Sports Editor:
Adam Jude
adamjude@dailyemerald. com
Assistant Sports Editor:
Jeff Smith
jeffsmith@dailyemerald.com
Wednesday, January 30,2002
Best Bet
Portland atGonzaga,
7:30 p.m., FSN
Badicke’s effort, sacrifice aid Oregon wrestlers
■ Despite a poor record, sophomore
Michael Badicke has been an important
member of the wrestling squad
By Chris Cabot
Oregon Daily Emerald
The Oregon wrestling team has been close to
cracking the top-25 in the coaches’ poll for a
few weeks and is primed for a stretch in its
schedule where they face six
Pacific-10 Conference oppo
nents in the next seven
dual meets.
Although much of the at
tention this year has gone to
seniors Eugene Harris and
Shaun Williams and junior
Eric Webb, who are all
ranked in the top-25 of their weight classes by
Intermat, many younger, less-hearlded athletes
contribute to the squad in their own ways.
Injuries have plagued the Ducks and forced
many wrestlers to step into starting roles earli
er than expected. One of those athletes is
Michael Badicke.
A look at Badicke’s record, which is 0-6
overall (0-5 in dual meets), does not give a true
interpretation his importance to the team.
Head coach Chuck Kearney describes the
sophomore from Beaverton as the team’s “sac
rifice utility player.”
For much of the season, Badicke filled in at
the 157-pound weight class for the injured
Tony Overstake, but in the meets on Jan. 25,
Badicke played multiple roles.
In the 157-pound class against Pacific,
Badicke battled at Troy Hall, who has lead the
Boxers of Pacific with a 27-3 overall and 19-0
dual meet record. In the match, Hall took the
decision 9-2 over Badicke. Against Central
Washington, Badicke wrestled at 165-pounds
and lost a decision to Kyle Smith, 8-2.
Kearney said he has appreciated the effort
Badicke has put in for the team.
“Michael been in the workout room every
day busting his rear end,” Kearney said. “He’s
Turn to Wrestling, page 8
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Adam Amato Emerald
Michael Badicke (right) has been a workhorse in the weight room for Chuck Kearney’s squad.
POSTING THE GRADES
■With the men’s team having
a share of first place, it’s hard not
to give them some extra credit
By PeterHockaday
Oregon Daily Emerald
If the Oregon men’s basketball
season was a football game, the
Ducks would be charging out of the
locker room ready to dominate the
second half.
And they’d be leading the game,
with the entire Pacific-10 Confer
ence (except co
leader USC) on the
other sideline.
The Ducks are
leading the Pac-10,
basketball style.
And it’s no fluke
either. There aren’t
five teams
bunched at the
top, and the Ducks have beaten the
big teams — Stanford, Cal, Arizona.
They’re a perfect 11-0 at home.
So, this Oregon team is good, right?
Like any team, the Ducks still see
room for improvement. There are
still hills to climb, still UCLAs and
USCs to play.
But there is some time for reflection.
Without further ado, here is a mid
point report card, as laid out by the
Ducks themselves.
Overall —Grade: B+
Oregon head coach Ernie Kent is
rarely satisfied, and won’t be until
the Ducks are crowned national
champions. But he is still able to
look at the positives, including his
explosive offense, the emergence of
some key players off the bench and a
vastly improved defense.
“For the fact that we’re leading the
conference after everybody picked
us seventh or eighth, you’ve got to
say that we’ve achieved beyond
everyone’s expectations,” Kent said.
“And it’s not luck. We’ve played
! well.”
Kent also noted one or two short
comings, including defensive lapses
in the last two games in Washington.
“If there’s some slippage with us,
it’s just in the past couple games
Turn to Men’s, page 8
i
Adam Amato Emerald
Junior Robert Johnson has been a valuable inside presence
for the Ducks, who gave themselves a B+ at the halfway point.
Adam Amato Emerald
Since Pac-10 play started, sophomore Cathrine Kraayeveld
is averaging nearly a double-double for Oregon.
■There were plenty of question
marks in the beginning, but so far,
the women are passing the test
By Adam Jude
Oregon Daily Emerald
On the surface, the Oregon Ducks
are merely an average Pacific-10
Conference women’s basketball
team. For the most part, they have
beat the teams they were supposed
to beat, and lost to the teams they
were supposed to lose to.
Struggling
with the adjust
ment of a new
coaching staff
and the loss of
four starters,
Oregon’s presea
son was marred
with inconsis
tencies. Head
coach Bev Smith lost her debut, a 75
57 defeat to Wisconsin-Green Bay at
McArthur Court. Three days later on
Nov. 20, the Ducks fell to the Port
land Pilots for just the second time in
the rivalry’s 17-year history.
Oregon rebounded and entered
Pac-10 play with a winning record
at 5-4. Six weeks later, the Ducks
are now 12-8 overall and a 7-4
conference mark has them in the
hunt for a strong seed in the inau
gural conference tournament.
An embarrassing loss to Oregon
State 10 days ago set the Ducks up
for big wins against Southern Cali
fornia and UCLA last weekend, put
ting Oregon in a four-way tie for sec
ond place in the conference. One of
those sharing the second spot is Ari
zona State, which Oregon will play
on Thursday in Tempe.
The Ducks should take solace in
the fact that as Pac-10 play has
picked up, so has their game. And
with seven games remaining in the
regular season, Oregon must prove
it’s fit for a ninth-straight NCAA
Tournament appearance.
Overall — Grade: B
Time has been the Ducks’ best
remedy this season as they’re final
ly starting to play like a team.
Turn to Women’s, page.6