8
Tuesday, February 25, 1997
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Kansas vs. Oklahoma: At the game
Kansas guard Jacque Vaughn soars past two Oklahoma defenders toward the basket. Vaughn scored a team-high 16 points, hitting 5 of 8 shots from the floor and 6 of 7 free-throw attempts. He also dished out seven assists.
Tyler Wirken / KANSAN
Big 12 is underrated but rich with talent
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Maybe there'a reason Danny Nee is the head basketball coach at Nebraska and his assistants are still assistants.
The Associated Press
After the Huskers played Minnesota last December, long before the Gophers were rated in the national polls, Nee was sure that he had seen a special team.
"I walked off the court, and I felt they were a strong and dominating team," Nee said. "I said to my staff, This team is one of the top 10 teams in the country."
Even though Minnesota beat the Huskers that day 70-56, Nee said his staff did not agree with his assessment
Now, of course, Minnesota is ranked No.2 in the country, right behind Big 12 Conference champion Kansas.
"The thing that impressed me about Minnesota was their overall depth and strength," Nee said. "Their overall strength."
The Huskers are the only team in the country that has played both No.1 Kansas and No. 2 Minnesota.
If you throw Kansas and Minnesota along with a few other teams into a hat, any one of them could win the national championship," he said. "You need brets, get on a run and play your best. Both those teams are capable of doing it."
in the meantime, Big 12 coaches are hoping to get at least six teams into the NCAA tournament next month.
Kansas, No. 13 Iowa State and No. 19 Colorado are all a cinch to get bids. Texas and Texas Tech, which were both ranked earlier in the season, also could be in good shape.
"I hope that we have a number that would exceed what we had in the Big Eight," said Missouri coach Norm Stewart. "We picked up four teams (Texas, Texas Tech, Baylor, Texas A&M). Two or three of those teams are playing very well and have got a number of wins."
"This league has always, I think, done the best job of downdragging itself, if you will, of any league in the country," he said. "We've got some of the best players in the country. I hope the number selected for the NCAA exceeds the number we were getting with just eight teams."
If guard play were the selection committee's only interest, the Big 12 would place nine or 10 teams in the tournament.
Athletes like Chauncey Billups, Jacque
Danny Nee
Nebraska head coach
Vaughn, Tyronn Lue and Reggie Freeman — to name a few — make the Big 12 the most guard-rich league in the country, according to many coaches.
"Some are literally carrying their teams," said Texas' Tom Penders, who has Freeman averaging better than 21 points a game.
"That little kid at Nebraska (Laue) is a great point guard," Penders said. "He's one of the elite point guards in the country, yet you don't ever hear about him. Freeman is a great all-around player. Without him, we'd probably be 4-20."
The main reason Colorado is ranked among the nation's elite teams and headed for its first NCAA tournament bid in almost two decades is Billups. The 6-foot-3 point guard averages almost 22 points and five assists and ranks third in the Big 12 in steals.
"Chamcey Billups is probably an NBA pick because of his ability to score and play defense," said Texas A&M coach Tony Barone. "They are not simply specialists. I think this league has the old-time guards. They're not just point guards or off-guards. They can play both positions. I'd have to really look to see if any other league in this country comes even close to the guards in this league."
Naturally, in a league that is loaded at one position, some of the best hardly get noticed.
"Jacy Holloway is one of most underrated players in the country," said Nee of Iowa State's 6-0 senior point guard, who leads the Big 12 with 87 assists. "He's magnificent at what he does."
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