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.Kansas Invasion jOgical Problem By RANDY YORK Nobraskan Sport Edition Nebraska may tackle too many odds at the Coli seum Saturday night in a Big Eight Conference basketball conflict against Kansas. The problem is logical. The Cornhuskers are minus such advantages as: MOMENTUM after drop ping a 23-point decision to defense-oriented Oklahoma State Monday night in Stillwater. TRADITION - since the Jayhawks have won 15 of the last 19 confrontations in Lin coln. SOLIDARITY because three of the club's top seven players recently were declared scholastically ineligible. UNITY since the Huskers seemingly have had con siderable trouble adjusting to the trio's departure and since the Nebraska fans seemingly have had considerable trouble in supporting coach Joe Cipriano's adjustment ef forts. STRENGTH obviously because the Huskers must repair damaged speed with the loss of Marvin Stewart, defense with the loss of Cliff Moller, rebounding with the loss of Jim Brooks and depth with the loss of all three. Besides that, Kansas Is negotiating a solid recovery after a somewhat shakey con ference start, edging Missouri and blitzing Colorado in the Jayhawks' two tries this week. Objectively, Nebraska is hurting. Subjectively, the Cor nhuskers still have many things going for them, not the least of which is a 5-1 record at home this season. The Huskers, who have carved a 2-6 home record against Kansas under Cipriano, must invent what other Big Eight clubs haven't invented an effective defensive clamp on the Jayhawks' 6-9 Dave Ilobisch, who is threatening to shatter all conference scoring records. Big Eight Conference Standings ALL GAMES CONFERENCE GAMES W L W L Kansas State 15 3 Kansas State Kansas 12 5 Missouri Oklahoma 12 5 Kansas Nebraska 11 5 Iowa State Missouri 12 6 Nebraska Oklahoma State 11 7 Oklahoma State Iowa State 10 9 Colorado Colorado 9 9 Oklahoma Monday Games Kansas St. at Iowa St. Okla. St. at Kansas Oklahoma at Missouri Tuesday Game Nebraska at Colorado Nebraska wrestlers meet Fort Hays St. Nebraska's wrestling team carries a 2-4 dual record Into a match at Fort Hays, Kan., State College Saturday. NU coach Orval Borglalli's club bested Wartburg, Iowa, College and South Dakota University last weekend after dropping its first four matches. Tho Cornhuskers have five matches after the Fort Hays dual: Feb. 13, at Wyoming; Feb. 14, at Colorado; Feb. 26, Kansas State; Feb. 27, Northwest Missouri; Mar. 6, Southern Illinois. The Big Eight wrestling tournament Is set for Mar. 13-14 at Kansas State. Nebraska's Saturday entries Include: 118 Monty Halstcad 125 Rick Pinkorman 134 Doug Ertckson 142 Tom Lotko 150 Tom Meier 158 Joe George 167 Jerry Munson 177 Jim Haug 190 or Hvy. Keith Burchett or Bill Knippel. Haug owns the best record among the Huskers. He's won 14 of 19 matches. If super-star status can be assigned to any conference player this season, that designation siiould go to Robisch, the Big Eight leader in both scoring and reboun ding. To compound the Cornhusker problem, the junior from Spr ingfield, 111., seems to get more powerful each game. For ex ample, in his last three con ference appearances, Robisch has scored 103 points and grabbed 45 rebounds. Those efforts pushed Robisch to 152 points in conference games (a 30.4 average) and 82 rebounds (a 16.4 average). If he continues his present pace, Robisch will become only the fourth player in conference history to win scoring and re bounding titles in the same year. More importantly, his scoring pace puts him in position to erase Wilt Chamberlain's 28.3 scoring record established in 1958. The Cornhuskers, it should be pointed out, have applied the most effective defense against Robisch, holding him to 19 points in a 78-73 Nebraska triumph in the Big Eight Tournament at Kansas City. Robisch's lowest scoring game was a 17-point effort. However, his playing time was reduced in a 16-point Jayhawk triumph over Valparaiso. Despite Robisch's apparent dominance, Kansas owns a balanced scoring attack. Forwards Bud Stallworth (15.5) and Pierre Russell 1(13.5) give the Husker front line con siderable rebounding and defensive problems. Russell is the Jayhawks' se cond leading rebounder with 9.9 a game. The Huskers will counter with 6-7 center Leroy Chalk, playing somewhat behind his last year's pace and 6-10 Chuck Jura, who, as a sophomore, has been plagued with inconsisten cy. Geneva native Bob Gratopp, regaining a starting assign ment he held at the first of the season, produced solid reboun ding efforts in Nebraska's Oklahoma swing last Saturday and Monday, according to Cipriano. If Kansas has a weakness, apparently it is at guard. Aubrey Nash, Bob Kivlsto and Chester Lawrence, for the most part, have alternated starting duty, and among them, have accounted for only 15.5 points per game. The Cornhuskers will counter with sophomore Al Nlssen and senior Tom Scantlebury in the backcourt. The Jayhawks have not registered a conference victory on the road, owning home wins over Iowa State, Colorado and Oklahoma while losing at Iowa State and Missouri. Based on Kansas' recent development and Nebraska's home court advantage, the game Is rated at even odds. The loser's odds will be weakened in future efforts to avoid the lower division log- U '11 iW" ul s , I -v x ' : I V - I if V ' y I V Pierre Russell . . . Kansas Forward Husker swimmers, gymnasts improve Nebraska swimming coach John Reta feels that this year's group is the best he's had in four years here, but he admits that the Cornhuskers are not ready to challenge for a cham pionship. The Husker swimmers, however, may challenge for an upper division berth in the conference championships at Iowa State March 5, according to Reta. Results have been favorable. Nebraska has beaten Colorado, 72-32 and most recently toppled highly-regarded Iowa State, 59-45. The Huskers' only setback was a 2-point decision to Missouri. "This group Isn't afraid to work," Reta says. "We've had better times this season and we had a good effort in upsetting Iowa State." v.. Three dual meets remain on the Husker schedule before the conference showdown, including Saturday's test against Oklahoma at the Coliseum pool at 2:30 p.m. Oklahoma State visits the Husker pool Feb. 14. Nebraska travels to Kansas Feb. 21, then gets about a two week layoff before the Big Eight meet. Husker Gymnasts Own 2-1 Record Nebraska gymnastic coach Frances Allen says his team has the best "young talent" in the Big Eight Conference. Obviously, he doesn't plan on overpowering the conference members when they meet March 21 at Kansas State, but the inexperienced Huskers' performance in three meets this season has been encouraging, Allen says. Nebraska owns two wins, besting Mankato, Minn. (120.95 109.45) and Colorado (135.80-126.85). Allen feels the Huskers' 146.15-137.30 loss to Kansas State should have been closer. All-around performers Dennis Moen, a sophomore from Omaha Central and Hoppy Batten, a freshman from Lincoln Southeast, are the top point producers for the Cornhuskers. Nebraska hosts powerful Iowa State Saturday in the Men's P.E. Building at 2 p.m. Five dual meets then precede the Big Eight conclave and the NCAA championships. The duals Include: Feb. 14, Oklahoma Feb. 21, Minnesota and Iowa at Minneapolis; Feb. 28, at Kansas Mar. 4, Western Michigan; Mar. 7, Wichita State. PAGE 7 Jam. THE DAILY NEBRASKAN FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1970