We are profiling each member of the 2012-13 Creighton women’s basketball team. Join us weekdays leading up to the regular season tip-off against Oklahoma (November 10) for an introduction to this year’s Bluejays, from freshmen to seniors.
Kamphaus could be a big contributor this year in the low post (Spomer/WBR)
Alyssa Kamphaus has a lot of potential. Standing at 6’3″, she has a decided height advantage against a lot of the opponents the Bluejays will run into in the Missouri Valley Conference. If Creighton’s exhibition win against Southwest Minnesota State is any indication, Kamphaus could be poised for a breakout year.
Kamphaus (15 points, 6 rebounds) and fellow frontcourt mates Sarah Nelson and Alexis Akin-Otiko combined to go 13-of-17 from the field for 54 of the team’s 90 points. That kind of production in the paint as well as depth has been something that has been missing for head coach Jim Flanery’s teams over the past couple of seasons.
“It is really going to help. We are going to be able to press more and be high speed,” said Kamphaus of the team’s depth in the post. “We can go hard all the time. Some teams play five or six people and have to lean on them, but since we have all 12 we can keep going — not five in, five out — but be able to push a lot more.”
Kamphaus appeared in all 33 games for the Bluejays last season, increasing her playing time from 6.7 minutes during her freshman year to 9.2 minutes a game as a sophomore. She averaged 2.6 points and 2.3 rebounds last season, but looks to build on those stats heading into her junior season.
“I am hoping to help the team a lot more. I am a lot more focused and I feel more confident. I know how to read more of the players and I can help a lot more this year. I’m more of a leader taking some of the younger players like Bri [Rollerson] and Alexis [Akin-Otiko] under my wing and helping them out.”
Defense could be a key for Kamphaus. On New Year’s Eve last season, Kamphaus played a career-high 21 minutes and held MVC player of the year Rachel Hackbarth to a season-low 8 points. This year with the likes of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska on the schedule, that defense will be crucial to Creighton’s chances. So will Kamphaus staying out of foul trouble: Although she only averaged 1.6 fouls a game, those came while playing just over 9 minutes a game.
Kamphaus will have the opportunity to be in the starting lineup this season, and alongside Nelson she’s hoping the frontcourt’s abilities can lead to a great season for the Bluejays.
“It will be exciting. Hopefully we will have some nice crowds out there. We are playing Oklahoma and Kansas. It will be a lot of fun. Everyone else is going to be good in the Valley too so we are going to have to keep working and everybody has a good team this year”
It all starts a week from Saturday against Oklahoma at D.J. Sokol Arena.