European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 1, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 22 b the stars and stripes saturday february 1,1992 College basketball season s extremes already in focus by Gene Wojciechowski the Ixo Angeles times every Road even the one that leads to Minneapolis Home of this years final four should have a rest Stop. With that in mind we present the mid season pause that refreshes a look at this seasons winners and losers. By major conferences Atlantic coast Best team Duke. Best player Christian laettner Duke. A 20-Point, eight rebound average. And he plays Only about 28 minutes per game. Biggest Surprise team Florida state. The seminoles newcomers to the competitive acc entered thursday nights game against Duke with a 5-2 conference record including Road victories against North Carolina Wake Forest Maryland and Georgia tech. Wake Forest coach Dave Odom said the three guard setup that Florida state uses is a almost like playing a Wishbone team for the first  that makes sense Point guard Charlie Ward is a backup quarterback on the Seminole football team. Biggest Surprise player Sam Cassell Florida state. Despite being rated perhaps the Best Junior College guard last season Cassells scoring Success has turned More than a few Heads. Biggest disappointment team Wake Forest. Biggest disappointment player Anthony Oliver Virginia. The senior guard has struggled like a freshman. Coach of the mid season Mike Krzyzewski Duke. And Florida states Pat Kennedy Isnit far behind. By seasons end everyone will be talking about Duke and Blue Devil Forward Grant  East Best team Connecticut. Best player Alonzo mourning Georgetown. The hoyas will go As far As mourning a shoulders can carry them. Biggest Surprise team Syracuse. Picked sixth in the coaches preseason poll the lowest Ever or the orangemen Syracuse Ras confounded even coach Jim Boeheim. Biggest Surprise player Lawrence Moten Syracuse. This is a freshman Connecticut a Donyell Marshall is a close second. Biggest disappointment team St. Johns. Picked to win the conference by the coaches the red men can to even beat lowly Miami. Biggest disappointment player Luther Wright Seton Hall. Wright the halts 7-foot-l Center still suffers from a severe Case of inconsistency. Coach of the mid season based on what he has and what he has done with it Boeheim squeaks past Connecticut a Jim Calhoun. By seasons end everyone will be talking about Connecticut and  eight Best team Oklahoma state. Best player Anthony Peeler Missouri. Sincere apologies to Oklahoma states Byron Houston. Biggest Surprise team Iowa state. Contrary to the preseason poll the cyclones wont finish sixth in this league. Biggest Surprise player Rex Walters Kansas. The coaches at Northwestern still mourn the Day Walters decided to Transfer. Biggest disappointment team Kansas state. We thought the wildcats were Mcaa bound. Not this season they Arentt. Biggest disappointment Placer Darryl King Kansas state. He could have been a contender. Instead he got booted off the team. Coach of the mid season Johnny out Iowa state. By seasons end everyone will be talking about Oklahoma state and Byron  ten Best team Indiana. Best player. Jim Jackson Ohio state. If you ask us the Best player in the country. Biggest Surprise team Minnesota. Deadly at Home. Biggest Surprise player to Shon Lenard. Michigan a Jalen Rose and Chris Webber got much of the preseason hype but Lenard another Detroit prep Star has earned our mid season nod. Biggest disappointment team Iowa. The Hawk eyes have experience and Acie Earl but not enough victories to show for it. Biggest disappointment player Matt Steigenga. Michigan. State expected More. Coach of the mid season Clem Haskins Minnesota. By seasons end everyone will be talking about Indiana and Michigan a  10 Best team Urcla Best player the gutless pick would be a tie among Uscz a Harold Miner Stanford Sadam Keefe and a clan a Don Maclean. But what a the fun of that Miner leads the league in scoring averages 7.3 rebounds and is perhaps the most exciting offensive player in the country. Keefe is second in scoring first in rebounding ninth in assists fifth in Field goal percentage first in steals and sixth in free throw percentage. And the Guy plays hard every minute. Maclean recorded the performance of the mid season when he scored 38 Points in the Bruins Victory at Arizona. He is third in the conference in scoring seventh in rebounding 10th in Field goal percentage and first in free throw percentage. He was ill when the Bruins beat Stanford but still scored 17 Points. And our Choice by the narrowest of margins Keefe. Biggest Surprise team Stanford. Biggest Surprise player Duane Cooper us. Everyone knew he was a great defender but his 11.4-Point average second Best on the team is a pleasant Bonus. Biggest disappointment team California. The Golden bears had a boffo recruiting year Haven to had any notable injuries and still Haven to won a conference game. Runner up Arizona state. Biggest disappointment player Billy Dreher California. He led the conference in three Point shooting last season. This season he has hardly made a Dent. Coach of the mid season Jim Harrick Urcla. The Bruins have beaten Indiana ended arizonan finds his stature growing by Neil Best new Day Bob Knight and Jerry Walker said it differently but the Gist was the same Ohio states Jim Jackson May be the most widely respected player in the country. A a he a one of the rare kids who can really play a and obviously knows he can play because he has a lot of Confidence a but does no to act like it a the Indiana coach said. A a he Sas Good an example for kids to emulate As in be seen in the big  a a he a a Cool brother a the Seton Hall Forward said. A a he a not egotistical never forces shots unselfish just a great All around  empty Praise for opponents is a Staple of College basketball but in Jackson Scase it clearly is sincere. In a landscape littered with trash talking and pasturing the buckeyes Star Junior is a Model of Businesslike excellence. A the does everything right on and off the court a Ohio state coach Randy Ayers said. Jackson is the Best player in America under 6-8, and he might be the Best All around player at any height no offence Shaw. The muscular 66 210-Pounder plays three positions from Point guard to Small Forward and has few equals at any of them. In sundays 68-64 loss to Seton Hall which he nearly pulled out single Anderly after a cold Start he was guarded by four pirates including Walker. A a he san excellent Post player and an excellent Point guard a Walker said. A the can play a lot of  Jackson was big ten freshman of the year in 1989-90 and player of the year in �?T9091 after averaging 18.9 Points 5.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists. This season he is averaging 23.9 Points 6.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists and is shooting 46 percent 23 for 50 from three Point Range for the loth ranked buckeyes 12-3. A a in a More confident than i was last year a said Jackson who starred in the pan am Ohio states Jim Jackson tops Aba wish lists. Games Over the summer. A i worked hard on everything in the  the Toledo Ohio native wont decide until Spring whether to apply for the Aba draft. Last year he and yet another Friend admirer Kenny Anderson spent hours discussing the subject of leaving school Early. Anderson did and has struggled. Jackson did no to and has thrived. A i knew i needed to stay a Jackson said. A i think its helped me out a great  Home winning Streak at 71 and recovered from last seasons embarrassing Mcaa tournament loss to Penn state. Harrick deserves the credit. By seasons end everyone will be talking about Urcla and  Best team Arkansas. Best player Todd Day Arkansas. Has played with a vengeance since returning from a suspension. Biggest Surprise team Mississippi state. The bulldogs conference champions last season lost All their starters but have managed to stay within striking distance of the Western division Lead. Included in their victories is one at Vanderbilt which did no to lose a game at Home last season. Biggest Surprise player Joe Harvell Mississippi. Who leads the Sec in scoring it Isnit Day or Louisiana states Shaquille o Neal its Harvell. Already he has had five 30-Point-plus games. Biggest disappointment team Georgia. True to their name Hugh Durhams team has played like Dawes. South Carolina which started the season 8-1 the gamecocks Are 10-6also deserve mention. Biggest disappointment player Allan Houston Tennessee. Scored 36 Points against Kentucky. Against Auburn one game later he scored six. One of the Best guards in the country Houston has underachieved in 199192. Coach of the mid season Wade Houston Tennessee. The volunteers won Only three conference games last season. This time they Are 4-2, tied with Kentucky for the Eastern division Lead and Are 12-6 Overall. By seasons end everyone will be talking about Arkansas and of Neal