‘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.
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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
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Alexis Berggren A Jessica Lauby
Kalleen Broman j % Alexis Lewis
Sally Bush Megan Lien
Nicole Cardillo Natalie Mason
Brooke Goracke Molly Penney
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Kristin Holmes aA Jennie Shamblin
Stphanie Jennerich Ashley Smith
Knstie Johnson Jame Strand
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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
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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
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FLK 9 Kwame Cavil 52 200 LCB 31 Tony Holmes 59 180
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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.”
