Boulder – Not that they would want to try it, but those two tall post players on the Colorado women’s basketball team – 6-foot-4 sophomore Kara Richards and 6-3 junior Jackie McFarland – probably could wear blindfolds during practice drills and not run into each other.
When Richards zigs, McFarland knows to zag. And vice versa.
“When Jackie makes a post move, I can always tell where she’s going to do a countermove,” Richards said Tuesday.
“I know where to feed the ball to Kara, and she knows where to feed the ball to me,” McFarland added.
Call it chemistry. Second-year CU coach Kathy McConnell-Miller inherited the pair last season and discovered right away that McFarland and Richards complement each other on the court. McFarland is the more athletic of the two and doesn’t mind sliding out to the high post, where she can face the basket. Richards prefers to use her strength down low, with her back to the hoop.
Both recorded double-doubles last Wednesday in CU’s 71-59 win over Missouri. McFarland scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Richards, in her second game back after missing seven with a foot problem, had with 11 points and 13 boards.
“Not a lot of teams have two strong players in the post that can score and rebound,” McFarland said. “We’re a nice combination.”
Thrown together as roommates during their freshman season, McFarland and Richards, a third-year sophomore, became best pals. It shows.
“They are very unselfish on the court; they’re always looking for each other,” McConnell-Miller said Tuesday after preparations for tonight’s home game against Iowa State. “Kara and Jackie are about winning. And they know each is much better with the other on the court.”
Perhaps it has something to do with the similarities in their down-home upbringing. Richards grew up in the West Texas town of Graham (population: 8,700), a part of the state where high school girls basketball draws as much fan interest as boys basketball, often more.
McFarland was raised in Derby, Kan., (population: 17,800), near Wichita. She faced the pressure of following in the footsteps of her sister, Jessica, a Kansas State basketball player who completed her eligibility in 2006.
“I have family in Oklahoma and Texas, and the stories we hear back home, I went through some of the same things Kara went through,” McFarland said. “Our family was always outside. When we were little kids, being active was the only thing that kept us entertained.”
Richards believes both gained their work ethic from growing up in a small town and among a tight-knit family.
“I know Jackie has been pushed (in her basketball career),” Richards said. “And I’ve certainly been pushed. We both have a certain mentality that helps us get through the tough times.”
Tom Kensler can be reached at 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com.
Iowa State at CU women
When: Tonight, 8 p.m.
Where: Coors Events Center, Boulder.
Records: ISU (13-2, 1-1 Big 12), CU (7-6, 1-0).
TV/radio: FSN/KKZN 760 AM.
Notes: Coming off a 71-59 home win over Missouri last Wednesday, Colorado aims for its first 2-0 start in league play since the 1996-97 Buffaloes opened 3-0. CU went 3-13 in Big 12 play a year ago in Kathy McConnell-
Miller’s first season as coach. … CU senior guard-forward Jasmina Ilic is averaging 16 points for her past six games, 13.3 for the season. … McConnell-Miller considers Iowa State senior Lyndsey Medders (13.3 points, 6.7 assists, 3.5 rebounds per game) to be among the nation’s best point guards. She is the Cyclones’ all-time assists leader. … Iowa State comes off a road loss to Missouri. … The Cyclones have won past five meetings.
TOM KENSLER
