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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 28, 1997)
ELDER CARE Dance Contest Every Tuesday 4:00 p ifaj '0' Street ■ HO (OVER Women's Studies International Colloquium Series Wendy Weiss Associate Professor in Textiles, Clothing, and Design Women, Textiles, and Development Issues j ■ Air, Tranafara, Hotai, Hotal Tax, ■ 5 braaMaata. Partlaa. tha works!! I Nokuthula I Ngwenyama “™ Violist 5®® -- By Mike Kluck Senior Reporter After Nebraska’s 28-point victory over Oklahoma on Sunday, Comhusker said she had hoped 15-1 squad not be lougnesi pan oi the season, which includes two games with 12th-ranked Kansas, a game at _ No. 10 Texas, a game at Colorado— the only team to beat NU this season — and a home contest with 11th ranked Texas Tech. But on Monday when the new AP poll was released Beck was amazed that her wish came true. Despite being just one of six teams in the country with fewer than two losses, the Huskers re ceived 55 points, 53 fewer than No. 25 Illinois. What’s even more amazing is that five teams in the top 25 have more than five losses — including ninth-ranked and defending national champion Ten nessee, which has seven losses. “I’m surprised more than anything that we aren’t ranked,” Beck said. “I’m happy because it’s less pressure for our team and it really doesn’t matter until the end. Right now, we’re just build ing a reputation.” Nebraska’s lack of reputation around the nation has hindered it in receiving top 25 recognition, AP vot ers around the nation said. Mike Organ, who covers the Vanderbilt women’s team for The Ten nessean in Nashville, said it’s hard for new teams to break into the top 25. “I had no idea they were 15-1,” Organ said. “There is no way I could know that.” Organ said he learns a lot about women’s teams around the country by letters and faxes he receives from the schools’ sports information depart ments. mmm mmm m »• . I had no idea they were 15-1. There is no way I could know that” Mike Organ AP poll voter However, if a school doesn’t send out information about their team, it is difficult to learn how good or how poorly they are doing. Organ said he spent 30 minutes before this week’s poll looking for information chi Michi gan State, a team that had beaten then seventh-ranked Vanderbilt by 30 points. lhis week the Spartans, who are leading the Big Ten Conference, broke into the poll at No. 23. It’sjust the third time in school history Michigan State has been ranked. The irony of the situ ation is that two weeks ago Michigan State wasn’t ranked while Big Ibn school Penn State, which was 10th in the conference, was ranked in the top 20. “The only thing that I can say is the poll is something that I have no con trol over,” Michigan State Coach Karen Langeland said. “We’re frus trated a lot of times about it.” Organ said the women’s poll is also hindered because national wire ser vices don’t run women’s conference standings, and scores are often unavail able if the team is not in the top 25. Greg Johnson, who covers Colo rado women’s basketball for the Boul der Daily Camera, is one voter who has been picking Nebraska this season. Johnson — who has put the Huskers at No. 21 or No. 22 the past few weeks —was in Lincoln when Nebraska lost 65-58 to Colorado, the Huskers’ lone loss of the season. He said more resources are mak ing it easier to get information about women’s teams, but by Monday after noon —24 hours after Nebraska’s vic tory over Oklahoma — Johnson still had not heard the final score. AP re quires all voters to submit their top 25 TOP 25? A Despite having a better ' percentage than 19 teams ranked in The Associated Press Top 25 pol, 15-1 Nebraska still has not cracked the ratings. Team Rec. Pts. Prev. applicaticxis by Sunday night. “A lot of people are questioning the integrity of die poll ” Johnson said. “I wish it wasn’t this way, but a lot of teams are receiving votes on name rec ognition.” Dick Rockne, an AP voter for the Seattle Times who also didn’t know Nebraska had a record of 15-1, agreed with Johnson about the polls being based primarily on name recognition. Rockne said he knows the poll isn’t an exact science and that many of the teams in the top 25 are in the poll ev ery year, but he does have a formula for Nebraska to get into the polls. “You have to beat those teams (Texas, Texas Tech and Kansas), then you’ll make the poll,” Rockne said. “Until you beat one of those teams it’s tough to say you belong in the top 25.” Although Nebraska’s ranking in the top 25 may depend on how they fare against the poll’s established teams, Beck and her players said that isn’t their main focus right now. “The rankings will come in time,” Husker senior Tina McClain said. “We might talk about it every race in awhile but it’s not our major focus right now. If we continue winning, though, we’re going to have to get the recognition.” Kansas start best since 19d5-<jb By Vince D’Adamo Staff Reporter For only the second time in the program’s 99-year history, the Kansas basketball team remains unbeaten af ter 20 games. The last time KU was 20 the 1935 season when the country was experiencing the urcui repres sion. However, the Jayhawks (a unanimous No.l in this week’s As sociated Press poll) won only one game after their torrid start as they finished 21-2 under Coach F.C. Allen, the man for whom Allen Fieldhouse is named. Sunday’s 77-68 road victory over upstart Colorado enabled top-ranked KU to keep its stranglehold as the nation’s top team. The Buffaloes erased a 12-point second-half deficit to take a 64-63 lead before a 10-0 Kansas run cemented the Jayhawks’ 20th straight victory. KU forward Raef LaFrentz scored six of his 21 points during that stretch. After the game, LaFrentz drew rave reviews from CU Coach Ricardo Patton. “He’s a premier player,” Patton said. “He’s really strong and athletic. He’s going to make a lot of money at this game someday.” LaFrentz continues to develop into a force. The junior has twice been named Big 12 Player of the Week. He is averaging 17.4 points and 8.8 re bounds per contest. KU Coach Roy Williams said the team never wilted in the mile-high al titude. “We have an experienced team,” Williams said. “When somebody makes a run at us, we don’t panic. It’s a 40-minute game.” KU has kept its unblemished record despite the absence of 6-foot-11 cen ter Scot Pollard (one game) and all everything point guard Jacque Vaughn (10 games). Vaughn missed KU’s first 10 games with a wrist injury and Pollard suffered a broken foot in practice Thursday. He did not play in the win at CU and will be out more than a month. * u s more irusiraung on tne coaches,” Williams said. “It keeps our attention because we haven’t been able to put it on cruise control.” Offensively, KU leads the Big 12 in scoring offense (86.4 points per game), field-goal percentage (58.5) and rebounding margin grabbing 12 more boards than its opposition every game. Against the Jayhawks’ physical defense, opponents are converting only 38.7 percent from the field, just an eye lash above Iowa State’s 38.6 percent clip. Paul Pierce and Jerod Haase have lent LaFrentz a helping hand, both av eraging double figures. Pierce is averaging 15 points per game while Haase averages 13.8. “It’s amazing,” Texas A&M Coach Tony Barone said. “You lose someone ♦. of Vaughn’s status and continue to win. No knock on Vaughn, but LaFrentz is the key to that team.” Last Wednesday, the Jayhawks spanked the'Aggies 72-46 in Lawrence. KU’s next hurdle is Wednesday night at No. 22 Texas Tfcch before playing host to Nebraska Saturday. “Maybe the lights will go out and they can postpone the game,” Red Raider Coach James Dickey joked. “They have the total package and they don’t beat themselves. I feel right now they’re a notch above everybody else.”
