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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 30, 1998)
‘1 #■ . r By Jay Saunders Staffwriter KANSAS CITY, Mo.-For the first two seasons of men’s basketballball in the Big 12 Conference, it has been the Kansas show. X KU has won the regular season and conference titles in both years of die conference, compiling a 30-2 record against Big 12 teams. But KU might be losing the Williams prime-time slot. Preseason media and coaches’ polls show Oklahoma State is ready to move in. r" 1 - The preseason Coaches’ Poll has Oklahoma State in first place. Seven of the 12 coaches voted for the Cowboys to replace KU at the top of the ladder. “Kansas is not as strong as they have been,” Oklahoma State Coach Eddie Sutton said. “Everyone else has pulled closer to Kansas.” The Cowboys may have eclipsed die Jayhawks. They return 71 percent of their scoring, four starters and the best backcourt in the Big 12 with Doug Gottlieb and forward Adrian Peterson. Those four starters are joined by three other returning letter-winners that lost to Duke in the second round of the NCAA Tournament 79-73. “I am going into my 40th year of coaching,” Sutton said. “Some years you are not excited about starting the season, but I am looking forward to coaching this team.” i NU prepares for critical games -- i-1 By Carrie Heaton Staff writer Unlike the first two seasons, the Big 12 regular season soccer title will not involve a battle between Nebraska and Texas A&M Instead the No. 9 Comhuskers travel to No. 16 Baylor on Sunday fora game that will likely determine the conference champion. Currently, NU is 8-0 in the Big 12, while the Bears are 7-0-1. BU’s only blemish on the record is 0-0 tie against Texas earlier this season. Before that game, NU plays Texas Tech, which currently stands at 3-3-2 in the conference and 7-5-3 overall, on Friday. NU Coach John Walker said that both games will be important; if NU I 3® vs. sO(X&' Mrtntti TtntHcl loses once, itmay lose out on the Big 12 title and 4 Big 12 Tournament, held Nov. 5-8. “We played well in the confer ence,” Walker said, “and we realize both games are very important and will be tough.” The Red Raiders get the first shot at the Huskers, and Tech Coach Felix Oskam said defense will be the key. But shutting down Nebraska won’t prove to be an easy task. NU has the leading goal-scorer in the nation in senior Kim Engesser. ---1 ! n? 4 b"j 3ft a f 4a hi; |h Alexis Berggren A Jessica Lauby Kalleen Broman j % Alexis Lewis Sally Bush Megan Lien Nicole Cardillo Natalie Mason Brooke Goracke Molly Penney Stacy Henn A Ater Ramirez Brianne Hinz / % Laura Rocker Kristin Holmes aA Jennie Shamblin Stphanie Jennerich Ashley Smith Knstie Johnson Jame Strand Anne Keetle A Angela Swanson Heidi Kiester / \ EmiJy Turner KathyLau Renee VanGerpen Anne Wolsleger nm i/iasa Diuiaras tenter • 30 Brunswick Pool Tables • Electronic Games • 6 Televisions • Spirits • Darts ^ESjaESEMUgES imaUittdSiM(19U ^■nMnlRwlNMl 399 Sun Valley Blvd. 474-3545 | Must be 19 to Enter, 21 after ^^HHULbn|X|3 8pm(2G after 8 pm with 20 Something Players Card) ^sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssassssS LA. Guns & Clarke Tour featuring former Guns N Roses x guitarist Gilby Garke Friday October 30th Doors open at 800 ^ the showtime at 900 Royal Grove 19 and over Tickets $12 adv $15 day of 340 W. Comhusker Available at ticketNlaster & The Grove_ 474“2332 » Peterson is the catalyst for. OSU. The preseason player of the year in the Coaches’ Poll, Peterson averaged, 17.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. “It’s a great honor for the coaches to pick me,” Peterson said. “But I still have to go out and prove'myself throughout the conference season.” Junior forward Desmond Mason joins Peterson on the preseason all conference team after averaging 14.6 points per game last season. KU doesn’t have the luxury of returning big scorers. Gone are Raef LaFrentz and Paul Pierce, both NBA Draft Lottery picks. Combined, they averaged 40.2 points per game. The only returning starters: guard RyanRobertson andTJ. Pugh. But the injury bug has struck Pugh as he had surgery on his ankle Wednesday and probably will be out a I still feel (Kansas) is the dominant team. There will be a lot of suprises this season. It won 't be Kansas and the little 11.” DAnny Nee.. NU basketball coach for a month. “We have a lot of question marks, and we still haven’t figured out what to do,” KU Coach Roy Williams said. “We are way behind where we want to be.” Most of the coaches at the Big 12 basketball media day didn’t seem to disagree on the top two teams in the conference; they did disagree which would be No. 1. Nebraska Coach Danny Nee, who was one of the five coaches to pick Kansas for the top spot, said the confer ence should have a much-improved year. “I still feel (Kansas) is the domi nant team,” Nee said. “There will be a lot of surprises this season. It won’t be Kansas and the little 11.” iui a liiuuiii. “We have a lot of Question marks. Huskers face tough odds at Championships INJURY from page 9 “They’re really tight and they’ve kept a great attitude.” Witter said Broekzitter’s absence has caused more runners to step up and challenge for a leadership position. “It helps the team mentally to know that we don’t just have one lead guy” Witter said. “All seven of us have to run hard for us to do well.” In addition, Witter said, the team is hitting its stride right on time. “Everybody’s running well,” he said. “We’re really peaking right now.” Though several Husker runners are battling for the top team spot, Witter said he thinks a good deal of the race leadership has fallen on his shoulders and those of senior Jim Vance. Over the course of the season, Witter has led the Huskers in four races, and Vance has followed close behind in each one, usually finishing second for the team. In the last meet at Oregon, Vance took 24th and Witter finished 25th. On the women’s side, the Huskers also face a CU defending champion team. Dirksen said he believes there are eight very strong teams in the confer ence, and without lead runner Amy Wiseman and a sick Jeannette Zimmer, the women’s race will take a more diffi cult turn. Wiseman will not run on Saturday because of a bout with bron chitis. Zimmer will compete, but has been hindered by a cold this week. “We’d thought we could finish high among those top eight, but it’s going to be a little bit tougher,” Dirksen said. “ But I think we’ll still have a good meet” With Wiseman out and Zimmer hampered, Dirksen §aid he expected other runners to come to the forefront Team captain Melissa Wilson said it will take a strong race from die squad as a whole to overcome die perceived problems in Wiseman’s absence and Zimmerh illness. “It’s going to be tough,” she said. “We all have to have a good race. Hopefully Jeannette will be feeling bet ter, but you never know. We all know we have to step it up a notch and stay positive.” NUAll-Americans to be honored CHRISTO from page 9_ 1 The 6-foot, 195-pounder, who < entered the season third on the depth chart, also recorded a career high 67 yards on the ground while completing one pass for 7 yards. Despite not having a consistent \ starter each week, Solich said he 1 has been satisfied with the play of ] the quarterbacks this season. “I think that you have three guys ' hat have stepped up and played veil when cailed upon,” S o 1 i ch ;aid: “fiut your No. 1: guy fe No.l 'or a reason ” In other news: One hundred seventeen Nebraska first, second and third eam Academic All-Americans will )e recognized Saturday during a lalftime ceremony. A display, honoring the award vinners, now hangs from Memorial Stadium’s east upper deck. Nebraska leads the nation with . 15 7|GTE/<3ollege Sports Infor mation Directors of America Academic All-Americans in all sports. The Husker list also includes a nation-high 67 football players. Of NU’s 117 Academic All Americans, seven have become attorneys, 17 have become doctors, and 10 have become coaches. Revenge no factor in UT matchup REVENGE from page 9 will coach his first game against the Longhorns after taking over for the retired Tom Osborne. Texas Coach Mack Brown will also walk the sidelines for the first time against Nebraska. The Longhorns fired John Makovic, a coach revered by the fans and the media for his fourth down and 1 call in the waning minutes of the 1996 title game that resulted in a 63-yard pass to set up Texas’ final touchdown. With Makovic and James Brown gone, tailback Ricky Williams is one of die few prominent players remain ing who competed in the last NU Texas game. Williams leads the country in rush Football Starters Nebraska starters RadicKHIO, 1290 AM idMss ^ n—— y. se- Uft iiu n— y. se- tjft uu r08. no. Name hl wl roe. no. Name hl wl :OB-4.' MonteChristo.;.i.-.54vtfmmniChadfelsay m-94X 25i IB 4 DeAnoelo Evans 5-9 210 NT 99 Jason Wiltz 51 310 re 45 JoetMataft** 5ff. 240 ®T M ■ Lorari Kaiser > 58 3 280 WB 5 Shevin Wiggins 511 200 RR 84 Mike Rucker 56 260 SE 8 Kenny Cheatham 54 210 SIB -37 TbnyOrfe .58 218 TE 88 Sheloon Jackson 54 245 MLB 44 Jay Foreman 51 240 LT 80 AdamJuicft WLB 27 Eifc Johnson 51 208 LG 63 James Sherman 52 295 LCB 16 Erwin Swiney 50 185 € • 59 JoShHeakew 53 A 290 FS 19 drdFMey - 511 200 RG 72 Ben Gessford 52 290 ROV 21 Mike Brawn 510 205 Rr 85 Jason Schwab 51 * 860 RGB 20 Ralph Brown 50 180 PK 35 Kris Brown 510 205 P 23 BUILafleur 511 200 Tasas starters Poe. No. Name HL WL Poe. No. Name HL WL m 8 WaneMcGarity 59 190 LE 49 AaronHumphrey 53 255 LT 75 Octavious Bishop 55 330 LT 64 Casey Hampton 51 300 ifi 72 Roger Roast* I 58 . 366 RT 50 Gtf&Wt*Su<t, 58 280 C 54 RusMHGaskanv 64 305 RE 84 JJ.KaHy 52 237 79 Ben Adame 55 315 SLB 55 AnftwySicte 50 232 sssw - s s afSs&k ii.s. FLK 9 Kwame Cavil 52 200 LCB 31 Tony Holmes 59 180 mmm mmmmm m eGuen&uanw* m RB 44 Ricky Brown 50 222 SS 7 DonajdMcCowen 6-0 205 -OB -'Tt Major ApptewMi 51 : 195 RGB 17 Joe Welter 50 175 PK 13 Kris Stockton 5-9 185 P 13 Kris Stockton 5-9 185 mg with 212 yards per game. He also scores a nation-leading 20.6 points per game. Nebraska has, however, been effective against the run at times. The Blackshirts held Missouri’s Devin West, the No. 2 rusher in the country, to 72 yards last week. “I don’t think anybody who has watched (Williams) play would not agree that he’s an outstanding back,” Solich said. “I think he will be a guy who can go on and play at the next level.” While the UT offense has rolled to 543 yards pa- game over the last four games, NU’s offense has struggled at times. The have struggled with injuries to several key players, including receivers Lance Brown and Kenny Cheatham and quarterbacks Bobby i Newcombe and Eric Crouch. The Huskers totaled 215 yards against Oklahoma State on Oct. 3 and *45 against eighth-ranked Texas A&M he following week. “I wonder myself if we were flat,” W center Josh Heskew said. ‘'You can see it in players’ eyes, the way they are walking around. It could be a long sea son. Fourteen games maybe. I hope hey don’t pace themselves for the sea son. “Us older guys know what it takes. We’re winning games and thinking the .... ■ . . ■ ...I. I problem will take care of itself” Solich does not expect a letdown against Texas. “The players are probably reacting to questions about why we ’re not click ing at times,” Solich said. ‘They start trying to find reasons. Sometimes they come up with reasons. Sometimes I come up with reasons. But very few players have not responded when we’ve asked them to respond.”
