rj
Stanford, Starbird tops in balanced Pac-10
Stanford is the cream of the
crop in the Pac-10 Conference,
but Oregon will attempt to
challenge the powerhouse
Arizona Wildcats
■ Head Coach: Joan Bonvicini (6th year)
■ 1995-96 Record: 22-8 overall , 10-8 Pac
10 (tied 3rd)
■ Key Returnees: Adia Barnes, F, 5-11, Jr.,
20.8 ppg., 10.4 rpg.
■ Outlook: The Wildcats are off to a fast
start at 11-1, but a look at their schedule tells
why. In 10 non-conference wins against the
likes of Monmouth and Harvard, Arizona
won by an average margin of 27 points.
However, the Wildcats did play at current
No. 4 Louisiana Tech, losing by 13 points.
Look for forward Adia Barnes to put the
Wildcats in the hunt for a trip to the NCAA
Tournament.
■ Jody Runge’s comments: “Arizona is
quick and gets after you very rugged and
pnysicai. rasi oreaKs an me imh
plays four or five players out and
make you defend the drive."
Arizona State Sun Devils
■ Head Coach: Charli Turner
Thorne (1st year)
■ 1995-96 Record: 8-19, 4-14
(9th)
■ Key Returnees: Molly Tuter, F,
6-0, Sr., 12.6 ppg., 4.8 rpg.;
Marci Stilson, F, 6-2,
Sr., 10.7 ppg., 3.3 rpg.
■ Outlook: First
year coach
i.narn 1 urner
Thorne’s
streak of two
straight win
ning seasons
could be in
jeopardy. The
Sun Devils fin
ished their 1995-96
Pac-10 campaign ninth
in scoring offense and
defense on their way to
an b-iu overall record.
However, Arizona State
does return three starters
and 72 percent of the team's
scoring from a year ago.
■ )oay Kungc s comments: 1
know Molly Tuter is a very good
basketball player and they have
to be fired up with a new coach.
They will give anyone a run to make sure
they don't finish in the basement."
California Golden Bears
■ Head Coach: Marianne Stanley (1st year)
■ 1995-96 Record: 7-20, 3-15 (10th)
■ Key Returnees: Patrycja Czepiec, F, 6-0,
Sr., 16.9 ppg., 5.7 rpg.; Jennie Leander, C, 6
3, So., 14.1 ppg., 10.4 rpg.
■ Outlook: After a dismal 3-15 Pac-10
record and a last-place finish in 1995-96, the
Golden Bears hired three-time national title
winner Marianne Stanley in the offseason as
their new head coach.
Stanley will be trying to reverse California’s
streak of three straight losing seasons.
■ Jody Runge’s comments: "Cal I think will
obviously be very much improved. They
have a few senior players who have im
proved their capabilities and obviously
great coaching."
Oregon State Beavers
■ Head Coach: Judy Spoelstra (2nd year)
■ 1995-96 Record: 19-9,11-7 (2nd)
■ Key Returnees: Tina Lelas, C, 6-5, Sr.,
17.2 ppg., 10.4 rpg.; Kris Walsh, C, 6-4,
Jr.,14.6 ppg., 7.7 rpg.; Monica Watts,
G, 5-9, Jr., 14.4 ppg., 6.3 rpg.
■ Outlook: Iina Lelas and Kris
Walsh are exceptional at center
and power forward. But other
than that, second-year head
coach Judy Spoelstra doesn’t
have much to work with. If the
Beavers can crack the top five
in the conference, expect
Spoelstra to receive the Pac
10 Coach of the Year
award.
■ Jody Runge’s com
ments: “Theirguards are
just very young and es
fpecially Vanessa [Mor
ris] handling the point as
a freshman is a tough
deal."
Stanford Cardinal
■ Head Coach: Tara Van
Derveer (11th year)
■ 1995-96 Record: 29-3,
18-0 (1st)
■ Key Returnees: Kate
Starbird, F, 6-2, Sr., 17.6
ppg., 4.1 rpg.; Vanessa
Nygaard, F, 6-1, Jr., 13.6
ppg., 8.0 rpg.; Jamila
Wideman, G, 5-6, Sr., 6.8
PPg-. 4.9 apg.; Naomi
Mulitauaopele, F/C, 6-4,
Jr., 11.2 ppg., 6.4 rpg.;
Olympia Scott, F, 6-2, Jr.,
UCLA Bruins
■ Head Coach: Kathy Oliver (4th
year)
■ 1995-96 Record: 13-14, 8
10 (tied 6th)
■ Key Returnees:
Tawana Grimes, G, 5
9, Jr., 8.8 ppg., 5.2
apg
■ Outlook: The loss
of point guard Erica
Gomez, last season’s
Pac-10 Freshman of
the Year, to a season
ending knee injury most
likely dashes any hopes
the Bruins had for their
first trip the NCAA Tour
nament since 1991-92.
Gomez's absence leaves
guard Tawana Grimes as
the Bruins’ only returning
starter to mesh with eight
newcomers, including sev
en freshmen. Forward/
center Maylana Martin
should be Pac-10 Fresh
man of the Year.
■ Jody Runge’s comments:
“ UCLA and USC are play
ing outstanding basket
ball considering they lost
their starting point guard.
Sometimes that adversity
makes a team stronger
and more focused. ”
USC Trojans
■ Head Coach: Fred Williams (2nd year)
■ 1995-96 Record: 13-14, 8-10 (tied 6th)
■ Key Returnees: Tina Thompson, F/C, 6-3,
Sr., 23.1 ppg., 10.6 rpg.; Michelle Campbell,
C, 6-5, Sr., 11.1 ppg., 8.4 rpg.; Kristin Clark,
G, 5-7, So., 11.0 ppg., 3.8 apg.
■ Outlook: Pac-10 Player of the Year candi
date Tina Thompson should have the Tro
jans fighting for an NCAA Tournament
berth this season. However, like UCLA, the
Trojans will suffer from the loss of point
guard Erica Mashia who will likely redshirt
the 1996-97 season because of a hip injury.
■ Jody Runge’s comments: “UCLA and
USC are playing outstanding basketball
considering they lost their starting point
guard. Sometimes that adversity makes a
team stronger and more focused."
Washington Huskies
■ Head Coach: June Daugherty (1st year)
11995-96 Record: 16-13,10-8 (tied 3rd)
I Key Returnees: Jamie Redd, G, 5-10, So.,
22.2 ppg., 5.1 rpg.; Amber Hall, F, 6-1,
So., 12.4 ppg., 10.6 rpg.
■ Outlook: The Huskies early 5-5
record is deceiving. Washington
played the toughest non-conference
schedule in the Pac-10, which includ
ed four top 25 teams. The Huskies lost
to current No. 4 Louisiana Tech by
only three points and took former No.
22 Penn St. into overtime before los
ing by three. Their difficult non-con
ference schedule will pay off later this
season.
■ Jody Runge’s comments: "I think
Washington is playing very well. I think
they are still relying on the fact that for
years Washington has been touted as
ka great defensive team. And I think
offensively that they will have im
proved under coach Daughtery. ”
Washington State
■ Head Coach: Harold Rhodes
(15 th year)
■ 1995-96 Record: 17-12, 8-10
(tied 6th)
■ 1995-96 Conference Record
(Place):
■ Key Returnees: Yvonne
Kunze, C, 6-4, Jr., 13.5 ppg.,
6.4 rpg.; Kristin Erickson, C,
6-2, Sr., 12.3 ppg., 3.0 rpg.
■ Outlook: 1 he loss of Jenni Ruff to gradua
tion will force the Cougars to use a more bal
anced attack this year, head coach Harold
Rhodes said. Early this season, it has been
the Cougars’ centers (Kristin Erickson,
Yvonne Kunze and Amy Saneholtz) picking
up the scoring load where Ruff left off. But
come tournament time, the Cougars most
likely won’t be around.
■ Jody Runge’s comments: “ Washington
State I think is going to be a strong, always
competitive team that works very hard and
very, very aggressive. You have to play well
to beat them."
Emerald sports reporter Ryan Frank com
piled and wrote this year’s Pac-10 Pre
view.
Runge and company look to go deep into NCAA tournament
■ WOMEN: A trip to the first
round of the tournament will
not be enough for Oregon
By Ryan Frank
Sports Reporter
■ Head Coach: Jody Runge (4th
year)
■ 1995-96 Record: 18-11, 10-8
(Tied for 3rd)
■ 1996-97 Record: 8-2,1-0
■ Outlook: Despite losing its
first four games of the Pacific-10
Conference season in 1995-96, the
Oregon women's basketball team
recovered to earn a berth to its
third straight NCAA Tournament.
But the Ducks’ season ended there
as they suffered a first-round loss
to Wisconsin.
Fast-forward to 1997.
The Ducks did not lose one im
pact player from last year’s team,
and this season, Oregon has added
Parade Magazine second-team
All-American selection Jenny
Mowe at center and Arizona Com
munity College Athletic Confer
ence Player of the Year Natalie
Hughes at guard. The new recruits
join a line-up that already includ
ed two first-team all-Pac-10 selec
tions from a year ago in center Re
nae Fegent and forward Arianne
Boyer.
While the Ducks aren’t about to
complain about their three straight
trips to the tournament, they won’t
be satisfied with merely a date in
the Big Dance in 1997.
After finishing no worse than
fourth in the Pac-10 the last three
seasons, Oregon has lost in the
first round in each of their three
trips to the tournament.
“We don’t want to just get there.
That is not good enough any
more,” Fegent said.
One thing the Ducks had work
ing against them in their last three
tournament appearances was
playing away from home. Howev
er, if Oregon is able to finish the
season as one of the top 16 teams
in the country, it will have the op
portunity to play its first two
games of the tournament at home.
“We would like to play well
enough to be able to play at home,
but we’re really going to have to
improve to be there,” head coach
Jody Runge said.
Ten games into the season,
Runge said she has seen an im
provement in her reserves.
“From an overall standpoint,
we’re getting better play off our
bench especially with our young
players,” Runge said.
Oregon’s bench is averaging
14.9 points per game, and eight
Oregon players are averaging more
than five points per game.
In addition to better bench play,
the Ducks have recently seen more
scoring from the outside.
Prior to the Oregon State game
on Jan. 4, Oregon’s scoring punch
was packed inside with Fegent
and Boyer, but against the Beavers,
Hughes and fellow point guard
Cindie Edamura combined for 25
points.
Fegent said the Ducks’ outside
scoring is here to stay.
“I think the outside players now
have the confidence and realize
Turn to WOMEN, Page 4B
17.4 ppg.,8.1 rpg.
■ Outlook: The Cardinal has been to the Fi
nal Four two straight seasons, and with all
five starters returning from last year’s team,
expect Stanford to end up right back where
they finished last season — at the top of the
conference.
■ Jody Runge’s comments: “Stanford is
very, very talented, and they are playing a
much faster paced game than played before.
Tara wants them to play at the pace of the
international game to [such an] extent that
they are turning the ball over and not shoot
ing it as well."