Wednesday august 18, 1982
daily nebraskan
page 51
Hoppen's hopes center on being in starting five
I By Bob Asmussen
i Nebraska freshman Dave Hoppen thinks he has a good
I chance of starting at center when the Huskers open the
" 1982-83 basketball season in November.
Hoppen said he is not putting down the ability of
i Terry Smith and Lenard Johnson, but the reason lie
thinks he may start is purely a question of altitude.
I "There isn't going to be anyone else on the team who
is 6-11," Hoppen said.
Hoppen said that if he is able to do the job at center it
; will free Smith and Johnson to play the forward positions.
; Having those two in the game, Hoppen said, will help him
1 a great deal.
"I don't feel I'll be relied on to shoot as much as I did
i in high school," Hoppen said. "Last year the opposing
' teams would collapse around me and if the other guys
- weren't hitting the shots, we were in trouble. If I have a
' bad game this year it won't show as much. Having the
better shooters will help me a lot."
: Summer workouts
; Hoppen has prepared for the season by playing in
; basketball leagues four nights a week. He has also pre-
; pared by doing some weightlifting at home.
"Coach Iba gave me a list of things to do during the
summer to keep in shape," Hoppen said. "Most of it is
covered by playing in the basketball leagues."
Hoppen's teammates this summer included Marquette
' bound Kerry Trotter and Kansas-bound Ron Kellogg.
Several other future college players were in that league, in
cluding Benoit Benjamin.
"I never got to play against him," Hoppen said. "I'm
really looking forward to playing against him when we
' play Creighton. He's a good ball player. He's a little over
; publicized. I expected a little more out of him than what I
' saw."
Coach Moe Iba labeled Hoppen as UNL's No. 1 in-state
" recruiting prospect last year.
High expectations
"I don't feel any pressure from anybody except my-
self and my coach," Hoppen said. "I can do everything in
a game and not everyone will be pleased."
Hoppen said he had a negative reaction to a column in
the Lincoln Star last December. The column, written by
- sportswriter Randy York, was in the form of an open
letter asking Hoppen to attend Nebraska.
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Staff Photo by Craig Andresen
Nebraska's Dave Hoppen shoots a free throw in the
Aug. 6 Nebraska Coaches Association High School
All-Star Game at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
Hoppen was 13 for 13 at the line in that game.
"I was sitting in study hall and Coach (Jerry) Shelsta
called me to the chemistry !ab he teaches in," Hoppen
said. "He handed me the paper and told me to sit down
and read it. I didn't like that letter at all. In a way it made
me feel like I was forced to go there (to Nebraska)."
Hoppen said the letter didn't help him to decide to go
to Nebraska. He said the reasons he chose Nebraska was
because it was close to home and because he'd be able to
play right away. Another factor was the feeling of his high
school coach.
"Coach Shelsta wanted me to go to Nebraska so he
could see me play," Hoppen said. "I have a lot of respect
for what he had to say."
Competitive leader
Hoppen played in the Nebraska Coaches Association
High School All-Star Game Aug. 6 at the Bob Devaney
Sports Center. Hoppen scored 27 points in that game and
hit all 13 of his free throw attempts. During the game,
Hoppen argued several calls with the officials
"Coach Koch appointed me captain so I felt that I
should voice my opinion on a judgmental call," Hoppen
said. 'That's just the way I am. I'm very competitive."
Hoppen said he has met two of Nebraska's other re
cruits, James Moore and Mike Martz, but said he hasn't
met Stan Cloudy or David Ponce.
"I played basketball with Mike Martz and James Moore
in Las Vegas," Hoppen said. 'They are both really good
players. I hear that David Ponce is a great passer."
Hoppen said he has met several of his teammates. One
former Husker he said he wishes he could have played
with is Jack Moore.
"He is such a great passer," Hoppen said. "It would be
great because he can always find the open man."
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