Inside Sports
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Sports
Brackets are set for the Women's Big 12 Tournament. Play starts today in Kansas City.
SEE PAGE 8A
Kansas Baseball
The Kansas Baseball Team squares off against Creighton today at Houglau-Maupin Stadium.
SEE PAGE 8A
Tuesday
March 3,1998
Section:
A
Page 10
Women's Basketball
All-Big 12 players were selected yesterday. Kansas forward Lynn Pride was a first-team choice.
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LaFrentz, Pierce unanimous choices on Big 12 first team; honorable mention honors given to Robertson, Thomas
Men of the high court
Paul Pierce
photo by Steve Puppe/Kansan
RaefLaFrentz
photo by Steve Puppe/Kansan
Cory Carr, Texas Tech
Tyrann Lue, Nebraska
Above photos by Geoff Krieger/Kansas
Corey Brewer, Oklahoma
By Tommy Gallagher
tgallagher@kansan.com
Kansas sportwriter
Forwards Raef LaFrentz and Paul Pierce, who helped lead No. 3 Kansas to a 31-3 record this season, were unanimous selections to The Associated Press first team All-Big 12 Conference yesterday.
Texas tech guard Cory Carr,
Oklahoma guard Corey Brewer
and Nebraska guard Tyronn Lue
also were chosen for the first
team. Carr was a unanimous
selection.
LaFrentz led Kansas in both points (20.4) and rebounds (11.4) per game.
LaFrentz missed nine games midway through the season because of a broken right hand. In his first game back, a Jan. 24 victory against Texas Tech, LaFrentz had 31 points and 15 rebounds.
After the game, Texas Tech coach James Dickey praised LaFrentz's performance.
"Raef will be the first player taken in the draft," Dickey said.
"He made great plays and made great shots. That is tough to do when you have been out for nine games, to come back like that."
Pierce ranked second for Kansas in both points (20.1) and rebounds (6.9) per game. He provided the Jayhawks with some consistency in LaFrentz's absence and has scored in double
figures for 46 straight games.
Carr led the Big 12 in scoring for the second consecutive season with 23.4 points per game despite being the focus of every opponent's defense. He, like Pierce, considered the NBA last spring but chose to stay in school.
Lue averaged 21.4 points per game and ranks among the Cornhuskers' leaders in most offensive categories. Nebraska has won six consecutive games entering postseason play.
Brewer averaged 21.2 points per game and helped lead the injury-
riddled Sooners to a 20-9 record this season. They finished third in the Big 12 with an 11-5 conference mark.
Some people were surprised that Baylor center Brian Skinner, who finished among the conference leaders in points (18.1) and rebounds (9.5) per game, was left off the first team. Skinner led the league with 3.3 blocked shots per game and 56.5 percent shooting "from the floor."
With six first-team players, one had to receive a second-team designation.
In a press conference last week, Pierce was asked who he would select for the first team, and he chose Skinner.
"I like Carr and Skinner. And I wouldn't throw Raef off because he's my teammate." Pierce said. "I'd have to throw Lue off the first team. I'll take Brewer over Lue."
Other players named to the second team included Texas guard Kris Clack, Kansas State forward Manny Dies, and two Oklahoma State Cowboys — center Brett Robisch and guard Adrian Peterson.
Kansas honorable mentions included guards Ryan Robertson and Billy Thomas.
USA TODAY-ESPN TOP 25
The Top Twenty Five teams in the USA Today ESPN college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through March 1, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and previous ranking:
rank team rec pts pvs
1. Duke (26) 27-2 746 1
2. Arizona (2) 26-3 715 2
3. Kansas (1) 31-3 **683** 4
4. N. Carolina 27-3 69-3
5. Utah 25-2 625 5
6. Connecticut 26-4 602 6
7. Kentucky 26-4 562 8
8. Princeton 25-1 536 7
9. Purdue 24-6 475 10
10. Mississippi 21-5 437 13
11. Stanford 24-4 431 9
12. Michigan St. 20-6 423 12
13. Connecticut 23-5 373 17
14. Texas Christian 26-4 366 18
15. S. Carolina 21-6 301 11
16. Arkansas 22-7 281 14
17. UCLA 21-7 246 16
18. Michigan 21-8 228 21
19. New Mexico 21-6 209 15
20. Illinois 21-8 15 23
21. Syracuse 22-7 138 22
22. W. Virginia 22-7 106 20
23. Massachusetts 20-9 89 25
24. Maryland 18-9 76 —
25. Temple 20-7 63 24
Other receiving hosts: Xavier 11, Oklahoma St. 37,
Kansas St. 29, Oklahoma State 18, Washington 16, N. Arizona 12, St. John's 11, University
11, Tennessee 8, N.C. Charlote 4, Clemson 2, Dayton
2, Gonzaga 2, Illinois St. 2, Ball St. 1, College of
Arts St.
The top 25 teams in The Associated Press' men's basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through yesterday, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and previous ranking:
rank team
1. Duke (48) 27-2 1,724 1
2. Arizona (20) 26-3 1,684 2
3. **Kansas (2)** 31-3 1,580 4
4. N. Carolina 27-3 1,563 3
5. Utah 25-2 1,402 5
6. Connecticut 26-4 1,394 6
7. Kentucky 26-4 1,311 7
8. Princeton 25-1 1,220 9
9. Purdue 24-6 1,107 11
10. Mississippi 21-5 1,071 13
11. Stanford 24-4 1,010 8
12. Michigan St. 20-6 983 10
13. Texas Christian 26-4 944 15
14. Cincinnati 23-5 852 17
15. S. Carolina 21-6 797 14
16. Arkansas 22-7 606 12
17. Michigan 21-8 515 21
18. Illinois 21-8 501 22
19. UCLA 21-7 430 18
20. New Mexico 21-6 413 16
21. Maryland 18-9 292 —
22. Syracuse 22-7 237 23
23. W. Virginia 22-7 212 19
24. Temple 20-7 189 24
25. Oklahoma St. 21-5 181 25
Other receiving guests: Massachusetts, 165, Murray Hill, 80, Rhode岛群 57, St. John's 54, Xavier 46, Tennessee 35, N. Carolina 21, Detroit 12, George Washington 41, Clemson 11, Illinois 8, B. Ball 7, C. Calll of Chicago 4, Illinois 4, NC Charlotte 4, Pacific 3, Miami 2, Coppin 1, Georgetown 1, Chicago 1,昂哥 1, Ushl 1, Chil.
ALL-BIG 12 MENS CONFERENCE TEAMS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Here are the selections of The Associated Press All-Big 12 Conference basketball team for 1997-98. Selections were made by a panel of media observers. Players on the first and second teams are listed by name, school, class, height, weight and home town.
First Team:
Roef LaFrentz, Kansas, Sr., 6-11,
235, Monona, Iowa.
*Paul Pierce, Kansas, Jr., 6-7, 230,
Indaleway, Calif.*
Cory Carr, Texas Tech, Sr., 6-4,
200, Kingsland, Ark.
Corey Brewer, Oklahoma, Sr., 6-2,
190, West Memphis, Ark.
Brian Skinner, Baylor, Sr., 6-10, 245, Temple, Texas.
Tyrann Lue, Nebraska, Jr., 6-0 175, Mexico, Mo.
Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma State,
Karan Jefferson, Oklahoma State Jr., 6-4, 197, North Little Rock, Ark
Brett Robisch, Oklahoma State,
Sr. 6.11, 325, Springfield, IL
Manny Dies, Kansas State, Jr., 6, 8, 230, Wichita.
Kris Clack, Texas, Jr., 6-5, 215,
Austin, Texas.
Honorable memoir:
Ryan Robertson, Billy Thomas,
Kansas; Rayford Young, Stan
Bowitz, Texas Tech; Patrick Hunter,
Baylor; Shenne Jones, Texas A&M;
Venson Hamilton, Nebraska; Marcus
Fizer, Iowa State; Desmond Mason,
Doug Gottlieb, Oklahoma State; Kelly
Thames, John Woods, Missouri;
Kenny Price, Colorado; Luke Axtell,
Chris Mihm, Texas.
Big 12 Specialty Teams
All-Newcomer:
Duae Davis, Kansas State
Lester Earl, Kansas
Doug Gottlieb, Oklahoma State
Kenny Price, Colorado
John Woods, Missouri
All Freshman:
Luke Axtel, Texas
Eric Chenowith, Kansas
Marcus Fici, Iowa State
Ryan Humprey, Oklahoma
Chris Mihm, Texas
Air-improved Manny Dies, Kansas State Monte Hardge, Missouri Desmond Mason, Oklahoma State Brett Robisch, Oklahoma State Billy Thorns, Oklahoma State
All-Improved
All-Underrated:
All-Underated:
Patrick Hunter, Baylor
Shane Jones, Texas A&M
Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma State
Ryan Robertson, Kansas
Rayford Young, Texas Tech
All-Bench
Easter Lester, Kansas
Kenny Gregory, Kansas
Tyron Lee, Missouri
Troy Pitakowski, Nebraska
Michael Schmidt, Texas & AM
All-Defense (ti in voting)
Cookie Belcher, Nebraska
Kris Clack, Texas
Venson Hamilton, Nebraska
Steve Houston, Texas A&M
T.J. Pugh, Kansas
Brian Skinner, Baylor
All-Defense (tie in voting)
Kansas women want revenge
Both Kansas State Baylor have beaten team once this year
By Kevin C. Wilson
Kansas stateUUU
The Jayhawks, after a first-round bye, will face the winner of tonight's game between the sixth-seeded Baylor Bears and the 17th-seeded Kansas State Wildcats at at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday.
The Big 12 Women's Basketball Conference Tournament kicks off today at Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium, with eight teams looking to advance to the quarterfinal round tomorrow.
Let the madness begin.
Kansas coach Marian Washington said that in the postseason, every team had to be respected.
Washington said that she did not have a preference between the two teams but that she would not mind taking on the Wildcats again.
Kansas split the season series with Kansas State — losing 53-47 on Jan. 7 and defeating the Wildcats on June 2 on Feb. 2 — but lost its only battle with Baylor, 65-59, on Jan. 3.
"This is the time of year they call the second season," Washington said. "It will be a fiercely competitive tournament and an opportunity for any team to get in the NCAA Tournament."
Baylor and Kansas State have victories against Kansas this year.
Revenge will be a factor for the Jayhawks, regardless of which team advances today.
tournament with four straight losses. The Wildcats are led by guard Brit Jacobson and center Angie Finks.
"It wasn't enough just splitting with them," Washington said.
Kansas State, 10-16 overall and 4-
12 in the Big 12, limped into
Baylor, 17-9 overall and 10-6 in Big 12 play, is led by two players who were named to the second team All-Big 12, guard Lara Webb and center Kacy Moffitt.
Kansas guard Suzi Raymant said she and teammate Syln Pride had discussed their desire to meet the Bears again.
1
"We want to get a win over Baylor since we already beat Kansas State," Raymant said.
Other games on tap for today's first round include Oklahoma State (No. 5 seed) vs. Missouri (12), Texas (7) vs. Texas A&M (10), and Colorado (8) vs. Oklahoma (9).
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Look inside for a bracket of the women's Big 12 tournament.
See page 8A
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