9-19 Overall, 2-14

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Kansas (9-19 overall, 2-14 Big 12) 2003-04 Schedule & Results 2003-04 Season Review 9-19 Overall ³ 2-14 Big 12 5-7 Home ³ 1-11 Away ³ 3-1 Neutral Date N10 N16 N21 N28 N29 D6 D7 D13 D20 D21 D29 D30 J3 J7 J10 J13 J17 J21 J24 J31 F4 F7 F11 F14 F17 F21 F24 F28 M4 M9 Opponent Time SPARTA PRAHA (EX) W, 92-66 ST. LOUIS GOLDSTAR (EX) W, 79-28 at UMKC L, 50-63 at No. 24 Oregon+ L, 51-54 vs. Sacramento State+ W, 70-64 CAL STATE FULLERTON# (JTV) W, 90-46 UTEP# W, 71-50 BALL STATE (METRO/SUN) W, 70-55 vs. Texas-Arlington! W, 71-52 vs. Denver! L, 63-69 at Dartmouth? L, 78-86 (ot) vs. Fairfield? W, 84-70 SAN DIEGO W, 64-45 No. 3 TEXAS* (METRO/SUN) L, 54-73 at Missouri* (METRO) W, 55-52 No. 14 COLORADO* L, 49-59 at No. 10 Kansas State* L, 50-79 at No. 19 Baylor* L, 66-85 MISSOURI* (FSN) L, 49-76 OKLAHOMA STATE* W, 74-61 at No. 9 Texas Tech* L, 44-67 at Nebraska* L, 48-59 No. 9 KANSAS STATE* (METRO/SUN) L, 51-81 at No. 24 Oklahoma* (FSN) L, 59-83 IOWA STATE* (METRO/SUN) L, 58-73 TEXAS A&M* L, 63-69 at No. 13 Colorado* L, 56-75 NEBRASKA* L, 61-65 at Iowa State* L, 57-79 vs. No. 14 Baylor & L, 71-86 * Big 12 Conference Games; & Big 12 Tournament + Oregon Classic; # Holiday Inn Jayhawk Classic ! Denver Tournament; ? Dartmouth Blue Sky Restaurant Classic; & Big 12 Tournament Home games in BOLD; (EX) - Exhibition Game (FSN) - Fox Sports Net; (JTV) - Jayhawk Television Network; (METRO) - Metro Sports TV; (SUN) - Sunflower Broadband tape delayed All rankings are from the Associated Press Kansas Media Relations Women’s Basketball Contact ......................Beau White Email ......................................................beau@ku.edu Office ....................................................785-864-3407 Cell ........................................................785-331-8834 Fax..........................................................785-864-7944 Mailing Address ..........................1651 Naismith Drive ....................................................Lawrence, KS 66045 Website ........................................www.kuathletics.com Press Row Phone ....................................785-864-3417 Records Kansas finished the season 9-19 overall. The Jayhawks finished 2-14 in the Big 12 to tie for 11th place in the league standings. Rankings Kansas was never ranked or received votes in the national polls in 2003-04. The Jayhawks played 10 games against teams ranked in the top 25 including four top 10 opponents. Coaches Marian E. Washington finished her career 560-363 before officially announcing her retirement on Feb. 27. Interim head coach Lynette Woodard receives credit for an 0-3 record, although the team went 1-10 after she assumed the role after Washington announced her medical leave on Jan. 29. Random Notes & Facts From 2003-04 ³ Kansas’ five-game winning streak between Nov. 29 and Dec. 20 was it’s longest since a five-game streak between Jan. 26 and Feb. 10, 2000. ³ KU used nine different starting lineups with 12 players receiving at least one starting nod. ³ The Jayhawks ranked fourth in the league in steals with 9.0 per game and had two players (Ransburg 2.04, Burras 1.96) rank among the league’s top six thieves. ³ KU shot 64.3 percent (36-of-56) against Cal State Fullerton on Dec. 6 which was the second best single game performance by a Big 12 team in 2003-04. It was the fifth highest in KU history. ³ The Jayhawk’s 61 second half points against Cal State Fullerton on Dec. 6 tied for the fourth most ever by KU in a second half, and tied for the seventh most in any half. ³ Kansas 12 blocked shots against Missouri on Jan. 24, which tied as the top single game in the Big 12 in 2003-04. The mark tied the third-best effort in school history. ³ Sophomore Erica Hallman canned 33 three pointers to move her career total to 58, which ties for ninth all-time at Kansas. Hallman also ranks in a tie for eighth with 168 three pointers attempted and in a tie for eighth with a percentage of 34.5 percent. ³ At the end of her sophomore season, Crystal Kemp improved her career free throw percentage to 74.9 percent (158-of-211), which ranks fifth all-time at Kansas. ³ Sophomore Tamara Ransburg moved her career blocked shot total to 122, which ranks fourth all-time at Kansas. Her 54 blocks in 2003-04 ranked seventh all-time on KU’s single season list. Jayhawk Roster No. Name Pos. Ht. Yr. Hometown (Previous School) 1 Sharita Smith G 5-8 Fr. Dallas, Texas (Lincoln HS) 3 Blair Waltz G/F 6-0 Jr. Leawood, Kan. (Blue Valley North HS) 4 Kaylee Brown G 5-8 So. Arcadia,Okla. (Northern Oklahoma CC-Enid) 10 Heather Hayes G 5-8 Fr. Derby, Kan. (Butler County CC) 11 Aquanita Burras G 5-9 Jr. Colorado Springs, Colo. (Central Arizona CC) 13 Larisha Graves G 5-9 Jr. Terry, Miss. (Southwest Tennessee CC) 15 Melissa Carman G 5-8 Fr. Springfield, Mo. (Catholic HS) 21 Leila Mengüç G 5-7 Sr. Stockholm, Sweden (Sanda HS) 22 Tamara Ransburg F/C 6-4 So. Kansas City, Mo. (Coastal Christian (Va.) Academy) 23 Erica Hallman G 5-8 So. Covington, Ky. (Covington HS) 30 Nichelle Roberts F 6-1 So. Houston, Texas (Westfield HS) 34 Alicia Rhymes F 6-0 r-Fr. Shreveport, La. (Loyola Prep HS) 40 Crystal Kemp F 6-2 So. Topeka, Kan. (Topeka HS) 44 Lauren Ervin F 6-4 Fr. Inglewood, Calif. (Inglewood HS) 55 Kandis Bonner F/C 6-1 Jr. Peoria, Ill. (Wabash Valley CC) Pronunciation Head Coach: Marian E. Washington (West Chester State ‘70) Leila Mengüç ......Lay-la Main-gitch Interim Head Coach: Lynette Woodard (Kansas ‘81) Aquanita ................Ah-kwa-NEE-ta Assistant Coaches Alicia............................Uh-LEE-sha Timothy Eatman (Talladega College ‘88), Kate Galligan (Nebraska ‘96) Larisha ..........................La-Rish-uh Director of Basketball Operations Sharita ........................Shuh-REE-ta Tamara ........................Ta-MAR-uh Maggie Mahood (Chadron State ‘84) 2003-04 Season Review Amid an emotional season for the University of Kansas, the Jayhawks bid farewell to long time legendary head coach Marian E. Washington. Washington, who announced a medical leave of absence on Jan. 29, officially retired from coaching on Feb. 27. Upon hearing the news, the Kansas players were shocked. “It really hasn't hit me yet,” sophomore Crystal Kemp said the next day. “It's still hard to believe.” But two days later, on January 31st, the team had to do something it had not done in 31 years -- take the floor without Washington. Through the ups and downs the team had already endured, the Jayhawks could have decided to fold. Instead, they came out more motivated than ever and routed the Oklahoma State Cowgirls. Taking Washington’s seat on the sideline was another legend -- Lynette Woodard. With Woodard at the helm, KU defeated OSU 74-61 to pick up its second conference win in convincing fashion. Kemp led the charge with an inspired 24 points in front of 1,441 fans. Back in November, Kansas entered the season picked to finish ninth in the league as it had finished in 2002-03. After a successful preseason trip to Mexico, the coaches and players were buzzing about the possibilities of the upcoming season and the potential of the young team. “We had a great opportunity to go to Mexico in late August and it gave us the chance to work with this young group for 10 days,” Washington said at media day. “We were able to see what we have in the way of talent and what we might be able to do this year offensively and defensively. It gave the team a chance to come together so it was a very positive experience. I think this team is going to be much improved. I am really excited and I think the staff is really excited.” The Jayhawks opened on the road at UMKC on Nov. 21 only to be upset by the Kangaroos. A week later, the team traveled to Eugene, Ore., for the Oregon Classic and fell to No. 24 Oregon. Suddenly the team was 0-2 -- not what anyone had expected. But the team bounced back and picked up five straight wins, including four by margins of 15 points or more. The Jayhawks picked up a 70-64 win over Sacramento State on the second day of the Oregon Classic as Kemp and sophomore Tamara Ransburg were named to the all-tournament team. KU returned home for the Holiday Inn Jayhawk Classic where the team took the title on its home court for the first time in four years with convincing wins over Cal State Fullerton and UTEP. Three Jayhawks earned all-tournament honors including Kemp, junior Aquanita Burras and freshman Lauren Ervin. KU extended the winning streak with a 70-55 win at home over Ball State and a neutral 71-52 win over Texas-Arlington in the Denver Tournament. After losses to tournament hosts Denver and Dartmouth, KU added wins over Fairfield in Denver and at home over San Diego. After non-conference play, the Jayhawks sat at 7-4 and had the unfortunate task of taking on No. 3 Texas in Allen Fieldhouse in the Big 12 opener. Despite a courageous effort, the Jayhawks were upended by UT, 73-54. KU quickly prepared for a date with one of its biggest rivals, the Missouri Tigers. KU stormed into Columbia, Mo., and led by as many as 15 points on its way to defeating the Tigers in the last KU/MU women’s game played in the Hearnes Center. Kansas appeared as if it was starting to come together on the floor but faced the tough assignment of playing its next three games against top-20 teams. In games against No. 14 Colorado, No. 10 Kansas State and No. 19 Baylor, the Jayhawks played well but were unable to come away with a win. Next up was a rematch with the Tigers. With Kansas coming off three exhausting games and a well-rested Missouri playing for the first time in a week, MU invaded Lawrence and came away with a 76-49 win. For the Kansas players, it was disappointing to lose their fourth-straight game. But that disappointment could not compare with Washington’s announcement that came five days later. After the emotional win over Oklahoma State, the Jayhawks struggled in the rugged Big 12, losing its next nine games to finish 2-14 in the league to tie for 11th place. Among those final nine regular season games were matchups against six teams who were ranked in the top 25 at some point in the season. Seeded 11th in the eighth Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament, Kansas traveled to Dallas, Texas, to face 14th-ranked and 5th-seeded Baylor. The Jayhawks gave a gritty effort, but fell to the Lady Bears 86-71 to end the season. Baylor went on to the NCAA Sweet 16. For the season, Kansas was led by the steady Kemp with 13.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. The Topeka, Kan., native led the Jayhawks in scoring in 10 games and posted five games with 20 or more points. Burras added 10.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game. The two were the only players on the squad to start every game. Of 14 players who saw action in 2003-04, 12 Jayhawks made at least one start. Kansas graduated only one senior, Leila Mengüç. 2003-04 Quick Facts Location ........................................Lawrence, Kan. Founded ........................................................1866 Enrollment ..................................................28,849 Nickname ................................................Jayhawks Colors ..........................................Crimson & Blue Conference ..................................................Big 12 Arena (Capacity) ............Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Internet Address ....................www.kuathletics.com Chancellor ..........................Dr. Robert Hemenway Alma Mater (Year) ..........Nebraska-Omaha (1963) Athletics Director ................................Lew Perkins Alma Mater (Year) ..............................Iowa (1967) Senior Associate AD..........................Larry Keating Alma Mater (Year) ..........Stonehill College (1970) SWA ..................................Kelly Landry Mehrtens Alma Mater (Year) ........................Alabama (1986) Basketball Facts Interim Head Coach....................Lynette Woodard Alma Mater (year) ..........................(Kansas, 1981) Record at Kansas ..............................................0-3 Head Coach ......................Marian E. Washington* Alma Mater (Year) ........West Chester State (1970) Record at Kansas (Years)..................560-363 (31st) Record overall ................................................Same Assistant Coaches.................................................... ..........Timothy Eatman (Talladega College, 1988) ..............................Kate Galligan (Nebraska, 1996) Basketball Office Phone ..................785-864-4938 2002-03 Record ............................................11-18 Big 12 Record (Finish) ..........................3-13 (9th) Final Ranking ..................................................N/A Postseason........................................................N/A Letterwinners Returning/Lost............................7/5 Starters Returning/Lost ....................................5/0 * Took medical leave on Jan. 29, retired on Feb. 27 Kansas History KU Head Coaches Lynette Woodard (2/28/04-present) ..................0-3 Marian Washington (1973-2004) ..............560-363 Sharon Drysdale (1972-73)................................9-8 Debbie Artman (1971-72) ................................9-8 Marlene Mawson (1969-71) ..........................19-16 Total ..........................................................597-398 KU All-Americans Lynette Woodard ..........Kodak First Team (4-time) Angela Aycock ............................Kodak First Team ....................................................AP Second Team ................................................USBWA First Team Tamecka Dixon ..........................Kodak First Team ....................................................AP Second Team ................................................USBWA First Team Adrian Mitchell............................................NWIT Team Success 7 Conference Titles 6 League Tournament Titles 11 NCAA Tournaments 2 Sweet 16 Finishes A Quick Look At the Jayhawks Kansas used nine different starting lineups this season with only junior Aquanita Burras and sophomore Crystal Kemp starting every game. Twelve players started at least one game. The lineup of Burras, Kemp, Tamara Ransburg, Kaylee Brown and Larisha Graves owned the best record with a 4-1 mark. The Jayhawks used a different starting five in each of its last four games. Getting the most use was the group of Burras, Kemp, Ransburg, Erica Hallman and Graves who started seven times as a unit. The 2003-04 Jayhawks were a youthful blend of seven returning players and seven newcomers with only two players (Leila Mengüç, Blair Waltz) bringing more than one year of experience at KU. In addition to Kemp and Burras who started every game, Hallman and Mengüç were the only four players to see time in all 28 contests. Kemp tallied 13.4 points and Burras added 10.1 points per game to lead KU as the only two players to average double-figure scoring. Ransburg pulled down the most rebounds (173) for an average of 6.4 boards per game, while Lauren Ervin owned the best average with 6.8 rebounds per game. Hallman led KU with 3.3 assists per game, while Burras and Ransburg each recorded a team-best 2.0 steals per game. Ransburg swatted 54 shots to rank first on the team. Seven different players reached double-figure scoring in at least one game, and each of those seven players led the Jayhawks in scoring at least once. Kemp led in both categories with 23 double-figure scoring games and 10 games leading in scoring. Four players had at least one double-digit rebounding game led by Kemp and Ransburg with three apiece. The Jayhawks posted eight double-doubles including three by Kemp, three by Ransburg and two from Burras. Interim Coach Lynette Woodard After four and a half seasons as assistant coach, Lynette Woodard patrolled the KU sidelines as interim head coach for the first time against Oklahoma State. Woodard accepted the role after the announcement from Marian Washington that she was taking a medical leave of absence. The team went 1-10 with Woodard in charge, but Woodard will receive credit for an 0-3 record because Washington retains the 1-7 record the team had between her medical leave and her official retirement. A four-time Kodak All-American and the all-time women’s collegiate scoring champion, Woodard is the most storied player in the history of Kansas women’s basketball. After playing for Marian Washington from 1978-81, Woodard enjoyed a successful professional playing career overseas, for the Harlem Globetrotters and in the WNBA. She also played for numerous U.S. National teams. In 2003, Woodard was in attendance when the Harlem Globetrotters were inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame. Woodard was named as one of 16 finalists to be inducted individually as a player into the Naismith Hall of Fame on Feb. 15. Washington Retires After 30 and a half years without missing a game, Kansas head coach Marian Washington took a medical leave of absence beginning on Jan. 29 before announcing her retirement on Feb. 27. One of the true legends in the history of women’s basketball, she will soon be able to add “Hall of Famer” to her name when she is inducted in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in June. Washington helped pave the way for young women across the country as a player, a coach and an administrator. In her tenure, KU captured seven conference titles, six league tournament titles, four All-Americans and three Academic All-Americans. Many players and coaches under Washington have gone on to playing and coaching careers in the WNBA, at other universities and at the high school level. Washington has been honored with league Coach of the Year in 1992, 1996 and 1997. Under Washington, KU also had the distinction of winning the last Big Eight title and first Big 12 title. Washington said the following at her Jan. 29 press conference announcing her medical leave: "Obviously, I have been dealing with some health issues for quite some time. When you are in this business for as long as I have been, you tend to dismiss yourself because your commitments are to your players, your University and your program. I have tried to do that. This morning I met with Lew (Perkins). Most of you that know me, you know this is a difficult time -- mainly for my players. I am hopeful everything will be okay. I am going do everything I can to take care of myself, which is long overdue. Even though my players have been stunned a bit, they have been very supportive. My staff is awesome. I want you to know they will work extremely hard for this program and for those young people. I have all the support in the world for Lynette Woodard. She is 'Miss Kansas.' Without a doubt, she will do everything in her power to continue getting our program to move forward.” Setting The Records Straight When coach Marian Washington announced her medical leave on Jan. 29, she was still the head coach and therefore retains the 1-7 record the team accumulated until her official retirement on Feb. 27. Interim head coach Lynette Woodard took over for Washington beginning with the Jan. 31 game against Oklahoma State, but did not receive credit for games until the Feb. 28 game against Nebraska. Washington ends her career 560-363. Woodard finished the season 0-3. Kansas’ Record When... Overall Outrebound its opponent........................................9-9 Are outrebounded by opponent ............................0-10 Record same number of rebounds ..........................0-0 Shoot better from the field than opponent ..............8-4 Shoot worse from the field than opponent ............1-15 Commit fewer turnovers than opponent ................7-4 Commit more turnovers than opponent................2-14 Commit same turnovers as opponent ......................0-1 KU shoots better than 50 percent from the field ....5-0 KU shoots worse than 50 percent from the field ..4-19 Opponent shoots better than 50 percent ................1-4 Opponent shoots worse than 50 percent ..............8-15 Scoring Scoring 50 points or less..........................................0-6 Scoring 51-60 points ..............................................1-7 Scoring 61-70 points ..............................................3-4 Scoring 71-80 points ..............................................3-2 Scoring 81+ points ..................................................2-0 Allowing 50 or less points ......................................3-0 Allowing 51-60 points ............................................3-3 Allowing 61-70 points ............................................3-5 Allowing 71-80 points ............................................0-6 Allowing 81+ points ................................................0-5 Final margin is between 1-5 ....................................1-2 Final margin is between 6-10 ..................................1-4 Final margin is 11+ ..............................................7-13 On Months/Days Playing in November ..............................................1-2 Playing in December ..............................................5-2 Playing in January ..................................................3-5 Playing in February ................................................0-8 Playing in March ....................................................0-2 Playing on Monday ................................................0-1 Playing on Tuesday..................................................1-4 Playing on Wednesday ............................................0-4 Playing on Thursday ..............................................0-1 Playing on Friday ....................................................0-2 Playing on Saturday ................................................7-6 Playing on Sunday ..................................................1-1 On Television Playing on Fox Sports..............................................0-1 Playing on Jayhawk TV ..........................................1-0 Playing on Metro Sports TV ..................................2-3 Miscellaneous Playing a Top 25 Team ..........................................0-10 Playing a Top 10 Team ............................................0-4 Leading at halftime..................................................9-2 Trailing at halftime................................................0-17 Tied at halftime ......................................................0-0 In overtime games ..................................................0-1 Big 12 Conference Experienced Players Lead The Way 2003-04 Standings Big 12 14-2 14-2 11-5 10-6 10-6 9-7 7-9 7-9 7-9 3-13 2-14 2-14 Texas Kansas State Colorado Texas Tech Baylor Oklahoma Nebraska Missouri Iowa State Oklahoma State Kansas Texas A&M Overall 30-5 25-6 22-8 25-8 26-9 24-9 18-12 17-13 18-15 8-20 9-19 9-19 Big 12 Tournament Results March 9-11, 13 Dallas, Texas (Reunion Arena/capacity: 16,500) Tuesday, March 9 #9 Iowa State vs. #8 Nebraska ..............ISU, 63-52 #5 Baylor 86, #12 Kansas 71..................BU, 86-71 #7 Missouri vs. #10 Oklahoma State ....MU, 75-52 #6 Oklahoma vs. #11 Texas A&M ........OU, 60-47 Kansas returned just seven players (Aquanita Burras, Erica Contribution of Seven Returners Hallman, Crystal Kemp, Leila Mengüç, Tamara Ransburg, Category ................2002-03 ....2003-04 Nichelle Roberts and Blair Waltz) from the 2002-03 team Scoring ......................90.3% ......71.2% that finished 11-18 overall and 3-13 in the Big 12. However, Rebounding ..............90.4% ......60.3% those seven players made up over 90 percent of the team’s Assists ........................91.7% ......65.2% scoring and rebounding that season. In 2003-04, the return- Blocks ........................92.5% ......69.3% Steals..........................88.5% ......71.8% ing group of players continued to carry the load as the group accounted for 71.2 percent of the team’s scoring and 60.3 percent of the team’s rebounding. Comparing The Wins And Losses Here’s a look at the statistical differences behind KU’s nine wins and 19 losses. (In 9 KU wins) 72.1 36.4 51.4 17.6 11.1 4.4 15.7 19.0 Kansas (In 19 KU losses) 56.7 37.6 36.8 12.4 8.0 4.6 16.5 16.5 Category Points/Game Rebounds/Game Shooting % Assists/Game Steals/Game Blocks/Game Fouls/Game Turnovers/Game Kansas Opponents (In 9 KU Wins) (In 19 KU losses) 55.0 72.7 29.7 40.6 38.5 43.2 13.3 18.1 9.3 8.4 2.7 4.3 15.8 14.8 22.2 14.4 Chart Watching In only their second season in a Kansas uniform, sophomores Tamara Ransburg and Erica Hallman have already moved into the top 10 in the all-time KU statistics. In just 56 career games, Ransburg has swatted 122 shots to rank fourth. She needs just four more blocks for a share of second place with Vickie Adkins and Lynette Woodard. Hallman meanwhile is becoming one of the better three-point shooters Kansas has ever had. She ranks in a tie for ninth with 58 three pointers made and a tie for eighth with 168 threes attempted. Her percentage of 34.5 ranks in a tie for eighth among players with at least 50 made. Wednesday, March 10 #1 Texas vs. #9 Iowa State ......................UT, 64-54 #5 Baylor vs. #4 Texas Tech....................BU, 80-72 #2 Kansas State vs. #7 Missouri ..........KSU, 79-58 #6 Oklahoma vs. #3 Colorado ..............OU, 63-56 Woodard Named A Finalist For Naismith Memorial Hall Of Fame Thursday, March 11 #1 Texas vs. #5 Baylor ............................UT, 63-59 #6 Oklahoma vs. #2 Kansas State..........OU, 78-66 Kansas four-time Kodak All-American Lynette Woodard was named one of 16 finalists for enshrinement into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, as announced on Feb. 15. The Class of 2004 will be announced on Monday, April 5 at a news conference in San Antonio, Texas, prior to the NCAA Men's Championship Game. Saturday, March 13 #6 Oklahoma vs. #1 Texas ....................OU, 66-47 Trip To Mexico Proves Beneficial Tournament Attendance: 34,851 Average/Session: 5,809 Kansas In The Big 12 Statistics Listed below are Jayhawks who are ranked in the Big 12 statistics in 2003-04. Numbers reflect statistics through all games. Scoring 12. Crystal Kemp 13.4 26. Aquanita Burras 10.1 30. Tamara Ransburg 9.6 Rebounding T12.Lauren Ervin 6.8 17. Tamara Ransburg 6.4 Defensive Rebounding 12. Lauren Ervin 4.58 Offensive Rebounding 10. Tamara Ransburg 2.48 13. Aquanita Burras 2.29 Assists 14. Erica Hallman 3.25 Steals 5. Tamara Ransburg 2.04 6. Aquanita Burras 1.96 Blocked Shots 3. Tamara Ransburg 2.00 10. Lauren Ervin 1.21 3-Point FG Percentage 12. Erica Hallman 36.7 Field Goal Percentage 10. Crystal Kemp 49.8 Assist/Turnover Ratio 3. Erica Hallman 2.02 The Jayhawks got a jumpstart to the season over the Labor Day weekend by taking a short trip to Monterrey, Mexico, where the team went 4-0. The trip additionally allowed Kansas 10 days of practice leading up to the weekend. In Mexico, the coaches and players were able to start coming together both on and off the court. Five players averaged double-figure scoring led by sophomore Crystal Kemp with 22.0 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. Also in double figures was junior Blair Waltz with 14.0 ppg, sophomore Tamara Ransburg with 13.3 ppg, junior Kandis Bonner with 13.0 ppg and junior Aquanita Burras with 10.3 ppg. Freshman Lauren Ervin was spectacular on the boards, leading the team with 11.0 rebounds per game to go with 9.5 points per contest. Kansas Signs In-State Talent Kansas signed Taylor McIntosh of Wichita, Kan., during the early signing period. McIntosh, a 5-11 guard, has led Wichita Heights High School to two-straight Kansas 6A state championships. Washington Coaches 900th Game Head coach Marian E. Washington reached another milestone when she coached her 900th game against Oregon in the Oregon Classic on Nov. 28. Coaching against Bev Smith, one of her 2004 Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame classmates, KU was edged 54-51. In honor of the milestone, and to the surprise of Washington, each KU player wore a wristband with “900” stitched into it. Kemp A Consistent Force Versatile sophomore Crystal Kemp was one of only two players to start all 28 games for KU and she led the team with 13.4 points per game. The smooth lefty from Topeka, Kan., set a goal to become a more consistent player which she did by scoring in double figures in 23 games and shooting 50 percent from the field. Notched six 20+ point games and posted double-doubles against Colorado, Texas A&M and Baylor. Ranks as the fifth-best free throw shooter in KU history with at least 50 made at 74.9 percent (158-211). Burras An All-Around Threat Perhaps Kansas’ top all-around player, junior Aquanita Burras does the little things with hustle and intense defense. She finished third on the team with 5.8 rebounds per game and second with 64 offensive boards, while tieing for first with 55 steals. The only player on the team to play over 30 minutes per game. Exploded for a career-high 24 points against Ball State and finished second on the team in scoring with 10.1 points per game. Notched her second 20-point game at Baylor when she scored 21. The only current player to have started every game in her career. Ransburg Quietly Playing Effectively After being named team MVP as a freshman, sophomore Tamara Ransburg took on a variety of roles in 2003-04. She posted 9.6 points and 6.4 boards per game while leading the team with 54 blocked shots. Her 55 steals tied for first on the team. She ranks fourth all-time at KU with 122 career blocks. Posted double-doubles against Ball State, Nebraska and Texas A&M. Tied a season-high 19 points in the regular season finale at ISU. Moved to the sixth player role at the Oklahoma game and led the team with 14.0 points on 58.3 percent shooting and 7.6 boards since moving out of the starting lineup in the last seven outings. Graves Takes Over At Point Junior transfer Larisha Graves started 26 of 27 games she played at point for KU and averaged 3.0 assists per game. One of Graves’ best assets was her ability to see the court well and her ability to settle the team down and get the offense started. Excels at penetrating and finding the open player or pulling up for the midrange jumper. Pulled down 3.5 boards a game. Scored in double figures in eight games. Notched a career high 17 points at Nebraska, and averaged 7.2 points per game. Mengüç Back For Senior Season Kansas’ only senior, Leila Mengüç, returned for her final season at point guard. Mengüç started the season-opener and Senior Day and chipped in 0.6 points and 0.5 rebounds per game. She is one of six foreign players to play at KU all-time. Hallman Still Steady Sophomore Erica Hallman played in all 28 games and started 13 contests. Provided KU with a solid ball-handling and long-range shooting option. Nailed 33-of-90 three-pointers. Her 2.02-to-1 assist-to- turnover ratio ranks third in the Big 12. Drained 58 career threes, which ranks in a tie for ninth all-time at Kansas. Her 34.5 percent (58-of-168) mark from three-point range ranks in a tie for eighth all-time at Aquanita Burras KU. Led Kansas in assists for the second straight sea- ³Holiday Inn Jayhawk Classic AllTournament Team son. Season Honors Ervin Making An Impact Freshman Lauren Ervin played in 24 games with one starting assignment. She posted seven double-figure scoring games and pulled down at least five rebounds in 21 contests. Ervin led the team in rebounds per game with 6.8. Ranked first on the team with 51.5 percent shooting from the field. Ranked second on the team with 29 blocked shots. An active rebounder who runs the floor and handles the ball well on the perimeter. Led KU in rebounding 11 times. Waltz Provides Leadership And Balance Lauren Ervin ³Holiday Inn Jayhawk Classic AllTournament Team ³Dallas Morning News Big 12 All-Freshman Team Erica Hallman ³Dartmouth Classic All-Tournament Team Crystal Kemp ³Oregon Classic All-Tournament Team ³Holiday Inn Jayhawk Classic MVP ³Denver Tournament All-Tournament Team ³Academic All-Big 12 First Team Junior Blair Waltz was one of only two players on the Leila Mengüç team to suit up for KU for more than one season prior ³Academic All-Big 12 First Team to 2003-04. Waltz played in 27 games with 12 starting assignments and played an all-around game with Tamara Ransburg 3.5 points and 1.6 boards per game. Posted double- ³Oregon Classic All-Tournament Team figure scoring totals four times and stepped up to tie a Blair Waltz season-high 14 points in the first game with KSU. ³ Academic All-Big 12 Second Team Bonner A Bruising Presence Junior transfer Kandis Bonner added a physical presence to the KU frontcourt. She possesses a nice touch around the basket and quick feet. She contributed 2.0 points and 1.4 boards per outing and shots 43.5 percent from the floor. Had an impressive six points and four boards in only six minutes the second game against KSU. Brown Adds Intangibles Sophomore guard Kaylee Brown played in 25 games with five starts. A hard-nosed player, Brown is not afraid to sacrifice her body to take a charge. A patient player who sees the floor well. Has the ability to score from long range, although she struggled from beyond the arc since midseason. Owns averages of 2.4 points and 0.3 rebounds per game. Roberts A Hard Worker Sophomore forward Nichelle Roberts played in 24 games and made four starts. She saw just 4.9 minutes per game, but made the most of those minutes with rebounding and defense. Always seems to be around the ball after a missed shot. An underrated free throw shooter. Averaged 0.3 points and 1.2 boards per game. Smith Steps Up After suffering a preseason injury that sidelined her for the first 10 games, freshman Sharita Smith played sparingly until the final six games of the season. Had her best two games against Iowa State on Feb. 17 and in the Big 12 Tournament against Baylor as she scored nine points in both games. Played 15 or more minutes four times. Posted 2.1 points and 0.7 boards per game. Team Honors Lynette Woodard MVP Award ³Crystal Kemp Most Improved Award ³Erica Hallman Jackie Martin Inspiration Award ³Leila Mengüç Academic Achievement Award ³Crystal Kemp, 3.41 GPA ³Leila Mengüç, 3.40 GPA Freshman Academic Award ³Melissa Carman, 3.36 GPA Adrian Mitchell Sportsmanship Award ³Alicia Rhymes Sheila Ullmann Coaches Award ³Blair Waltz Shebra Legrant Newcomer Award ³Larisha Graves Assist Leader ³Erica Hallman, 91 Steals Leader ³Aquanita Burras, 55 ³Tamara Ransburg, 55 Vickie Adkins Rebounding Leader ³Tamara Ransburg, 6.4 rpg ³Lauren Ervin, 6.8 rpg Angela Aycock Free Throw Award ³Crystal Kemp, 75.5 % 94-40 Defensive Award ³Aquanita Burras Teaching Excellence Award ³Wilma Holt Peg Wittmer Service Award ³Robbie & Madi Vannaman