Thursday, March 15, 1S34
Daily Nebrcskan
Pago 17
By Kevin Vcrneke
Nebraska basketball Coach Moe Iba isnt planning
on going anywhere.
The third-year Husker coach said he is happy
working in Lincoln and pfans on being around for
sometime.
Iba and the Huskers have received some negative
comments from fans, especially during the confer
ence season in which the Huskers finished 7-7 and in
third place.
Because Nebraska was picked to place high in
conference standings, Iba said, the fans had high
expectations. When the team doesn't live up to
those expectations, people complain, he said.
"You're going to have this every year, that's the
fans' perogative," he said. "You just have to live with
it. There's nothing I can do about it."
Iba said he thought Nebraska should have done
better in the Big Eight race.
Disapppolr.tcd with finish
"We're not happy with finishing third," he said. "I
don't think any competitor is, but that's where we
finished."
Even though the T?nclr! tA
predictions of a second-place finish, Iba said he still
considered the season a success.
Iba'said he came up with his assessment because
the players worked hard and gave a good effort.
"That's all you can ask of your players," Iba said.
The balance of the Big Eight teams led to some of
the Husker failures, Iba said.
Close games
"We played so many close games. We won some
and we lost some. Everybody in the conference beat
everybody else," Iba said. .
Nebraska also had the misfortune of finding the
victories hard to come by at home.
"People played us smart at home and we had
some nights where we didn't shoot well," he said.
"When we were on the road we played very well."
Iba said he. didn't have the answer to why the
Huskers didn't play up to par.
"It's been a very peculiar year. I don't have the
answers," he said. "You can't take anything for
granted but you have to do well at home and on the
road to play welL"
A good showing in the National Invitation Tour
nament could change the opinions of some disen
franchised fans, Iba said.
"I don't know what they expect," he said. "Getting
in the NIT for the second year in a row could help,
but playing on the road is going to be difficult."
Comparing this year's team to the 1932-83 squad
which made it to the NIT final four, is difficult, Iba
said.
This year's squad shot the ball better from time to
time and the rebounding was a little bit better, Iba
said, but last year's team was better defensively and
handled the ball better.
No matter which team is better, Iba said, Nebraska
should feel the effects of last year's strong NIT finish
. in recruiting this year.
Because recruiting was almost completed by the .
time the Huskers were eliminated from the NIT, Iba
said, he doubted that it had any effect or the
recruits signed last year.
"Any time when you get in a post-season tourna
ment it helps," he said. "It's very important to play in
the NCAA or the NIT tournament and 1 think it will
help us this year."
Iba said the groundwork has been set for this
year's recruiting and now the coaches must follow
up on their work.
Aid
Continued frcra Pcs 16
There is a correlation
between the number of
"stars" a team has and
the number of tickets it
sells. A disproportionately
large number of "athletic
superstars" are black, which
directly translates into r
what could be called black
power at the box office.
Once again, this provides
reasons and rationaleTor
the athletic arena to "give
back" to the community
from which it comes, that
it claims to love, and that
it pacifies by playing up
the accomplishments of
athletic performance.
Finally, it seems as if
everyone is getting some
form of reparations on a
mass scale. Native Amer
icans, piecemeal as funds
from the Bureau of Indian
Affairs may be, still are
receiving something for
the theft of their land. In
some instances, they are
getting land back. The
Asian-American is being
compensated for his intern
ment during World War
II. The Chicanes are em
broiled in controversies
in Los Angeles concern
ing deportation. Out of
this controversy could
come enlightenment and
perhaps, somewhere down
the road, compensation
for the theft of land.
But black people have
no such status. We are
given crumbsin the guise
of affirmative action,
busing and so-called "civil
rights." We are fed air
sandwiches through pro
grams like urban renewal,
model cities or, now, enter
prise zones.
My plan offers self-respect
and seeks to use an
available but unavailed
of source of financing
black athletes. On a col
lective basis, black com
munities and city power
structures can begin buil
ding a basis for mutual
respect But the Black Com
munity Marshall Plan is
based on the athlete's sense
of commitment and con
cern for those he had left
behind.
The question is: Does
he really give a damn????
IIHAMTLYOU
FOE caihng
GIVE BLO OD
' American
! Red Crc:
(e(o)i(g(Srrl!!)LfiiMI(o)l?jSi!
v.; h'i U I ""Ws
iXX; ft - K
- I ' 4 V J. V - 4 ..