Oklahoma sophomore Courtney Paris becomes a bit embarrassed when somebody brings it up.
A handful of basketball players have been credited with changing the way the women’s game is played. Already there is talk that Paris, an imposing 6-foot-4, 240ish-pound center, might be the next in line.
“I just want to help our team win the national championship,” Paris said, sidestepping any discussion about being included among the all-time greats.
“I still have a lot to work on. There’s a lot I can improve on.”
Along with all the power moves, Paris patrols the paint with the nimble feet and instincts of a point guard. Her freshman numbers speak volumes. She averaged 21.9 points and 15 rebounds per game, becoming the first player in NCAA history to collect 700 points, 500 rebounds and 100 blocks in a season. She established NCAA records for single-season rebounding (539) and freshman single-season blocks (119). Already, she has set 70 Big 12 or OU records, including double-doubles in 33 of 36 games.
In two games against Texas, Paris totaled 52 points and 36 rebounds.
Longhorns coach Jody Conradt has seen enough.
Conradt, herself a Hall of Famer, already ranks Paris among a select few who have taken the game to a new level.
“Courtney Paris is unique,” Conradt said. “We haven’t seen players with her size and mobility.”
Any list of women’s college basketball players who single-handedly changed the game is subject to debate.
In the modern era, it may be said Carol Blazejowski blazed the trail by becoming the first unstoppable scorer with 3,199 points at Montclair (N.J.) State from 1974-78.
Six-foot-3 Lusia Harris of Delta (Miss.) State showed the impact of a prototypical center in leading her team to national championships in 1975-76-77.
Old Dominion’s Nancy Lieberman could dribble like Bob Cousy and shoot like Jerry West, and became the first female to play in a men’s league (USBL).
Southern California’s Cheryl Miller, who at 6-2 could play any position on the court, brought athleticism to the game in the early 1980s. A 6-foot forward with hops, Texas Tech’s Sheryl Swoopes scored 47 points in the 1993 national championship game and showed how quickness can break down any defense. Tennessee’s Chamique Holdsclaw was listed as a 6-2 forward but played like a 6-2 everything.
Conradt says Paris belongs on any list of difference makers.
“It’s like the four-minute mile … you have to see someone do something before, in your mind, you believe you can do it,” Conradt said. “Courtney owns the blocks.”
The daughter of former San Francisco 49ers all-pro lineman Bubba Paris, she refined her skills at an early age while playing against twin sister, Ashley, a 6-3 reserve forward for the Sooners.
“There are players who come along and redefine positions. Courtney is definitely one of those players,” Brenda VanLengen, a women’s basketball analyst for Fox Sports Net, told the Daily Oklahoman.
“She just combines so many attributes that we haven’t seen in one single player in the past. The strength. The agility. The power. The aggressiveness.”
Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale calls Paris “a prototype all her own” when somebody asks for historical perspective.
“Courtney is a remarkable athlete,” Coale said. “She does things in practice and in games where I shake my head.”
Coale said opponents threw every “junk defense” imaginable at the Sooners last year in an effort to slow down Paris. Double teams aren’t effective because Paris can pass as well as anybody in the conference.
“At first, we just threw it to her and watched,” OU senior forward Leah Rush said. “But then we realized we were getting open 3s.”
Texas A&M coach Gary Blair said Paris has the best hands he has ever seen in a player her size.
“You don’t see players that big handle the ball like a guard,” Blair said. “When she has it, you need to be an air traffic controller to see which option to stop.”
Baylor coach Kim Mulkey believes she has devised the best strategy against Paris.
“Pray a lot,” Mulkey said.
Big 12 women’s hoops
Denver Post staff writer Tom Kensler predicts the order of finish in Big 12 women’s basketball:
1. OKLAHOMA
Coach: Sherri Coale, 204-113 in 10 years at Oklahoma
Last season: 31-5, 16-0 Big 12 (first), NCAA Tournament Sweet 16
Strengths: Rival coaches must complain there should be a law against having five starters return from a 31-win team that ran the table in conference play. Sophomore center Courtney Paris (21.9 points, 15.0 rebounds) might be the toughest matchup in women’s college basketball. Senior forward Leah Rush (10.1, 5.3 rebounds) would be the go-to player on most teams.
Weaknesses: This is being picky, but Sooners ranked 11th in turnover margin.
Did you know? Abi Olajuwon, a 6-foot-3 freshman center from Los Angeles, is the daughter of NBA legend Hakeem Olajuwon.
Quotable: “We have six seniors. There is that same sense of urgency that propelled the 2002 team (to the national championship game).” – Coale
2. TEXAS
Coach: Jody Conradt, 882-293 in 37 years, 765-231 in 30 years at Texas
Last season: 13-15, 7-9 Big 12 (tie for eighth)
Strengths: Tiffany Jackson, a 6-3 forward and the only senior on the team, averaged 14.3 points and 8.7 rebounds last season and should earn all-league honors. Sophomore guard Erika Arriaran (11.5) is an emerging star.
Weaknesses: Apart from Arriaran, the highly touted sophomore class disappointed last season as newbies. Longhorns shot .389 from the field in league games, 11th in the Big 12.
Did you know? Niqky Hughes, a 6-1 freshman forward, is the sister of Antwan Kirk-Hughes, a standout offensive guard (1998-2001) on the Longhorns football team.
Quotable: “I have told last year’s freshmen that they are ‘re-freshmen.’ They took it well and have come back with a new commitment.” – Conradt
3. TEXAS A&M
Coach: Gary Blair, 456-206 in 21 years, 48-43 in three years at Texas A&M
Last season: 23-9, 11-5 Big 12 (third), NCAA tourney first round
Strengths: Blair’s system and confidence. The former Arkansas coach has it going in College Station, as he predicted. His Aggie victory totals have improved from 9 to 16 to 23. This might be just the beginning. Five starters return, none a senior. Leading the charge is 5-10 junior guard Morenike Atunrase (14.0 points).
Weaknesses: Aggies need to shoot better. They ranked last among Big 12 teams in 3-pointers made.
Did you know? The 23 victories marked the highest total for the Aggies since the 1993-1994 season (23-8).
Quotable: “I think Morenike will someday be a very good WNBA player, but right now we need her.” – Blair
4. BAYLOR
Coach: Kim Mulkey, 157-45 in six seasons at Baylor
Last season: 26-7, 12-4 Big 12 (second), NCAA Tournament Sweet 16
Strengths: Two starters – 5-5 junior Angela Tisdale (11.7 points) and 6-2 sophomore Jessica Morrow (7.6) – return. University of Florida transfer Bernice Mosby, a 6-1 senior, averaged 15.5 points and 8.6 rebounds for the Gators as a junior.
Weaknesses: The Lady Bears are young, with six freshmen and three sophomores among the 12 players. Replacing Sophia Young (22.3 points, 10.0 rebounds) will be next to impossible.
Did you know? Following its 2005 national championship, Baylor drew a school-record 7,717 fans per home game last season to rank sixth in the NCAA.
Quotable: “Bernice (Mosby) will have only one year in our program but it is at a much-needed time after we lost Sophia Young.” – Mulkey
5. IOWA STATE
Coach: Bill Fennelly, 399-163 in 18 years, 233-110 in 11 years at Iowa State
Last season: 18-13, 7-9 Big 12 (tie for eighth), WNIT second round
Strengths: Four starters return from team that lost by just four points to Oklahoma in Big 12 Tournament. Senior guard Lyndsey Medders (16.5 points, 7.7 assists) has improved each year.
Weaknesses: Cyclones ranked ninth in Big 12 rebounding and hope redshirt-freshman Rachel Pierson (6-3) has recovered fully from back surgery last January.
Did you know? After one season, 6-4 sophomore Nicky Wieben already ranks ninth (59) in ISU career blocked shots.
Quotable: “To use a football term, we are probably two-deep almost everywhere.” – Fennelly
6. KANSAS STATE
Coach: Deb Patterson, 199-113 in 10 years at Kansas State
Last season: 24-10, 8-8 Big 12 (tie for sixth), WNIT champion
Strengths: Four starters return after gaining valuable experience in five postseason games. Senior Claire Coggins (13.5 points) and junior Kimberly Dietz (10.5), a Boulder native, form a solid backcourt. Big things are expected of the two freshmen: 5-10 Kari Kincaid and 6-2 Ashley Sweat, both in-state recruits.
Weaknesses: It’s a thin roster, and nobody is taller than 6-2. That’s short by Big 12 standards. Wildcats ranked 10th in Big 12 rebounding.
Did you know? The Wildcats have won 20-plus games the past five seasons, averaging 25.6 victories during that span.
Quotable: “As long as we are healthy, there are plenty of ways for us to compensate or adapt to having just 10 players.” – Patterson
7. TEXAS TECH
Coach: Kristy Curry, 179-51 in seven years, first year at Texas Tech
Last season: 15-14, 9-7 Big 12 (fifth)
Strengths: Curry left a successful Purdue program and jumped at the chance to come to Lubbock after Marsha Sharp’s surprise retirement in March. Four seniors will make Curry’s transition easier, including guard Chesley Dabbs (12.2 points in 2004-05), who missed last season with a knee injury.
Weaknesses: Lady Raiders are not big, but Curry will fix that in recruiting.
Did you know? Curry’s Purdue teams reached the NCAA Tournament in each of her seven years with the Boilermakers.
Quotable: “My accent fits (Lubbock). It’s great to be back in Texas and eating Mexican food.” – Curry, a Louisiana native who was an assistant at Stephen F. Austin and Texas A&M in the 1990s.
8. NEBRASKA
Coach: Connie Yori, 258-199 in 16 years, 63-59 in four years at Nebraska
Last season: 19-13, 8-8 Big 12 (tie for sixth), WNIT third round
Strengths: Yori is a winner. After going 8-20 in her first season in Lincoln, Yori’s past three teams have averaged 18.3 wins, each reaching the WNIT. Three returning starters, led by senior guard Kiera Hardy (17.5 points), could make this the breakthrough year to the NCAA Tournament.
Weaknesses: Huskers ranked 11th among Big 12 teams in rebounding, and of the five freshmen, the three most advanced players are guards.
Did you know? Kala Kuhlmann, a 5-10 freshman guard, finished her high school career as Iowa’s No. 4 career scorer (2,337 pts.).
Quotable: “We are at a point in our program where we can compete at a very high level against some of the better programs in this league.” – Yori
9. MISSOURI
Coach: Cindy Stein, 198-132 in 11 years, 122-107 in eight years at Missouri
Last season: 21-10, 10-6 Big 12 (fourth), NCAA Tournament first round
Strengths: Three senior starters return, paced by 6-1 Carlynn Savant (10.0 points, 5.9 rebounds), a natural leader. Stein believes at least three freshmen will make an immediate impact.
Weaknesses: Tigers lost their best outside player in LaToya Bond (17.2 points) and best inside player in 6-3 C’stelle N’Garsanet (13.1, 8.6 rebounds).
Did you know? Jessra Johnson, a 6-1 freshman forward from Fayette, Mo., finished her prep career as the first high school girl in Missouri history to record 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 500 blocks.
Quotable: “We were excited about the type of year we had last year but not so excited about how it ended.” – Stein, on the Tigers losing by 31 points to Virginia Tech in an NCAA Tournament first-round game
10. COLORADO
Coach: Kathy McConnell-Miller, 100-109 in seven years, 9-21 in one year at Colorado
Last season: 9-21, 3-13 Big 12 (11th)
Strengths: The Buffaloes will have a different look, with 6-4 sophomore center Kara Richards (9.0 points, 5.3 rebounds in 2004-05) returning from a foot fracture and either Notre Dame transfer Susie Powers or freshman Whitney Houston at point guard. Richards and 6-3 junior Jackie McFarland (17.2 points, 9.2 rebounds) give CU one of the league’s most imposing frontcourt tandems. And guard-forward Jasmina Ilic averaged 14.8 points.
Weaknesses: Seven new players can make things ragged at times. Buffs, 18-40 the past two seasons, might have forgotten how to win.
Did you know? The stepfather of freshman guard Bianca Smith, Johnnie Jackson, played five seasons for the San Francisco 49ers.
Quotable: “At least we have some guards; that’s a good thing.” – McConnell-Miller
11. KANSAS
Coach: Bonnie Hendrickson, 187-91 in nine years, 29-29 in two years at Kansas
Last season: 17-13, 5-11 Big 12 (10th), WNIT second round
Strengths: Ivana Catic, a 5-8 sophomore guard from Serbia & Montenegro, showed great promise by averaging 7.7 points and 4.6 rebounds. Hendrickson raves about her seven freshmen, who hail from five states.
Weaknesses: Jayhawks must shake off last year’s disappointment, a season which held so much promise with three senior starters. Nobody on the roster is taller than 6-2.
Did you know? Kelly Kohn, a 5-9 freshman guard, is the daughter of a legendary high school football coach in Adrian, Mich.
Quotable: “I was mortified my first year at Kansas that we couldn’t score, and mortified my second year that we couldn’t defend. We have to go back to defending.” – Hendrickson
12. OKLAHOMA STATE
Coach: Kurt Budke, 86-36 in four years (not including junior college record), 6-22 in one year at OSU
Last season: 6-22, 0-16 Big 12 (12th)
Strengths: Budke’s recruiting. His current class of newcomers was ranked 12th nationally, no small feat for a program in the shadow of OU’s juggernaut.
Weaknesses: Only one double-figure scorer returns. Shaunte’ Smith, a 6-foot sophomore, averaged 10.8 points last season. It won’t be easy for Budke to incorporate 10 newcomers at the same time. There are only so many hours in the day for teaching.
Did you know? Christina Fox, a 5-9 freshman guard, is a member of the Australian national junior team.
Quotable: “It’s a good thing because we knew we had to upgrade the talent.” – Budke on bringing in 10 new players.
Tom Kensler can be reached at 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com.
