INTRODUCTION
Hawkins gave the bench a spark last season and 3.9 points per game for KU. She started the final six games of the 2012-13 season and recorded a careerbest 15 points in her first start. Hawkins hit some big shots and played key minutes down the stretch. The Jayhawks are looking for Hawkins to carry that momentum into her senior season and build on the success she had late in the year. Other guards returning are junior Asia Boyd and sophomore Lamaria Cole. Boyd logged 13.2 minutes and 4.2 points per game in 34 appearances as a sophomore. She recorded a double-double against Grambling State after recording a careerhigh 15 points and 10 rebounds. Cole, a quick point guard out of Bryan, Texas, tallied 2.1 points per game in eight appearances. She scored a career-high eight points in the game against Grambling State. Cole also contributed five steals and seven assists in her freshman campaign. Also vying for time in the backcourt are freshmen Keyla Morgan and Dylan and Dakota Gonzalez. Morgan comes from a successful high school and AAU programs and understands the level of competiveness it takes to succeed at the collegiate level. A four-year starter for Long Beach Poly High School, Morgan helped the Jack Rabbits win the California state title in 2013. She averaged 9.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.4 steals per game as a senior. Morgan earned numerous accolades over her high school career including, league MVP honor and First Team All-Moore League in 2013. The Gonzalez twins round out the backcourt for Kansas in 2013-14. Both are three-star recruits who prepped at Highland High School in Pocatello, Idaho. Dylan and Dakota are the daughters of former KU standout Angie Snider, who finished her career with over 1,000 points. Dakota was a 2013 McDonald’s AllAmerican and WBCA High School All-American Honorable Mention. Dylan and Dakota guided Highland High School to three third-place finishes.
SOPHOMORE LAMARIA COLE
Joining Gardner on the front court is returner Bunny Williams and newcomers Caelynn Manning-Allen and Jada Brown. Williams appeared in every game and started five averaging 2.2 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. She recorded a career-high three blocks in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against South Carolina. Williams is a powerful low-post player that brings physicality to KU’s roster. Brown, a 2013 Gatorade State Player of the Year, joins the Jayhawks after a successful 26-5 record as a senior. She averaged 13.5, 9.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists during her junior campaign. Brown plays with tremendous competitive drive and toughness. Her speed and quickness will be an asset to the power forward position. The final freshman added to the 2013-14 roster is Manning-Allen, a 6-4 forward from Chicago, Ill. Manning-Allen is a talented young forward. Her presence around the rim, rebounding and running the floor from rim-to-rim is what she will bring to the table early. Manning-Allen earned many accolades during her prep career including first-team all-city and all-league. The Jayhawks are coming off back-to-back NCAA Sweet 16 appearances for the first time in program history and a tough nonconference schedule has helped KU reach new heights. Kansas has once again scheduled a challenging non-conference slate. KU faces six NCAA Tournament teams, four regular-season league champions, four WNIT squads and six teams coming off 20-win campaigns. Over the Thanksgiving holiday, Kansas heads to the Ezybonds Global Payments U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam. The Jayhawks will square off with Central Michigan, Xavier and Duke. The Blue Devils advanced to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament a year ago and Central Michigan also made an appearance in the Big Dance.
FRESHMEN DYLAN GONZALEZ, KEYLA MORGAN, CAELYNN MANNING-ALLEN, DAKOTA GONZALEZ AND JADA BROWN
KU’s Big 12 lineup will be as tough as ever, as six conference foes competed in the NCAA Tournament last season. The Jayhawks open Big 12 play at home with West Virginia, one of the six Big 12 teams that made it to the NCAA Tournament. The Jayhawks will face each Big 12 opponent twice before heading to the conference championships March 7-10 in Oklahoma City, Okla.
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