Although there's nothing noticeably wrong with her, no ice packs or bulky bandages hiding yet another ailment, Katina Mack is nonetheless making her way around Rec Hall on crutches.

It's a precautionary thing, really. With a Midwest Regional semifinal game against Seton Hall only a few days away, the Lady Lions' leading scorer has been told to stay off her banged-up limbs. But no worries. When the time comes, Mack will play. Simply because she wants to.

"Katina can do whatever she wants," Katina said. "I can do whatever I want."

One of the first things anyone should know about Katina Mack is that she's confident. No kidding. It's a confidence that borders on cocky, but whatever it's called, she offers no excuses. It's the way she is, and it's the way she plays basketball.

At least on the court, maybe Katina can do whatever she wants. Like on offense. The junior shooting guard from Monitcello, N.Y., led the Lady Lions with 14.4 points a contest this season, and in last Saturday's second-round win against Kansas, she passed the 1,000 career-point mark. Her speciality? Going to the hole.

"That's the best part of my game," Mack said. "I like the break. Maybe I can shoot some threes more often, but why shoot a three when you've got the lane open, you know?"

With her explosiveness, quickness and agility, it's no wonder Mack likes to run the floor. It's rare that she faces a defender who can keep up with her, let alone slow her down. And it's these same attributes that make Mack a tough defender in her own right.

"I'm comfortable with defense," Mack said. "With my quickness and my ability to get around the court, I think my defense creates my offense. If I'm not playing good 'D', I'm not playing good offense."

So she's quick, agile, and has a little bit of attitude. Cat-like qualities, really. There's a nickname. Katwoman.

"I didn't mind it at first," Mack said of the moniker that has been batted happily about by fans and reporters all season. "But I guess after a while, it's like, 'Will you just call me Katina once?' But you get used to it."

Then there's the injuries.

"Our trainer will be in her wedding, should she ever decide to get married," Coach Rene Portland said. "They spend a lot of time together."

That's how it's been. Try and count them on your fingers and you'll run out of toes before you know it. Problems with her feet, a groin pull, sprained and resprained ankles, and now a badly banged-up knee. Needless to say, Mack is used to the pain.

"It's nothing new. I just go out there and play each time, that's all," Mack said. "It doesn't bother me. I just want to go out there and contribute."

So maybe she can do whatever she wants to do. Offense, defense, nicknames, injuries, she seems to be able to handle them all. The confidence has a basis. The numbers, the ability, give the attitude all the backup it needs.

There is one more thing, though. It's immediately evident from the smile, the kick-back demeanor, the contagious laugh that rattles off on a regular basis. Mack isn't taking things too seriously.

"I'm a competitor, and I hate to lose, but you gotta be relaxed," Mack said. "You see me at tipoff, I'll smile in a minute. I'll smile because it's fun."

She'll smile because she can.