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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 27, 1988)
Sports_ Nee: NU needs emotion to stop Kansas I Probable Starters: Nebraska (10-8, 1-1) Henry T. Buchanan G Eric Johnson G Pete Manning C Jeff Rckcwcg F Derrick Vick F Kansas (12-5,1-1) Otis Livingston G Kevin Pritchard G Danny Manning C Milt Newton F Chris Piper F By Mark Derowitsch Senior Reporter After seeing his squad defeat the University of Nebraska at Omaha Monday night, Nebraska basketball coach Danny Nee showed a film of the Comhuskers' 78-76 victory over Kansas last season. Nee said he showed the film be cause he hopes his squad can continue the same type of home-court magic that carried the Huskers to their vic tory over Kansas last season. Nebraska defeated the Jayhawks in overtime last year when forward Derrick Vick scored on a layup as time expired. Kansas will have an opportunity to avenge the loss when it faces Ne braska tonight at the Bob Devancy Sports Center. The game, which w ill be televised by Raycom (Cablcvision channel 42), begins at 8:08 p.m. “For Nebraska lobe successful, we have to play our best,” Nee said. “Anything short of that won't be good enough. We havetoplay with tremen dous emotion. “I do think the advantage of play ing at home is our sixth man — our fans, our alumni, our student body. They create a positive atmosphere for us that causes us to play at a higher level emotionally. 1 really believe with that slate of mind, we have a chance.” Kansas coach Larry Brown said the game is a big one because the team with the best road record will win the Big Eight this year. “Every place in the conference is a tough place to play on the road,” Brown said. “The fact that Nebraska defeated Missouri shows they are capable of beating anybody at home. And they beat us up there last year.’ Nee said the Jay hawks are playing well this season. He said guards Otis Livingston and Kevin Pritchard and forwards Milt Newton and Chris Piper arc helped by the presence of All-America center Danny Manning. “Anyone who steps on the floor with Danny Manning becomes a bet ter player,” Nee said. “He has the ability to make other players look good.” Ncc said Kansas is one ol the nest teams in the conference with Man ning, a 6-fool-11 senior who's aver aging 23.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. “They're in the upper echelon in the Big Eight,” Nee said. “They’re a top-20 team. They’re well-coached and they have very talented players. I think the ability to adjust and do anything to find a way to win.” Ncc said Manning plays like a guard in a center’s body. “Danny Manning would be a good basketball player if he were 6-4,” Ncc said. “He docs everything a 6-4 player docs. I think the best quality about him is his unselfishness.” Ncc said he would like to face the Jayhawks without Manning. “I ll be kind of happy when he graduates,” Ncc said. Brown said he thinks Manning is the best player in the country. “There's no question in my mind,” Brown said. “1 sec him every day and I know w hat he can do.” Brown said the Jayhawks stop Manning as often as opponents do. “We have a tendency to slop Danny,” Brown said. “Sometimes we forget he’s on our team.” Kansas, which was predicted in most prcscason polls as a strong con tender for the national championship, has been besieged by injuries and academic problems this season. Sen ior forward Archie Marshall, who spend last season as an academic redshirt, underwent major recon structive surgery on his left knee ear lier this season, and center Marvin Branch was declared academically ineligible. Brown said Kansas must continue without Marshall and Branch. “We lost some quality players this year,” Brown said. “But there's noth ing we can do about it. Nebraska guard Henry T. Buchanan said it doesn't make loo much difference who the Jayhawks have in their lineup. •The> have Danny Manning,” Buchanan said “That's enough, in my opinion.” * * * During his press conference 1 ucs day. Nee said officials at the Univer sity of Missouri aren't doing enough to stop the Antlers, a student cheering section that is known for obscene gestures and remarks directed at opposing players and f ns. Nee said the Anile go “over the line” of being enthusiastic students. He said it was their actions that prompted Iowa State forward Jell Grayer to enter the stands belore the Cyclones’ 119-93 loss to Missouri in Columbia, Mo. “1 don’t think there’s trouble with fan control,” Nee said. “But I do think there’s a line that you draw' w here fan enthusiasm,emotion and respect fora player. But the Antlers go over that line.” Nee said Missouri officials should do something about the problem be fore it gets out of hand. Nee said former Husker guard Brian Carr received the same type of abuse last season. “1 don’t think we need that in col lege sports,” Nee said. “We’re not the NFL. We’re college athletes that represent academic institutions. We have to set our own standards, and they should be high standards.” Doug Carroll/Daily Nebraskan Nebraska’s Pete Manning shoots over Iowa State’s Don Bourn (22) and Jeff Grayer. Missouri rededicated to Big Eight season Tigers hope to rebound from two losses By Mark Derowitsch Senior Reporter Whether Missouri can rebound from conference losses to Kansas and Nebraska will determine how the Tigers will finish in the Big Eight, assistant coach Bob Sundvold said. “I think during those two road games, we had some unfortunate circumstances,” Sundvold said. But Sundvold said Missouri was able to turn its hard luck around as All-America forward Derrick Chievous came off the bench to score 30 points and lead the Tigers to a 119 93 win against lOth-rankcd Iowa State. Sundvold said the Tigers, 1-2 in the conference and 11-4 overall, had to rcdcdicatc themselves for the Big Eight season. “The things we did last year arc different than this year,” Sundvold said. “We’re a different team and we read differently to certain situations. We need to be ready and re-focus on our goals.” Sundvold said he’s looking for ward to the rest of the Big Eight season. “I’m very optimistic about our chances,” Sundvold said. “Anything can happen, even though we lost our first two games.” Sundvold said Chievous, who has come off the bench in four of the Tigers’ 14 games, has to work harder for his points this season. “He’s a great player and has had some outstanding games for us,” Sundvold said. "Bui he’s becoming the focal point of other teams’ de fense. But he’s doing a tremendous job for us.” Chievous, a senior from Jamaica, N.Y., is averaging 20.5 points per game this season. Last year, Chievous earned second-team All-America honors from United Press Interna tional and third team honors from The Associated Press while averaging 25.9 points and S.6 rebounds per contest. Sundvold said Missouri has ample talent to surround Chievous despite Ihc loss of starling guard Lynn Hardy. Hardy, a 6-foot-2 senior, will miss the rest of the season because of back spasms and academic problems. Sundvold said the Tigers can over come the loss of Hardy. “We have decent size and a pretty solid bench,” Sundvold said. i Junior Byron Irvin is averaging 12 points per game while coming off the bench. Another reserve, freshman Doug Smith, is averaging eight points per game. j Sophomore Nathan Bunlin has started all 14 games this year. He is j averaging 11.5 points and 5.5 re bounds per game. NU will try to shed its tired image against Arkansas By Jeff A pel Senior Hdilor A season’s worth of specific and competitive training will come to an end as the Nebraska women’s swim ming team prepares for Arkansas. Nebraska women’s swimming coach Ray Huppert said it’s important the C ornhuskers end their six-month period ol difficult training because they arc beginning to show signs ol fatigue. He said Nebraska showed soreness and a “lack of bounce" dur ing its 71-41 victory over Iowa Suite last Saturday at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Huppert said Nebraska will try to shed its “tired image” by entering a pre-taper training period Sunday. He said that period will consist of two weeks of “cut back” training and three weeks where “the engines will really be shut down” in preparation for the Huskers’ second taper of the season. “We’re real tired and real sore because the yardage is still up there,’ Huppert said. “But the athletes are beginning to sec the end. It’s like all of a sudden, the light at the end of the tunnel starts to get bigger.” Huppert said the remaining 5 1/2 weeks of training are critical because they will be climaxed by the 1988 Big Eight swimming and diving champi onships March 3-5 in Lincoln. He said it’s essential the Huskers maintain a positive altitude throughout the final portion of their season because they will face a strong test from Kansas for this year’s conference title. Huppert said Nebraska will try to gain the momentum it needs to earn its fourth straight Big Eight champi onship when it laces Arkansas on Feb. 6 in Fayetteville, Ark. He said he expects a tough test from the Razor backs because they have compiled a 2-1 record against Kansas this year. “Arkansas looks a lot tougher than in the past,” Huppert said, “and we aren’t about to change our training schedule. It will be a good meet.” Nebraska men’s sw imming coach Cal Bent/ said he is also wary of the Ra/orbacks. He said Arkansas has several outstanding individuals who scored at last year’s NCAA Champi onship meet in Austin, Texas. Bent/ said Nebraska’s K4-29 vic tory over Iowa Slate Saturday wasn’t a fair assessment of cither squad because both teams were suffering from illness and fatigue. He said he expects both teams to be back to full strength by the Big Eight champion ships. “I think Iowa Stale is a much better team than they showed,” Bent/ said. “Some of our guys were tired, so we’re also capable of being a belter learn.” Beni/ said Nebraska’s fatigue is “consistent with w here it needs to be at this lime in the season.” He said the Huskers will welcome the open week and much-needed rest before facing Arkansas. Bent/ said he would still like to see Nebraska qualify for the 1988 NCAA Championships in the backstroke and 1650-meter butterfly events. He said the Huskers will use the nine events that they have already qualified for the NCAA’s as a base for the top-10 finish Nebraska hopes to earn this year. “It’s nice to have a bird in the hand,” Bent/ said.