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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 3, 1981)
-r : , friday, april 3, 1981 daily nebraskan payt 1J i'!3 1 St? ft v Lincoln High athlete to move up to Husker basketball shooting By Scott Alilstrand At 6-6, 187 puiuls John Matke may not look like a child, hut inside the senior from Lincoln High School is a hoy who wants to go out and shoot baskets. Matke, the only Lincoln senior to be offered a scholarship from UNL, got his start shooting baskets when he was 4 years old. "When I was four my dad put up a little hoop down in our basement," Matke said. "Every time you made a basket the bell would ring. I always loved shooting at it, and I guess that's why I'm still playing basketball." Although Matzke learned early how to shoot the ball, much of his success is because of his overall abili ty, according to Lincoln High Coach Alden Johnson. "John is a very proven athlete, but the main reason he has been so successful is because he is versatile," Johnson said. "He's played with his back to the basket in high school, but he has the ability to play any of the five positions in college. He's also an intelligent player. I think he finished 17th in the school's ranking and con sidering that he graduated from a class of 531 that shows the determination he has." Lincoln High made the state basketball Class A play offs this year, losing in the first round to eventual runner-up Omaha Benson in overtime. After the season ended Matzke announced he would go to UNL on a basketball scholarship. Matzke said the decision was an easy one to make. k'I went into the season not knowing if 1 would be offered a scholarship by UNL or not. 1 worked hard trying to have a good season and when they offered me a scholarship I signed immediately," Matzke said. "I've been to their (UNL's) basketball camps the last couple of years and I really enjoyed the people. All the coaches were nice and the facilities were fantastic." Another factor that contributed to Matke's deci sion were his family ties. "1 think just about everyone in my family had gone to UNL," Matke said. "My father played basketball there and my mom, my brother and my sister all went or are going now to UNL. I even have about six or seven cousins who went here." Matzke realizes the jump from high school to college will be a tough adjustment, but he has set down a schedule that will make the change easier. "It'll be tough to adjust to the competition and the improved quality of play," Matzke said. "I'm going to work very hard this summer on my game and I'd like to get in some playing time with the other players. I also want to put on about 10 or 15 pounds so that I won't be shoved around." Matzke also is aware of the adjustment he'll have to make in academics at UNL, but said he is looking forward to the challenge. As a freshman, Matzke is aware he won't receive an abundance of playing time. "Next year when I do get some playing time, it'll probably be at forward or as a wing man. I really wouldn't mind playing either of the positions. I think I've got the ball handling ability to play the wing, but both of the positions are very similar," Matzke said. One transition Matzke isn't worried about is chang ing coaches. "I'm lucky I've played under a super coach in Aldie Johnson and going to a great coach in Moe Iba. He's always been a super person to me and I don't think I'll have any problems adjusting to the coaching change." Players selected for annual college all-star game The final rosters are set for the East and West college all-star teams in the 10th annual Pizza Hut Basketball Classic. The charity game will be televised nationally tomorrow by CBS Sports from the Las Vegas Convention Center. Four college seniors have been added to the Last team, coached by Denny Crum of Louisville. The seniors are: Roger Burk man of Louisville, Frank Edwards of Cleve land State, Wayne McKoy of St. John's and Elston Turner of Mississippi. Four players were added to the West team, directed by former UCLA coach Larry Brown. The players are: Charles Bradley of Wyoming, Tom Chambers of Utah, Eddie Johnson of Illinois and Alton Lister of Arizona State. Turner, who has played more games (113) than any other player in Mississippi history, is the school's second all-time lead ing scorer and rebounder. Burkman was the only senior player for the defending NCAA champion Louisville Cardinals. Edwards, who set single season (664) and career (2,235) scoring records at Cleve land State, has been acclaimed by his school as "best player ever to wear a Vik ing uniform." McKoy ranks sixth on St. John's all-time scoring list. Bradley, who ranks second in Wyoming career scoring, has been named to the West ern Athletic Conference first team for three years. Chambers was Utah's leading scorer last season and is an outstanding re bounder. Johnson is Illinois's all-time leading scorer and rebounder, and Lister was a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic team. Previously named players to the team, elected by nationwide balloting, were: East- Jeff Lamp, Virginia; Mike McGee, Michigan; Ray Tolbert, Indiana; Kelly Tri pucka, Notre Dame; Herb Williams, Ohio State; and Al Wood of North Carolina. West- Rolando Blackman, Kansas State; Clyde Bradshaw, Depaul; Lewis Lloyd, Drake; Ruby Macklin, LSU; and Darnell Valentine, Kansas. Also elected to the Classic teams, but unable to play, were Gene Banks of Duke, Albert King of Maryland, Danny Ainge of Brigham Young University and Steve John son of Oregon State. Oklahoma's Conner wins Nissen award Oklahoma gymnast Bai t Conner was named the winner of the 1 CS 1 Nissen Award at a Wednesday night banquet in Lincoln. The award, presented to the nation's top senior gym nast, is to college gymnastics what the Heisman trophy is to college football. The National Association of College Gymnastics Coaches sponsors the honor. A group of college coaches and judges selected Conner to receive the award after judging him in three categories -gymnastics accomplishment, sportsmanship and scholar ship. Conner was a member jf two U.S. Olympic teams and was the 1978 NCAA all-around champion. He is con sidered to be the leading contender for the title tliis year by most of the coaches. A three-time Oklahoma captain. Conner won the 1980 U.S. Olympic trials. He also won the parallel bars, finished third in vaulting and fifth in the all-around at the 1979 World Championships in Fort Worth, Texas. Husker divers enter Senior National meet Six Nebraska athletes will compete in the men's and women's diving qualifications meet Saturday and Sunday at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Winners will advance to the U.S. Senior National Championships April 15-18 at Columbus, Ohio. Men's one-meter finals are set for 4 pjn. Saturday, and the women's three-meter finals will follow at 5:30 p.m. The women's one-meter championships will be Sunday at 4 p.m., and the men's three-meter competition will follow at 5:30 pjn. Competitors from the UNL men's team include Dave Keane, an all-American at the three-meter diving event, Dave Goodwin. Steve Elliott and Scott Hinrichs. Nebraska women competing in the meet are Ann Biggs and Stacey Porter. $190-1 bedroom, car peting, drapes, all appliances, larqe closets, close to campus 477-3889 RENTAL Rent TVs, color and BW and stereos. Rent refriger ators, washers, dryers. Rent furniture 3 room package. Living, bedroom, dinette, $69.95 mo. Rent anything with option to buy. ACE FURNITURE 2429 "O" St. 474-3444 WILLOW HAVEN 1830 KNOX ST. Spacious, new 2 bedroom units. 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