Krupa has grown into role as Harvard hits postseason
The Harvard women’s basketball team is gearing up for another daunting run in the Ivy League tournament. After upsetting Columbia and leading at halftime against Princeton in last year’s Ivy Madness, the Crimson will likely have to beat the two conference leaders again — and they lost all four regular-season matchups against those opponents.
But Harvard (15-11, 8-4 Ivy) has some reasons for optimism. Following Tuesday’s contest against Dartmouth, the Crimson has 10 days until the playoffs. And when they start, Harvard can lean on breakout sophomore Katie Krupa.
The 6-foot-1-inch forward played 21 minutes across the two postseason games last year. Now she’s third on the team in minutes (28.6) and points (11.0) per game. Krupa’s best stretch came between Jan. 20 and Feb. 18, when she averaged 18.4 points to keep Harvard afloat while other players slumped.
“I think for that good stretch of games, we were playing through her,” coach Carrie Moore said. “Harmoni [Turner] was struggling, Lola [Mullaney] was struggling, Elena [Rodriguez] was not available — we were going through her every possession.”
Krupa, from Morton, Ill., faced a confidencebuilding process many young college players know. She was a do-it-all star on her high school teams, but Harvard didn’t need that last season with Turner, Mullaney, and McKenzie Forbes running the show.
When Forbes graduated and transferred to Southern Cal, her starting spot was wide open, and Moore could see Krupa fitting in quickly.
“She was that kind of physical, versatile presence outside of Elena, or to complement Elena,” Moore said. “We felt starting this year, she would be in a great position to really grow and blossom.”
Krupa, who is majoring in neuroscience and integrative biology, was constantly shooting around in Harvard’s Lavietes Pavilion as a freshman, even just to get away from classroom stress and homesickness. She’s seeing the reps pay off as a sophomore, with a conference-leading 41.1 percent 3-point clip.
“In a way, the gym was like a constant,” Krupa said. “It was almost therapeutic for me, and so my shot’s gotten a lot more consistent.”
Krupa’s success was kick-started by a 23point game Nov. 25 against SMU. Following that contest, Moore emphasized to Krupa that she was capable of these outbursts any time.
“That really just built my confidence,” Krupa said. “Sometimes all it takes is a coach to believe in you, and I guess I just hit the jackpot there.”
The Crimson have been reintegrating Rodriguez slowly as she recovers from a hamstring injury. The extended time off might disrupt the flow, but it gives Krupa and the team a chance to get healthy and confident for the postseason.
“Ten days is forever. Even our Christmas break is shorter than that,” Moore said. “So yeah, there’s some worry there from a coaching standpoint, but I think, really, we need some rest, too.”
Proud papa
Boston University men’s coach Joe Jones has been extra busy. In addition to leading the Terriers, Jones has traveled to watch his daughter, Sydney, shine for Bowdoin. The Polar Bears are the second overall seed in the NCAA Division 3 tournament.
Jones caught their second-round win against UMass Dartmouth in Maine Saturday, in which Sydney posted a 12-point, 11-assist, 11-rebound triple-double. He admires how Sydney, when facing a tough midseason slump, remained determined.
“At times when you’re an athlete, you’re not going to have success, right? You’re going to struggle,” Jones said. “She was able to use that adversity and smack it in the face.”
Sydney Jones has emerged as the top player on the Polar Bears (27-2), averaging 16.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. She spent much of the summer honing her game in BU’s Case Gym.
“She worked her tail off this past summer,” Joe Jones said. “I was so proud of her work ethic, and I think that’s why she’s having the year that she’s having. She put a ton of time into her game.”
Jones has always tried to be more hands-off as a coach for his children — his son JJ helped Rivers capture the NEPSAC Class B title on Sunday — since so much of their lives is already built around his own basketball career. He gets to be simply a proud father when he watches Sydney. A passionate coach on the BU sidelines, Jones has a different emotional battle as a Bowdoin fan.
“I don’t do a ton of screaming and yelling, but inside, I am coming apart,” he said. “Every possession, I’m living and dying.”
Climbing the ladder
Boston College (13-18, 5-13 ACC) plays Clemson in the first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament Wednesday. BC hopes to keep its season alive as long as possible in the ladder format of the ACC bracket.
After losing 10 straight in conference play, the Eagles ended with two wins that might provide some momentum.
“We want it to be a long road,” coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee said. “We got one game at a time, so we’re not looking ahead. We’re focusing right on Clemson.”