6A THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2005
Big 12 freshmen 'damn good'
BY CHUCK SCHOFFNER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DES MOINES, Iowa — The Big 12 starts a new women's basketball season with its usual assortment of Top 25 teams, some talented returning players and several highly acclaimed recruits.
recruits.
"This is the deepest recruiting class that the Big 12 has ever had, top to bottom," Texas A&M coach Gary Blair said. "These freshmen are going to come in and play. Sometimes not out of necessity. These kids are going to play just because they're damn good."
good.
Texas has a top-notch group of five freshmen headed by sharp-shooting Erika Arriaran, Parade magazine's national high school player of the year.
year.
Oklahoma expects big things from the Paris twins, 6-4 Courtney and 6-3 Ashley. Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale doesn't have to worry about her inside game the next four years. Courtney received some national player of the year honors and put up jaw-dropping numbers as a high school senior, averaging 27.4 points, 18.9 rebounds and five blocks.
Kansas has guard Shaquina Mosley, the junior college player of the year; Oklahoma State is looking for help
from four junior college transfers; and Iowa State might start three freshmen.
And, for the first time, the Big 12 is the home of the defending national champion.
After touting itself for years as one of the nation's strongest leagues in the women's game, Baylor gave the Big 12 the one thing it was missing. Now, the Lady Bears will have to follow that tough act without some key players who made that title possible.
tire possible.
"We're not the same basketball team that won the national championship." Baylor coach Kim Mulkey-Robertson is quick to point out. "It will be a totally different team, and we've got to find our identity and find our strengths and weaknesses and approach this season as if we're not defending anything.
"It's just a new year," she said.
Baylor is favored to repeat as the Big 12 champion, with No. 12 Texas. No. 13 Texas Tech and No. 25 Oklahoma as the top challengers. Look for Nebraska, which returns all five starters, to jump in the standings and earn an NCAA tournament berth.
Texas coach Jody Conradt has the advantage of two standout veterans, All-Big 12 forward Tiffany Jackson and guard Nina Norman. A key for the Longhorns will be Norman's ability to fill the leadership role vacated by Jamie Carey.
With four starters and seven other letter winners from a 24-8 team, Texas Tech won't have to rely on newcomers as much; the team is led by a trio of seniors who are the team's heart and soul.
"I absolutely love this class." Tech coach Marsha Sharp said. "They're one of my favorite classes to have coached in my career. I love their mentality and passion, how hard they work."
Iowa State has to rework its lineup after going 23-7 and tying for third in the league. Freshmen Rachel Pierson, Nicky Wieben and Heather Ezell could end up starting alongside juniors Lyndsey Medders and Megan Ronhovde.
Junior guard Kiera Hardy, the league's scoring champion, heads a veteran group at Nebraska, which looked to be headed to the NCAA tournament last season until losing its final four Big 12 games.
With the graduation of Kendra Wecker and Laurie Koehn, an era ended at Kansas State, where coach Deb Patterson has to do some serious rebuilding after a four-year run that produced a 103-26 record. Patterson hopes freshmen Marlies Gibson, JoAnn Hamlin and Shalee Lehning can bring some new star power.
Flag on the play
Mark Duncan/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Flags flap in front of a large mural of Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James on the side of a downtown Cleveland building Thursday.
Mark Duncan/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Backup running back moved to start for Kansas City Chiefs
BY STEVE BRISENDINE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Larry Johnson is finally the starting running back for the Kansas City Chiefs.
City Chiefs' Johnson's first start in 2004 came late in the Kansas City Chiefs' 7-9 season, after he had spent much of the year as a backup. But with Holmes out for the season again, this time with head and neck trauma, Johnson is counted on to carry the 5-3 Chiefs' ground game.
Johnson, Kansas City's first
round selection in 2003, didn't disappoint in his first start of the season, last weekend's 27-23 victory over the Oakland Raiders. He finished with 107 yards rushing and two touchdowns, including the game-winning 1-yard leap as time ran out.
He set up the score with a 36- yard catch-and-run, showcasing his improvement as a receiver.
"That was one of the things I talked about in training camp, is how much better of a receiver Larry has become," quarterback Trent Green said on Thursday.
The Chiefs have relied heavily
on Holmes as an outlet receiver and sometimes the primary target in the passing game.
"We did some screens with him, play-action stuff with him. Larry can do all those things, and he has gotten better at it," Green said. "Can he continue to get better at it? Definitely. But he has come a long way in terms of his ability to catch the ball and what he does after catching the ball."
Even before Holmes went out, Johnson had been playing every third series to give the 32-year-old star a breather. He averages 5.2 yards per carry, leading the Chiefs with 506 yards on 98 attempts.
But earlier this month, he made it clear that he wanted more. He was inactive for the first two games last year, then played sparingly behind Holmes and Derrick Blaylock. He chafed at his third-string status and sparred with coach Dick Vermeil, who once suggested that Johnson needed to "take the diapers off."
Vermeil later apologized, but kept Johnson buried on the depth chart until injuries forced
him to make a change. On Thursday, Vermeil characterized the dispute as a natural consequence of a college star adjusting to life in the NFL.
"His role was a little tougher to handle initially," he said. "To be drafted No. 1, you think you're all of a sudden going to be the marquee running back, and you're not. You're behind another marquee running back, and that was hard for him to handle."
When Holmes went down midseason last year with strained knee ligaments, Blay-
rock started the next five games and Johnson saw extensive action. After Blaylock sustained a knee injury, Johnson started the last three games and finished the year with 541 yards and nine touchdowns.
"When he had an opportunity to step in, he played well, and when he's had opportunities this year he's played well." Green said. "It's going to be his load to carry for the rest of the season. I think up to this point he's proven he's ready for it, and now he's got a great opportunity."
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