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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 15, 1987)
Johnson readies for first Husker season Basketball coach ‘reloads’ men’s team Andrea Hoy/Daily Nebraskan Matt Van Horn gets his basketball signed by Clifford Scales of the Nebraska men’s basketball team during photo day at the Bob Devaney Sports Center Wednesday. i* _~ i; i By Kent Endacott Staff Reporter The face, the sparkplug build, they’re just the same. Nebraska’s Eric Johnson, a 6-foot 2, 190-pound guard, looks almost identical to his older brother, Vinnie, “The Microwave” of the Detroit Pis tons. Nebraska Coach Danny Nee said Johnson has the same kind of talent that made Vinnie one of the NBA’s best sixth man. “He’s just a real talented kid, he can do a little bit of everything,” Nee said. Johnson, a highly recruited guard at Franklin Roosevelt High School in Brooklyn in 1984, followed in his brother’s footsteps by signing with Baylor. At Baylor, Johnson started his freshman year, averaging 9.3 points a game and then 8.7 as a sophomore. But after his sophomore year, Gene Iba was hired to take over the Bears’ basketball program. Rather than play Iba’s controllcd tempo style, Johnson decided to trans fer. He called Nee, who had recruited him while he was coaching at Ohio University and had known him since he was a high school sophomore. Nee told him he was going to accept the coaching job at Nebraska, and offered Johnson a chance to come along. Johnson transferred and sat out the 1986-87 season. He said he’s looking forward to helping the team this sea son. At times this season, he said, Nebraska fans might think they’re watching the Microwave himself. “I can score, but 1 can also play defense,” he said. “A lot of people say we have a similar type of game. I feel like 1 can pretty much score when I have to." Nec said Johnson, who will play both guard positions, and Peter Man ning, a 6-8 transfer from Seminole (Okla.) Junior College, should have an immediate impact. “We’re counting on Pete to come in and contribute right away," Nee said. “He could help us drastically on the boards. His forte is rebounding, and that’s probably our biggest weak ness.” Last year, Manning averaged 10.3 rebounds a game at Seminole. Nee said the recruits need to de velop and contribute this season to offset the losses of Bernard Day and Brian Carr. One of the key recruits is Clifford Scales. Scales, an All-Slate guard at St. Joseph High School in Westch ester, 111., said he chose Nebraska over DePaul because he wants to play right away. “I’m really going to enjoy it," he said. “Playing time is my practice time, and Coach Nee has the confi dence in me that I can do the job for him.” Nee also signed Richard Smith, a 6-7 freshman from Chicago who played on the same high school team with Marcus Liberty, the nation’s top high school player last year. “I’m really high on my Chicago kids,” Nee said of Scales and Smith. Nee said he has not decided whether to redshirt Richard King, a 7 2 freshman from Omaha Burke High School, and Kelly Lively, a 6-11 freshman from Torrington, Wyo. j Beau Ried, a 6-7 redshirt freshman, is also expected to play right away. “Kelly Lively and Richard King give us size which we haven’t had in the past, but I don’t know if they’re going to be ready this year. We’re going to have to build them up.” Nee said guard Henry T. Buchanan and forward Derrick Vick need to provide leadership. As a junior, j Buchanan, a 6-1 point guard, aver aged 8.2 points a game and dished out 83 assists. Vick, a 6-6 forward, aver aged 11.1 points and 5.6 rebounds a game last year. He was also named to die NIT All Tournament Team. “We’re going to have to build around them,” Nee said. “No two players contributed more than Buchanan and Vick going down the stretch and in the NIT. They were both big-game players for us.” Buchanan, 27, said he is looking forward to his role of team leader. “I’ll be more or less a role model,” he said. “I’ll be showing die young people how to work hard, and try to instill confidence in them. The fresh men have a lot of talent, but there’s a difference between having talent and being able to convert it over to the college level.” The only other two returning letter men are Jeff Rckewcg, a 6-6 senior, and Richard Van Poclgeest, a 6-9 sophomore from Ryswijk, Nether lands. Van Poclgeest played in 24 games as a freshman, averaging 2.7 points and 1.9 rebounds a game. He scored 10 points against Oklahoma in Norman. “Van Poclgeest is one of the keys,” Nee said. “He has a chance to step right in and play. I think his year of adjustment to the American style of play, the culture and the academics is over.” Nec said the Nebraska basketball program is in the “legitimate rebuild ing” phase. “I hate using the word'rebuilding,’ I’d rather say 'reloading,’" he said, “because I don’t want the fans to think, 'Oh, here he comes. They’re rebuilding again for the 52nd year in a row.’” But, he said, no matter what phase his program is in, he thinks his team will always have achance to win in the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Two Quarts of Coke and a Communication ...all for only 95 cents. (*no strings attached) Now with any $5 delivery purchase, you can get a quart of Coke in a colorful Valentino's cup for only 95C, and get a second quart of Coke, in a second Valentino's cup, absolutely FREE. Add a length of string (not provided) and you have a great two-way communication system! Or remove the bottoms of the cups and you have a pair of nonelectronic hearing aids. Win a FREE Dinner for Two To help you get the most out of your Valentino ’s cups, we wanted to give you a list of 101 ways that you could use them We tried hard But we could only come up with an even 100. Can you come up with Use Number 101? Write your best suggestion, along with your name and address on a piece of paper and send it to us before October 31, 1987. Or drop it off the next time you’re at Valentino’s. If yours is the most original and inventive suggestion, you will win a FREE dinner for two at Valentino s. You must be 18 or older to win. No purchase necessary. Offer ends October 31, 1987. 101 USES FOR YOUR VALENTINO S CUPS 1. T wo way communication system (string not included I I. Jumbo tad end pepper shekel eel S. Pencil hoWer 4. Mini rota bush piffled or t. Giant ice cube mater I. Party hat (one ana flit ad) 7. Miniature bongo drum eel 4. Short-range binoculars (just remove bottoms! I. Privacy flah bote 14. Decorate* plantar 11. Pins lor term botelng (coded 10) 1t. Ok changing M II. Styflshaarmufl* 14. Megaphone (just remove bottom) 14. Foot massager 14. Boat baler (boat not included) 17. Rock sad spreader 14. Wwm term container 14 Post-d* Mole waste basket 74. Non-etedmrkc hearingerd Oust remoM bottom) H > MMemdem peadbed i sound of ocean included) 22 String dispenser I string not included) 23 Indoor/ouidoor pdtmg cup 24 Bank (holds up to 5 matron In) 24. Jtdo mold (why not?) 21 Cupcake mold (weaker) 27. Foul bad baseball catcher NO* - -»1— ■ -» , Mann snwer 24. Maabuterchum (eome assembly required) M. One guart measuring system H. State lane capsule a. Hh and bars Mtet'iah holders a. Bed feeder N Sugar cookie cu«w and nteag pm aal a. Faabw dMame markers X Mart* sack (drawstring not mdudad) 17. Bobber (tor optimistic fishermen) X. Sand cad* mold ech not included) Bunyan shot glass X. Needle point thlmt* (Rosy GNer model) 41. Barr* (tor small polka parties) X. Repkce of leaning Tower of Pisa {lean not included) X Maracas (pebbles not included) 44 Dumbbells (tor kghhMtghls) X Donation cup (tor best resuts remove ltd) X Solti oon (tor best results remove ltd) 47. Ram gauge (tor best results, remove M) X. Trombone mult X. Daytime fteshfcght (batteries not included — or needed) 50 Quiver (toi short arrows) 51 Two-evone cade templet* 52 Powdered sugar doughnd caddy U Emergency tootbak M Ice bucket (tor small paftws) M Windsock (tor ak-puoc an ports) 44 Ounce bat (tor people who don't eelat Vtoanhno't) •7. Emergency spm-the-botBe substitute 44 Backgammon dice cups M Baa (dapper not included) SO Nighttime denture holder •1. Oaytene denture holder (tor people who work nights) •I. Maybeskei 4) Easter basket 14 Portable sand pee (sand not included) ». Kle string winder M Ouch all (cut out bottom ca« "here duck') •7 Portable finger bond (water not mckidad) 44 firee*tingutr*lM*1 (water not included) 44. Taldty wink goal (professional modal) 74. Rain guard (tor outdoor ash trays) AN ADVENTURE IN ITALIAN DINING. North • 35th & Holdrege • 467-3611 71. Big top lor a Sea ctrcut 71. IHgb nee ent term 71 ComDmabonrmazlanaed bag tot your Doberman 74. UtowtoM Inly residence (nrlwtos required) 71. Bert* end Mm hot tub (rederood deck not included) 11. Emergency backup tor (e rear IBesaver on parade day) 77. Btohtub buoy (to mark place where soap ewnt down) 71 Jedybeandispeneef 71. Paperclip depot BB. Thumbtack warehouse B1. Tack and brad caddy (tacks and brads not included) Bt. Hypochondriac spdtoo» Bl. Saving stamp depository B4. Monkey barrel BB. Pasta canister 81 Leftover pasta container B7. Dual purpose raSVenow catching and storing dewoe BB Paml bucket BB WMer balloon satoty transporter BB. MicrowaM cookware 81 Lunch bos tor kids 82 Christmas tree ornament 81 Inkwell 14. Oreseer caddy BB Pudding siwker BB. Salt-contained Hsiang gear organizer 87. Bookands (tor Igia reading malarial) BB Blrdbath (tor reclusive turds) BB. Portable shower (punch hotos In bottom) IBB Reusable drinking cup (now we re getting sWy in. m_ D»k»» Gundy Thomaa Gundy better, not bigger TRIPLETS from Page 13 Dolphins’ quarterback Dan Marino, stands 5*11 and weighs 1K0 pounds. When Gundy replaced Ronnie Williams as Oklahoma State’s start ing quarterback last season, Jones called Boston College coach Jack Bickncll to sec what type of plays he used to help former liable quarter Doug Flutic, who stands 5-9. ‘Basically, they thought I had some ability in the same areas as Doug Flutie,” Gundy said. “It’s very challenging — I don’t have a 6-4 frame or a strong arm. I try to use other things, and each year I try to get better.” Gundy is ranked 13th nationally in total offense with an average of 225.8 yards per game, and is eighth in pass efficiency with a pass efficiency rat ing of 140.8. Gill finished v ith a rating of 152.7 in 1983. “I think Mike is probably more talented than people think,” Jones said. “He’s been highly successful in every sport he’s competed in since he’s been a little boy.