Sports Editor:
Hank Hager
hank hager@dailyemerald.com
Oregon Dailv Emerald
SPORTS
Best bet ^
NCAA basketball:
Illinois vs. North Carolina
6 p.m., ESPN
Tuesday, December 2, 2003
Hank Hager
Behind the dish
Incidents
unfairly put
coaches
under gun
There used to be a time when a coach
needed a losing season to warrant a pink
slip.
There used to be a time when universi
ty officials had to get permission to talk
to a coach under contract with a differ
ent program.
There used to be a time when collegiate
athletics had an innocence about it, a time
when the games were more important
than the politics that are currently being
bandied about.
Welcome to the real world. Welcome to
the NCAA, circa 2003.
Frank Solich was canned by Nebraska
over the weekend, just days after a con
vincing defeat of Colorado. The firing
came after a 9-3 record and a potential trip
to the Holiday Bowl for the Comhuskers.
The reasoning? Oh, the program wasn't
going in the right direction, just two years
after Nebraska battled for the national
championship at the Rose Bowl.
"We're not a win-at-all costs program,"
Nebraska athletics director Steve Pederson
told The Washington Post Monday. "But
the by-product of excellence in every facet
of your program is winning. I don't apolo
gize for having high expectations. 1 think
high expectations are a part of a great uni
versity. The most disappointing thing you
can every deal with are no expectations."
What does Pederson want? Does he ex
pert the program to win 10 games every
year, especially playing in an outdated of
fense — the option — that proves to be less
and less successful every year? That's not So
lich's fault. It's the 1980s any more. No team
can dominate like Nebraska once did.
Anyone who thinks that is either too
jaded or has been sitting under a rock for
the past 10 years.
The collegiate game is adding parity
every season. How else can anyone explain
that only a handful of teams can escape
every season with less than two losses?
The bar in Nebraska has been set too
high for the modem game, a time where a
nine-win season is an accomplishment.
It's too bad Solich paid with his liveli
hood for a program that seems to think
much too highly of itself.
Note to new Nebraska head coach: Get
rid of the option offense and don't read
the newspapers in Lincoln.
Then there's the Tommy Tuberville sit
uation, the one at Auburn that seems so
laughable, so embarrassing, that Tiger offi
cials were probably wishing by now that it
were just a bad nightmare.
The skinny of the situation is that school
president William Walker and athletics direc
tor David Housel met with Louisville coach
Bobby Petrino secretly, telling no one, includ
ing Louisville's brass. Their intention: Bring
Petrino into the fold, replacing Tuberville
Naturally, word got out of the secret
rendezvous, and suffice to say, Walker and
Housel were apologetic. Apologetic,
though, to the point that either could lose
his job? Probably not, but both should
Turn to HAGER, page 6
'Anxiety’ builds
when Oregon
faces Vikings
After a 10-day break from action, Oregon
is ready and excited to face the Big Sky’s
Portland State tonight at McArthur Court.
By Jesse Thomas
Sports Reporter
For the Oregon men's basketball team, a 10-day break does
n't necessarily mean rustiness.
It has only made the team that much better.
For the past 10 days — since Oregon's 80-67 win over Fres
no State on Nov. 21 — the Ducks have
corrected all their problems.
"We've taken 10 days and broken
down what we need to get better at,"
Oregon head coach Ernie Kent said.
"We've gotten what I think a lot of coach
es over the course or me next couple weeks would love to have.
But now the Ducks have become antsy. They want the
chance to compete again. Tonight, the Ducks (1-0) face Port
land State (1-1) at McArthur Court at 7 p.m. The game will be
televised on the Oregon Sports Network.
"I see it as another opportunity to show the things that we
can do," sophomore guard Brandon Lincoln said. "We've been
anxious to play games and play against other people because
we're sick of beating up on each other in practice."
Kent said Oregon has focused on full-court pressure, work
ing in the half-court on transition and in zone defense. And, of
course, the Ducks have focused on shooting better, mainly
from the free-throw line.
But is Oregon ready for tonight?
"I hope they are; I know 1 am as a coach," Kent said. "I hope
that same anxiety is with them because that's a good thing if
it's there. And it should be there. They should be ready to play
and should be tired of practicing against each other."
The Ducks lead the series, 5-1. Oregon has won the last four
straight, including a 69-63 win last year at Memorial Colise
um. Portland State's only win in the series came in the 1997
98 season, a 56-54 triumph at McArthur Court.
The Vikings have split their openers, losing to Washington
and beating Southern Oregon. Portland State is led by guard
Blake Walker, who is averaging 18.5 points per game, and cen
ter Seamus Boxley, who is averaging a double-double (13.5
ppg, 10.5 rpg) per game.
Boxley redshirted last season because of a hand injury.
Turn to BASKETBALL, page 6
MEN'S
BASKETBALL
Adam Amato Photo Editor
Oregon senior Luke Jackson and the Ducks play their first game in 10 days when they host Portland
State tonight at McArthur Court. The Ducks beat Fresno State on Nov. 21 to open the season.
Washington State nabs Holiday Bowl,
USC remains second in BCS rankings
Mark McCambridge Photographer
Senior quarterback Matt Kegel and the Cougars are going to their third-consecutive bowl game.
They accepted an invitation to the Dec. 30 Holiday Bowl in San Diego.
The Cougars are officially headed for a San Diego
vacation with a spot in the Holiday Bowl
By Mindi Rice
Senior Sports Reporter
When the Bowl Championship Series poll was released on Mon
day, USC held firm at No. 2 while Washington State dropped even
further from the top 12 to a No. 16 ranking.
Monday's poll cleared the way for Holi
day Bowl President Pete Hedley to official
ly invite the Cougars to the Dec. 30 San
Diego-based bowl game.
"The Pacific Life Holiday Bowl looks for
ward to welcoming the Cougars and their great
tans to San Diego, Medley said Monday.
'They're an exciting team and a perfect fit for San Diego's Bowl Classic. *
Washington State will face the No. 3 team from the Big 12 Con
ference, which will be announced Dec. 7 when BCS bowl stand
ings come out. It was also announced Monday that California will
face Virginia Tech in the Insight Bowl. Unofficially, that leaves
Oregon as the Pac-10's Sun Bowl representative.
Although the Cougars ended their season with a loss in the Ap
ple Cup on Nov. 22, the team finished second in the Pacific-10 Con
ference with a 6-2 conference record and a 9-3 record overall.
"We are excited about the opportunity to play in the Pacific
Life Holiday Bowl and are looking forward to bringing Cougar
Turn to PAC-10, page 6
PAC
10