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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 10, 1988)
Daily Nebraskan p?f Thursday, November 10,1988 r—‘ 1 _________ Huskers to sign six basketball players By Jeff Apel Senior Reporter Six athletes that drew recruiting attention from basketball coaches across the country are set to sign letters of intent with Nebraska today. Nebraska coach Danny Nee said the week-long, early-signing pe riod that begins today is an exciting time because the benefits of a multitude of recruiting visits and calls arc felt. He said it is also a critical time because the Corn huskers like to get as much recruit ing done as they can so they don’t have to worry about it during the season. The athletes who arc expected to sign with Nebraska arc Jamie Cole, a 6-foot-4 guard from Grand Rapids, Mich., Eric Pialkowski, a uiiarH/fnriu'irH frum Dnr.i/4 City, S.D.,and BruccChubick,a6 7 forward from Atkinson-West Holt. The players who are expected to sign with Nebraska women’s bas ketball coach Angela Beck include Kristi Kincaid, a 6-1 forward from Central Arizona Junior College in Coolidgc, Ariz., Sara Offringa, a 5 lOguardfromSl. Joseph, Mo., and Karen Jennings,a6-2 forward from n i.i i Ncola, Iowa. Tom Clinkscalcs, the basketball coach at Crcslon High School in Grand Rapids, said Cole is an out standing jumper who uses his 180 pound frame to his advantage. Cole, who earned All-State, All Area and All-City honors last sea son while averaging 25 points, 12 rebounds, 3.5 assists and two steals and two blocks a game, chose Nebraska over Southern Califor nia, Michigan State, Dayton, Kent State, Bowling Green and Univer sity of Texas-EI Faso. Clinkscalcs said Cole chose Nebraska because he was im pressed by Nee and his staff. He said Nee made a strong impression when he traveled to Grand Rapids on a recruiting trip. “Jamie was impressed with _r. , a |/iwii.vmunui manner, Clinkscaics said. “He was very impressed as an individual.” Clinkscaics said he wasn’t sur prised when Cole chose Nebraska. He said he knows Cole made a smart decision because he used to take his teams to Nee’s basketball camps when the Husker coach was coaching in Ohio. “It wasn’t anything by sur prise,” Clinkscaics said. “I know coach Nee very well so I fell Nc 1 . r* braska would have a very good chance of signing him.” Piatkowski, a two-time All State selection who averaged 21 points and seven rebounds a game last season, chose Nebraska over Minnesota and Southern Method ist. Chubick, who earned All-State honors last year, chose Nebraska over Creighton and Wisconsin. Mary Kay Hyde, the girl’s bas ketball coach at St. Joseph (Mo.) Central High School, said Offringa chose Nebraska over UCLA, USC, Wisconsin, Indiana and Missouri. Hyde said Offringa, a two-time All-City, All-District and All State selection who received hon orable-mention All-America hon ors from Street and Smith maga zine, is an excellent player who possesses excellent floor knowl “She’s kind of like having a coach on the floor,” Hyde said. “She knows whai ii takes to get things done. She’s got a lot going for her.” Hyde said Oflringa did not feel an abundance of pressure to slay home and play for Missouri. She said Offringa chose Nebraska be cause she wanted to stay in the Midwest. “She wanted to look around. /i* rt She’s just like any other high school senior because she wanted to spread her wings and get away from home a little bit,” Hyde said. “But when it got right down to it, she wanted to stay in the Midwest so her parents could see her play. She wanted to slay fairly close to home.” Gary White, the girl’s basket ball coach at Tri-Center High School in Ncola, Iowa, said Jen nings chose Nebraska over Iowa and Indiana because of the positive recruiting trip she had in Lincoln. He said Jennings, who earned All State and All Wcstem-Iowa Con ference honors while averaging 55.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game, was impressed by Beck. “A lol of her decision had to do with her recruiting visit,” White said. “She just liked everything she saw in Nebraska.” While said Jennings’ strong suits are her sirength and mobility. He said Jennings is a steady player who scored 1,388 points last sea son — including 82 in one game— in Iowa’s six-on-six style of bas ketball. “She’s an excellent scorer,” White said. “She scores quite a bit.” Lin Laursen, the women’s bas ketball coach at Central Arizona Junior College, said scoring is also one of Kincaid’s strengths. She said Kincaid, who earned honor able-mention all-tournament hon ors at last year’s National Junior College Tournament, led Central Arizona to a 31 -4 record by averag ing 13.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game last season. “Angela signed a good one,” Laursen said. “Kristi is very strong. She’s hard to stop.” Laursen said Beck had an inside uaiK. 1711 icciuiuiig rviiKdiu uc cause the Husker coach recruited her while she was coaching at Bradley University in Peoria, III. She said Kincaid originally singed a letter of intent with Utah, but attended Central Arizona because her ACT score did not meet the school’s admissions requirement. Laursen said Kincaid will have an immediate impact on the Husker program. She said Kincaid plans on using her junior college experience to her advantage. “The trend today, for whatever reason, is to attend a junior col lege so you can enhance your chances of being recruited,” Laursen said. “That’s what Kristi did and now she’s feeling the benefits.” DasKewau team faces first joe By Jeff A pel Senior Reporter A contingent of young players will get their first taste of collegiate competition when the Nebraska men’s basketball team faces Ath letes in Action tonight in an exhibi tion game. The game begins at 7:35 p.m. at the Bob Dcvancy Sports Center. Nebraska coach Danny Nee said the game is important because it will give the Comhusker coach ing staff an opportunity to evaluate its first-year players. Those players include freshman guards Alex Brickner, Eric Dolczal and J.F. Hoffman, forwards Carl Hayes, Dapreis Owens and Ray Richardson and center Kelly Lively. Nee said the game is also impor tant because it will allow the Husker coaches to evaluate several veterans who arc battling for starl ing positions. The players locked in pre-season bailies are Rich King anil Richard van Poclgccst for ihc starling center position; Pete Man ning, Owens and Hayes for the starling power forward position; and Beau Reid and Richardson for the remaining forward spot. Nee said he likes the intrasquad competition surrounding the game. “We’ve got some real good battles,” Nee said. “We’re very pleased to sec that.” Nee and Nebraska guard Clif ford Scales said the Huskcrs arc anxious to face an opponent be cause they have spent the last three weeks scrimmaging and practicing among themselves. “We’re tired of beating up on each other,” Scales said. Scales said Nebraska doesn’t know what to expect from Athletes in Action. The Aihlctcs in Action rosier includes Rod Foster, a for mer UCLA guard who earned 2nd team AII-America honors as a sophomore; Anihony Walson, who was named ihc Western Athletic Conference’s player of the year following his senior season at San Diego State two years ago; and Alex Williams, a former Sacra mento State guard who led the nation in three-point shots last season with an average of 5.6 per game. Athletes in Action compiled a 25-12 record last season, including wins against California, Clcmson, Florida, Marquette and Houston. Athletes in Action also dropped a 126-91 decision to Oklahoma last season in Norman, Ok la. Seales said the game will serve as a confidence builder for the rest of the season. “We have good chemistry and that should help us,” he said. “I think the new players arc adjusting to the team tremendously and the reluming players have all matured. We know what to expect now.” .— m ■ H — BUiWTt Tonight 7:30 p.m. Bob Dovaney Sports Center (14,478 capacity) F 35 Pete Manning, 6-8, 200, Sr. F 40 Beau Reid, 6-7, 215, So. C 12 Richard van Poelgeest, 6-9, 225, Jr. OR 25 Rich King, 7-2, 235, So G 23 Clifford Scales, 7-2, 170, So. G 15 Eric Johnson, 6-2, 205, Sr. F 40 Zack Jones, 6-5, 215 F 42 Darryl Martin, 6-7, 200 C 44 Gib Hinz, 7-0, 250 G 22 Rod Foster, 6-2, 180 G 12 Anthony Watson, 6-2,195 John Bruce/Daily Nebraskan John Bruc*/D»ily h#brasfcan NU’s Thomas Butkus finalist By Nick Hodge Siaff Reporter Nebraska outside linebacker Broderick Thomas has been named as one of five finalists for the 1988 Butkus Award, and a conference leading 10 other Cornhuskers Wednesday were named to the 1988 I ce Jeans Academic Football Honor Roll. Thomas joins Keith DeLong of Tennessee, Percy Snow of Michigan State, Mike Stoncbreaker of Notre Dame and Derrick Thomas of Ala bama as finalists for the award that honors the nation's top collegiate linebacker. The Butkus Award is presented by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, Fla. The 12-man selection committee will elect the winner Nov. 29 and will be formally presented at a Thomas said he wants to play well in the Huskers’ games against Colo rado and Oklahoma in hopes of win ning the Big Eight championship and Bulk us Award. Nebraska will face the Buffaloes Saturday in Lincoln before playing Oklahoma Nov. 19 Five Huskers were named to the First-Team Academic All-Big Eight Team, including safely Mark Blazek. Blazek was a repeat selection from last year’s academic team. Nebraska center Jake Young, offensive guard John Nelson, quarterback Gerry Gdowski and linebacker Randall Jobman joined Blazck on the first team. Husker offensive guard Bill Bobbora, defensive tackle Paul Brun gardt, punter John Kroeker and line backers Jon Marco and Pat Tyrance received honorable mention. ' ' ! . . ' " I I NU record-setter attributes success to mixture of luck, skill and coaching By Mike Kluck Staff Reporter Virginia Siahr doesn’t know whether to attribute her success at Nebraska to luck or skill. Stahr, a 6-foot junior middle blocker on this season’s 21-4 Com husker volleyball team, said some of her success has to be attributed to luck. “I’m very lucky,” Stahr said. “I’m lucky for getting the opportunity to come here. I’m lucky that coach (Terry) Pettit and Jay (Potter, a for mer Husker assistant coach) had faith in me and believed in me more than I did myself.” “When I first came here, I didn’t think 1 could do it,” she said. “I was real apprehensive. But coach Potter helped to build my self-esteem. I would have to attribute some of my success to him.” Stahr has used her luck — mixed with a lot of skill — to build some impressive numbers this season. Last season, Stahr’s .397 hitting percent age ranked third nationwide. This season, she is 4th in the nation with a .417 hitting percentage. Anything above .300 is considered good. Stahr’s average of 4.04 kills per game is 2nd in the Big Eight to team mate Linda Barsness, who has 4.05 kills per game. Stahr’s average of 1.24 blocks per game ranks No. 3 in the conference. Stahr will gel a chance to improve her totals tonight when Nebraska plays Colorado in an 8:30 p.m. game in Boulder, Colo., Stahr’s past performances have put her in a position to break many Nebraska career records before her career is over. Nebraska coach Terry Pettit used a different word to describe Slahr’s success. “She’s a Husker,” Pettit said. “I think Virginia has the potential to be one of the best players we ever had here. She has ail the physical tools. Sometimes she has a tendency to get a little down on herself, but not very often. She usually rights herself. “1 would guess that she probably has more blocks and kills than any junior has had to this point. She’s real competitive.” Against Texas last Saturday, Stahr had 31 ace spikes to become the third Huskcr ever to record more than 30 spikes in a match. Enid Schonewise recorded 38 spikes and Kathi DeBoer 32 during single games in 1986. Stahr has also become the first player to convert more than 1,000 kills before her senior season. Stahr said she is concentrating on setting team and personal goals rather than breaking records. “I’ve wanted to work on my back row play,” Stahr said. “I ’ m also work ing on my serving because I feel I had a better serve last year. In the front row, I’m doing my job but with a lot of help from the rest of the team.” Senior setter Lori Endicott said she has seen Stahr’s play improve. “She’s always dominated the front row; she’s always been a great front row player,” Endicott said. “Where I’ve noticed (improvement) is in her passing and backcourt play. Her de fense has improved tremendously and that’s where I’ve noticed the biggest improvement this year.” Stahr said her role as a team leader has evolvpd naturally.