on the basketball court. The teams first met during the Sweet 16 of the 1996 NCAA Tournament. The Lady Vols won 92-71 in Charlottesville, Va. Shortly after, KU and UT met again, this time in Knoxville, Tenn., on Nov. 17, 1996 as Tennessee won 79-60 in the Preseason NWIT matchup.
A Kansas Win Would…
Send Kansas to the Elite Eight for the first time in program history … Improve Kansas to 1-2 all-time in regional semifinal games and 12-11 overall in NCAA Tournament games … Give KU at least 22 wins for the first time since the 2008-09 season … Make the Jayhawks 1-2 all-time versus Tennessee … Improve KU to 9-6 away from home this season … Make coach Bonnie Henrickson 1-1 against Tennessee, 139-120 at Kansas and 297-182 for her career … Make KU 736-517 all time.
A Kansas Loss Would…
Drop Kansas to 0-3 all-time in regional semifinal games and 11-12 overall in NCAA Tournament games … End KU’s NCAA Tournament run at the hands of an SEC opponent for the sixth time … Make the Jayhawks 0-3 all-time versus Tennessee … Give KU an 8-7 record away from home this season … Make coach Bonnie Henrickson 0-2 against Tennessee, 138-121 at Kansas and 296-183 for her career … Make KU 735-518 all time.
NCAA Tournament Notes
–The Jayhawks are one of three programs in the nation with both their men’s and women’s teams in the Sweet 16 (Baylor and Kentucky).
–KU has its men’s and women’s teams in the Sweet 16 together for the first time since 1996.
–Kansas is making its 12th appearance in the NCAA Tournament (1987, 1988, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2012).
–The Jayhawks are 11-11 all-time in NCAA Tournament games, including 0-2 in the Sweet 16. The Sweet 16 is the furthest Kansas has advanced, doing so in 1996 and 1998.
–Head coach Bonnie Henrickson is making her sixth trip to the NCAA tourney and first with Kansas. She is 8-5 in NCAA games.
–Big 12 schools Kansas and Baylor both have their men’s and women’s teams in the Sweet 16. It is only the second time in Big 12 history that at least two schools have done so.
Up Next
Should Kansas defeat Tennessee on Saturday, the Jayhawks would advance to the Elite Eight for the first time in school history to play the winner of Baylor vs. Georgia Tech. The regional final is set for Monday, March 26 at 6 p.m. on ESPN.
