By
Brian Penso
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Barnes hopes to avoid sophomore slump
After finishing sixth in the nation last season, the Arizona men's golf team was rewarded with a No. 6 preseason national ranking by the College Golf Foundation.
Preseason rankings are based on the previous season's results along with key returnees and newcomers to the team.
The Wildcats strength will be the return of three of its top golfers, led by sophomore Ricky Barnes, who is ranked No. 6 individually in the nation.
Last season, Barnes was named the Pacific-10 Conference Freshman of the Year and the NCAA Freshman of the Year. He also finished third in both the Pac-10 and NCAA Championships.
All of his success earned the sophomore a 2000 second-team All-America honor.
"Some players go through a sophomore slump, but Ricky is the kind of guy who will only improve," assistant coach John Knauer said.
Besides participating in collegiate events, Barnes also played in the U.S. Open this summer, one of the PGA's four major championships.
"Going to the U.S. Open will help Barnes (because) he has played with the best in the world," Knauer said. "Being that he has teed off with the best of them, the pressure of being the team's leader won't affect him as much."
Barnes also feels that the U.S. Open has helped him mature as a person and a golfer.
"The U.S. Open made me realize that I can play with the best of them," Barnes said. "The Open made me realize a lot about my game, and it has made me a more mature golfer."
Besides Barnes, junior Cody Beyer and sophomore Reid Hatley will be key contributors to Arizona's success in the 2000-2001 season.
Hatley finished 15th in last year's NCAA Championships, receiving an All-American honorable mention.
As the No. 3 golfer on the team, Beyer accumulated two top-10 and four top-20 finishes last season.
Beyer and Hatley will be needed to offset the loss of departed senior Derek Gillespie, who was a third team All-American performer in 1999-2000.
The loss of Gillespie will affect the Wildcats, but Knauer feels that freshman newcomers Chris Nullen and Andy Connel will be able to fill the void.
With only one upperclassmen starting for Arizona, Nullen and Connel are going to have some added pressure, but Barnes has been able to help them through this transition.
"The advice that I have offered to them both is to just relax and play their game," Barnes said.
With the season about to begin, the Wildcats have everything set in place for an NCAA championship run.
Coaches and players alike feel that they have what it takes to win every tournament they enter into.
"If we play to the best of our ability and if the moon and the stars are all aligned, we believe we have the talent to win the whole thing," Knauer said.
