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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 3, 2005)
Oregon Daily Emerald Thursday, February 3, 2005 “Guys were talking about hunting, but I’m a city kid. I don’t hunt... but I know what it feels like to be hunted. I’m from the ’hood. ” Cuttino Mobley | Sacramento Kings guard Tim Bobosky | Photographer Oregon freshman center Gabrietle Richards, seen here helping up teammate Yadili Okwumabua in a game against California earlier this year, has become known for putting in extra effort for her teammates. ■ Women’s basketball Mac court Mama Freshman Gabrielle Richards is known by teammates as 'Mama Gabes' off the court and is making a name for herself on it as well BY BRIAN SMITH SPORTS REPORTER Classes and basketball just aren’t enough. It’s almost second nature, but her duties ex tend beyond just practices and games. There are the calls from sick teammates: the headaches, the pains. For which she has the solutions. An aspirin here, some hot tea there. And there are other things. Rides around town. The all important trips to the mall. Relationship problems. Anything you can think of — she is always there to turn to. To the rest of the world, she is freshman center Gabrielle Richards. To her teammates, “Mama Gabes” will do just fine. “Say you’re sick, and there’s no doctors around — you would go to Mama Gabes and tell her you’re not feeling well,” sophomore Eleanor Haring said. “She would have some thing (for you), make you tea, something. Or if you need a ride to the mall, she’ll take you. She’ll be like your mom and get it done.” And it’s not only off the court where Richards is getting things done and making an impact. She’s getting it done on the court as well, despite the fact that she is a true freshman trying to fit in on a Division I collegiate basketball team. “It has been a little bit difficult to try and establish where I fit in and (what) my role (is) on the team,” Richards said. “So I struggled a bit to find that, but each game it can be differ ent, I’ve decided. I’m trying to do what the team needs.” And as the first 20 games indicate, those needs change from day to day. Richards has yet to start a game for the Ducks, but that has not stopped her from becoming the third-lead ing rebounder on the team. Or dropping a team-high 15 points against Arizona. Or pulling down a team-high 11 rebounds on the road against Colorado State. Or doing something as simple as spelling Andrea Bills or Cathrine Kraayeveld for a few minutes in a tight game. Whatever the team needs. In addition, the 6-foot-3 native of Seymour, Australia, isn’t particular to what part of the floor she plays on. Richards has the ability to play down low — and somewhat sheepishly admits enjoying this position — but is also quick to counter that she can step outside and play on the perimeter. “At the moment, I’m kinda doing both,” Richards said. “At home I was more of a low post player, and by the end of the year (2003-04) I moved out to the perimeter and did a lot out there. So it’s kinda fun. I really enjoy doing both.” Which doesn’t mean the two roles are without their differences. “You have to do so much more work in the post,” Richards said. “Whereas on the perimeter, they just stand there. Posts have to run the full length of the court, guards just run from three-point line to three-point line. But I don’t really mind.” Richards spent most of her time at the Aus tralian Institute of Sport playing in the post, alongside fellow teammate Haring. “Gabe has traditionally always brought leadership and rebounding, and I think she continues to bring that here at Oregon,” Har ing said. “Her rebounding skills are so good, and it’s great to have her down there (in the post). She’s pretty solid, and she is getting better every day. ” Her skills near the basket propelled her to second in the Women’s National Basketball League in rebounds per game, behind only her idol, fellow WNBL star Lauren Jackson. “(Richards) is a very important impact player from both inside and outside,” Oregon RICHARDS, page 14 ■ Pac-10 notes Surprises, upsets play big part in women's Pac-10 Oregon defeating then-No. 10 ranked Stanford 62-58 in December is just one of many wins in the conference that has defied standings BY STEPHEN MILLER SPORTS REPORTER Throw the rankings, the odds and the win ning streaks out the window when it comes to college basketball. Washington State women’s head coach Sherri Murrell said her team’s confidence was restored when the Cougar men overthrew No. 11 Arizona last week. “The hope that we can beat a ranked team or overcome streaks and odds ... The men defied that, and we have to build on that,” Murrell said. There are women’s teams in the Pacific-10 Conference that can pull off that same sort of win, and some of them have already proved it. Early in the season, Arizona State upset then ranked No. 11 Georgia and No. 8 Connecticut by ten or more points each in a two-week span. UCLA surprised then-No. 4 Texas and No. 14 Purdue on consecutive weekends to earn a low spot in the Associated Press Top 25 poll for several weeks, until it assumed its cur rent downward spiral as a result of an injury to sophomore Noelle Quinn. On the same day that the Bruins knocked off the Longhorns, Stanford — the conference’s best team at 10-1 and 19-2 overall — beat No. 12 Texas Tech. In its fourth game of the season, Washington also managed to roll over a ranked team. The victim: then-No. 14 Minnesota. Arguably the biggest defeat between two Pac 10 teams occurred when Oregon upended then No. 10 Stanford on Dec. 29. The Ducks secured so much confidence from that win that they haven’t lost a home game since. Undeniably, these wins provide underdogs everywhere some much needed motivation and a glance at the possibilities in front of them. “(The Pac-10) just has great balance in a number of top teams,” said Oregon State head coach Judy Spoelstra, whose team is WOMEN, page 14 OREGON FOOTBALLS SIGNED RECRUITS 2005 The Oregon football team signed 23 players to transfers, 12 California recruits, a lone Oregon nation, according to Rivals.com. Pos. Matt Bramow Jairus Byrd Tucker Callahan Ed Dickson Matt Dragich (Jr.) James Finley (Jr.) Kevin Garrett Levi Horn Titus Jackson Jeremiah Johnson Derrick Jones Palauni Ma Sun (Jr.) Chris Mulvanny (Jr.) Blair Phillips (Jr.) Nick Reed Pat So'oalo (Jr.) Jonathan Stewart Mark Sunga Walter Thurmond III Simi Toeaina Brian Truelove Jason Turner (Jr.) Mat Webb WR/DB DB LB TE P WR LB/DB TE DB RB WR OL LB LB DL OL RB LS DB DL DL LB OL Ht. 6-3 5- 10 6- 1 &5 60 6-2 5- 11 6- 6 60 5- 10 60 6- 5 6-1 6-2 &2 6-4 5-10 5-11 5- 11 6- 3 6-2 6-1 6-5 a letter of intent Wednesday. The class includes seven junior college recruit and Jonathan Stewart - the No. 1 rated running back recruit in the Wgt. Hometown/ High School 197 Eugene, Ore. (South Eugene) 204 Clayton, Mo. (Clayton HS) 205 Fairhope, Ala. (FairhopeHS) 225 Bellflower, Calif. (Bellflower HS) 220 San Pedro, Calif. (El Camino College / San Pedro HS) 200 Los Angeles, Calif. (Compton CC / Manual Arts HS) 205 Carson, Calif. (Narbonne HS) 280 Spokane, Wash. (Rogers HS) 180 Pomona, Calif. (Diamond Ranch HS) 186 Los Angeles, Calif. (Dorsey HS) 176 Gardena, Calif. (Long Beach Poly) 365 Waipahu, Hawai' i (Fresno City College / Kahuku HS) 213 Pleasant Hill, Calif. (Diablo Valley Coll. / De La Salle HS) 238 Alexandria, La. (Miss. Gulf Coast CC / Bolton HS) 236 Trabuco Canyon, Calif. (Mission Viejo) 340 Kaneche, Hawai' i (Fresno City College / Kailua HS) 228 Lacey, Wash. (Timberline HS) 223 Van Nuys, Calif. (Notre Dame HS) 166 West Covina, Calif. (West Covina) 285 Afono, American Somoa (Samoana HS) 265 Snellville, Ga. (Brookwood HS) 224 La Crescenta, Calif. (West LA College / St. Francis HS) 290 Vancouver, Wash. (Heritage HS)
