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Friday, February 18, 1983
Daily Nebraskan
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Staff photo by Craig Andresen
Claude Renfro drives with the ball against Colo
rado's Vince Kelley. Renfro and the rest of the
Nebraska Cornhuskers will host Iowa State Saturday
in a key Big Eight game.
G-Huskers face Big Eight sival weekend
s manhandling ol' Kansas
By Ward W. Triplctt III
Nebraska basket ball coach Moe Iba made sure not to
go overboard when he discussed the ouicome of the Big
Light Confeienee race last fall. In various foims and on
many occasions lba said he hoped the team would finish
in the upper division.
But alter Wednesday nig!
State at Manhattan, the 6-3 Cornhuskers are almost
guaranteed that upper division finish, and lba is looking
at a higher goal.
"Our game Saturday is very important to us," he said.
"We can still win the confeienee providing somebody
beats Missouri before we get to them, so we really need
Saturday's game."
The antagonist Saturday was the Husker's first con
ference victim. Iowa State had run off a seven-game
consecutive win streak in the non-conference schedule,
before bogging down when the Big Light race began.
Nebraska added to the woes by handing the Cyclones
a 59-54 setback in Ames Jan. IS.
Since then, the Cyclones have won five of eight games,
with home-court wins over Oklahoma State and Mis
souri. Iba said a personnel switch was responsible for the
Cyclone resurgence.
"I think Iowa State has really improved their basket
ball team since we played them there." he said. "They
moved one of their players (Ron Harris) from guard to
forward, and put 6-3 freshman Jeff Hoinacek in the
starting Ime-up. What it s done is given them more quick
ness and ability. Since they did that, their team has been
play ing well."
Hoinacek scored 19 points in the Cyclones 69-65
victory Wednesday' night at Colorado. He is joined in the
starting line up by Harris, a 6-3 junior forward. Barry
Stevens, a 6-5 sophomore forward. Tenance Allen, a 6-0
junior guard and 6-1 1 senior Ron Falcnschek.
Stevens, who almost single-handedly beat Missouri
with a conference high of 40 points, is the leading scorer
with a 17.7 average. Harris and Allen both average double
figures at 14.5 and 10.4 points per game, respectively.
Falenschek scored 19 points against Nebraska at Ames
last year, but was ineffective against Husker Dave Hopped
last month. Falenschek aveiagcs only 5.6 points per game
while Hoinacek was scoiing at a 3..X clip beloie Wed
nesday's gaine.
Hoppen is still the Husker's leading scoier at 13.1
points per game, followed by Stan Cloudy, Claude Ren
fro. Greg Downing and David Ponce.
The game is equally important for Iowa State, because
the Cyclones, at 5-4, arc tied with Oklahoma State for
fourth place in the conference race. Missouri still leads
the conference at 7-1, prior to Thursday's game with
Kansas. Oklahoma, which beat Oklahoma State at Still
water by a David Little basket with two seconds left
and Nebraska are tied for second, in front of Iowa State
and Oklahoma State. The last three teams are too far
off the pace to count, except for spoiler roles.
Iba said Nebraska will have to keep Iowa State's big
guns off stride to prevent a Cyclone revenge victory.
"Stevens has always been a good scorer," Iba said,
adding that he had watched a videotape of the Missouri
game, lba said Stevens has had some great games but his
performance varies depending if he gets into the flow
of the game or not.
"What we'll have to do is stay after him. and push
him off his spot when he gets the ball."
Nebraska can improve its overall maik to 16-6 with
a w in. Iowa State is 13-9 overall.
The Nebraska women's basketball team will be trying
to bieak a nine-road-game losing streak when they meet
Oklahoma State and Oklahoma this weekend. The Cow
girls, at 1 -9 in the conference, are currently holding down
last place, the Sooners are 6-5 and fourth after beating the
Cowgiils S6-X5 in oveitime Wednesday. It will be the
Husker's first meeting with Oklahoma State; the Sooner
game will be a rematch. Nebraska won the home game
S5-78. Sooner coach Maura McIIugh claimed the game
was won partially by the referees.
"I won't need to motivate our players for that game."
Nebraska Coach Colleen Matsuhara said. "McIIugh's
comments were billboard material."
The Huskers are 2-6 in the confeienee and 12-10
overall.
ISU hopes win here leads to tournament
How parity made
college basketball
accept the upset
If Mr. Webster were a half-court hoops
fan, he wouldn't just define parity as
"equality in power." He'd also say it
describes very accurately what's happening
in the game ot college basketball today.
hook at the polls, the norm today seems
to be a new No. 1 team every week. Being
No. 1 in the polls is like a hot potato.
Nobody seems to want it. Knocking at the
j Al I
I McGuire
door have been Indiana, Kentucky, St.
John's. Mississippi, UCLA, Virginia, plus
a flotilla of others.
The reasons for this are many.
The most obvious one is the freshman
rule, which does not allow the dynasty
colleges to stockpile the blue-chippers like
they did years ago. What you used to do
was bring in a great freshman team, break
'em in as a sophomore and play 'em as
juniors and seniors. Today, a blue-chip
freshman wants to play right away or he'll
go somewhere else where he will, because
most keepers have their eyes on the pros
down the road. And, unlike in football,
turning a program around and taking a trip
uptown costs only a couple ol blue
chippers and the right complementary
players.
What all this has done is spread the high
school blue-chippers throughout
50 to 60 schools in Division I. which is a
first big step toward equality.
Another thing, the NCAA has lowered
the amount of scholarships you can give.
At no time can you have more than 15
basketball players on scholarship. They can
bring in 15 one year, or spread
it over four years, but at no time can there
be more than 15 on a scholarship.
Continued on Page 13
By Jeff Goodwin
Iowa State fans must be wondering
what Cyclone forward Barry Stevens is
going to do for an encore.
A week ago Tuesday. Stevens popped
in 40 points against Missouri to lead the
Cyclones to a 73-72 overtime win against
the conference leaders. His last basket
was the game winner as time ran out.
"That basket was one of the greatest
moments of my life." Stevens said. "It
was a big win."
Stevens didn't shy away from the
pressure of taking th final shot.
"At the end of the game I wanted the
ball," Stevens said.. "I felt 1 was hot."
For his efforts. Stevens was named
the Big Fight player of the week
as well as the national player ot the week
by Sports Illustrated.
Stevens said the Cyclones, who
currently have a 13-9 record overall and a
54 record in the Big Fight, have hopes of
making a post-season tournament.
Stevens said Iowa State's lack of height
hasn't been a problem.
"I think that we still have a small team."
he said, "but we're play ing better together.
Jeff Hornacek and Ron Falenshek (guard
and center) have really played well."
Stevens said his lack of height isn't a
problem either.
"I'm only 6-5. but 1 m usually covered
by a guy 6-8. so I use my speed and quick
ness A lot of times. I'm the biggest man on
the floor so I have to rebound."
Stevens, a sophomore from Flint.
Michigan, chose Iowa State over
Minnesota.
"I felt eventually I'd start at either
school," Stevens said, "but I felt I'd play
sooner at Iowa State."
Stevens realizes that, as a sophomore, he
has yet to mature fully as a player.
Stevens said the pressure of winning his
national awards would not affect him.
"It puts pressure on you for awhile,"
he said. "It came as quite a surprise. My
teammates told me I was going to get
some national rank."
Stevens said it is critical for the
Cyclones to start winning games on the
road.
"We've won here (at Ames) and now
we're trying to get some wins on the road,"
he said.
Stevens, who is currently the fourth
leading scorer in the Big Fight with an
average of 17.7 points a game, said that
he has hopes for a future in professional
basketball but that that moment is still
some time off.
"I try not to think about the NBA right
now" he said. "Fin still young."
Stevense said he likes playing tinder
Iowa State Coach Johnny Oir.
"I think he's the type of coach that's
not real wound up," Stevens said. "He's a
smooth, mellowed-out guy."
With a few more players like Stevens,
Orr could almost become comatose.
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Photo courtesy of Iowa State Sports Information offi
Iovva State's Barry Stevens is on the way to the basket in a game at Ames Hilton
Coliseum. Stevens was named Sports Illustrated's National Player of the Week for
his performance against Missouri and Kansas State.
