Page 10& Friday, October 29,1999
High hopes mount for Tiger coach, team
By Matthew Hansen
Staff writer
Dallas, Texas - Optimism was clear
ly the emotion of choice Thursday at the
Big 12 Men’s Basketball Media Day.
Player after player and coach after coach
professed nothing but anticipation about
their upcoming seasons.
The Missouri player contingent of
senior forward Jeff Hafer and sophomore
guard Keyon Dooling stood out even
among the cast of optimists. Their wide
smiles and upbeat answers indicated a
level of excitement that seemed to stare
in the face of fact. It’s right there in black
and white - more than half of last sea
son’s points, rebounds and assists were
compiled by a Tiger who has since grad
uated
The Missouri players’ optimism was
not grounded in numbers but was based
primarily on the baby-faced, first-time
head coach who sat between them.
Former Duke Assistant Quin Snyder is
expected by Dooling, Hafer and
undoubtedly many Tiger fans to be the
man to lead the Missouri program to
heights previously unattainable.
“Ever since he got here, it has been
obvious that he has an energy and a pas
sion for the game,” Dooling said. “His
enthusiasm has been infectious to the
point that we are already realizing that we
are going to exceed expectations this
year.”
Snyder accepted the job as Missouri
head man in early April following the
resignation of long-time coach Norm
Stewart. The 33-year-old had previously
made a name for himself at Duke
University. He played point guard for the
Blue Devils from 1986-89 and still ranks
third on the team’s all-time assists list.
Following several years as an assis
tant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers,
Snyder returned to Duke as an assistant
to Mike Krzyewski. While at Duke, he
established himself as one of college bas
ketball’s best recruiters. Snyder nabbed
current NBA rookies Elton Brand, Chris
Carrawell and Trajan Langdon for the
Duke program. In his 10 years as a play
er and coach, Snyder was a part of five
teams that reached the Final Four.
Snyder’s background caused
Dooling to believe that Missouri could
eventually achieve comparable results.
“Coach is from the best program in
college basketball,” Dooling said. “He’s
used to a certain standard of excellence
that is really high. What he is doing right
now is trying to get us to begin to achieve
up to that standard of excellence. We are
trying to imitate him and, by doing so, we
will be successful.”
When judged by wins and continued
success, it’s not as if Missouri basketball
has been that lacking.
While at Missouri, Stewart led the
Tigers to 16 NCAA tournaments and six
conference titles. In his 32 seasons, he
compiled a record of 634-333. The
Missouri coaching legend stepped down
in April as the NCAA’s seventh-win
ningest coach in history.
Conspicuously absent among the
Please see MISSOURI on 11
The best high school
players are going to
listen to him. If we
get those kind of
players, there’s no
telling how good the
program can
become.”
Jeff Hafer
Missouri forward
Mike Warren/DN
NEBRASKA JUNIOR Jenny Benson and the soccer team will take on Iowa St. on Friday night at the Abbot Sports Complex for the
Huskers’ final home game of the regular season.
Talented seniors to play final home game
By Brock Wendlandt
Staffwriter
Nebraska Soccer Coach John Walker
doesn’t like to compare the intricacies of the
senior classes that have led his teams through
out the years. _
Each class had its strengths, Walker said,
and each did tremendous work.
But even Walker, whose fourth-ranked
team will celebrate Senior Night when it plays
host to Iowa State (14-5-0 overall and 11-6-0
in the Big 12) tonight at 7, can’t help but
acknowledge the impact this year’s senior
class has had on his program.
“It’s no coincidence that in 1996 we
became a nationally prominent program,”
Walker said. “This class was very instrumen
tal, and a lot of credit should go to them.”
Seniors Lindsay Eddleman, Isabelle
Momeau and Sharolta Nonen - along with
junior Jenny Benson - were freshmen on the
.,1996 Comhusker squad that plowed through
the conference undefeated and finished the
season with a 23-1 record.
The group added another member when
Amy Walsh transferred to NU her sophomore
year.
Although NU did not repeat its regular
season conference victory in ’97 or ’98, it
4
a
They were aggressive in their goals and brought an
increase in team speed. All of them had a big impact
and played right away.”
John Walker
NU soccer coach
maintained a 74-10-2 overall record and
recaptured the Big 12 league title again this
year.
It was obvious these were determined
freshmen, Walker said.
“They were aggressive in their goals and
brought an increase in team speed,” Walker
said. “All of them had a big impact and played
right away”
Iowa State Coach Cathy Klein said the
players, who have all earned All-America hon
ors, have made a lasting impression on the
conference and have forced it to raise its level
of play.
“John has done a brilliant job of building a
competitive, spirited, experienced and domi
nating team,” she said. “Nebraska’s speed is
second to no program in the country.”
The combination of these attributes has
produced many impressive achievements.
Eddleman owns the Husker career scoring
mark with i 19 points, Nonen and Momeau
anchor a defense that has allowed just 10 goals
this season, and Walsh is considered by Walker
to be the toughest ball-winner in the country.
While their individual accomplishments
speak for themselves, Walker said, it’s their
unselfishness that characterizes them collec
tively.
“They’ve all worked extremely hard to
develop their games,” he said. “Three out of
the four of them have switched positions, and
that shows their dedication to the team.”
It has been dedication that has paid off for
the seniors, Walker said.
“It’s rare to look around the country and
see a team with four seniors who are all All
Americans. Most teams just don’t have that.”
. NU seeks to
regain respect
vs. Jayhawks
-----x ; V.
By Darren Ivy
Senior staff writer
Coming off an emotional loss to Texas, Nebraska is
hoping that a steady diet of bird will be just what the doctor
ordered for getting back on the winning track.
Last season after losing to Texas A&M 28-21, the hun
gry Huskers bounced back and feasted op the Jayhawks in
a 41 -0 romp in Lincoln.
When the two teams meet at 6 p.m. Saturday in
Lawrence, No. 8/9 Nebraska is hoping some Jayhawk soup
will help its hurting soul once again.
“The Texas game this past week was difficult on all of
us,” Head Coach Frank Solich said. “(The players) were
down. They were stung pretty good. We have moved for
ward, and it is now removed from our thoughts. We are
looking forward to Kansas and the rest of our schedule.”
The Huskers have good reason to look forward to
Kansas. They have history on their side, as the Jayhawks
haven’t defeated NU in 30 years. To put it in perspective,
KU Coach Terry Allen was 11 years old the last time KU
won.
With the Big 12 Conference’s worst total defense and
ninth-best offense, the Jayhawks look ripe for the taking
again this year.
But amid that 411 yards per game the KU defense gives
up on average was last week’s 21-0 shutout of Missouri. In
that game, the Jayhawks allowed just 44 yards on the
ground. The improved play of KU’s defense concerns
Solich.
I saw Kansas at the beginning of the year against Notre
Dame, and I thought they looked pretty good,” Solich said.
“Since then, they’ve suffered a few injuries and had some
things not go their way. But they’ve stuck together. Right
now, they appear to be playing their best football.”
The Huskers also are playing well. Despite losing to
Texas, NU outgained the Longhorns 429-275. One reason
for the high totals in yardage were big plays through the air.
Sophomore quarterback Eric Crouch is coming off of a
career-day in passing. Sophomore tight end Tracey
Wistrom has received several key passes from Crouch this
season and had two more this past weekend against Texas.
And both may have another big day Saturday.
If you look at how Kansas’ defense has played all year,
with the exception of last week, it has been a sieve. Kansas
State and Texas A&M ran wild through the secondary.
The last five encounters also point toward a big day for
the Husker offense. NU has outscored KU 225-27 the
teams’ past five encounters.
For Nebraska to put up that many points Saturday, it
will have to quit turning the ball over. In the five losses the
Huskers have had under Solich, NU has had 15 turnovers.
“You can’t have that many turnovers and expect to win,”
Crouch said.
The turnovers and losses have given teams around the
conference hope they can beat the Huskers.
This week, several KU players said they were confident
in their chances against NU. The lack of respect for
Nebraska has some of its player wanting to prove some
thing, Wistrom said.
“Teams are starting to think they can defeat us,” he said.
“There are a lot of players who are taking that to heart. We
want to make a statement this week against Kansas that we
are a dominant football team.”