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Daily Nebraskan
Tuesday, January 25, 1D33
Mulm ssl for titue presenilis pratiofce for fthe Myre
Sports
By Kevin Warneke
At the end of the bench at every home
game sit three Nebraska basketball players.
They won't score a basket from the corner
or reject an opponent's shot or even leave
the bench. Not this year. But that's the
way they want it.
These three players, John Matzke,
James Moore and Mike Martz, are being
redshirted this year.
"A student athlete has five years to
compete in athletics and is eligible to
use any four years," said David Berst,
director of enforcement for the NCAA.
"The year not used is referred to as a
rcdshirt year."
Although redshirting is more familiar
in college football, Nebraska Coach Moe
Iba said he thinks the idea of redshirting
is good.
"I think it's a situation if your program
gets in the position that we can redshirt
a player, it gives you an edge later on,"
he said. "The player gains experience by
watching and gets physically stronger."
Nebraska used the redshirt rule during
the 1981-82 season when Eric Williams
chose to sit out a year of competition.
"Eric's was a little different situation,"
Iba said.
After breaking a cheekbone in pre
season drills, it was decided that Williams
would sit out the season instead of start
ing late, and have two full years left, Iba
said.
Williams said he used his redshirt season
to learn, mature and work on his overall
game.
This year, Williams and Handy Johnson
have backed up Greg Downing and David
Ponce at the guard positions.
"He's been fighting injuries, but he
played well against Arkansas and Iowa
State," Iba said.
Matzke, a sophomore, was redshirted
this year for different reasons, Iba said.
"We have a lot of forwards who are
seniors," Iba said. "We talked about his
playing time and it wouldn't have been
up to what he wanted."
"I don't think it's unfair at all," Mat
zke said. "It's a chance for me to work on
things I need to improve on."
Martz and Moore, both freshmen, came
to Nebraska with intentions of playing
this year, but midway into pre-season
practice they decided that it would be
best if they redshirted this year.
"Through three weeks of practice it
looked as if there was a chance they
wouldn't play as much as they would
like to," Iba said.
"I thought about it and talked to my
parents," Martz said. "Coach said it was
totally up to me whether to redshirt or
not."
That option is up to the player, Iba
said, and all four players agreed.
"They gave me the option of redshirt
ing or staying on the team," Moore said.
"There was no pressure put on me at all."
"I would never tell a player he had to
redshirt," Iba said. "You're dealing with a
year of their life."
Another benefit of sitting out a season,
besides the extra year of practice, is also
an extra year of school, Williams and
Moore said.
"The year I sat out, I gained an extra
year of playing and school," Williams
said. "You can't beat that."
"Not only am I here to play basket
ball, but to also get an education," Moore
said.
But with the good , comes the bad . All
four players said it isn't the requirement
that they must practice with the team, but
watching their teammates play in games
is the hardest part.
"I was going through withdrawal,"
Williams said. "One game that stands out
is Arkansas. I wanted to run into the
locker room and change my clothes."
"It really is hard," Martz said. "All
my life I have played during the winter
and now I can only watch."
"It's hard not playing because it would
be a lot of fun playing in the games, especi
ally with the group of guys we have this
yar," Matzke said.
"It's kind of hard because you feel
the enthusiasm in practice but you know
you won't be playing," Moore said. "It
gives you desire to work hard."
The chance of being excluded from the
team since they are not playing in the
actual games is not a problem, Matzke
said.
"The team this year is really closer as
a whole," he said. "Everybody is includ
ed." Besides the closeness of the team,
Moore said the thought of playing next
year keeps him going.
"I'm just sitting here looking toward
next year," he said. "And working toward
next year."
L
r r rk rrt n i ? "s n n r
u
By Jeff Korbelik
The spectators at the Nebraska-Southern Illinois
men's track meet Saturday should pay close attention
to one particular event: the 60-yard high hurdles.
Nebraska's junior Ed Ross will be trying to become
one of the first Huskers to qualify for the upcoming
indoor national meet this spring.
"I am excited about the meet (So. Illinois) because
I missed qualifying by a tenth of a second at Tennessee
(Eastman Invitational)," Ross said.
At the Eastman Invitational, Ross finished fourth
in the 60 highs with a time of 15 seconds. Earlier
that day he ran a 73 in his heat, but needed a 729
to qualify for the nationals.
"I twisted my knee at Tennessee," Ross said. "While
hurdling, my legs were twisting in the air, and I'm
working on controlling it. By meet time I should be
100 percent."
Ross is one of the new faces on the Husker team
this year. He was recruited from Gloucester County
Community College in Sewell, N J., where he became
a Junior College All -American. In the 1982 national
Junior College indoor meet, he finished third in the 60
high hurdles, and finished fifth in the 1 10 highs at the
outdoor meet. Ross graduated from Penns Grove
High School in New Jersey, where he was voted the
most valuable athlete.
lie qualifying tome
While Ross was in junior college, Mark Fluitt,
a Nebraska assistant, called him and invited him to
try out as a Husker.
"I was told that there was good coaching and
facilities. I learned a lot in junior college, but need
ed to learn a lot more," Ross said.
Ross will compete in the hurdles for the Huskers
this year. However, Ross said he may run relays for
the team.
He proved that he is a versatile athlete in high
school in the Woodbury Relays in New Jersey. He
was voted the most valuable athlete at the 32-team
meet. Ross anchored the hurdle relay, anchored the
440 relay, ran in a spring medley and anchored the
880 relay.
Last year's track team was led by senior sprinter
and hurdler Randy Brooks. Ross is starting where
Brooks left off last year.
"I didn't know Randy that well. I'm not trying
to replace him, I'm just doing it for the team," Ross
said. "I heard he was a versatile athlete and I kind of
wish that I could have met him and talked about a
couple of things. Maybe I will see him later this year."
Nebraska is loaded with depth in the hurdles with
Ross, junior Scott Marshall, sophomore J. Jones and
freshman Vernon Massey, Ross' roommate.
"Vernon and I get along real well," Ross said. 'The
coach put us together and we help each other out."
r :
-trXrtt '-.--" :
Staff photo by Joel Sartore
This may be the last time you see Nebraska hurd
ler Ed Ross standing next to one. More often
than not the junior college transfer will be seen
leaping over them. Ross gets his first home com
petition this week as Nebraska meets Southern
Illinois in a dual meet Saturday at the Bob
Devaney Sports Center track.
'f ' S A K
s V U J
'rackster Massey tready to 'sail'
Staff photo by John Zoz
Nebraska freshman Vernon Massey easily clears
6 feet in the high jump during practice at the
Bob Devaney Sports Center track. Besides com
peting in the high jump, Massey runs the hurdles
and competes in the long and triple jumps.
By Jeff Korbelik
Vernon Massey may be more comfortable in the
air.
The Aurora, Colo, freshman can be seen "gliding"
over high hurdles, "leaping" into sand pits, and "sail
ing" over high-jump bars for the Nebraska men's
track team.
"I want to qualify for the nationals this year, if
not indoor, then outdoor," Massey said. "I would
also like to try to break the (Nebraska high jump)
record as a freshman."
Doug Phelps set that record (7 feet-1 inch) in
1979. Phelps also holds the 1979 outdoor record of
7-1 i. Massey has recorded a 7-2 high jump in com
petition and has been jumping 6-10 and 6-1 1 in pract
ice and has made some attempts at 7 feet.
"I haven't really gone for the higher heights as of
yet," Massey said.
Massey graduated from Aurora High School where
he was a high school Ail-American in the high jump.
He was the 1981 Junior Olympics high jump champs
and 1982 Track Athletic Congress high jump champ.
He won a gold medal in the triple jump at the TAC
and finished second in the 110 high hurdles. Massey
was awarded Most Valuable Athlete and Athlete of
the Year in high school.
"Vernon is a good athlete and will do well if he
just does what he is capable of," Nebraska Assistant
Track Coach Dick Railsback said. "If we ever need
him for a sprint relay we can count on him. He is
very versatile and he is going to be a big help."
Massey was recruited by UCLA, Stanford, New
Mexico, Oklahoma, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado
and others.
"I chose Nebraska because it is kind of close to
home, they have a good journalism department , good
team and facilities," he said. 'The main reason I
came here is that they try to help you with your aca
demics. The other schools emphasized track more
than school, but here school comes first, then track.
"Railsback was the most honest recruiting coach,"
Massey said. "The other schools would give me the run
around concerning scholarships."
"I think he (Massey) liked Nebraska because of our
philosophy of training and education," Railsback said.
"What we have is an awful lot with academics and our
facilities. If we can get a student to come and visit;
once they come, it is pretty hard to keep them from
signing."
On Jan. 29, Nebraska will host Southern Illinois.
Massey will compete in the high jump, long jump,
triple jump and the 110 high hurdles.
"I'm really nervous because this is my first col
lege meet and I would like to do well," Massey said.
"I have only practiced once in the long jump and the
triple jump and I am anxious to see how well I will
do in all the events."
