1992_11 The Daily Collegian November 1992

              O-Sports
The Daily Collegian
D
Y
November 6,1992
.
COWnMUED FROM PAW 7
WAC
thanthat
"I was diagnosed with bad
bursitis," Bakke said. Then I had
problems with my knee and ankle,
so it was like a chain reaction."
The rehabi I i tation of the injury
took five long, grueling months
and consisted of six hours of
therapy a day.
But Bakke said he feels fine
physically, but the mental side of
it has been harder to get over.
"The hard part is l&M mental
side," Bakke said. "I was scared of
pushing it but I've pretty much
overcome that now. I'm ready to
go."
FSU assistant basketball coach
Jim Saia has a positive outlook on
Bakke's present physical
condition.
"His physical condition is
great" Saia said. "And mentally
he's as tough a kid as I've ever
been around."
Bakke played in the two
exhibition games last season before
becoming a medical redshirt
He scored 12 points in the first
game against Lafayette at Selland
.Arena November 11. Bakke also
added one assist and one block in
addition to his three defensive
rebounds.
On November 14 against the
National Team from Latvia Bakke
tallied fiye points and two
rebounds, as well as a steal.
Having to sit on the bench the
entire season was tough for Bakke;
it was the first time in his career he
had .suffered such a setback.
"Sitting out made-It hard,*'
Bakke said. "You feel like part of
the team, but not as much a part of
the team as you would if you
weren't injured.''
But the 6*2", 175-pound guard
also .conceded the redshirt year
had its good points.
"It was really a blessing,"
Bakke said. "I got good grades
and was able to go home for
Christmas, .something I won't be
able to do for the next four years."
Saia agreed the redshirt year
will help Bakke.      ~*
"I'm sure he'll be much better
after the redshirt year," Saia said.
"In the long run it'll help him."
One might wonder why Bakke
chose to come to FSU, a place far
away from his home in the Pacific
Northwest But a more interesting
story is how the Bulldog coaching
staff started recruiting him.
Oddly enough, it started when
head coach Gary Colson took the
Bulldogs to Canada to face some
teams north of trie border.
Bakke's cousin, Nels
Hawkinson, works as a travel agent
who books travel for foreign as
well as domestic basketball teams.
He handles everything from the
actual travel to where the team
will eat
Hawkinson accompanied
Colson to the team's games, where
Colson told Hawkinson of his
team's need for a guard.
The re§t as they say, is history.
"Nels told coach Colson about
me and they started coming up to
watch me play," Bakke said.
Bakke made a visit to the FSU
campus and decided immediately
that this is where he wanted to
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"I knew this is where I wanted
to be," Bakke .said. "Another thing
that helped was [FSU] wanted to
sign me before my senior year. It .
was nice to have it done with so I
wouldnH^tave to worry about it
during the season."
Bakke will have a homecoming
of sorts this season when the
Bulldogs travel to Seattle
November 8 to face the University
of Washington.
"That'll be nice to have all my
family and buddies there," Bakke
said. "Hopefully I'll be able to
make it to Puyallup and see my
brother play."
This season is something Bakke
has been looking forward to since
last year, and he believes he will
be able to contribute to the team in
many ways.
"I can contribute mentally,"
Bakkesaid. "When another player
gets injured I can help encourage
him."
Bakke also is looking to fill a
leadership role on the team.
"There really isn't a dominant
team leader right now, so I think I
can contribute as a leader," Bakke
said.
Bakke will be competing
against newcomer Brian Santiago
for the starting point guard
position, a position he played in
highschool.
"I've bounced back and forth
between point guard and off-guard,
so I'll have to get the point guard
mentality back," Bakke said.
That "point guard mentality"
involves several things.
cowro-wiD
The offense has been running
on all cylinders. Ron Rivers .and
Lorenzo Neal continue to assault
the career ladder like they have
been assaulting teams lately. Trent
Dilfer and the receiving corps, led
by Tydus Winans and Malcolm
Seabron, continue to do a terrific
job for Sweeney.
Utah head Coach Ron McBride
said he is impressed with the FSU
offense.
"Excellent I like the offensive
line, the quarterback and the two
backs," he said. "The quarterback
knows what he's doing. They have
a great concept and great coaching.
"Lorenzo Neal is a stud, a man
among boys."
Sweeney said, "Ronnie is a
"I have to have good ball
handling skills," Bakke said. "I
also have to learn to create shots
for my teammates instead of
looking for the pass."
The strengths and weaknesses
of Bakke are clear, both to himself
and Saia.
"He's an excellent shooter and
is very intelligent" Saia.
"I've really improved my
shooting and I'm smart," Bakke
.said.
The only weakness Saia sees in
Bakke's game is a lack of
footspeed, but that doesn't concern
Saia.
"He lacks footspeed, but he
makes up for it in smarts," Saia
said.       /
Bakke came to FSU as a
telecommunications major with a
desire to get into broadcasting, but
has since changed his major to
history.
"I wanted the fame and glory
you hear about," Bakke sai d. "But
I realized fame and glory are not as
important as happiness."
Bakke's goals after college are
to become a teacher and basketball
coach at the high school level.
*T though about people who
have had an impact on my life,"
Bakke said. ".And I decided I
wanted to have an impact in
people's lives."
Colson and his assistants hope
Bakke will have an impact on the
basketball team this season. If he
does, the Bulldogs have a bright
future .ahead of them in their first
season in the Western Athletic
Conference.
FROM PAGE 7 	
great player. I like the way he runs;
he takes it to the ground with both
hands and finishes the run. The
truly great players take the ball to •*
the ground with both hands."
Sweeney said he expects both
teams to put on good showings.
"It's going to be a great game,"
he said.
If the Bulldogs win and San
Diego State defeats Hawaii in San
Diego, it will set up a possible
championship game in San Diego
Nov. 21.
'Notes—Fresno State
University will be offering a
special discount to the game. A
family can purchase four tickets
for $22 until 6 p.m. tonight There
isa limit of four tickets per family.
COHUHUCD FROM PAU 7
more blocks in a match. She set a
school and WAC single-match
record when she garnered nine solo
blocks against Utah Sept 12.
.Also making her presence felt
on the career charts, Regu 1 is third
in kills (1,072), third in solo blocks
(116) and fourth in block assists
"Andie [Radmilovich] and
Suzie [Regul] ha ve do ne real well.
They need to continue playing like
they have through'the second
round. We will count on them to
maintain their'level of play and
provide leadership over the next
four weeks," Vivas said.
Soph om ore outside hitter Paola
Paz-Soldan is continuing her great
play. After dumping early in the
season, Paz-Soldan increased her
level of play to the point she was
named WAC Player of the Week a
couple weeks ago.
Vivas will be counting on Paz-
Soldan to have a big match against
Colorado State. She had a season-
high 31 kills against trfe Rams Oct -
10 in the North Gym.
FSU defeated the Rams in that
match three games to one (8-15,
15-13,15-12,17-15).
Colorado State head Coach
Rich Feller is getting outstanding
play from Carrie Appleman.
Appleman leads the team is kills
063) and digs (328).
.Oneof the leaders for Wyoming
is senior Tyree Leuthauser, who
leads the. team in kills with 2$ 1.
She also leads the team in digs
with 286.
FSU defeated the Cowboys in
their first meeting at the North
Gym tliree games to none. But
those were a tough three games,
withscoresof 15-12,15-13,15-9.
ROAD
COHTINUED FROM PAW T
goals during his three-year high
school career.
Ryan Mc Mi Hen has been steady
at goal this season, and is at the
400-mark for saves in his three-
year career.-He had 175 last year
and 203 as a freshman, which
placed him 10th on the all-time
season save list. Currently,
McMillen is fifth on the all-time
career saves list. He was named to
the All-Big We& second team as a
sophomore.
The BuUdogs will then take on
Santa Clara and UC Davis, both
on the road, before coming home
to play their last game of the season
against Pepperdine at Qovis West
N