friday, february 6, 1981
daily nebraskan
page 13
OSU game means good news, bad news forlha
By Jeff Goodwin
For Nebraska basketball Coach Moe Iba, there's good
news and bad news on line for this weekend. The good
news is the lluskers can move into a tie for the Big Iiight
lead with a win against Oklahoma State Saturday night.
Van Zandt accepts
New Orleans post
Lance Van Zandt, Nebraska football's defensive
coordinator the last four years, has announced his
resignation to accept a similar position with the
New Orleans Saints.
Van Zandt has held previous coaching positions
at Kansas, Oklahoma State, Rice, Texas A & M,
and New Mexico Highlands as well as several Texas
liigh schools. While Van Zandt was at Oklahoma
State, he coached with Bum Phillips, who is the
new head coach at New Orleans.
Van Zandt came to Nebraska from Kansas in
1977 following the resignation of Monte Kiffen.
"I've worked under the best college coach in
the country," he said, referring to Coach Tom
Osborne at a press conference Thursday. He said
he thought he would now be working under the best
pro coach in the country.
No plans have been announced by the athletic
department for a search for Van Zandt's replace
ment. There has been speculation the post may
be filled by Rex Norris, former Oklahoma defens
ive coordinator, or Frank Solicit, UNL freshman
coach.
The bad news is that Oklahoma State, currently the Big
Eight leader, trounced the Huskers 81-70 when the
teams met in Stillwater last month.
Iba said Nebraska's main task will be stopping guard
Matt Clark, the conference's leading scorer, who is aver
aging more than 19 points per game.
"He was a big factor in the last game," Iba said.
"We've got to hold him down this time."
Clark scored 25 points in that game. Iba added that
Ray Collins would once again draw the assignment of
covering Clark.
Iba said the last time the two teams played the Husk
ers tried to play the Cowboys' style of game.
"We got in a track meet with them and let them spread
us out over the court. To beat them this time we're going
to have to play a very controlled game. That's our type
of game." he said.
Iba discounted the possibility of an emotional let
down by Oklahoma State after their triple overtime win
against Kansas.
"They're going to come in here with their heads up.
They realize this is a big game for both teams," he said.
Iba said he doesn't expect the Cowboys to try any
thing different from the last game.
"They might try to zone us a little," he said, "but I
doubt it since they'll want to keep the tempo fast."
Iba discounted the fact that Oklahoma State has
lost eight straight games to Nebraska in Lincoln.
"1 don't think that matters at all. This is a brand new
Oklahoma State team."
Oklahoma State is 16-3 overall and 6-1 in the con
ference. The Huskers are 1 1-8 overall and 5-2 in the conference.
Iba deserves liead coach' title;
Does Ferragamo need money ?
You can criticize his style of basketball if you want.
You can say he is too defense-oriented, but you really
can't criticize the results Moe Iba has squeezed out of his
Cornhusker basketball teams the last two years, especially
in Big Eight competition.
He has taken teams with second-division talent and
made them into contenders. Last year the Huskers
finished second in the Big Eight regular season, though
they were picked to end up somewhere near the bottom.
This year, Iba's band of over-achievers has ignored similar
prognostication, and, with a win Saturday night, would
be tied for first place in the league. Iba has earned the title
of "head coach."
Iba assumed head coaching responsibilities under some
delicate and trying circumstances. He showed concern for
the ailing Joe Cipriano, and class in the way he handled
the trilateral arrangement among the team, Cip and him
self. Still, the uncertainty of it had to hurt recruiting.
Recruiting probably is the most important ingredient
in the success of a college team. If you don't get good
players, you won't win. Should Iba get the Husker head
coaching job, it will be interesting to see what kind of a
job he and his staff do in this area.
Here is my answer to those who say keeping Iba as
head coach will do nothing but ensure mediocrity for the
Nebraska basketball program. If Iba cannot put together
the kind of team that will satisfy you in the next two or
three years, then you have a legitimate argument. Give the
man a chance to recruit without a handicap, to get his
own program established, and then judge him.
Let's be realistic. Telling All-America-class athletes
Nebraska is the best place for their basketball skills is not
an easy statement to back up. Neither is telling a future
Earl Campbell or George Cumby he sould try to help
Kentucky football become as successful as its basketball
program. This is not to say the lluskers should be satisfi
ed to lose big recruiting battles, but merely to suggest
Nebraska fans will have to be content with less than A-No.
1 talent for some time to come.
Iba has shown he can win with less talent to work with
than other coaches have. Bob Devaney, the selection com
mittee and the regents should give Iba the head coaching
job he has earned.
Random Shots: Teams are too evenly matched in
NCAA basketball to allow a school to go through the
season undefeated. Top-ranked Virginia and No. 2 Oregon
State both will fall at least once this year, and probably
neither will make the final four.
I can't believe Vince Ferragamo is seriously considering
playing in the Canadian Football Legaue, unless he's in
dire financial need. He said the CFL offered him a "big
opportunity" and that playing in Canada is "not a come
down" because Canadian football is a professional sport
too. I wonder if former Olympic gold medal wrestler
Dan Gable, now coach at Iowa, would have considered
All-Star wrestling if the price had been right.
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1981
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Photo by Jon Natvig
Nebraska center Andre Smith (40) drives around
Kansas' Victor Mitchell (55) in UNL's 57-54 upset
of the Jayhawks.
With Special Guest
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