Last summer, zealots for 11 of the Big 12 basketball programs were inclined to feel a little sick to their stomachs when Kansas coach Roy Williams declared “I’m stayin.'” Their hope was that Mother North Carolina’s siren song would be too sultry to ignore and KU would become easier pickings.
In more recent times, fans of 11 schools, particularly KU diehards, had the same kinds of gastric disturbances when Missouri coach Quin Snyder told South Carolina “no soap.” There’ll be added discomfort if Tiger sophomore whiz Kareem Rush emulates Drew Gooden of Kansas and really returns for another season in Columbia.
By now, it’s set that Snyder will be coaching MU. Dukie Quin clearly saw the rebuilding job ahead at South Carolina, checked his Mizzou roster and quick-like settled in. KU fans were hoping he wouldn’t be around to work with the outstanding personnel he’ll have for 2001-02.
The silky smooth Rush said earlier he needed another year of college tutelage and experience. Yet there still are Tiger faithful who think he will renege. That would be a relief to opponents. Last season, nobody, Kansas included, had anyone who could stifle Rush when he was hale, hearty and in synch.
Even KU’s Kenny Gregory for all his athletic skills got undressed when Kareem would unfurl one of those magnificent surges. Kareem, however, saw the mistake that brother JaRon made in bolting too early from UCLA for the NBA and into oblivion. With all the other early outs from college and the wannabe hot-dogs in the high school ranks, the current market may not be too fertile.
Even without Rush, Missouri is shaping up as a fierce Big 12 power along with Kansas and Texas. With Kareem, watch out!
Champion Iowa State lost Jamaal Tinsley, Kantrail Horton, Martin Rancik and Paul Shirley. Miracle-worker that he might seem, Larry Eustachy will have a monumental test to shove the Cyclones into the title picture.
You can never shortchange the coaching talents of Kelvin Sampson at Oklahoma and the upsurge of Baylor under Dave Bliss. But right now, Kansas, Missouri and Texas loom as the standard-bearers.
Mizzou lost seniors Brian Grawer, T.J. Soyoye and Johnnie Parker, all of whom found ways to hurt Kansas at various times. KU’s departing trio of Gregory, Eric Chenowith and Luke Axtell was not comparable because of the disappointing contributions of Chenowith and Axtell.
If KU and MU were playing tonight with only veterans, the Jayhawk starting five would be Jeff Carey, Nick Collison and Drew Gooden up front and Kirk Hinrich and Jeff Boschee as the guards. Missouri’s No. 1 quintet would probably be Rush, Arthur Johnson and Ricky Paulding up front and Clarence Gilbert and Wesley Stokes as guards. KU would have a size advantage, MU more quickness and it would be one heckuva battle.
Trouble is, until Kansas gets its newcomers into town, MU enjoys a slight depth advantage, which could be boosted by a touted freshman group due this fall. Yearling Travon Bryant didn’t get blended in until late last season and he could become quite a force.
Sobering, of course, is a heralded Mizzou recruiting class of 6-foot-6 forward Duane John, 6-10 center Jeffery Ferguson and 6-7 forward Najeeb Nichols. If the Tigers get 6-9 forward Robert Whaley of Benton Harbor, Mich., out of trouble long enough, he might help. But Robert keeps having brushes with the law and indications are his scholarship soon will be assigned to somebody else. His penchant for violent behavior is quite off-putting even for a physical Missouri program.
Unless Bryant Nash becomes an overnight sensation, KU badly needs frontline help for next season. The faithful hope that 6-9, 245-pound phenom Wayne Simien of Leavenworth is the key ingredient for a title run. But there’s that shoulder surgery which must be proved a whopping success before that can happen so the kid can get enough experience to be a forceful thundermug by January.
Guard-wise, the Jayhawks seem to be solid with Hinrich and three-year veteran Boschee, Aaron Miles and Michael Lee of Oregon and sharpshooting Keith Langford coming in as a swingman. But at this point, KU and MU seem likely to break out of the gate about dead-even.
As for Texas, about its only loss was guard Darren Kelly, good but not superb. Returnees include muscular Chris Owens and Wichitan Maurice Evans who might get more shots with Kelly gone. Four fine freshman had experience last year Royal Ivey, Brian Boddicker, James Thomas and Brandon Mouton.
Then there is 5-11 McDonald All-American T.J. Ford, an incoming freshman who can quarterback, shoot the ball and play defense. Heck, all Galli-Curci could do was sing. Texas nuts are talking “Isiah Thomas” or “Bobby Hurley”. If he’s half that good, watch out for the Longhorns.
Not sure how good the other nine league teams might be in 2001-02, but with Roy, Quin and Kareem staying and Texas poised for a hard run, the Big 12 should provide innumerable stimulating moments to titillate our senses.
