THE UNIVERSITY DARY KANSAN
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2007
BASKETBALL PREVIEW
13C
SEASON PREVIEW
McDermott works to return Cyclones to past glory
BY RUSTIN DODD
rdodd@kansan.com
Iowa State basketball used to mean something in the state of Iowa. Names like Fred Hoiberg, Kelvin Cato, and Marcus Fizer are hallowed in Ames, Iowa. Former head coach Tim Floyd turned Iowa State into a Big 12 conference power, and his successor, Larry Eustachy, led Iowa State to back-to-back Big 12 regular season titles in 1999-2000 and 2000-01. Now those years like ancient history in Ames, Iowa. The Cyclones have only one winning record in the Big 12 since their last league title
- Iowa State finished 9-7 in 2004-05.
Now the hopes of Cyclone country rest on the shoulders of one man: coach Greg McDermott. A self-proclaimed "Farm boy from Cascade, Iowa" McDermott made a name for himself as the head coach at the University of Northern Iowa. McDermott led the Panthers to three straight NCAA tournament appearances from 2004-2006. when Iowa State fired former头 Coach Wayne Morgan at the end of the 2005-06 season, McDermott was the ideal choice for the Cyclones.
McDermott led Iowa State to a 15-16 record and a 6-10 mark in the Big 12 last season. Now entering year two
of the McDermott era, the man hired to restore Iowa State's basketball glory is hoping to build on his first year.
"I good to start year two, because that means year one is over," Mermott said. "Our chemistry is 100 percent better than a year ago. Our work ethic is better." The guys really seem to like each other."
Unfortunately for Iowa State, one of the reasons for the improved chemistry could also lead to a drop in productivity on the court.
IOWA state's leading scorer in 2006-07, guard Mike Taylor, was dismissed from the team in the offseason. Taylor averaged 16.0 points per game and
4. 5 assists last season. Iowa State will have to find a way to make up for Taylor's offensive production.
A good place to start might be sophomore forward Wesley Johnson. The Corsicana, Texas, native averaged 12.3 points per game and 7.9 rebounds per game, and his 11 double-doubles were second in the Big 12 to Texas Kevin Durant.
McDermott said he has already seen a change in Johnson's demeanor this season.
"For a sophomore to step up in the way that he has and assume a leadership role on our team has been
very impressive," McDermott said.
Iowa State also adds 10 newcomers to the team this season. McDermott said it was a necessity for Iowa to become bigger and stronger in the offseason.
Freshman forward Craig Brackins was a top-20 player coming out of Brewster Academy in New Hampshire, and he will be expected to contribute right away. Senior center Jiri Hubalek averaged 11.2 points per game as a junior, and he also returns.
Guard Sean Haluska, a transfer from Indian Hills Junior College, is also a familiar name. Haluska's older brother, Adam, was the leading scorer
in the Big 10 last season at Iowa.
Freshman guards Diante Garrett and Marcus Brister are also both likely to see immediate playing time with the departure of Taylor.
So Iowa State fans will see plenty of new faces on the court, and the pressure will be on McDermott to mix and match and find a winning combination.
"I think we'll be able to use a lot of combinations early, get a lot of different players on the floor, to find out who is going to best click together," McDermott said.
Edited by Matt Erickson
Buffs depend on new coach
BY RUSTIN DODD
rdodd@kansan.com
Jeff Bzdelik and Richard Roby don't seem like they would have a lot in common. Bzdelik is a 54-year-old journeyman coach from Mount Prospect, Ill. Roby is a 22-year-old college senior from San Bernadino, Calif. But together, Bzdelik and Roby will try to rebuild the Colorado basketball program — a program that has been to only two NCAA tournaments since 1970.
"I excited about the challenge that awaits us!" Bzdelk said. "I understand it's a great challenge. It's a great league filled with great coaches, great tradition, great talent, and I have both eyes wide open."
Colorado finished 7-20 and 3-13 in the Big 12 conference in 2006-07. Former coach Ricardo Patton, who spent 12 years at Colorado, spent last season as a lame-duck coach after announcing before the season that it would be his last year at Colorado.
Enter Bzdelik, who comes to Colorado with 29 years of coaching experience. Bzdelik spent the last two seasons at Air Force, where he led the Falcons to a 50-16 record, one NCAA tournament appearance and one NIT appearance.
Before Air Force, Bzdelik spent two and a half seasons as head coach of the NBA's Denver Nuggets. After going 17-65 in Bzdelik first season, the Nuggets finished a 43-39 in 2003-04 — the sixth-best one-season turnaround in NBA history. But star player Carmelo Anthony got hurt early in the next season, and Bzdelik was fired after the Nuggets started 13-15. For Bzdelik, the firing was sudden.
"We're doing pretty well until Carmelo and Kenyon [Martin] and a couple of guys got hurt and you lose a couple of games and you're gone" Bazelik said.
So while Bzdelki is ready to prove himself capable of leading Colorado to the top half of the Big 12, Roby is attempting to prove himself all over again.
Roby came to Colorado in 2004-05 as one of the most decorated recruits in Colorado history. The younger halfbrother of NBA star Kenyon Martin, he was supposed to lead Colorado to a basketball renaissance. But after averaging 16 points per game as a freshman and being named to the All-Big 12 first team as a sophomore, Roby struggled as a junior. Roby averaged 17.3 points per game but struggled from the field, shooting only 38.3 percent from the floor and 26.8 percent from three-point range.
"I don't think it was a case of his skill, not being able to shoot the ball well". Bdzelik said. "It was the quality of shot that he took."
Bzdelik said that he was challenging Roby on and off the court to be the man and player he needed to be.
Sophomore guard Xavier Silas will help take off the of offensive burden off Roby. Silas averaged 12 points per game as a freshman last season. Senior guard Marcus Hall also returns to the lineup after missing last season because of academic problems. Junior forward Jeremy Jackson-Wilson and sophomore forward Jeremy Williams, who each averaged more than 20 minutes per game last year, will see extensive time in the Colorado front court.
But in the end, it will come down to Bzdelik and Roby, two driven men trying to make up for past failings.
"You need to have an environment conducive to winning." Bzdelik said. "On the court there has to be a nonnonsense approach. So all of these kinds of things are just a cultural change that needs to take place for us to have a chance to compete."
Edited by Matt Erickson
SEASON PREVIEW
BY RUSTIN DODD
Maric must excel for Huskers to succeed
rdodd@kansan.com
Doc Sadler was probably the last person in the world who wanted the Nebraska football team to falter this season. Sadler is in his second season as the basketball coach at Nebraska, and if his Cornhuskers fail to equal their 2006-07 win total — they went 17-14 and 6-10 in the Big 12 — it will be another reminder to Nebraska fans of the low state of its two main men's sports.
But for Sadler, it's Marie's work
Luckily for Sadler, Nebraska has Aleks Maric, a 6-foot-11 senior, who is poised to ensure that Nebraska has its most successful season since 1997-98 — the last time Nebraska made the NCAA tournament.
Maric, a Sydney, Australia, native averaged 18.5 points per game and 8.7 rebounds per game last season and also showed the ability to dominate games. In one three-game span last season, Maric went for 41, 31 and 36 points against Kansas State, Missouri and Iowa State, respectively.
ethic that makes him one of the favorites for Big 12 player of the year.
"He's not just a great basketball player, but he's as a hard worker as we've got in our program," Sadler said. "When your best player is a guy that is your hardest worker, then I think you have a chance to have some success, and I think that's what we've got in Aleks."
Nebraska returns five other players and brings in eight newcomers in addition to Maric. Sophomore guard Ryan Anderson averaged 10.1 points per game during his freshman season, while fellow sophomore guards Sek Henry and Jay-R Strowbridge both played significant minutes last season.
Sophomore forward Chris Balham also returns to provide depth in frontcourt. Balham is a Kansas City, Kan., native and played his high school ball at Shawne Mission West in Overland Park.
The real test for the Cornhuskers will be how well they can utilize their newcomers.
"We've got eight new players," Sadler said. "Anybody that follows
college basketball, especially at this level, knows that that's going to be a challenge in itself"
Nebraska lost two-year starting point guard Charles Richardson to graduation, so Sadler will rely on two freshmen at that position. Cookie Miller and Brandon Richardson will see immediate playing time.
In the frontcourt, two transfers could bolster Nebraska. Junior Shang Ping is a 6-10 forward from Illinois Central Community College and sophomore Alex Chapman is a 6-9 forward from Sheridan Junior College in Wyoming.
"I couldn't be more pleased with the effort, and for the most part, talent that these guys have brought into the program," Sadler said.
But it will be up to Maric to lead the Cornhuskers. And if Maric can live up to expectations, it might be just enough for Nebraska fans to forget about the failures of their football team — for a while, anyway.
Edited by Tara Smith
SEASON ATM PREVIEW A&M's returners need to replace Acie Law
BY RUSTIN DODD
rdodd@kansan.com
Texas A&M senior forward Joseph Jones doesn't want to hear anything about lower expectations. Even though All-Big 12 guard Ace Law is now playing for the Atlanta Hawks and former head coach Billy Gillispie left for Kentucky, Jones thinks this year's Aggies team could be even better than last year, a team that went 27-7 last season and reached the Sweet 16.
"Ace's a great player; it's hard to replace him. But we got a lot of good guys coming in, a good core coming back, and we might be even better this year," Jones said. "We just got to work a little harder."
Texas A&M reached for Wichita State coach Mark Turgeon to replace Gillispie. Turgeon, a former player and assistant coach at Kansas, takes over a team that lost Law and forward Antanas Kavaliauskas to graduation. But a load of talent is still left in College Station, Texas, and it's up to Turgeon to keep building on
what Gillaspie started, Turgonon has made a positive impression on his best player.
"Coach Turgeon's a great guy. He's cool, a player's coach, and a great coach on the floor," Jones said.
Jones, a coaches' preseason firstteam All-Big 12 selection, leads a group of four returning players who averaged at least 17 minutes per game last season. Junior guard Josh Carter averaged 11.8 points per game, while senior guard Dominique Kirk chipped in 7.2 points per game for the Aggies. Sophomore guard Donald Sloan rounds out the returning foursome.
But Texas A&M's biggest weapon might be freshman DeAndre Jordan. Jordan, a 7-foot freshman center from Houston, decided to attend Texas A&M when Gillispie was still the coach, but honored his commitment when Turgeon replaced him.
Turgeon said Sloan and Kirk would combine to replace Law at the point.
"I've seen flashes of just a great player. He's long, athletic. He can score. He can defend," Jones said.
Turgeon said Jordan was one of the most talented players he has seen, but he hoped expectations for his freshman were tempered.
"He's going to have a tremendous year for us and a great career. But people have to be patient with him out there and understand that he's been so highly talked of, and it's the biggest recruit Texas A&M has had in a long time," Turgon said. "There's a lot of pressure on him."
Jones thinks that Jordan can contribute right away.
The core is in place in College Station for Texas A&M to improve on last season, but the loss of Law still hangs over the program.
"The polls are coming out and the expectations are really high in our program, which is what we want," Turgeon said. "But we did lose some really good players. We have some young players that have to step up."
Edited by Tara Smith
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