Women's Basketball Signs Zinic

May 18, 2005

Lawrence, Kan. — University of Kansas women’s basketball head coach Bonnie Henrickson announced Wednesday the signing of Marija Zinic (Mah-ree-ah Zin-ich) to a national letter-of-intent.

Zinic, a 6-2 forward from Novi Sad, Serbia, will play this summer for the Serbia & Montenegro Junior National Team with fellow KU signee Ivana Catic, before joining the Jayhawks in August.

“Marija is a skilled post player who will give us added depth and will be a nice complement to the post players we have returning. She can face up and give us options operating out of the high post,” Henrickson said. “She will provide us with another strong presence in the paint and also is a talented passer and ball handler. She has great international experience, which will be an asset, and should fit in well with our team.”

Among her accomplishments, Zinic has competed in the European Championship for Cadettes (2001) and the U18 European Championship for Women (2004).

Zinic posted averages of 10 points and six rebounds during the qualifying rounds of the U18 European Championship for Women in 2004. Serbia & Montenegro took fourth place in the European Championships to qualify for the the World Championships to be held later this summer.

As part of the Junior National Team, Zinic will compete this summer in the 2005 FIBA U19 World Championship to be held July 15-24 in Hammamet and Nabeul, Tunisia. Serbia & Montenegro will face Korea on July 15 before playing Russia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Puerto Rico and the United States in the preliminary round. Zinic and the Junior National Team will also be playing in the 2005 U18 European Championship for Women in Budapest, Hungary, on August 5-14.

Zinic is the fifth member of Kansas’ 2005-06 signing class.

2005-06 Kansas Signees At-a-Glance
Ivana Catic (point guard, 5-8, Zrenjanin, Serbia & Montenegro, Wheeling, W.V. – Mt. deChantal Academy)
Marija Zinic (forward, 6-2, Novi Sad, Serbia & Montenegro)
Jennifer Orgas (forward, 6-2, Omaha, Neb. – Skutt Catholic HS)
Shaquina Mosley (point guard, 5-6, Lancaster, Calif. – Central Arizona Community College/Antelope Valley HS)
Sophronia Sallard (guard/forward, 5-10, Syracuse, N.Y. – Nottingham HS)