No. 20 Kansas Hosts Pittsburg State In Exhibition Opener

Oct. 31, 2009

LAWRENCE, Kan. –

Game Notes in PDF Format

OPENING TIP

No. 20 Kansas hosts Pittsburg State in its first exhibition game of the 2009-10 season Sunday, Nov. 1. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. at Allen Fieldhouse. Bonnie Henrickson is in her sixth season at the helm of the women’s basketball program after leading the Jayhawks to a 79-79 overall mark during her first five campaigns, including a 22-14 mark and a trip to the Women’s NIT Championship game in 2008-09.

FAST BREAKS

-Kansas holds a 34-9 all-time record in exhibition games and has won 25 of its last 27 preseason contests. See page 3 for complete preseason exhibition results.

-Today’s game will mark the 14th time the Jayhawks have played an in-state Division II foe in the preseason, including last season’s wins over Fort Hays State and Washburn.

-KU defeated Pittsburg State, 90-65, on Nov. 6, 2005, in Bonnie Henrickson’s second season as head coach. The Jayhawks also defeated PSU, 82-48, on Nov. 4, 2007 in Henrickson’s fourth season as the head coach at Kansas. KU is 2-0 in preseason exhibition games against the Gorillas.

-Kansas leads the regular season series with Pittsburg State, 4-1. The Jayhawks and Gorillas have not met during regular-season play since KU took a 91-57 win over PSU on December 13, 1986. Pitt State’s lone win in the series came in Pittsburg on March 8, 1969.

-The Jayhawks will host Oral Roberts in the 2009-10 season-opener on Sunday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m., in Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas and Oral Roberts will be meeting for the 10th time in program history with KU owning a 9-0 lead in the series.

A LOOK AT PITTSBURG STATE

Pittsburg State posted a 20-9 overall record and narrowly missed qualifying for the NCAA Division II National Tournament in 2008-09. Pitt State head coach Lane Lord, entering his third season, welcomes back a pair of starters and eight letterwinners from last year’s breakthrough squad, which posted a 14-6 mark in Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association play. Senior forward Nicole McCombs and senior guard DePrice Taylor return with All-MIAA pedigrees. McCombs averaged 15.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game last year, garnering first-team All-MIAA honors. Taylor contributed 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game to claim honorable mention All-MIAA recognition. Junior forward Laura Glenn also contributed 5.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game for the Gorillas last year, while junior guard Bailey Waugh added a 6.0-point scoring average, hitting 50 3-pointers on the season. Junior guard Marissa Poppe, who averaged 7.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game in 2008, also returns from a medical redshirt season.

A LOOK AT KANSAS

Kansas, ranked No. 20 in the Associated Press preseason poll, will hit the court to begin the 2009-10 season returning eight letterwinners, including four starters, from last season’s 22-14 team that earned a spot in the WNIT Championship game. Senior guard-forward Danielle McCray returns as the Jayhawks’ leading scorer (21.6 ppg) and rebounder (7.7 rpg). McCray, who was tabbed the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, earned Honorable Mention All-America honors and was an All-Big 12 First Team performer as a junior after scoring in double figures in 33-of-36 games. Senior guard Sade Morris returns after averaging 12.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game game a year ago, while junior center Krysten Boogaard returns her 9.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game to the line up. Junior forward Nicollette Smith started 34 games last season, turning in 6.4 points and 4.5 boards a game. Senior guard LaChelda Jacobs recorded 5.9 points per game in 08-09, while also dishing 110 assists and sophomore forward Aishah Sutherland collected 5.9 points and 4.7 caroms per contest during her rookie campaign. Leading the way for the Jayhawk newcomers is redshirt freshman Angel Goodrich. Goodrich, who arrived in Lawrence as a WBCA High School All-American, will see the court for the first time after missing all of the 2008-09 season with a knee injury. Junior college transfers Rhea Codio and Marisha Brown join KU’s four incoming freshmen to provide the Jayhawks with valuable depth for the 2009-10 season.

BIG 12 PRESEASON POLL

The Kansas women’s basketball team was tabbed to finish second in the 2009-10 Big 12 basketball race in a vote of the league’s head coaches. KU, who tied with Texas in the standings, received three first place votes in the poll. It was a tight race for the top three spots with Baylor edging the Jayhawks and Longhorns. The first-place votes were spread among four teams as Baylor earned five, KU and UT received three each and fourth-place Texas A&M nabbed one. Oklahoma, last year’s preseason favorite and regular season champion, placed fifth, followed by Nebraska in sixth, Iowa State seventh, Kansas State eighth, Oklahoma State ninth, Texas Tech 10th, Colorado 11th and Missouri 12th.

LEADERS OF THE HAWKS

Seniors Danielle McCray and Sade Morris and junior Nicollette Smith have been named tri-captains for the 2009-10 season. It is the second-straight year for McCray to earn the honor, while Morris and Smith are serving as captains for the first time in their careers.

UP NEXT

The Jayhawks will remain in Allen Fieldhouse for their next outing as they play host to Emporia State on Sunday, Nov. 8 in their second and final exhibition game. Game time is slated for 2 p.m. Following the outing versus the Lady Hornets, KU will officially tip-off the 2009-10 season with a home game versus Oral Roberts on Sunday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m., in Allen Fieldhouse.