Sports
The Battalion
Page 4 • Tuesday, January 14, 200;
Aggies prepare to face challenging Big 12 schedule
Texas A&M will have its hands full during
conference play, facing the elite caliber of teams
the Big 12 has to offer. Several of the Aggies’
strongest challengers hail from the northernmost
schools in the conference, including Kansas, last
year’s regular season conference champions. To
maintain aspirations for post-season play, A&M
will first have to survive the Big 12 gauntlet that
extends into early March.
Tech. Kansas swept through the Big 12 a season
ago, remaining undefeated in conference play.
“Kansas may be as good as ever,” said A&M
head coach Melvin Watkins.
“After a bumpy start, they
appear to be playing their
best basketball, and that is no
surprise.”
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COLORADO
The Buffaloes rode a six-game winning streak
into conference play thanks to impressive output by
the team’s young talent. Junior guard Michel
Morandais and sophomore center David Harrison
paved the way for Colorado, each contributing just
more than 16 points per contest. Injuries, hurt
Colorado in 2002, and, according to CNNSl.com,
head coach Ricardo Patton is hoping for better luck
with his cunent team.
“To win in this league is tough,” Patton said to
CNNSI.com. “As well as being good, you’ve got to
be a little lucky.”
KANSAS STATE
Kansas State returns a
veteran team, this sea
son. Seniors Gilson
DeJesus and Pervis
Pasco are dangerous
offensively for the
steadily improving
Wildcats.
“If this team plays
up to its potential,
with the quality of
players we have
returning in the pro
gram, I believe we have a
good shot at challenging
for a postseason berth,”
Wooldridge said to CNNSI.com.
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A glance at the Texas A&M men’s basketball
schedule would likely send chills down the spine of
any basketball coach in the country.
Forced to play each of the other five Big 12
South schools twice this season will likely leave
A&M head coach Melvin Watkins feeling the pain
again this season.
Led by the University of Texas at No. 4 in the
nation in the latest ESPN/USA Today Top 25 Poll,
the Big 12 South, with four teams ranked in the
Top 25, is stacked with talent and is building
a reputation as one of the toughest blocks
\ of teams to play in the nation.
into conference play, yet Sampson still isn’t pleasl
with the offensive output of his team.
“We’d like to score more/’ Sampson said Up
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realize that the name of the game is to win, J
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IOWA STATE
The Cyclones began the season on a tear, win
ning 10 of their first 11 games prior to the daunting
task of competing with the nationally ranked Texas
Longhorns and Kansas Jayhawks in consecutive
games. Junior Jake Sullivan’s leadership has led to
the Cyclones’ early success. Sullivan’s 18.6 points
per game are third in the Big 12 this season. Head
coach Larry Eustachy and his team will try to
bounce back from two straight losses on Jan. 18
when the Oklahoma Sooners visit Ames.
NO. 11 MISSOURI
The future looks bright for
the Tigers, a team that gained its
current level of recognition via
junior leadership. Three juniors for
the Tigers have each averaged more
than 16 points per game. Forward
Rickey Paulding’s 18.3 points per game
lead all Missouri scorers.
“Missouri is a team that can score a lot
of points on you in transition, and they are
also a team that will pound it inside,”
Watkins said.
BAYLOR
Led by sophomore forward
Lawrence Roberts, the Bears
roughed up on their non-conference
opponents en route to a 9-2 record
before falling to No. 13 Missouri
in their Big 12 opener. 77-69.
The road does not look
much easier for the Bears in
the near future as they are in
the midst of a Ftve-
game streak against
ranked opponents.
Roberts is fifth in
the Big 12 in
rebounding with
9.1 boards per game.
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NO. 24 OKLAHOMA STATE
After defeating the Aggies on Saturday, 93-76,
their conference opener, the Cowboys moved e
the Top 25 poll this week.
“Unfortunately, we were playing one of thebe
ter teams in the conference.” Watkins mk
“Oklahoma State was playing very well.”
The Cowboys showed they might have enous
punch to upend higher-ranked conference opa
nents w hen they toppled No. 10 Michigan States
her this season to begin a 10-game w inning strut
NO. 12 KANSAS
Not surprisingly, Kansas has been dominant
offensively throughout the early stages of the bas
ketball season, easily outscoring all other Big 12
teams at 88.3 points per game. Senior Nick
Collison’s 19.2 points per game are second in the
conference only to junior Andre Emmett of Texas
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NEBRASKA
Nebraska returned an experienced group of play
ers this year including sophomore guard Jake
Muhleisen. Muhleisen averaged just less than 12
points per game last season as a freshman. The
Comhuskers pose a considerable threat defensively,
and they emphasize limiting an opponent’s opportu
nities outside the arch. This style of defense could
prove a challenge for the Aggies, who frequently
take the long shots.
“They are a team that defends the three-point
shot very well, and they rebound very well,”
Watkins said.
NO. 5 OKLAHOMA
A year after visiting the
NCAA Final Four, the
Sooners are focused on
defense and holding
their own in the nation
al spotlight.
After struggling
early in the non-confer
ence season with losses
against No. 8 Alabama and No. 17
Mississippi State, the Sooners have
shown that they might not have the
inside track in the Big 12.
However, OU held No. 14
Michigan State and No. 3
Connecticut to only 58 and 63
points respectively in winning
their final two games of the non-con
ference schedule.
Seniors Hollis Price and Ebi Ere are fourth and
fifth respectively in scoring in the conference and
are leading head coach Kelvin Sampson’s squad
NO. 4 TEXAS
The Longhorns have quietly risen to the top;
the rankings despite carrying two losses into fit
conference season.
Sophomore T.J. Ford is leading the Longhorns
scoring and leading the Big 12 in assists with’
per game.
The Longhorns dropped two consecutive gamt
earlier this season to the University of Notre Dar
and No. 1 Arizona
“We wanted to play teams that I thought cot
win their league, said U I head coach Rick Bam
“Hopefully what we have done so far has prepare BED AND
us for conference play.”
NO. 25 TEXAS TECH
In his second year at Texas Tech University,hei end get ‘f'" a y s 1
coach Bobby Knight has turned the Red Raider tc s '
into a formidable basketball program again.
Knight took the Raiders from a 10-18 season
2(KK)-2(K)I to a 23-9 finish last season.
Led by junior Andre Emmett, who is leadingth
Big 12 m scoring w ith 21.7 points per game,
Raiders will look to reach the NCAA toumamenil 1
for the second consecutive year. The Formei
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