The Oklahoma men’s basket
- ball team set an unprecedented feat
this week - in the Big 12
Conference’s brief history.
The Big 12 honored senior
guard Nate Erdmann as its player
of the week and freshman forward
Eduardo Najera was named rookie
of the week. It is the first time in
the Big 12 that a team swept the
weekly awards.
Erdmann averaged 27 points
and nine rebounds in two games
last week and has averaged 26.7
points over the last six games.
Najera averaged 11 points and
eight rebounds last week. He scored
a career-high 16 in OU’s win 83
69 over Texas.
■
Tolly Thompson continued his
ftriastery of NWCA All-Star
matches. Thompson, ranked third
in the nation, upended No. 4 Bryan
Stout of Clarion 2-1 in the NWCA
All-Star Wrestling Classic in
Clarion, Pa. Stout, a senior from
Janesville, Iowa, improved his
record to 29-3.
■
§ Husker gymnast Shelly Bartlett
jgias started out 1997 on the right
"foot; Bartlett, a senior from Spo
kane, Wash,, was named the Big
12 gymnast of the month.
:m .
Texas women’s basketball
player Angela Jackson and Okla
homa State’s ftenee Roberts were
lined QQ|Big^2 the
f|pk.^^P^average(H9 points.
and serai rebounds in the Long
horns* wins Over Sam Houston
State, Baylor ahd No. 17 Clemson.
Roberts scored a career-high 27
points against Baylor and averaged
22.5 points ahd 7.5 boards in two
games last week.
■
. ,--er
Baylor (t4-7 overall and 3-0
Big 12) has been proof that strong
finishes matter more than tjuick.
starts. Seven of the Bears’ wins this
season have come after trailing at
halftime. One of those came after
falling behind Missouri-Kansas
City by 11 points at halftime.
Bay lor- Coach Harry Miller said
it has nothing to do with him mak
ing great lodcer-room speeches: •'
"-Vfcv-jgp- V .
Missouri stunned top-ranked
Kansas Tuesday night, becoming
the first team to beat the Jayhawks
with a 96-94 double overtime win
at the Hearnes Center in Colum
bia, Mo.
The Tigers’ Corey Ihte picked
up a loose ball near the free throw
line and scored with 5.6 left in the
second overtime for the upset.
MU (12-10 overall and 4-6 in
the Big 12 Conference) was led by
Kelly Thames who had 24 points
and 11 rebounds and Derek Grimm
who had 20 points. Raef LaFrentz
scored 26 points, Jeirod Haase
contrinuted 20 and Jacque Vaughn
added 19 for the Jayhawks (22-1
and 8-1).
'Big 12 Notebook compiled by
staff reporter Viace'D’Adamo.
N l J
Quarterback duo
highlights Nebraska’s
recruiting class.
By Mitch Sherman
Senior Reporter
Throughout the Big 12 Conference
and around the nation, pens meet pa
per today, and college football coaches
can finally rest. -v-rv
Since early August, hundreds of
coaches have worked day and. night,
preparing game plans, watching film
and gaining commitments. Tbday on
national letter of intent signing day, a
long season ends, and future stars of
ficially accept their scholarships.
Nebraska coaches expect to ink up
to 20 recruits today, restocking a
Comhusker stable partially depleted
by the exit of 24 seniors, who left the
program after last month’s Orange
Bowl victory.
Quarterbacks Eric Crouch of
Millard North and Bobby Newcombe
of Albuquerque, N.M., highlight NU’s
recruiting class, which may or may not
include Brandon Harrison of
Gainesville, Texas. Harrison, a
standout junior college comerback,
has wavered between Texas A&M and
Nebraska. Today, he’ll make a final
decision.
The Comhuskers’ class also in
cludes Joe Walker of Arlington, Tfexas,
and Glen Matthews of Chicago, both*
of whom signed last month and are
currently participating in NU’s win
ter-conditioning program.
Bobby Burton of The National Re
cruiting Advisor ranks Nebraska’s
class third in the Big 12 behind Colo
rado and Texas.
“From top to bottom,” Burton said,
“Colorado’s class has the most depth.”
The Buffaloes gained 21 verbal
commitments — including 10 Cali
fornians — and filled their biggest
holes with star tailback Damion
Barton, from Corona, Calif., and jun
ior college offensive lineman Brad
Bedell.
Texas edges Nebraska, Burton
said, primarily because “kids decided
to stay at home.” Leonard Davis, a 6
foot-6, 348-pound lineman from
Wertham, Texas, stands out among the
Longhorn recruits.
Burton ranks Texas A&M (23
commitments) fourth in the confer
ence. Kansas State, the “surprise of the
league,” places fifth with 24 commit
ments.
“I don’t think K-State has ever had
this kind of a class,” said Burton, who
noted that the Wildcats will ink sev
eral players courted by league powers
Nebraska and Colorado.
Next comes Oklahoma (26 com
mitments), Texas Tech (26), Baylor
(16), Oklahoma State (19), Missouri
(24), Kansas (17) and Iowa State (16).
Nebraska’s class, which Burton
ranks 14th nationally, could receive a
major boost if Atlanta running back
Jamal Lewis surprises Tennessee
coaches and signs with NU today. The
6-1 215-pound Lewis said earlier this
week that he’s still considering both
schools.
Visit to NU
troubles
Gifts Patton
By Gregg Madsen
Staff Reporter
A ranked Colorado men’s basket
ball team used to be an oxymoron.
After 20 games this season it’s be
dnoij •
The Buffaloes nave been trans
formed from a team with just two win
ning seasons since 1985 to a squad
that has bulled its way into The Asso
ciated Press poll, ranked 15th.
The change could be attributed to
better athletes, but most agree it has
been one man who has turned Colo
rado from an also-ran into a power
house.
In less than one season, CU Coach
Ricardo Patton has used his discipli
narian style to help the Buffaloes reach
a new, much better level of plav.
Patton said he wouldn’t let all the
success change his team’s attitude.
“What changed the way we look
at things is just the effort we put in,”
Patton said. “I think the guys realize
now that if they put in a good effort, a
lot of good things can happen to
them.”
Good things have happened in his
first full year.
The Buffaloes have improved from
9-18 a year ago to 16-4 this season,
including an 8-1 mark at home.
Please see PATTON on 11
NU looks
to cut down
turnovers
By David Wilson
Staff Reporter
A five-point overtime loss to top
ranked Kansas Saturday gives the
Nebraska basketball team a boost of
confidence, but the Comhuskers a$
looking for nothing less than a win
tonight against Colorado.
The 15th-ranked Buffaloes bring
a 5-0 conference road record to the
Bob Devaney Sports Center tonight at
7:05.
“There’s no moral victories at this
point in the year,” NU Coach Danny
Nee said. ‘‘We feive4o.Jind a way 4o
win **' ■ “*
NU (11-9 overall and 3-5 in the
‘’Big 12 Conference) lost its first con
ference game of the year 79-73 to
Colorado on Jan 4. The Buffs (16-4
and 7-1) have improved since that
mile-high meeting, Nee said.
“They’re a better team than they
were on Jan. 4 because of the confi
dence factor,” Nee said. “They didn’t
know how good they were.”
tinues tOtamient opponents, averag
ing 19.8 points per game. Stopping
Billups is a mug, Nee said.
'"“Wfe have tofocuson Billups,” Nee
said. “He creates a rhythm and he cre
Please see BUFFS on 11
am? sm
- . Scorr Bruhn/DN
■fflrrM(mnnwnfiM<iiiiii>ihiniiMWMiri>imii« nrmrmmiiM
Hus I I
..
By Mike Kluck
Senior Reporter
- , ....
In Nebraska’s first game against
Colorado on Jan. 4, Comhusker point
guard LaToya Doage picked up two
quick fouls and played six minutes in
the first half as the Buffaloes built a
30-24 halftime lead.
Doage finished with 10 points
playing only 16 minutes. The result
without Doage was a 65-58 win as CU
handed die Huskers their first loss.
If Nebraska (16-2, 6-2 in the Big
12 Conference) is to change the out
come from that first contest in
tonight’s game at 8 at the Coors Event
Cento, Doage must double ho play
ing time, NU Coach Angela Beck said.
“Our big key now is to try and keep
Doage in the game,” Beck said. “If we
can get ho for 40 minutes at Colo
rado, I think it’s going to be a differ
ent game. She really has been our cata
lyst here of late.” ^ ^
Since the loss to Colorado (12-6
and 6-2), the Huskers won seven
straight games before losing to eighth
ranked Kansas 67-59 on Sunday.
Against the Jayhawks, Doage
picked up two fouls in the first half
and fouled out with 5:31 remaining
in the game.
“We just didn’t know how to get it
done down the stretch without Doage
in there,” Beck said. “The two big
games we have lost, Colorado and
Kansas, Doage has been sitting on the
bench.”
Doage, a 5-foot-5 senior, is going
to have her hands full against the Buf
faloes’ 5-foot-4 guard La Shena Gra
ham. Graham has started all 18 games
and is Colorado’s second-leading scorer,
averaging 11.6 points per game.
Graham, a junior from Indepen
dence, Mo., is shooting 44 percent
from the field and is leading the team
in assists with 3.5 per game. Against
NU, Graham led the Buffs with six
assists and was their second-leading
scorer with 12 points.
The Huskers did force Graham into
11 turnovers as the Buffaloes finished
the game with 26.
CU Coach Ceal Barry said the
Buffaloes will have to take better care
of the ball if they are to continue their
dominance over Nebraska in Boulder.
Nebraska hasn’t won at CU since
Feb. 13, 1985.
“Right now we are just taking one
game at a time and Nebraska is the
next team on our schedule ” Barry
said. “Nebraska has a lot of balance.
They are a very good team that is more
than worthy of national recognition.”
•.
____^