Jank Making Seamless Transition To College To Lead Buffs To 7-1 Start

BOULDER – When Annika Jank stepped on campus in July for summer school, she did not expect to have the instant impact she has had on CU's women's basketball program. In fact, her biggest concern was adjusting to the altitude of Boulder (5,430 feet). She was coming from near sea level in Minnesota at just over 900 feet.

She quickly learned the altitude adjustment was nowhere near what she feared, despite rising about 4,500 feet from her hometown. She also learned that the transition from high-level high school basketball in Minnesota and AAU was not as big of a jump either.

Jank, a 6-foot-3 freshman from Edina, Minn., has become an instant success for the Buffs, averaging 13.4 points and 8.1 rebounds through her first eight collegiate games. She has three double-doubles and is coming off her best performance yet, 22 points and 10 rebounds as she led CU to a 70-67 win on the road at in-state rival Colorado State on Wednesday to improve the team record to 7-1 so far.

"What hasn't she done?" CU head coach JR Payne asked of Jank's performance through eight games. "Annika is one of the hardest-working young players I've ever had. She comes to college with a work ethic that most freshmen don't have. You combine that along with skill, size and athleticism and she's had a huge impact already on our team and I expect her to continue to have a huge impact. She's hit big shots and gotten big rebounds and she is doing it consistently."

Jank prepared herself well for college, working hard in the weight room and in the gym throughout the summer and the preseason this fall.

"It wasn't as much of a gap as I thought it was [from high school to college] and I am sure Pac-12 will be a little different [once conference play begins]," Jank said. "The difference is being the strength and speed of the game. This summer I was working hard in the weight room to get as strong as I could and I love running so that wasn't a huge factor to me. I'm super lucky and blessed and everyone around me has helped me out a lot."

She's still adjusting to the speed of the transition game, an area where she and her CU teammates have thrived thus far. CU has outscored its opponents 85-21 in fastbreak points over the past four games.

"The transition game is way faster," Jank said. "Everyone does things at a faster pace because everyone is stronger, faster and quicker so you just have to be on your toes more to anticipate things better. You have to think way more and it is way more in-depth than high school was. I am still struggling with this but on defense, you just have to be able to move faster and think about different things you haven't had to in high school so your I.Q. really needs to increase."

Jank committed to CU after playing under Matt Nilsen at Edina High School, a coach she credits with where her game is at now. She played for him for five years after joining the varsity as an eighth grader. Nilsen helped Jank become the best player in Edina history as she graduated as the school's all-time leader in points and rebounds, and earned all-state three times.

"He helped me out a lot, he gave me a lot of confidence as well as assistance," Janks said. "My coaches helped me with my success and they really invested in me."

She also started playing volleyball in ninth grade, a decision she made for basketball reasons. But she also fell in love with that sport and became a three-year letterwinner as a right-side hitter.

"At first, I was just trying to improve my vertical jump [for basketball], which is kind of funny, but I turned out to like it a lot. It was a good change from basketball in the fall to get my mind off of it for a little bit, but I loved it."

After playing basketball since kindergarten, it was easy to pick up a sport with similar athletic requirements.

"It wasn't too hard to pick up on volleyball because the jumping and all of that was there, I just learned the hitting. I was a right-side position in volleyball because I'm a lefty. My thing was blocking and hitting."

Payne believes that Jank's goal of improving her basketball game on the volleyball court was successful. She is also a proponent of multi-sport athletes, a point proven with this season's two early-signees for the 2018 class in Sirena Tuitele (also plays volleyball) and Cameron Swartz (also plays softball, soccer and track).

"I am a huge proponent, and most college coaches are, in playing as many sports as you can as long as you can," Payne said. "A lot of youth now are starting to specialize early and we as college coaches do not see the benefit in it. We want people to play multiple sports and give them different strengths, different balance, different levels of athleticism on different surfaces. Volleyball is obviously the same surface but I am sure that had a big impact on her rebounding ability and effort and the quickness in which she gets up and rebounds."

When it came time to make a decision on a college, Jank fell in love with Colorado for the atmosphere created by Payne, her coaching staff, and the team.

"The family atmosphere," Jank mentions as the main reason she chose CU. "I loved Coach J and her staff and their vision with this program. I also love Colorado and my family does too and the school is great."

Her family took trips to the mountains when Jank was growing up and they enjoy hiking and all of the outdoor activities in the state. She also loves the more temperate climate in Colorado, noting that the temperature at one point in Minnesota last winter dropped to -50° F.

Payne says that Jank's attitude is a big reason for her success so far and with her work ethic, the sky should be the limit.

That said, it is hard to expect Jank to continue to dominate the way she currently is once Pac-12 play starts, but with her work ethic and attitude, no one would be shocked if she did. Her current rebounding average would be the fourth-best in CU history for a freshman and no freshman has averaged eight or more rebounds per game since Sabrina Scott in 1999-2000.

"She settled pretty seamlessly so far," Payne said. "I think one of the biggest things that has helped Annika's transition is how she doesn't take herself too seriously. A lot of times the mental leap from high school to college is the biggest leap. Everyone that comes to college is gifted and athletic enough to perform otherwise they wouldn't be recruited and she is no different. But her mental approach is one of the, 'I just want to work hard, do the best that I can do and be the best version of myself,' and I think that translates pretty quickly."

UP NEXT: CU hosts Dartmouth at 7 p.m. on Monday at the Coors Events Center.

SCOUTING DARTMOUTH: The Big Green are 6-1 so far this season. Three players are currently averaging double figures in scoring, led by Cy Lippold at 15.0 per game. She also averages 4.4 assists and is shooting over 50 percent from 3-point range and 17-of-20 (.850) from the free throw line. She has scored in double figures each game, led by a season-high 20 points in a season-opening win over Vermont.

Beyond Lippold, Kate Letkewicz averages 12.7 points and 8.0 rebounds, and is also an excellent shooter, burying 18-of-41 (.439) 3-point attempts and 11-of-12 (.917) free throws. Isalys Quinones averages 11.0 points and 6.6 rebounds. Quinones led Dartmouth with 18 points in a 57-49 win over New Hampshire on Tuesday.

The Big Green host Maine today before traveling to Boulder for Monday's contest.

PROMOTIONS: Fans can purchase four general admission tickets to Monday's game for $15 with the online promo code FOUR. Tickets must be purchased in increments of four. It was also be CU's annual toy drive. Fans who donate a toy will receive a discount ticket voucher to the Dec. 21 game against Westminster and men's basketball's Dec. 15 game against South Dakota State.

For students, the first 100 in attendance will receive a free black basketball t-shirt and early-arriving students will receive free Half Fast Subs.

Jank Making Seamless Transition To College To Lead Buffs To 7-1 Start

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Annika Jank