Kala Kuhlmann

Kuhlmann's Honors 

• Three-Time First-Team Academic All-Big 12 (2008, 2009, 2010)
• Eight-Time Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll
  (Fall, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009; Spring 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
• No. 4 Scorer in Iowa High School History (2,337 Points)
• Iowa Female Athlete of the Year (Des Moines Register, 2006)
• Southwest Iowa Female Athlete of the Year (Omaha World-Herald, 2006)
• Two-Time Iowa Class 1A State Player of the Year (2005, 2006)
• Three-Time First-Team Class 1A All-State (Des Moines Register, 2004, 2005, 2006)
• Class 1A State All-Tournament Team (2005, 2006)
• Leading Scorer in State of Iowa with 28 Points Per Game (2004)
• First-Team All-Southwest Iowa (2005, 2006)
• First-Team Western Iowa (2005, 2006)
• Two-Time Iowa Class 1A Softball Pitcher of the Year (2005, 2006)
• Iowa Class 1A Softball Player of the Year (2005)
• Iowa Basketball Coaches Association Academic All-State (2006)

 

The Personal Side
Full name: Kala Kuhlmann
Major: Spanish and Psychology
Family:
Father: Mark Kuhlmann
Mother: Kelley Kuhlmann
Sister: Kami, 19
Hometown: Charter Oak, Iowa
High School: Charter Oak-Ute
Date of Birth: Nov. 13, 1987
Place of Birth: Denison, Iowa

 

 

 

Senior (2009-10)
Kala Kuhlmann was a major contributor for the Huskers as a senior. The 5-8 guard from Charter Oak, Iowa (pop. 508), averaged 3.4 points and 1.5 rebounds per game as a senior, while closing her career with 304 points, 166 rebounds and 113 assists. 

Kuhlmann came off the bench over the final 31 games of 2009-10, after starting the first three games to open the season. She was a key component to Nebraska's 32-2 overall record, including a perfect 16-0 Big 12 mark and the school's first-ever Big 12 regular-season title. Kuhlmann's consistency off the bench also helped the Huskers claim the highest national rankings in school history during the year and earn NU's first-ever No. 1 national seed in the NCAA Tournament.

She made her first career start on her 22nd birthday in Nebraska's season-opening win over Davidson. She scored nine points, grabbed three rebounds and matched her career high with three steals against the Wildcats.

Kuhlmann added a start at UNLV, scoring three points by knocking down her second three-pointer of the young season. She did not score in her final start in a win over Idaho State.

Kuhlmann ended non-conference play by tying her career high with 13 points on 5-of-5 shooting in NU's road win at Vermont on Jan. 4. Kuhlmann also knocked down a career-best three three-pointers against the defending America East champion Catamounts. 

She scored seven points and grabbed four rebounds in just 17 minutes off the bench in NU's lopsided win over Washington State, before playing 15 minutes off the bench against both UALR and Saint Mary's. Kuhlmann scored six points and dished out two assists in NU's run past South Dakota, before adding six points on a pair of three-pointers in a win at previously unbeaten Miami. Kuhlmann's second three of the game gave the Huskers the lead for good at 57-55.

She added a strong effort with seven points, on 3-of-3 shooting from the field, including a three-pointer, to go along with four rebounds, an assist and a steal in Nebraska's 14-point win over No. 5 LSU on Dec. 20. She scored seven more points against another top-10 team in NU's 21-point win over No. 10 Oklahoma State on Feb. 3. She added six points at Colorado on Jan. 30.

In Nebraska's second-round NCAA Tournament win over No. 22 UCLA, Kuhlmann contributed six points on a perfect shooting night to help the Huskers advance to the their first NCAA Sweet 16.

A three-time first-team academic All-Big 12 selection as a psychology and Spanish major, Kuhlmann posted perfect 4.0 grade-point averages during the fall and spring semesters of 2008-09. She graduated in May of 2010 and was accepted to law school.

"Kala filled a big role for us the past three seasons, and was one of our leaders during the offseason before her senior year," Coach Connie Yori said. "She's a great teammate, understands the game and is a great communicator."

Junior (2008-09)
Kuhlmann continued to be one of Nebraska's most reliable players off the bench as a junior. She averaged 2.8 points and 1.8 rebounds per game while dishing out 32 assists and grabbing 14 steals on the year.

She played in all 31 games and averaged nearly 14 minutes per contest. She produced double figures in three games, including a career-high 13 points in a season-opening victory over Weber State on Nov. 14. She also dished out four assists against the Wildcats in just 18 minutes of action.

After contributing eight points and four rebounds in NU's win at Creighton on Nov. 17, she struck for double figures again with 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field in 28 minutes of action in a road win at Denver to help the Huskers improve to 4-0 on the year. She added 12 points while tying her career high with two three-pointers in a win over Long Beach State on Dec. 12.

Kuhlmann continued to extend her shooting range and improve her long-range accuracy as a junior, connecting on 8-of-24 three-pointers (33.3 percent). In her first two seasons combined at Nebraska, she had hit just 6-of-23 three-point attempts (26.1 percent). She also showed her accuracy at the free throw line by knocking down 10-of-12 attempts on the season. She entered her senior season as a career 82.4 percent (28-34) free throw shooter.

In addition to her contributions on the court, Kuhlmann continues to be a star in the classroom. She posted a 4.0 grade-point average during the fall and spring semesters to earn six straight appearances on the Big 12 Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll. She also earned first-team academic All-Big 12 accolades for the second straight season.

Sophomore (2007-08)
Kuhlmann averaged nearly 16 minutes per game on the year while playing in 30 contests. She sat out three games with a knee injury that slowed her throughout the year, but she still competed in all 16 Big 12 contests.

She produced her best performance as a Husker with career highs of 11 points and five rebounds in Nebraska's run past traditional SEC power Florida on Nov. 17. Kuhlmann added two rebounds and an assist in just 15 minutes of action, while hitting 5-of-8 shots from the field, including the first three-pointer of her career against the Gators.

A week later in a win over Akron at the Oahu Classic, Kuhlmann pumped in nine points while grabbing four rebounds and distributing two assists in 15 minutes off the bench.

After providing significant contributions in wins over Creighton and Robert Morris, Kuhlmann suffered a second-half knee injury in a win over USC on Dec. 8. She missed Nebraska's wins over Cal State Bakersfield and Long Beach State, along with a loss at No. 18 Ohio State on Dec. 22.

Kuhlmann returned for NU's final two non-conference wins over Denver and Arkansas-Pine Bluff, before playing a major role for the Huskers to open the Big 12 season.

In Nebraska's 56-45 win over No. 15 Texas, Kuhlmann pumped in seven points while pulling down a season-high six rebounds in a season-high 24 minutes off the bench. Three days later, she helped the Huskers jump to a 2-0 league start by scoring eight points, grabbing three rebounds and nabbing a steal in 23 minutes of action in a 20-point win over visiting Kansas on Jan. 12.

Kuhlmann contributed six points, a rebound, an assist and a steal at No. 6 Baylor on Jan. 26, before adding six points with a career-best 2-for-2 shooting effort from three-point range in NU's win over Colorado on March 2.

For the season, Kuhlmann connected on 6-of-20 three-pointers (30 percent), including 4-of-7 shooting from long range over Nebraska's last 11 games. She also led the Huskers with 84.2 percent (16-19) shooting from the free throw line. In fact, she made her last 10 free throws of the season, dating back to a miss on her second attempt in the second half of the win over the Longhorns on Jan. 9. She also hit 37.8 percent (31-82) of her shots from the field.

Kuhlmann was one of Nebraska's top ball-handlers and decision-makers, dishing out 45 assists while committing just 38 turnovers on the season.

Along with her contributions on the court Kuhlmann was a standout in the classroom, earning first-team academic All-Big 12 honors. She also claimed spots on the Big 12 Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll in both the fall and spring semesters.

Freshman (2006-07)
Kuhlmann contributed to Nebraska's backcourt rotation early in her Husker career, appearing in 27 games as a freshman, including 13 Big 12 Conference regular-season games and the Big 12 Tournament.

She averaged 0.7 points, 0.4 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game. She scored a season-high four points in three straight games in wins over Michigan (Dec. 9), Northwestern (Dec. 16) and Creighton (Dec. 19).

Kuhlmann added two points in her first career game in the season-opening loss at No. 13 Arizona State on Nov. 10. She added two more points against Texas-Pan American when she played a season-high 20 minutes and dished out a season-best three assists.

Kuhlmann scored two points and pulled down two rebounds in a win over Nicholls State on Dec. 21, before scoring her only two points in Big 12 action in a home win over Iowa State on Jan. 31. She posted her lone steal of the season in a win at Florida on Dec. 29, and recorded blocks against No. 8 Oklahoma (Jan. 6) and at Kansas State (Feb. 7).

Kuhlmann did not put up big numbers as a freshman, but she did hit some big shots. In the second half of NU's victory over Northwestern on Dec. 16, Kuhlmann knocked down a pair of jumpers late in the second half when the Huskers were clinging to a one-possession lead. She added two more huge baskets in the second half of NU's 60-57 win at Creighton. She tied the game at 43, after CU took its first lead of the night. She added her second field goal to cut the Jays' lead to one with 6:53 left, before Nebraska surged to win the game down the stretch.

Along with her success on the court, Kuhlmann earned spots on the Big 12 Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll during both the fall and spring semesters.

High School
The No. 4 scorer in the history of Iowa High School basketball (five-player), Kuhlmann led the state in scoring as a sophomore when she averaged 28 points per game.

Despite suffering a knee injury the summer before her junior season, she still had an outstanding campaign for Charter Oak-Ute by averaging 22.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 3.8 steals per game. She also led Charter Oak-Ute to its first-ever Iowa Class 1A state title under Coach Brian DeJong. Kuhlmann scored 25 points in the state title game.

She scored 17 points against Husker teammate Nicole Neals and national power St. Mary's of Phoenix in the Sacajawea National Invitational Tournament in Sioux City, Iowa, in December of 2005. Neals managed 19 points to lead the Lady Knights to victory.

A three-time first-team Class 1A All-State pick by the Des Moines Register, Kuhlmann averaged 23.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 3.9 steals per game during her career, finishing with 2,337 points, 673 rebounds, 590 assists and 396 steals. She shot 49 percent from three-point range and 81 percent from the free throw line.

During Kuhlmann's career, Charter Oak-Ute posted a 90-11 record on the court. In the three seasons combined before her freshman year for the Bobcats, Charter Oak-Ute went 9-53.

At the conclusion of her career, Kuhlmann played in the Southwest Iowa All-Star Game in Council Bluffs, and the Gatorade All-Star Game in Cedar Rapids. She was also a member of the Iowa Basketball Coaches Association Select Under-17 team in 2005.

During her senior season of softball, Kuhlmann cruised to her second straight Iowa Class 1A Pitcher-of-the-Year award by posting a 37-6 record with a 0.86 ERA and 413 strikeouts. During her prep career, Kuhlmann won more than 140 games in the circle.

A four-year state qualifier in track, Kuhlmann also medaled at the state track meet in the 400-meter run and the 400 hurdles in 2004. She also qualified for the state meet in the 100-meter hurdles and the 4x100-meter shuttle relay in 2006.

She was also an all-conference performer in volleyball for the Bobcats. Overall, she earned 17 letters at Charter Oak-Ute, one of the 30 smallest high schools in the state of Iowa, with a grade 9-12 enrollment of about 100 students.

Along with her dominance in athletics, Kuhlmann posted a 4.0 grade-point average in the classroom and was the class president.

Personal
Kala was born Nov. 13, 1987, in Denison, Iowa. She is the daughter of Mark and Kelley Kuhlmann, and has a sister, Kami, 19, who is a sophomore basketball and softball player at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa.

Kala is a Spanish and psychology major at Nebraska and owns a 3.837 GPA. She is a three-time first-team academic All-Big 12 selection (2008, 2009, 2010), and an eight-time member of the Big 12 Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll. She graduated in May of 2010 and plans to attend law school.

She chose Nebraska over Northern Iowa, Iowa and Drake.

Year

G-GS

FG-FGA

Pct.

3P-3PA

Pct.

FT-FTA

Pct.

TRB-Avg.

PF-D

A

TO

Blk

ST

Pts-Avg.

2006-07 27-0 9-23 .391 0-3 .000 2-3 .667 10-0.4 6-0 9 15 2 1 20-0.7 2007-08 30-0 31-82 .378 6-20 .300 16-19 .842 60-2.0 31-0 45 38 0 11 84-2.8 2008-09 31-0 34-89 .382 8-24 .333 10-12 .833 46-1.5 16-0 32 31 0 14 86-2.8 2009-10 34-3 36-102 .353 15-48 .313 27-33 .818 50-1.5 37-0 27 34 1 10 114-3.4

Career

122-3

110-296

.372

29-95

.305

55-67

.821

166-1.4

90-0

113

118

3

36

304-2.5

Kuhlmann's Career Statistics