The Des Moines Register from Des Moines, Iowa • Page 41

01 jy-ynyiy-yr-yy--pB yp-iy hp p-mi- -limn yiiiii" inf i m0 pj'priynptiF''T'y 4J Sljc ties Jlloincs iRe qistcr DAVID WITKE, Executive Sports Editor, 515-284-8130 Letting It Fly Under new management, tlw Iowa State women's team is hitting its three-point shots. Page4S Thtksday, Novembku23, 1995 tate's talent tap 'Phew SP(Q)lf 1 1 pea eany fj: KHI'H i 1 Li Wealth of early signings testimony to improving the caliber of boys' basketball across Iowa. lb Ankeny leads The Register's Class 4-A boys' basketball rankings. Jackson Jones, 16, is a red-hot recruit at Cedar Rapids Jefferson. Page 2S Marc Hansen By DAN JOHNSON Rkoistkk Staff Wkitkk HUMS VisSi TP?" Cedar Rapids Kennedy announced for Drake and Cedar Rapids Washington's Ryan Luehrsmann chose Iowa.

The fall signing period November of a player's senior year was started in the early 1980s as an early signing period. With the boys' season about to begin Tuesday, even the early date is becoming outmoded. Basketball analyst Van Coleman, who runs the FutureStars camp, said it's part of an evolution between the recruiting process and the improving caliber of basketball in Iowa. Coleman said he feels 56 Iowa high school players have the potential to play at the Division I or II level. "Ten years ago, it would have been 20 to 25, maximum," he said.

"There's 14 or 15 in each class. The quality has really improved, there's no 'ifs, ands or buts' about that. "We are improving here because coaches have taken on the style of the day and do yVT'vS i i fx, an excellent job teaching kids. We have g(K)d quality coaches in the state, and people realize it. In general, we have good kids." Coleman said the trend to earlier commitments isn't rest ricted to Iowa.

Normally 20 to 30 underclassmen commit to colleges nationwide. "This year, there are 40 to 50 in the nation," he said. "It's unusually high. It goes in cycles." Not coincidentally, last season's sopho-. more commitments came after Raef PREPS PUme turn to Page 2S It didn't take long for Lake Mills Coach Kevin Nelson to notice the effects of a recruiting trend in high school basketball.

A year ago, sophomores Dean Oliver of Mason City and Ricky Davis of Davenport North announced they wanted to play basketball at Iowa. After that, the attention turned to Andy Stensrud, Lake Mills' sophomore center. "The intensity definitely picked up," Nelson said. "Within a week of that, both Iowa and Iowa State paid visits to our practices." After the season, Stensrud committed to Iowa State while junior Aaron Johanns of TIIKRKGISTKK' Jackson Jones of Cedar Rapids Jefferson, left, is a hotly recruited player. Gophers bury coaches here owa City is where Minnesota football coaches go to die.

Since 1983 anyway. That's when the Gophers began playing the Hawkeyes on the last week of the season. For two of the three men who preceded Jim Wacker in Minneapolis, Kinnick Stadium has been a sink hole with yard lines. The drill goes like this: Lose a game at Iowa, lose your job. Joe Salem joined the Gophers in 1979, the same year Hayden Fry joined the Hawkeyes.

After winning their first three meetings, Smoky Joe hit the wall. The week before the '83 finale at Iowa, having lost nine straight, Salem announced his resignation. Given the outcome Hawkeyes 61, Gophers 10 he would have been better off handing the controls to someone else and slipping quietly into the sunset. In 1989, John Gutekunst's fourth year in Minneapolis, the Gophers rolled into Kinnick Stadium and won, 43-7. 1 don't know whether the victory was a job-saver, but two years later, AP says it's 111 M.m r4 Cyclone is all-Big Eight it OFFENSE QB Tommie Frazier, Nebraska.

Srj 6-2. 205 Bradenton. Fla The drill goes like this: Lose a game at Iowa, lose your job. RB Troy Davis. Iowa Slate.

182. Miami. Fla. RB David Thompson. Oklahoma Statjft 5 8.

200. Okla. J-TE Stephen Alexander. Oklahoma. Sat? 6-5, 230.

Chickasha. Okla. WR Kevin Lockett, Kansas State. Jri 6-0. 175.

Tulsa, Okla. WR Rae Carruth, Colorado. 6-0 180. Sacramento, Calif. Aaron Graham, Nebraska, 6-4.

285. Denton. Texas Ol Heath Irwin, Colorado. 6-5, 1 fc jf- '( 290. Boulder, Colo.

OL Aaron Taylor, Nebraska a. 6-1. 6-4. 295. Wichita Falls.

Texas. OL Chris Naeole, Colorado, o. 285. Kaaawa. Hawaii OL Chris Banks, Kansas, 6-2.

285. Lexington, Mo. PK Jeremy Alexander, Oklahoma, 5-11, 175. Claremore, Okla. DEFENSE DL Tim Colston.

Kansas State. 6-1. 275. Tampa, Fla. OL Cedric Jones, Oklahoma, 6-4, Kansas City, Mo.

(AP) A sophomore who started the season as a virtual unknown leads The Associated Press' all-Big Eight Conference football team. Iowa State's Troy Davis, the first sophomore to rush for 2,000 yards in a season and only the fifth in the history of major-college football, was named on every ballot of a panel of reporters, Davis burst to national stardom on an Iowa State team that won just three games. In his season finale at Missouri, he averaged 7.5 yards on 24 carries for 180 yards, pushing his season total to 2,010. The only other men to rush for 2,000 in a season, all Heisman winners, were Southern California's Marcus Allen, Colorado's Ras-haan Salaam, Oklahoma State's Barry Sanders and Nebraska's Mike Rozier. "The first time we gave him the ball in spring practice last March, we knew we had something special," Iowa State Coach Dan McCar-ney said.

"Troy has had a magnificent season." Tommie Frazier, who has a 31-3 record as a four-year starter for No. 1 -ranked Nebraska, also was a unanimous choice. Kansas State, which finished second nationally in total defense, had the most unanimous selections in balloting by a panel of media observers. Kansas State, which finished in a tie for second with Colorado and Kansas, had the other three unanimous selections. Receiver Kevin Lockett, whose 13 touchdown catches rate second in the nation, collected every first-place vote.

So did defensive lineman Tim Colston and cornerback Chris Canty, who set a school record with eight interceptions. Kansas 21. Houston, lexas DL Christian Peter, Nebraska, 6-2. 290. Locust, J.

LB Percell Gaskins. Kansas State. 6-1. 215. Ormand Beach, Fla.

LB Jared Tomich, Nebraska. 6 2, 250. St. John. Ind LB Terrell Farley.

Nebraska, 6-1, 205. Columbus, Ga LB Matt Russell, Colorado. 6-2, 240. Fairview Hights. III.

wd niis uamy, rdiias sidle, DO, 5 10. 190 Voorhees I -V DB Tyrone Williams. Nebraska, 6-0, 185. Palmetto. Fla.

TV. vo joe uoruon, ivansas 3iaie, a-y, 1 75. Arlington, Texas. HIIJ-NKIIIKKCAI-ITiIkKm asTKK OB Dorian Brew, Kansas, 5-10. Troy Davis of Iowa State picks up some of the 2,0 1 0 yards that put him on the All-Big Eight team.

175, Florissant. Mo. Greg Ivy, Oklahoma State. 6-0, 190, Atlanta. Texas I Lightest first-team player: Kevin Lockett, Dorian I Number of first- and second-team selections: Nebraska, 12, Kansas State 10, Colorado, 9, Kansas Brew, Joe Gordon, 175.

6, Oklahoma 4, Oklahoma State 3, Missouri 2, Iowa State linebacker Percell Gaskirfs' missed being unanimous by ie vote. The Big Eight, which has exist xf unchanged since 19(i0, is merghgj next season with Texas, Texas) A Texas Tech and Baylofjtr form the Big 1 2 Conference. SECOND, THIRD TEAMS Page Farthest from home: Chris Naeole, Colorado, from Kaaawa, Hawaii. State producing most first-team players: Florida, 5- Repeat Winners: Tim Colston, Kansas State; Ced-ric Jones, Oklahoma; Joe Gordon, Kansas State; Greg Ivy, Oklahoma State. State 2.

Tallest first-team player: Stephen Alexander, Oklahoma; Heath Irwin, Colorado, both 6-5. Shortest first-team player: Troy Davis, Iowa State, 5-8. Heaviest first-team player: Aaron Taylor, Nebraska, 295 pounds. the Gophers were in Iowa City again. This time they lost, 23-8.

Gooty was soon a goner. Iowa was also the final stop for Lou Holtz, a Minnesota coach who managed to avoid the standard blindfold and cigarette. After the Hawkeyes' 31-9 victory in 1985, while the rest of the Gophers were on their way to the Independence Bowl, Holtz was headed for Notre Dame. Now comes Jim Wacker, the embattled coach of the moment, dragging his 3-7 record behind him. Will this be the last stop for Wacker, too? New athletic director Mark Dien-hart says he'll decide sometime next week.

"Obviously," Dienhart told the St. Paul Pioneer Press, "we're not anywhere near where we want to be. I want to hear Jim's plan for the future. I bleed for the kids in the program right now who haven't had a winning experience." In the fourth year of a five-year contract, despite only seven victories in 31 Big Ten games, Wacker would not be easy to fire. Minnesota has averaged 48,574 fans this season, most since 1987.

The graduation rate is up. A league-high 15 Gophers were recently named to the Big Ten's all-academic team. (Iowa had 14). Wacker is a low-maintenance, high-integrity coach. He is unlikely to embarrass the university.

He doesn't whine, complain or look for scapegoats. He's warm, he's colorful, he's done everything the administration asked him to do except win football games. If Minnesota loses to Iowa, and if Indiana beats Purdue, the Gophers will finish in last place for the third time in four years. Wacker's approval rating took a severe hit last week when Minnesota lost to Illinois, 48-14. "After the game, my feeling was that they should fire me," he said, half in jest, at his weekly news conference.

"We played a terrible game and I felt like I was part of the problem." Indeed, if he's responsible for the defense, he's part of the problem. While the offense is explosive, the defense is a drag. The Gophers gave up 31 points a game last year. This year they're giving up 32. Last year, Northwestern gave up 32 points per game.

This year the Wildcats gave up 12. Northwestern has been great for college football, not so great for its coaches. Like some of his Big Ten colleagues, Wacker is fighting the Horatio Alger story in Evanston. If Gary Barnett can overcome all these obstacles, why can't Wacker1? Or Jim Colletto at Purdue? Or Lou Tcpper at Illinois? Or even Fry at Iowa? Quote: "I really believe with the talent we have coming back, we can make one of the greatest turnarounds in the country." Speaker: Gary Barnett? Nope. Wacker of Minnesota.

At his weekly news conference this week, Fry said he was worried about Minnesota rallying around its beleaguered coach. It's possible. But if these Gophers rally around Wacker the way the those other Gophers rallied around Salem and Gutekunst, Fry's i Ohio No Match for No. 10 Hawkeyes in Alaska Sexual Assault Charge ISU wrestler Morning Report Iowa rolls in opener, 78-51 Cruz arrested Scores suspended Rkoistkk Anchorage, Alaska Iowa's season of high expectations got off to a solid start Wednesday. Ames, la.

(AP) Iowa St it BIG TEW BASKETBALL (J iArirona 86(J 6j Michigan 79 Santa Clara 77 Michigan St ate 7 1 Wisconsin 104 Chaminade 66 TOP25 BASKETBALL nderbilt 75 (4) UCLA 71 wrestler Alfonso Cruz was charged (5) Geo town 94 (25) Ga Tech (6) Connecticut vs. Texas Christian (3)Villanova vs. (20) N. Carolina AT ANCHORAGE WEDNESDAY'S GAMES (ALL TIMES CENTRAL) Iowa 78, Ohio 51 Texas Christian vs. Connecticut TODAY'S GAMES 9:00 Indiana vs.

Alaska-Anchorage 11:35 Old Dominion vs. Duke (ESPN) FRIDAY'S GAMES 3:30 Ohio (0-1 vs. Texas Christian-Connecticut loser 5:45 IndianaAlaska-Anchorage loser vs. Old Dominion-Duke loser 8:05 Iowa (1-0) vs. Texas Christian-Connecticut winner 11:05 IndianaAlaska-Anchorage winner vs.

Old Dominion-Duke winner (ESPN) The No. 10 Hawkeyes broke open a close game with a 20-2 first-half nin and coasted to a 78-51 victory over Ohio in the first round of the Great Alaska Shootout at Sullivan Arena. The Hawk- Wednesday with sexual assaulf and suspended from the team. "I will wait to take further actiori until I have investigated this incij dent more thoroughly," Coaclf Bobby Douglas said. Ames police said a woman.

re ported being sexually assaulted around 4:45 a.m. Wednesday. CruJ 27, and Phillip Christopher Castr 21, of Tucson, were arrested NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE Millard 18 points Ohio rallied and the Hawkeyes made a big run before halftime. The Bobcats turned the ball over five times in the first 5 minutes, and Iowa jumped to a 10-3 lead. But Ohio Coach Larry Hunter inserted Gus Johnson into the lineup.

Johnson, a starter last season, had minor knee surgery three weeks ago. Hunter moved shooting guard Gcno Ford to point guard and started freshman Corey Reed alongside him. But with Johnson in, Ford moved back to point guard, and the Bobcats jumped to a 25-19 lead with 8 minutes 50 seconds remaining. Johnson had two three-pointers in the rally. The second one gave Ohio its six-point lead.

The Bobcats rallied while controlling tempo, slowing the pace of the game. But Iowa responded with its 20-2 run, and did it by speeding up the pace. Ford picked up his third foul at the 4-minute mark when he hacked Settles. Settles made one of two free throws, and the Hawkeyes scored eight points in less than a minute. When Ryan Bowen put in a lob pass for a point-blank basket, Iowa had its biggest lead of the half, 39-27, with 2:240 play.

around 10 a.m. Police said the woman and Cm: Detroit 5 San Jose 2 Harttord NY Islanders 5 Los Angeles 2 Rangers 4 Pittsburgh 3 Tampa Bay 3 New Jersey Winnipeg i 3 San Jose Vancouver 3t NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION Bostori Chicago 03 San Antonio 94 Houston 115 Philadelphia 106 Miami LLGpldenSJate 93 Milwaukee 96 loronto 86 New York 94Clnveianfl 84 Orlando 95 Vancouver 93 Seattle 06. Minnesota 97 Washington 98 Detroit 97 and Castro were acquaintances tastro was visiting iruz, wnins also from Tucson. Each man faces two counts third-degree sexual abuse in Storsl County District Court. They iinj eyes move on to second-round play at 8:05 p.m.

Friday against the winner of the Connecticut-Texas Christian game played later Wednesday. Friday's game will be televised by ESPN2. Senior center Russ Millard led the Hawkeyes with 18 points, the third-highest scoring game of his career. His career high is 25 points against Duke as a sophomore. He also scored 22 at Minnesota as a sophomore.

Kenyon Murray added 16 points, Andre Woolridge 13 and Jess Settles 1 1 for Iowa, which won the Great Alaska Shoot oi the last being held in the Story County jai time it appeared in 1986. Wednesday's victory was the Hawkeyes' third over Ohio since December. Iowa beat the Bobcats in the final of last season's Hawkeye Invitational, 91-75, then won a 06-62 decision in a second-round National Invitation Tournament game in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes won by speeding up the tempo of the game to their liking, dominat ing the glass, forcing countless turnovers with their press and getting balanced scoring. Iowa got off to a quick start, on bond each.

Cruz, a senior, advanced throuc two matches at 118 pounds in th NCAA tournament last seaso before failing to make weight fo NOTE TO READERS Today's Des Moines Register was published on a production schedule with early deadlines. Results o( some Wednesday night games not in this edition ol The Register will be published in Friday's newspaper. i the semifinals. He finished th season wiin a -1 1 rocorci. worries are few..