Kelly Kohn says to hold off on the nickname – at least for right now.

She’s sure that if the Kansas University women’s basketball program improves, one certainly will come along.

“I think we’re ready to earn one,” Kohn said. “We don’t just want to be given anything because we’re a large incoming class. I think we’re ready to go out and prove to people that we’re ready to make a change, and we’re ready to be a major aspect of KU women’s basketball being put on the map.”

So, for now, KU coach Bonnie Henrickson’s “Super Seven” simply will be called by their individual names. It might not take long, though.

Already labeled as one of the best classes to come along in KU women’s basketball history, the septet is here to prove that it’s for real.

And also that Kansas is for real.

“It’s up to us. The choice is ours,” Kohn said. “The future of this program is the younger players.

“It’s exciting. It’s something that’s put on us, but I think we’re all ready to take hold of it.”

¢ Henrickson knows it’s not the same just down the basketball offices corridor.

In the men’s game, talent is often snatched away by the NBA. Good players stay a few years. Great players stay one.

Clockwise from bottom right: Rebecca Feickert, LaChelda Jacobs, Danielle McCray, Sade Morris, Kelly Kohn, Porscha Weddington and Lindsay Ballweg.

Not so in the women’s game.

“We don’t talk one-and-done on our end of it,” Henrickson said, “and hopefully we won’t.”

Which makes this a unique opportunity from the fans’ perspectives. Not only will they see the seven grow up individually at Kansas – they’ll also see them grow up collectively.

“I think we’ve got a number of these kids that are going to have a great freshman year. I really believe that – they’ll have fantastic years,” Henrickson said. “But what’s exciting is how long they’ll get to play together and how much better they’ll get with each other.”

Henrickson knows the benefits familiarity can bring. During her playing days, she was a member of a four-person class in her freshman season at St. Cloud State.

“By the time our junior year came,” Henrickson said, “we knew what the other was doing without even having to communicate.”

The coach believes the same is possible with her newest group of players, especially with the luxury of keeping the players she has.

Michigan’s “Fab Five” only stayed together two years. Bonnie’s “Super Seven” could be together four.

“It’s exciting to know that you have such potential right now,” Kohn said, “and knowing that you have four more years just waiting ahead of you.”

¢ From the minute Henrickson stepped onto the KU campus three years ago, she knew about Danielle McCray.

The coach knew all about her toughness and her ability to create and score.

What Henrickson didn’t know was just how good of a recruiter McCray would be.

The Olathe East product, ranked 30th nationally by ASGR, committed during the middle of her junior year. She then attended the KU Elite camp in the summer with Lindsay Ballweg and Sade Morris.

“By process – by design,” Henrickson said, “they met each other and started to recruit each other.”

Soon McCray hadn’t just given KU one prized recruit – she had helped with three.

Overland Park Aquinas’ Ballweg and Norman (Okla.) High’s Morris soon signed on with the Jayhawks.

“We just found out we have similar things we want to accomplish while being here,” McCray said.

A class was beginning to form.

Porscha Weddington and LaChelda Jacobs both decided to latch on from Texas. Rebecca Feickert – after sending tapes of herself to Division I colleges across the nation because she had limited exposure in her North Dakota town of 163 – received an in-gym visit from the KU staff and later committed. Kohn signed after making a visit to Late Night and meeting some of the other girls.

“I think we kind of all sensed from each other that each one of us believes in the program and bought into it,” Kohn said. “That’s something more special than just you and your coach buying into it – it’s you and your teammates.”

Meanwhile, Henrickson was already preparing for the group’s arrival on campus.

After the season concluded, she conducted weekly leadership sessions with returning players Taylor McIntosh, Sharita Smith and Jamie Boyd. The group read materials and discussed how they could best prepare themselves for the players that were to come.

“The upperclassmen are in the workouts with them, they’re in the dorms with them. We just help them help those young kids,” Henrickson said. “It takes our whole basketball family to help these girls.”

¢ Henrickson has had players who wanted to be successful. So far, she has seen a little more out of this group.

“It’s not just about winning,” Henrickson said. “These kids are committed to training to win a championship, and there’s a difference.”

The training has included summer workouts, which start at 6 a.m. four days a week.

Through it all, the coach has seen some encouraging signs. One of which is that the seven always seem to be around each other.

“When you see one, there’s going to be a couple more behind,” Henrickson said. “They travel in packs, and I like that.”

Jacobs said the teammates’ relationship has stretched past the basketball court. They attend class together, shop together, swim together, and generally just hang out together.

“We’re bonding so far, and we’ve only been here a couple of weeks,” Jacobs said. “It’s like we’re close sisters already. I think that chemistry is really important for winning.”

But just how far can this young group take Kansas? Kohn said the answer was in their hands.

“It’s just how much preparation, how much hard work, how much dedication and really the overall effort we’re willing to put into this program,” Kohn said. “Anything’s possible. Anything can happen.”

Including the birth of an era in Jayhawk women’s basketball – and maybe even a nickname to go with it.

“I guess as the season goes on, we’ll think about that stuff,” Jacobs said.