By Brice Cherry

Tribune-Herald staff writer

Could women’s basketball in the Big 12 possibly get any better than the 2007-08 season?

If you listen to the coaches, absolutely.

By all accounts, it was another highly productive year for the Big 12, as a conference-record 11 teams reached the postseason and it became the first conference to post an 8-0 record in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

You could call it a banner year, except no Big 12 teams were able to hang up the ultimate banner. Could that change this year?

“Oh, definitely,” said Texas coach Gail Goestenkors. “The conference will be better. I fully expect us to have at least one Final Four team this year. I’ll be shocked if we don’t.”

Much of the optimism can be traced to the wealth of experience returning around the Big 12. Every team but Colorado welcomes back at least three starters and 60 percent of its scoring from a year ago.

Thanks to the frontcourt tandem of the Paris twins — Courtney and Ashley — Oklahoma still casts an imposing shadow over the rest of the league. The Sooners are the coaches’ preseason favorite, as well as the No. 1-ranked team in the land by Slam magazine.

And yet the race still feels wide open.

“OU is picked first, right?” Oklahoma State coach Kurt Budke said. “I don’t think anybody (in the conference) is totally convinced they’re going to win. I think that’s how equal it is.”

1. Oklahoma Sooners

Forget Paris? Nobody in the Big 12 has.

The general feeling around Oklahoma’s 2007-08 is one of underachievement, as the Sooners dropped five of their final nine games.

But as long as Courtney Paris is around, OU’s prospects always seem to be looking up.

One of the most devastating interior players in the history of the women’s game, Paris returns for her senior year on the cusp of history. Already the conference’s career rebounding leader, the 6-foot-4 center needs 399 points to add the title of Big 12’s all-time leading scorer.

But Paris can’t do it all alone, something the Sooners say they recognize.

“It’s not enough to be good players, you’ve got to figure out a way to be great together,” Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale said. “The reality of our February crumble was just that. We learned that lesson on our feet. We lived it.”

Three other starters return — Courtney’s twin sister Ashley (11.3 points, 7.9 rebounds per game), Amanda Thompson and guard Danielle Robinson, who earned Big 12 freshman of the year honors last season. Oklahoma will also get a helping hand from freshman wing Whitney Hand, who Coale called “maybe the most prepared player we’ve ever had.”

2. Texas A&M Aggies

You can bet A&M coach Gary Blair will use the fact that the Aggies were picked fifth in the Big 12’s preseason coaches’ poll as motivation.

With three starters returning off a squad that won 29 games and advanced to the Elite Eight, the Aggies’ expectations are much higher than those of the conference’s coaches.

“Being picked fifth in the conference, that doesn’t bother us. It amazes me, whatever word you want to say,” Blair said. “I think we’re going to be pretty good. I think it’s time for us to become a power.”

Senior guard Takia Starks is A&M’s go-to scorer, while forward Danielle Gant gets the most out of her 5-foot-11 frame. Tanisha Smith, a juco transfer from Arkansas, should pick up some of the scoring slack left from the departure of Morenike Atunrase.

The Aggies won’t have sophomore guard Sydney Colson at full strength at the start after she tore her ACL in June. Helping to overcome her loss will be seven newcomers, including Tyra White, the 2007-08 preseason Big 12 newcomer of the year who tore her own ACL four minutes into the season opener against SMU and was forced to redshirt.

3. Baylor Lady Bears

Few programs in the country can boast the embarrasment of riches in Hall of Fame coaches Baylor now owns.

Baylor added former Louisiana Tech legend Leon Barmore to its staff over the offseason, joining his former understudy Kim Mulkey, a 2000 inductee into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

“Coach Barmore is like the male version of Coach Mulkey,” Baylor guard Jhasmin Player said. “They sound almost exactly alike.”

Not only is the coaching leadership in place for another run at the Big 12 title, but the players are there, too. That includes Player, BU’s gritty senior guard who was sorely missed after tearing her ACL in a Feb. 2 win over Kansas State.

Player is joined by three other returning starters, sweet-shooting guard Jessica Morrow, forward Rachel Allison (13.1 ppg, 8.5 rpg) and post Danielle Wilson, the conference’s third-best shot-blocker last year. The Lady Bears have a gaping hole to plug at the point after the graduation of leading scorer Angela Tisdale, but sophomore Kelli Griffin, freshman Cherrish Wallace and Player should help alleviate her loss.

4. Oklahoma State Cowgirls

From 0-16 to Sweet 16 — few programs have made a more impressive vertical leap in the last couple of seasons than Oklahoma State.

In 2006, Kurt Budke’s first as head coach, the Cowgirls didn’t win a single conference game. Last year, they won 27 total games and reached the NCAA tourney’s third round.

Perhaps not coincidentally, OSU’s rise has accompanied the arrival of junior guard Andrea Riley, who in two short years has established herself as one of the nation’s top scorers.

“Andrea is a program-changer,” Budke said. “There’s not a lot of those people out there. We were lucky to get her.”

The Cowgirls also have a nice inside-outside game with forward Shaunte Smith (9.3 ppg, 9.0 rpg) and guard Taylor Hardeman (61 treys).

5. Texas Longhorns

Texas laid the foundation last season under first-year coach Gail Goestenkors. Now the Longhorns believe it’s time to start raising the roof.

In Goestenkors’ initial season in Austin after a fabulous 15-year run at Duke, Texas won 22 games and made the NCAA tournament for the first time in three years before being trounced by Connecticut.

Texas features one of the league’s most potent backcourts in Brittainey Raven (15.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg) and Carla Cortijo (10.1 ppg, 4.9 apg). They’re joined by two other returning starters in forwards Ashley Lindsey and Earnesia Williams, the latter of whom Goestenkors calls “my warrior.”

6-4 freshman Ashley Gayle should beef up the frontcourt.

6. Iowa State Cyclones

Bill Fennelly’s team is the most experienced in a league teeming with stability, as the Cyclones return all five starters from a 21-win team.

But Fennelly recognizes he can’t just roll the ball out and expect that experience alone will lead to a third straight NCAA tourney berth.

“There is no flip of a switch,” the coach said. “Every year you start over. I think it’s something I’ve talked to them about more than any other team. It’s the ultimate sacrifice of do what you want to do for your teammates and give up minutes and maybe accept new roles.”

Three ISU players averaged double-digit scoring last year, led by junior guard Alison Lacey, who averaged 14.2 points and 4.3 assists a night. A fourth Cyclone, 6-4 forward Nicky Wieben, was scoring at a 12.7-points-per-game clip when her season ended in mid-January due to an ACL tear. Wieben is also the school’s all-time leading shotblocker, with 156 in 82 games.

7. Kansas State Wildcats

How much parity is there at the top of the Big 12? Well, Kansas State welcomes back four starters off last year’s regular-season Big 12 championship team, and is picked seventh, both by the coaches and the Trib.

There is no question that Deb Patterson’s team was a surprise, as they became the first Big 12 squad, women’s or men’s, to go from worst to first in back-to-back years.

“The preseason ranking isn’t significant to us in a lot of ways,” Patterson said. “I think it just speaks to the toughness of this league.”

The Wildcats are sharp at the point, with senior guard Shalee Lehning (11.3 ppg, 6.3 apg) ably manning that position. Forwards Ashley Sweat and Marlies Gipson give Lehning a pair of steady scorers on which to rely. All four of KSU’s incoming freshmen are 6-foot-2 forwards.

8. Nebraska Cornhuskers

If Nebraska can survive its nonconference battles, the Huskers should be well-armed for the Big 12 slate. The team’s challenging schedule includes home games against ranked teams Ohio State and Arizona State and a road test at LSU just before Big 12 play begins.

“Our schedule is enormously difficult,” Nebraska coach Connie Yori said. “The idea is, and the intention of scheduling is, that we hope it gets us ready for those early-season Big 12 opponents we’re going to see.”

Preseason all-conference forward Kelsey Griffin’s production (15.3 ppg, 7.2 rpg) is all the more impressive when one considers she played last season with a protective vest after cracking a rib in the final exhibition game.

She is joined by three other returning starters, Tay Hester, Dominique Kelley and Yvonne Turner, one of the conference’s most pesky defenders. Forward Cory Montgomery (9.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg) inherits the vacant starting spot left by Danielle Page.

9. Texas Tech Lady Raiders

The Lady Raiders seem to be making strides toward restoring one of the richest women’s basketball traditions in the Big 12.

Third-year coach Kristy Curry knew the program had sunk to a low point when she took it over in 2006. So last year’s 17-16 record and WNIT trip were tangible footprints that the Lady Raiders were making progress.

“The challenge of this situation is one that I knew and I’ve embraced it,” Curry said. “As crazy as it sounds, I love getting up every day and trying to get this done.”

Senior forward Dominic Seals (13.9 ppg, 8.3 rpg) was the Big 12’s newcomer of the year after transferring from South Plains Junior College. She’ll need more scoring help from guards Jordan Murphree and Maria Moore if the Lady Raiders are going to make the jump to NCAA contender.

Former Waco High standout Kaylan Talley is a 6-foot-5 project who could see some playing time in the frontcourt.

10. Kansas Jayhawks

The season hasn’t even started yet, but the Jayhawks have already suffered their first loss.

In KU’s third preseason practice, highly touted freshman guard Angel Goodrich, a high school All-American from Tahlequah, Okla., tore the ACL in her left knee and will miss the season.

“If it happened, at least it (happened early),” said coach Bonnie Henrickson. “Because honestly, it would have drastically changed how we played offensively.”

Kansas still has a productive backcourt in juniors Danielle McCray (14.9 ppg) and Sade Morris (9.8). Center Krysten Boogaard should continue to improve after a solid freshman campaign.

Junior guard LaChelda Jacobs is a key contributor off the bench, and former Temple High School standout Porscha Weddington should see more minutes in her third year in Lawrence.

11. Colorado Buffaloes

Even near the caboose of the Big 12 train, Colorado won 19 games and made the WNIT a year ago.

Forward Brittany Spears got her groove on as a freshman, as she turned in a better year than the singer of the same name, averaging 13.9 points and 8.2 rebounds. Unfortunately, Colorado’s other harmoniously named contributor, point guard Whitney Houston, tore her ACL in practice and will miss the year.

Besides Smith, the only other returning starter for the Buffs is guard Bianca Smith, who averaged 9.8 points a night last year. But center Kara Richards is an experienced gamer who should step into a starting role, and coach Kathy McConnell-Miller also expects good things from Colorado State transfer Kelly Jo Mullaney.

12. Missouri Tigers

This isn’t your average cellar-dweller.

Missouri became the first 12th seed to advance past the first round of the Big 12 tournament last year, and the Tigers should remain competitive in 2008-09, returning all five starters and three other lettermen who accounted for 98.6 percent of the team’s scoring.

Coach Cindy Stein said forwards Jessra Johnson and Shakara Jones both expanded their games over the offseason, and the Tigers already own one of the league’s best scorers in senior guard Alyssa Hollins (16.6 ppg).

The team’s freshman class will bolster the frontcourt, with three players 6-3 or taller.

TRIBUNE-HERALD PRESEASON ALL-BIG 12 TEAM

Pos Player School Cl Ht Pts Reb Ast FG% Notable

G Andrea Riley Oklahoma State Jr 5-5 23.1 3.7 4.1 .418 2nd-team All-American

G Takia Starks Texas A&M Sr 5-8 16.3 4.3 1.5 .422 Preseason All-American

C Courtney Paris Oklahoma Sr 6-4 18.6 15.0 1.5 .571 92 double-doubles in row

F Kelsey Griffin Nebraska Sr 6-2 15.3 7.2 1.0 .536 Two-time all-Big 12

F Rachel Allison Baylor Sr 6-1 13.1 8.5 1.2 .436 Big 12’s No. 2 rebounder

Player of the year: Courtney Paris, C, Oklahoma

Newcomer of the year: Tanisha Smith, G/F, Texas A&M

BIG 12 LISTS

LOCK ‘EM UP

(Top defenders)

Rachel Allison, Baylor

Danielle Robinson, Oklahoma

Courtney Paris, Oklahoma

Danielle Gant, Texas A&M

Yvonne Turner, Nebraska

SNIPER PATROL

(Top 3-point shooters)

Alison Lacey, Iowa State (right)

Alyssa Hollins, Missouri

Bianca Smith, Colorado

Taylor Hardeman, Oklahoma State

Takia Starks, Texas A&M

TASTY DISHERS

(Best passers)

Shalee Lehning, Kansas St. (above)

Carla Cortijo, Texas

Alison Lacey, Iowa State

Danielle Robinson, Oklahoma

Andrea Riley, Oklahoma State

SUPER SUBS

(Best bench players)

Kathleen Nash, Texas

Melissa Jones, Baylor

Nyeshia Stevenson, Oklahoma

LaChelda Jones, Kansas

Denae Stuckey, Iowa State