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96 ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 25, ISSUE 2 f NEBRASKA 26-7 OVERALL, 12-4 BIG TEN T he Cornhuskers have a veteran group, with their eyes set on a Big Ten Championship and long dance in the NCAA Tournament. Junior Rachel Theriot and four seniors — Emily Cady, Tear'a Laudermill, Hailie Sample and Brandi Jeffery — have experienced huge success the last three years, aver- aging 25 victories a season with three trips to the NCAAs. Theriot, who averaged 14.1 points and 7.1 assists per game, is a first-team All-Big Ten member, while Cady and Laudermill earned second-team honors, and Sample was on the league's All-Defensive Team. Of course, the Cornhuskers lose all-everything Jordan Hooper, an All-American who graduated after one of the most successful careers in Nebraska history. And after those top five, the Cornhuskers are left with a ton of question marks. "Largely because we don't have a lot of experience," Coach Connie Yori said after media day. "And we have sev- en new players to our program, six freshmen and a junior college player who are all a work in progress. "I think we'll see them progress throughout the season and I think we're going to see different kids at different times contribute for us, and we're going to have to. We'll have to have some of our new players play at least a small role and expand as they get better." But those players are highly regarded, as the incoming class was ranked ninth in the country by ESPN.com. That includes J.C. All-American Anya Kalenta, a 6-3 center from Vincennes University. She could help make up for the loss of Hooper inside. But it'll be the big five leading the way. "Our young players have great role models on an every- day basis in our practice setting," Yori said. IOWA 27-9 OVERALL, 11-5 BIG TEN I owa's hopes rest in Logic. The senior point guard, Samantha Logic, is one of the most well-rounded point guards in the Big Ten, and the nation, after averaging 13.3 points, 7.5 assists and 6.6 re- bounds per game, while being named honorable mention All-American last year. "I think she's one of the most complete point guards out there in that she leads our team in assists and rebounds and steals," Coach Lisa Bluder said. "Those are amazing statistics. She's one of the leading passers returning in the country. "And Sam is a great leader that raises the level of every- body else's confidence on the team. To me that's the sign of a great leader, when you can make other people better. That's what Sam Logic does for us." But Iowa isn't only Logic. It's a veteran group, losing only starter Theairra Taylor from last season's squad that fin- ished fourth in the Big Ten. The four other starters return, including Logic, center Bethany Doolittle (14.2 points, 4.7 rebounds) and guards Melissa Dixon (13.1, 2.1) and Ally Disterhoft (13.2, 6.4). Iowa can score — it's always been able to do so in the 14 seasons under Bluder — as the Hawkeyes averaged 78.2 points per game last season, the best in the Big Ten (by nearly three points). But can Iowa defend? It gave up 69.3, the second-worst in the league. Bluder says it comes down to whether the Hawks can board. "It's opportunities to score when you control the re- bounds," she said. "And we've given away too many of those opportunities in the past and we need to do a better job on the boards." Nebraska Although Nebraska must replace Jordan Hooper, it still has plenty of parts, including point guard Rachel Theriot.