For the second straight season, Kansas University basketball fans will witness the beginning of a new era.

New women’s basketball coach Bonnie Henrickson won’t face the hoopla that accompanied Bill Self when he took over for Roy Williams last year, but there still is a bit of enthusiasm surrounding Henrickson who replaced Hall of Fame coach Marian Washington in March.

“It’s all pretty exciting right now,” said Henrickson, a Willmar, Minn., native, who came to KU after guiding Virginia Tech to a 158-62 record and seven postseason appearances during seven seasons in Blacksburg, Va.

“There are so many things that we are still kind of settling into and adjusting to, but there is one definite trait about this place: It’s the most basketball-crazed place I’ve ever been.”

Henrickson acknowledged the carnival-like atmosphere involving basketball in Lawrence stems from the success of the men’s squad, but she said she saw that as the first step in the right direction to building a women’s program to a similar status.

“I just don’t see that as a negative. I think it’s a positive,” said Henrickson, who guided the Hokies to a 23-8 mark and a loss to fifth-seeded Penn State in the NCAA tournament’s second round last season. “People love basketball here. They love good basketball, and the men’s program has good basketball.

“Certainly our goal is to have great basketball as well. I don’t think it’s limited to gender. People want to see a good product on the floor — one that is entertaining, that people can be proud of. Not only win, but win with class and represent the university with class. I really think we can feed on the excitement that’s already here.”

Even before Washington’s perennial Top 25 teams began to slide four years ago — when a 12-17 record in 2000-01 broke Washington’s string of 11 consecutive 20-win seasons — KU’s women’s teams remained the consummate bridesmaids.

Henrickson’s goal is to change that status.

Challenge: Recruiting

“We’re not trying to just be competitive in the Big 12. We’re trying to win a Big 12 championship,” Henrickson said. “Thus recruiting is my biggest challenge.”

New women's basketball coach Bonnie Henrickson brings a high-energy style of ball to KU. Virginia Tech fans coined it Bonnieball.

Recruiting has been virtually non-stop.

“We’ve probably had as many unofficial visits here in the last two or three months as we did in the last two or three years at Virginia Tech,” she said. “I think people have heard a lot, but they want to take a look for themselves.”

Just like Henrickson, assistant coaches Katie O’Connor (Virginia Tech, 2000), Kyra Elzy (Tennessee, 2001), and Karen Lange (Iowa, 1996) are all new to Lawrence.

So are director of basketball operations Trena Anderson (Southeast Missouri State, 1997) and administrative assistant Katie Wulf (Western Kentucky, 2002).

Senior Blair Waltz believes the new staff has the right stuff.

“I think Bonnie really has talent, coaching ability, and the vision to help take this program back to the top,” said Waltz, who has played on teams that have lost 45 of 51 Big 12 Conference games.

Despite all of Washington’s wins (560 victories in 31 seasons), accolades (seven conference titles, and 17 20-win seasons), or impact on women’s hoops (first black woman to coach a U.S. national team in international competition; one of first two black women to compete as a player internationally), the Jayhawks struggled mightily over the last four years.

Washington — who endured the dubious distinction of coaching an 0-16 Big 12 team in 2001-02 — might have suffered her toughest year of coaching last season. After an 1-5 start in Big 12 play, Washington announced Jan. 29 she would be taking an indefinite leave of absence to address undisclosed health issues.

Not even KU Hall of Famer Lynette Woodard could stop the turbulent free fall. Woodard won her first game as interim coach, but the Jayhawks proceeded to lose 10 straight to close the season.

On Feb. 27 before KU’s last home game Washington announced she was retiring “to address health issues that are not life-threatening, but that need my immediate attention.”

Roster Shakeout

Henrickson was hired and the roster began to shake out.

Tamara Ransburg, Lauren Irvin, Nichelle Roberts and Kandis Bonner left the program while two freshmen were added — Jaime Boyd, a 6-0 guard from Underwood, Iowa, and Taylor McIntosh, a 5-11 guard from Wichita.

The 6-4 Ransburg, who transferred to Old Dominion, was KU’s third leading scorer at 9.6 points per game, and second-leading rebounder at 6.4.

Ervin, who transferred to UNLV, was one of the most decorated recruits in KU history, but suffered a troubled freshman campaign. Ervin, who lead the team in rebounding at 6.8 rpg. while scoring 6.8 ppg., missed four games primarily for disciplinary reasons — including being reprimanded by the Big 12 Conference for allegedly sparking a fight after a January game at Missouri.

Bonner and Roberts were used mainly as reserves.

Crystal Kemp, Aquanita Burras, Larisha Graves, Erica Hallman and Waltz head the list of returnees.

Kemp, a 6-2 junior, led the Jayhawks in scoring with 13.4 ppg., while also grabbing 5.8 rpg., and shooting 49.6 percent from the field. Burras, a 5-9 senior guard, scored 10.1 ppg., and grabbed 5.8 rpg.

Graves, a junior college transfer from a year ago, added 7.2 ppg., 3.5 rpg., and 3 assists a contest. Waltz averaged 3.5 ppg., while Hallman led the team with 91 assists.

Junior Kaylee Brown (2.4 ppg.), sophomore Sharita Smith (2.1 ppg.) and sophomore Alicia Rhymes round out the group of returning letter winners.

The Right Way

“You heard Larry Brown say — and I’m certainly not trying to equate myself to him — but play the game the right way,” Henrickson said. “You got to be able to defend, you got to be able to share the ball and you got to play with a high level of energy on both ends.”

Which seems to be the prerequisite for yet another Kansas women’s basketball season again filled with uncertainty.

“It’s change. Sometimes it’s difficult to change,” Henrickson said. “But if things are going to be different there has to be change. I really feel they’ve embraced change. That doesn’t mean there won’t be bad days ahead, but I think we are growing and things have been very positive.”