Nee, Mokeski hoping to make their marks at Highland CC

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Jan 18, 2008 by Tony Jimenez

By Tony Jimenez

SPECIAL TO THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

The way Highland Community College coach Patrick Nee figures it, Bryan Mokeski has had some unrealistic expectations on his shoulders for some time.

Mokeski, after all, is 7-foot-1 and his dad, Paul, spent 12 seasons in the NBA, including seven with the Milwaukee Bucks, after playing at Kansas from 1975-79.

Why shouldn't Bryan be pretty good, too? Nee can relate to that scenario. Since he got into coaching, the natural inclination is to expect the younger Nee to be as successful as his father, Danny Nee.

"Early on he wanted me to be a fireman or a teacher, but when he saw me getting into it when I got to Kansas he understood," said Nee of his father, who coached at Nebraska from 1987 to 2000 and now is a scout in the northeast part of the country for the Utah Jazz. "He thought coaching was too stressful and had a lot of uncertainty."

Part of the allure of coaching for the younger Nee came from vivid memories of his dad's better days.

"When Nebraska won the Big Eight tournament championship in 1994 it was huge," Nee said. "I remember giving my Dad a great big bear hug at midcourt at Kemper Arena when it was over. That stuck with me."

It was indeed a giddy moment for anyone associated with Nebraska, let alone the coach's 16-year-old son.

Nee, 30, cut his coaching teeth as an assistant to former Wichita State coach Gene Smithson when the two were at Central Florida juco in 2002-03. He then was an assistant at Hargraves Military Academy in Virginia when it won the national prep school championship with 11 players going on to D-I schools. He was at Independence juco for two seasons before becoming the head coach at Highland last season.

Mokeski, a native of Dallas who played at North Lake, Texas, juco last season, transferred to Highland so he could get more attention from four-year schools.

"Everybody knows about the Jayhawk Conference because there is such high quality basketball played here," Mokeski said. "My dad knew coach Nee's dad, and that's how I got here. The expecations have always been there for me, and they'll probably always be there, but it helps having coach Nee to talk to. We both know where we're coming from."

All Bryan wants now is to get stronger, quicker, a bit heavier than his 210 pounds and to improve his 3.0 points and 5.0 rebound averages. He had a breakout game recently when he went 5-for-5 from the field, blocked four shots and grabbed 10 rebounds against Kansas City. He's sixth in the conference in blocked shots.

"I am a father, but I am also a coach and realistic," said Paul Mokeski, who is in his first season as an assistant coach with the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats. "I think he's going to be a nice surprise for a low- to mid-major Division I program. He is a late bloomer."

Whatever the case, Mokeski and Nee want to make their own niches.

"But when you are the son of a coach or the son of a former NBA player you are not supposed to make mistakes," Nee said.

It may be unrealistic, but Nee and Mokeski know it's their reality. KU glad classes starting

Wearing his glasses Thursday, Bill Self had a little bit of the professor look going.

It may have been a trick designed to get his players to hang out with him on syllabus day at KU, when the Jayhawks finally got respite from Self and his practices.

"I am actually glad school is starting," said Russell Robinson, who began his final semester at KU on Thursday. "We've been seeing a lot of each other the last month."

Indeed, Kansas has been practicing sometimes twice per day since the fall semester ended, which has given the Jayhawks plenty of time to get familiar. Of course, you know what that breeds.

"I bet our guys are excited school starts today," Self said. "I'm sure because it's gotten monotonous hanging out with me all the time."

Because of the beginning of the semester, Kansas, which practiced in the afternoons during winter break, went at 7 a.m. Thursday before heading to classes.

Under (no) pressure

This undefeated thing is getting a little old in Lawrence, with the football team having started its season 11-0 and the basketball team cruising along at 17-0. Like their gridiron bretheren, the basketball Jayhawks say their record adds no pressure. Not yet, anyway.

"I think there could be pressures of being undefeated if we're undefeated two weeks from now," Self said. "Now, we're getting to the point where our season's just beginning."

Self has admired the New England Patriots for their ability to handle the extra hubub that comes with an undefeated run, but thinks it might be tougher for his players to handle.

"The Patriots have done a good job of not getting ahead of themselves," Self said. "It's probably easier for grown men to not get ahead of themselves than college kids."

But even if the pressure does start mounting, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Self said it would "be great" for KU to be under that type of pressure because it would simulate that of the NCAA Tournament.

Georgia Tech fans

KU players had two basketball viewing options Wednesday night: Missouri vs. Iowa State or North Carolina vs. Georgia Tech.