Soon after becoming the Colorado women’s basketball coach in April 2005, Kathy McConnell-Miller looked over the roster, watched some tape and determined the Buffaloes needed to get more athletic.
“In the Big 12 Conference, you’d better have some quick players or how are you going to guard teams like Baylor and Texas Tech?” McConnell-Miller said, recalling her initial concerns.
It’s a good thing she added guards Whitney Houston, Candace Rucker and Bianca Smith, because the eighth-seeded Buffs (12-16, 6-10 Big 12) face ninth-seeded Texas Tech (15-15, 6-10) at 11 a.m. today in the first round of the Big 12 Women’s Tournament in Oklahoma City.
Houston, Rucker and Smith will get their first taste of conference tournament pressure. The 5-foot-8 Houston and 5-10 Rucker are true freshmen from Memphis, Tenn. Smith, 5-9, is a redshirt freshman from suburban Houston. Smith had to sit out last season because she originally signed with Tulsa but chose to follow McConnell-Miller to Colorado.
“They allow us to play the tempo and style we like to play,” McConnell-Miller said. “They can handle the speed of the game.”
Memphis had not been a traditional recruiting territory for Colorado, but McConnell-Miller got some help from John Anderson, an assistant coach for the CU men’s program and a former high school coach in Memphis.
Neither Houston nor Rucker had set foot in the state of Colorado before taking her recruiting visit. They attended different high schools in Memphis but were friends.
“I really liked the coaches and it was a chance to play in the Big 12,” Houston said. “It’s been great. But I didn’t think it would snow this much. In Memphis, we can have snowball fights about one time during the winter. Here, we can have them every day.”
Houston, who darts around the court like a bug on water, earned a starting position in late January. Among Big 12 freshmen, she ranks fifth in assists (2.3 per game) and eighth in scoring (8.0).
“Whitney is an exciting player,” the coach said. “But sometimes her decision-making isn’t good, and she drives and gets herself into trouble.”
Rucker, a leaper, comes off the bench primarily as a defensive stopper. But Rucker can ignite the Buffs’ offense with a spectacular move along the baseline. She has stepped up her offensive production, averaging 5.2 points in her past five games.
Rucker’s progression was slowed last fall when she was hospitalized for a week because of a kidney problem. Since then she has suffered from homesickness and has battled through some academic struggles. Rucker said she is considering a transfer but won’t decide until after the season concludes.
Smith provides long-range shooting off the bench. She ranks fourth in 3-pointers (31) among Big 12 freshmen.
Rucker’s jumping ability allows her to play inside, so there are times when McConnell-Miller uses the trio together to turn up the tempo.
“You can never have enough athletes,” McConnell-Miller said.
Oklahoma team to beat with powerful Paris
Handicapping the women’s Big 12 Tournament:
No. 2 seed Oklahoma (23-4, 13-3) – Just a short bus ride to Oklahoma City, and 6-foot-4 Courtney Paris is an impossible matchup.
No. 5 Iowa State (22-7, 10-6) – Cyclones don’t get a first-round bye, but they enter with a five-game winning streak.
No. 1 Texas A&M (23-5, 13-3) – Gary Blair, like A&M men’s coach Billy Gillispie, is a miracle worker. But this pressure is all new.
No. 4 Nebraska (22-8, 10-6) – Huskers can really play defense, and they’re coming off a 20-point win over Colorado.
No. 3 Baylor (24-6, 11-5) – Lady Bears, the 2005 national champs, know how to win. But this lineup lacks size, strength in the paint.
No. 8 Colorado (12-16, 6-10) – All-Big 12 forward Jackie McFarland and 6-4 Kara Richards are a tough inside tandem.
No. 9 Texas Tech (15-15, 6-10) – Lady Raiders face Colorado in opener today, hoping to avenge a 70-67 loss in Boulder.
No. 6 Oklahoma State (20-9, 8-8) – Kurt Budke, 6-22 last season, shouldn’t have been far behind Aggies’ Blair for coach of the year.
No. 12 Kansas State (16-13, 4-12) – Disastrous season for usually formidable Wildcats, but there’s still some talent.
No. 11 Kansas (10-19, 4-12) – Jayhawks finished the regular season with an impressive victory at Missouri.
No. 7 Texas (17-13, 6-10) – Has Hall of Fame coach Jody Conradt lost her touch?
No. 10 Missouri (17-12, 5-11) – Tigers face Texas in the opening round, with the winner drawing Oklahoma on Wednesday.
Colorado women vs. Texas Tech
What: First round, Big 12 Tournament
When: 11 a.m.
Where: Cox Convention Center, Oklahoma City
Records: Colorado (12-16, 6-10), Texas Tech (15-15, 6-10)
Radio: KKZN 760 AM
Notes: Colorado, Texas Tech and Texas tied for seventh place in the conference standings. Tiebreakers awarded Texas the No. 7 seed, CU No. 8 and Tech No. 9. … The Buffaloes, in their second season under coach Kathy McConnell-Miller, were picked in the preseason coaches poll to finish 11th. … In the only regular-season meeting, CU won 70-67 on Feb. 3 in Boulder. CU senior forward Jasmina Ilic scored a game-high 27 points, hitting 5-of-10 from 3-point range. With 6-3 junior Jackie McFarland and 6-4 sophomore Kara Richards underneath, Buffs dominated the boards (43-34 rebounding edge) and claimed the victory despite shooting 39.4 percent compared to Tech’s 49.1 percent. Tech got 21 points from senior forward Alesha Robertson. … CU freshman guard Bianca Smith sprained an ankle in practice Friday but is expected to play. … CU hasn’t won a game in the conference tournament since 2003.
