doi u now
Cipriano predicts winning basketbai! season
By Bob Hill
Monday marked the beginning of another season
for Nebraska basketball players. Joe Cipriano, starting
his 11th season as Husker head coach, is optimistic
.:bout this years team.
"I suppose every basketball coach enters each
season with the idea he can win all 26 games. I'm no
different," he said. "I'm as eager to start this season
j; l'e ever been."
H.j said he is pleased with the physical shape of
V'(. squad. 'The results of our conditioning program
j,o quite pleasing," he said.
"We have maybe the youngest (basketball team)
in the league when you count the number of
freshmen and returning lettermen we have," he said.
"And you can't make up for lack of experience."
However, Cipriano noted that he has more talent this
year than he has had in the last two years.
Seven freshmen and three sophomores are on the
squad, which includes six returning lettermen.
Because of the team's youth "we're going to spend
more time on fundamentals than in past years,"
Cipriano said.
Some of the promising first-year men include
Mark Enright (6 ft.-9 in.), Phil Chambers (6ft.-4 in.),
Rick Seidel (6 ft.-7 in.), Bob Siegcl (6 ft.-7 in.), Ron
Taylor (6 ft. -10 in.) and Rickey Harris (6 ft.-4 in.).
"The freshmen better be eager, because for what
they lack in playing time, they better make up by
showing a lot of competitiveness," he said.
Sophomores Jerry Fort (6 ft.-3 in.) and Ricky
Marsh (6 ft. -3 in.) ore potentially one of the finest
guard combinations in the Big 8, he said. Fort led the
team last year in scoring with a 14.5 average, while
Marsh scored a season personal high of 22 points
against Missouri in the Huskers' final game.
Other veterans include 6 fL-8 in. senior Brendy
Lee who led Nebraska in rebounding last year. Senior
guard Tom Novak (6 ft.-1 in.) and juniors Kent'
Reckewey (G ft.-O in,) and Steve Erwin (6 ft. -4 in.)
are other returning lettermen.
Although the freshmen "are going to see a lot of
playing time" the veterans are vital to the team,
Cipriano said. "They have experience in their favor
and that wiil b- a Ixj help in our early games in
Decern I km .
"Wo'-e oi ...! to 'ir.vi; for consistency and learn to
play to-i'Ml vr. W V -lot the talent but we've got to
be a te.im, " I :,.ed.
RuMim
r,l i
r.. -i .
v c.
M. t. :
' ii ,-, I ' .
U..'V t '
J... i ,
H ,t k, v I '-"I
bn"' i v ' '
Hii kv
ro.i. a .
Kim" h- .
R;f k r..'U..I
HiMj s ... :
Hon T.ii
Lclti;is won.
(.-2
(i-7
1 0
W;t.
1 O
1 '.)(
20)
1 bf
1 70
1 70
2-'.
I80
1 lb
1 LG
189
221
200
Cl.iss
F reshman
Junior
Sophomore
F reshman
Junior
It reihman
Sophomore
F reshman
Senior
Sophomore
Senior
Junior
F reshman
F reshman
F reshman
Gymnasts
flip, jump
for UNL
gridders
V
Football fans view athletes from two Husker varsity squads
at each home game. Besides football players, nine
representatives of the gymnastics team are on hand also.
Prior to and throughout the game, these men attempt to
stimulate the crowd and promote school spirit with a series of
tumbling exercises.
Gymnastics coach Francis Allen, a former Nebraska
tumbler, said he believes the exhibitions introduce gymnastics
to many people for the first time.
The gymnasts receive no compensation other than a pass
into the home football games. "We are concerned with all
Nebraska athletics," Allen said. "With our tumbling we think
we're promoting football and gymnastics simultaneously."
In past years the gymnasts have performed such feats as
standing on goalposts on their heads during half-time
ceremonies and turning backward somersaults for every point
Nebraska scored. Allen said he hopes his squad reinstates a
"few of these ideas once again."
Senior tumbler Alan Everett said, "We feel proud enough
of our football team that they should have something other
than an ordinary entrance, which we try to provide."
Allen said he hopes it may bo possible to purchase a
mini-trampoline in the near future. It would allow the
gymnasts a great deal more lattitude on their routines, he said.
The squad includes seniors Jim Gump, Jeff Johnson and
Everett. Juniors include Jim linger and Gene Mackie while
Frank O'Connor is the lone sophomore. Freshmen represented
on the squad are Scott Hoth and Gary Jeurink.
J
Huskers face uphill battle in ratings
Nebraska football, fighting its fickle fans,
some of the best gridiron opposition in the
nation and its reputation, has lost a battle. But
the Huskers still are way ahead in the war of
college football nationally, and for my money,
they still are deserving of the third or fourth
spot in the national rankings.
The Huskers have had their problems this
season. They have not been as dominant and
a'(..',omf: as the 1971 team because they
probabl are not as good as that team. Few
1 earns will txi. But, that is the standard by
which they are judged, and Saturday's
per f oi mance against Missouri certainly did not
nu-i;t those standards.
( i
time out
After watching teams like the 1971
Cornhuskers, peopfe can't believe that a
Nebraska team could be held to one
touchdown. They can't believe that the Huskers
could fumble away the game, kill themselves
with penalties or fail on crucial third and fourth
down attempts.
They're used to seeing everything go right
when Big Red takes the field on Saturday.
But everything won't go right every week in
the Big 8 because the Big 8 has shown itself in
recent years to bo the top college football
conference in America.
An indication of the toughness of Big 8
football is this week's Associated Press national
college rankings. Oklahoma is third, Missouri is
seventh, the Huskers are 11th, Colorado is 16th
and Kansas is 18th. Earlier this year Oklahoma
State also was ranked in the top 20.
The Huskers have sputtered at times and left
pagr; 12
questions for their demanding fans. Compared
to the 1971 team, they have not handled their
schedule with superhuman perfection.
But look at the other teams now ranked
ahead of Nebraska. They've stumbled and
sputtered and been near defeat against lesser
opposition.
Ohio State and Michigan play one-game
seasons each year in the Big 10. Neither team
can pass, and their only annual contest is when
they play each other.
Southern Cal, like Nebraska, Notre Dame
and Texas, began the year riding a wave of
publicity and an outstanding reputation fiom
i (.-cent year,. A fall from favor in the national
rankings always is slower than a rise. Because
the Trojans 'tatted the year on top, they have
sunk only to fifth despite having U;en in
trouble in all five games. Ncbiaska could beat
the Tioj.ms.
The rating', also include teams like Penn
State and Notre Dame alxjve Nebraska. I woulrJ
bet money that the sixth, seventh and possibly
even the last place teams in the Big 8, whoever
they turn out to be, could beat Perm State and
Notre Darne on a given Saturday this season.
Basically, that leaves Alabama above the
Huskers. And as recently as 1972 (the end of
the 1971 season), Nebraska gave a direct
indication of the superiority of its football
program by swamping the publicized Crimson
Tide in the Orange Bowl.
Maybe the top tanked team in the nation
shouldn't stumble enough to lose a game. The
Huskers have lost now, and the toad is uphill
the rest of the way.
But looking at the Musket's opposition,
looking at other teams atound the country and
taking into consideration the prejudicing effect
that past pei formancc comparisons can have,
the Muskets still should be somewhere at the
top Of the i',t.
daily nebruikan
.J uftt'i Dec. 31, 73)
The Optical Sfcp
. . 12th
I'llO I ()(,!! ) I '
Watch them i7'.jy . : '.;
50 off phot i--y . 1 ';.,
,,j'iV your prescription.
( e. po'scd to sunlight.
' " regular sunglasses
t Iwr items
I . ii 1 1' ' K '
R I i 111
fi I C& 3 i v
! on jCffir
Hie rQQ 1 u
" ? ,'.'i;V. i
" ,'' w f
I I 1 , Ml .-.y-..
M
pIIIIHIItlllimHI'll'HMMIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIJJ
it
kj
II
II
n
Si
mm
Y IRE HEADQUARTERS
SPKCIAL
i)f rm; w i;i;k
RECAPPED SNOW TIRES
z Any Size Mounted & balanced
m
I Q I 15 F.E.T.
s J Included
Mi
; 20'- Slu leiii !mv .i;,-,t evvepi on promotional items
E WHOLESALE TIRE
m ' I
.
m
Z ' ' .k;r Hwy.
m
'''vl;v. (K,t(;b(.'r 17, 1973
f
t
t