13 The Daily Collegian
Bailey bails on cagers, joins brother
By ANDREW DEBES
Collegian Sports Writer
After a season as Penn State's starting
point guard, Ryan Bailey decided to leave
Happy Valley for California.
Bailey, a Los Angeles native, enrolled at
UCLA for the fall semester and will join the
Bruins as a walk-on.
"He'll walk-on and redshirt this year," said
Bruin assistant coach Jim Saia. "We were
fortunate to get a player of Ryan's caliber as
a walk-on."
During his freshman season, Bailey start
ed 24 of Penn State's 27 games after senior
point guard Dan Earl redshirted due to a
degenerative disk in his back.
While Bailey experienced some growing
pains on the court last season, he managed to
McQueary spearheads QB quartet
Editor's Note: This is the first story in
an eight-part series previewing Penn
State's football team. This story pre
views the quarterbacks.
By JORDAN HYMAN
Collegian Sports Writer
Every year it's the same deal.
Penn State fans recognize a few
players on Saturdays in Beaver
Stadium usually starters in
skilled positions.
Those same starters get the
media attention. They get their
names and photos stamped all
over Penn State's one-inch thick
media guide.
The backups? They sit along the
Beaver Stadium railing and watch
their teammates get swarmed by
cameras and microphones. They
get less than warm receptions as
they take the field from the south
tunnel at home games.
Just ask this year's starting
quarterback Mike McQueary.
McQueary, who backed up Kerry
Collins and Wally Richardson for
three years, used to be cheered
with a "Go Big Red!" or "Go No.
9!." Rarely heard was "Go Mike."
"Before, I was over there with
the other guys with two or three
guys around me," McQueary said
of Media Days in the past. "This is
great. I used to watch Kerry or
Wally get all of the attention and
that's fine with me. I'm not a guy
who needs a lot of attention or
anything."
In order for a young Penn State
Waiting game ends for
By JORDAN HYMAN
Collegian Sports Writer
Penn State starting quarterback
Mike McQueary got picked on a
bit as a kid, but not because he
was too short or had ears that
flapped in the wind.
No, McQueary was different
from other kids in the State Col
lege public school system because
in a region where people live,
breathe and eat Nittany Lion foot
ball McQueary was a Notre
Dame fan.
Needless to say, that didn't sit
very well with the other kids in
McQueary's classes.
"I kind of got made fun of at
school and things and had some
Lady spikers ready
to grab No. 1 spot
By TODD J. ENGEL
Collegian Sports Writer
The Penn State's women's volleyball team
entered its 1997 campaign in rather unfamiliar
fashion when it was ranked No. 2 in the nation
by the USA Today/AVCA Poll.
The No. 2 preseason ranking is the highest
any women's volleyball team has ever garnered
at Penn State.
But that is only preseason.
Odds are, the Lady Lions will take over the
No. 1 spot in the polls next week as they defeat
ed now-No. 1 Stanford Cardinal last weekend in
three sets en route to capturing the State
Farm/NACWAA Volleyball Classic title at Stan
ford. The victory put an end to a remarkable 50-
match Cardinal home-winning streak.
Lady Lion head coach Russ Rose thinks this
year's team is capable of making a run at a
national title and isn't too concerned with the
probable No. 1 ranking.
"I thought we put a nice start on the 1997 sea
son for Penn State women's volleyball," Rose
said. "Being ranked No. 1 in August means less
than being ranked No. 1 in September. It does
n't really mean anything right now. The nation:
al championships are in December."
The always-physical junior outside hitter
Christy Cochran feels Penn State can .use the
ranking to its advantage, despite the bull's eye
on its back.
"We're a competitive group, we're going to
work harder and everyone's going to pick it up
a notch," Cochran said.
average 8.4 points per game and tallied 113
assists, tying Earl's freshman assist record.
But his accomplishments were not enough
to keep him at Penn State.
"Things didn't work out for him here," Nit
tany Lion coach Jerry Dunn said. "As far as
freshman are concerned, sometimes they
get homesick and feel the need to make
some changes."
Bailey could not be reached for comment,
but Saia agreed Bailey was simply not happy
on the East Coast downplaying the possi
bility of dissension between Bailey and the
Lion program.
"I think he just wanted to come back
home," Saia said. "I'm not sure if he neces
sarily had any problems with Penn State I
think he was just homesick and wanted to be
at home."
quarterback to put himself in
position for a future starting posi
tion, he must capture the attention
of coach Joe Paterno. That's
where the backups redshirt
sophomore Kevin Thompson and
redshirt freshmen Chad Kroell
and Rashard Casey come into
play.
Paterno admitted Thompson
does "have the inside track" on
the No. 2 quarterback position.
But on Paterno's team, things can
change quickly.
McQueary, who threw for 519
yards on 25-of-52 passing as the
No. 2 quarterback last season, is
licking his chops to finally start
football games.
"It's been a long wait and I've
had to pay my dues and put my
nose to the grindstone. Now that
it's here it's great," McQueary
said. "You always in the back of
your mind wonder if you're going
to be able to come out here to
Beaver Stadium one day •and
play."
Thompson, Casey and Kroell
are probably wondering the same.
Kroell is listed fourth on the
depth chart and most likely will
not figure in the battle for the No.
2 quarterback position.
Thompson has good size for the
position at 6-foot-5 and 212
pounds. Though he did not
attempt any passes in the limited
action he saw in 1996, Thompson
played well in the annual Blue-
White game. He threw for 131
yards and a touchdown leading
good arguments," McQueary said.
However, he refused to be
intimidated. In fact, his fantasy to
one day play for the Fighting Irish
only strengthened as a result of
those school quarrels. McQueary
harbored his dream throughout
high school, until he learned Notre
Dame wf...3 more interested in
bringing in Berwick's Ron Powlus.
"As you know, (Powlus) went
out to Notre Dame and that
stopped my future with Notre
Dame real quickly," McQueary
said.
McQueary listened to offers
from schools who advertised an
opportunity to start within a year
or two. He kindly thanked those
schools but turned them all down
Terri Zemaitis cranks a shot across the court against Indiana in 1995. Zemaitis and the Penn
State women's volleyball team beat Stanford last weekend and might become No. 1.
Sophomore Bonnie Bremner showed why she
is regarded as one of the top setters in the
nation as she set her way to the MVP of the
State Farm/NACWAA Classic.
Bremner paced the Lady Lions in their first
two games tallying 112 assists. Bremner and
fellow returning All-American Terri Zemaitis
lead a cast that will be a force to be reckoned
with, not only in the Big Ten, but throughout the
nation as well.
Careful not to look ahead, Rose is confident
his team will remain focused on the task at
0
I k
....1 ;
UCLA is deep in talent at the guard posi
tion with the signing of recruits Earl Watson
and the highly touted Baron Davis. This
means Bailey will have to improve his game
if he wants play a role in the future of Bruin
basketball.
"He's definitely going to have to grow and
improve," Saia said, "but he has a year to
develop and he's only a sophomore, so he
should be all right come next season."
While his play at Penn State didn't indicate
he could play on a basketball powerhouse
like UCLA, Bailey has performed well in
pick-up games with his new Bruin team
mates.
"He has been playing really well this sum
mer," Saia said. "It would be fair to say that
Ryan could have a very good future at
UCLA."
the White team to a 23-12 victory.
But whatever edge Thompson
may hold in the battle for the No.
2 quarterback position, Casey may
be able to equate with sheer tal
ent. In his senior campaign at
Hoboken High School in New Jer
sey, Casey completed 44-of-72
passes for 1,022 yards. He also
ran the ball 65 times for 870
yards, an average of 13.4 per
carry.
"That's the thing I guess I was
blessed with," Casey said of his
scrambling abilities. "It's a God
given talent that I guess a lot of
quarterbacks don't have and I was
just blessed with it. I have the
opportunity that if the pocket
broke down I can just tuck the
ball and hopefully get the first
down or make something big hap
pen."
Though Casey was redshirted
last season, he was used in prepa
ration for Penn State's Fiesta
Bowl matchup with Texas. Casey
assumed the role of Texas quar
terback James Brown in practice
against the Penn State defense.
Casey impressed his teammates,
using the experience as a confi
dence boost heading into this sea
son•
"I look at it as anything can hap
pen," he said. "It can be a long
season, and I just look at it as
hopefully one day I do get a
chance. As soon as I learn every
thing and get comfortable with
the offense, hopefully I will be the
future."
McQueary
in favor of Penn State the same
school he rooted against every
time Notre Dame came to play the
Lions in Beaver Stadium.
McQueary never assumed he
would one day start for the Nit
tany Lions, but he was willing to
wait.
After redshirting the 1993 sea
son, McQueary watched as Kerry
Collins lead the 1994 Penn State
team to a perfect 12-0 record,
capped by a 38-20 Rose Bowl vic
tory over Oregon.
McQueary then watched Wally
Richardson steal the limelight for
two seasons. Richardson, though
sometimes inconsistent, proved
worthy of being Penn State's quar-
Please see McQUEARY, Page 24.
Mike McQueary, Nittany Lion starting quarterback, aims for an intended receiver at the annual Blue-White
game. McQueary waited behind former Lions Kerry Collins and Wally Richardson for the past three years.
hand and not look ahead to a Sept. 6 rematch
with Stanford at the Ikon-Husky Invitational at
Connecticut.
However, Rose does feel the need to mix
things up a bit for the rematch with the Cardi
nal.
"I think we will do things differently just for
the lark of it,' Rose said, "whether we're chal
lenging the officials, the other team or even if
I'm challenging my players.
"There's no question we'll do things different-
Bailey will join his brother, Toby, who will
be entering his senior year with the Bruins.
While they will never actually take the court
together in Wooden Arena, the appeal of fol
lowing in his brother's footsteps in their
hometown was a big factor in Bailey's trans
fer.
"I think it has always been Ryan's dream
to play in his hometown for UCLA," Saia
said. "Sometimes dreams do come true."
As Bailey hopes for happier times with the
Bruins, Penn State is looking forward to the
return of Earl and a new season that will
hopefully wash away the memories of last
year's dismal season.
"Right now, I just want get past this and
focus on the coming year," Dunn said. "He's
moved on and we've moved on. There's no
reason for us as a team to dwell on this."
ineligible to play;
brogan's future in limbo
Jones
By ANDREW KREBS
Collegian Sports Writer
Penn State wide receiver Corey
Jones was poised to make a signifi
cant impact this fall, but the
impact has already been felt.
And chances are, there won't be
another this season.
At football Media Day, Nittany
Lion coach Joe Paterno said Jones
will sit out the fall semester
because he failed a summer Span
ish class.
"I'm disappointed in him," Pater
no said. "If it were a question of
whether he couldn't do it, that's one
thing, but when you cut classes and
flunk a class to become ineligible .
. . sure I'm disappointed."
Jones, a redshirt sophomore, was
listed as the No. 2 flanker on the
preseason depth chart behind Joe
Nastasi. With Chris Campbell's
graduation, Jones was in position to
increase his role on the team sub
stantially.
"It's a shame because he worked
hard this summer and he was
ready to go," Paterno said. "He
kind of lost his perspective as to
why he's here."
Coming out of Conestoga Valley
High School in Lancaster, where he
Wednesday, Aug. 27, 1997
tallied 165 receptions for 2,596
yards and 27 touchdowns, the 5-
foot-10 Jones was widely regarded
as the top receiving prospect in the
nation.
As a Lion, however, his football
progression slowed quite dramati
cally. After redshirting his fresh
man season in 1995, Jones was
hampered by a preseason ham
string injury last season and
caught just two passes for 47 yards
in 11 games.
Now, his football progression has
come to a complete halt, and Jones'
undeniable talent will go unused.
"Obviously it's a big loss because
Corey's a very talented young man.
The other people will just have to
pick it up and go from there."
Penn State offensive tackle Dan
Drogan's future is also in question.
According to the Associated
Press, Drogan, 20 at the time of the
accident, was charged with driving
under the influence in June after
ramming his pickup truck into a
tree following a party at Blooms
burg University on May 5.
Police said they found Drogan's
empty truck, which smelled of
liquor, with blood on the air bag
Please see DROGAN, Page 24.
Ryan Bailey
transfering to UCLA