.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