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Huskies take on 'unusual' opponent
Vance Walberg became Pepperdine's head coach in April and made confident proclamations at the start. The highly successful junior college and high school coach wanted the Waves in the NCAA Tournament by his second season. He wanted them to be a consistent Top 25 team by his third year. Happenings during the intervening eight months have changed the timetable considerably. "When I took the job, conditions looked favorable," said Walberg, whose Waves (3-9) take on No. 14 UConn (9-0) tonight at the Hartford Civic Center. "I was a lot more optimistic then. We're not giving up on anything. That's not my style, but we've had to readjust our expectations." Soon after Walberg took the job, three players transferred, unsure of their places in Walberg's up-tempo, shoot-at-all-costs style.
Willis claims Lambert Award
COLUMBUS, OHIO Ole Miss linebacker Patrick Willis picked up another national award on Monday when he was named the recipient of the Jack Lambert Award, which is presented by the Touchdown Club of Columbus to college football's top linebacker. Willis, a senior from Bruceton, Tenn., led the Southeastern Conference for the second straight year in tackles with 137. Last year's Lambert winner was Ohio State senior A.J. Hawk, currently with the Green Bay Packers. The award will be presented to Willis during the 52nd Touchdown Club of Columbus banquet on Saturday, Feb. 10. Willis, who earlier received the Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker, picked up another first-team All-America honor when he was recognized by ESPN.com. He had previously been honored by The Associated Press, the Walter Camp Football Foundation, The Sporting News, the Football Writers' Association of America, Pro Football Weekly, The Gridiron Gazette, SI.com, CBSSportsline.com, Rivals.com and Scout.com.
GARY PETERSON: TIMES COLUMNIST: Start worrying
It was a love-in at Stanford on Tuesday, one of the few news conferences you'll ever see with a home-field advantage. Boosters, donors, athletic department shirts and ties, players and parents were in attendance as Harbaugh was introduced as the school's new football coach. They applauded as he entered the room. They provided him rapt attention when he spoke and laugh track-quality response whenever he made a funny. Everyone thanked everyone for making the day come true. And for good reason. Stanford needed someone it could present as all that to a skeptically indifferent world. In Harbaugh, they cleared the bar with room to spare. The criteria and candidate dovetailed so neatly as to suggest divine intervention. Harbaugh was wildly successful (29-6) at Division I-AA University of San Diego.
Mental health research scholarship launched
TONY EASTLEY: Last summer, Sydney man Nathan Trepezanov was considered an exceptionally bright and popular student with everything to live for.
But then, completely out of the blue, the 21-year-old devastated everyone he knew by taking his own life. Suicides have decreased in recent years, but a lack of awareness about the causes persists.
In the hope of learning more, last night the Trepezanov family and a former WA Premier supported the launch of a new mental health research scholarship.
AM's Annie Guest attended the launch, which featured an expression of life through music.
(Sound of a Rachmaninoff's Elegie)
ANNIE GUEST: The Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff was known to be depressed when he wrote this composition, called Elegie.
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