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Nebraska basketball recruit Ray Richardson in his dorm room in Harper Hall. Richardson, a
transfer from Hiwassee (Tenn.) Junior College, is one of four Cornhusker newcomers.
Basketball zeal amazes Richardson
By Jerry Guenther
Staff Reporter
Call it culture shock — basketball
style.
Ray Richardson, one of four Ne
braska men’s basketball recruits, can
tell you all about that.
Richardson, a transfer from
Hiwassee (Tenn.) Junior College,
said he heard Nebraskans were only
interested in football.
After arriving on the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln campus, he soon
learned otherwise.
“Football players, teachers, every
body around, has been asking us how
we’re doing and how practice is
going,” Richardson said.
The interest Nebraskans have in
basketball was a pleasant surprise for
Richardson, who grew up in the bas
ketball-cra/.y state of Indiana.
Now he hopes to surprise some of
the fans.
Richardson will gel the chance to
suiprise some fans tonight when the
Huskers play (he Victoria, Australia,
All-Stars in a 7:35 p.m. game al the
Bob Devaney Sports Center Arena.
Richardson, a 6-foot-6 forward
who also swings to the guard position,
has set two goals for the upcoming
season. He said he and his teammates
must work hard to reach the goals.
“I want to make it to the NCAA
tournament,” Richardson said. “And
before I leave, I want to win the Big
Eight (title).”
“People will say, ‘Nebraska will
never have a good basketball pro
gram,’” he said. “I want to prove them
wrong.”
Richardson was recruited by such
schools as San Diego State, Tennes
see, Clcmson, Auburn and Miami
(Fla.). He said UNL’s academics
program played a large part in his
decision to come here.
“Some of the other schools had
good academics,” Richardson said,
“but you didn’t get the one-on-one
attention like here.”
Although Richardson said he isn’t
sure what type of role he’ll play on
this year’s team, he said he hopes to
make an impacl by gelling a lot ol
rebounds and being a team player.
Another recruit who could make
an impact on this year’s team is
Richardson’s roommate, Carl Hayes,
a standout at St. Joseph High School
in Westchester, 111., last year. Other
Nebraska recruits are Dapreis Owens,
a 6-9 forward from Mansfield (Ohio)
High School and Eric Dolezal, a 6-3
guard from LaPortc, Ind.
Nebraska coach Danny Nee said
this year’s recruiting class is solid.
All-Star Sports Publicauons rated
Nebraska’s incoming class 20th in the
nation, ahead of national powers such
as Duke, Kansas, Louisville, Villa
nova and Arizona.
“Nationally, last year’s freshman
class wasn’t rated as high as this one,
but they’re both equal,” Nee said.
“We’ve had two solid recruiting
years.”
Nee also said the new’ recruits arc
capable of challenging for starting
positions.
“I don’t decide that,’’ Nee said.
“The kids do on the floor."
Ksman i
OU’s Phillips delivers
NORMAN,Okla. (AP) - Through
out what has been a hectic season for
the Oklahoma offense, there has been
one constant:
Anthony Phillips.
So what else is new?
Phillips, a 6-foot-3, 285-pound
senior, has been rock solid for four
years. When Phillips was just a fresh
man, Coach Barry' Switzer promised
greatness. And the record shows Phil
lips h as done noth ing to make S witzer
wish he had spoken in less glowing
terms.
If Phillips is named to the All-Big
Eight team this season, it will be the
fourth time. The Oklahoma coaches
believe All-America honors await
him this year.
As a student, Phillips is a three
lime academic All-America and re
cently was named academic All-Big
Eight for the fourth time, a conference
record.
Merv Johnson, who recruited Phil
lips and has coached him the past five
years, said it isn’t stretching the point
to call Phillips the best Oklahoma
lineman ever.
“Based on his consistency, his
durability ... no, I don’t think that’s
an overstatement at all,” said
Johnson. “I don’t know who I’d trade
him for as I look back at who we’ve
had here, and we’ve had some awful
good ones.”
Phillips began his career at tackle
but moved to guard when the coaches
revamped the line during his fresh
man season. They figured Phillips’
girth made him better suited for
guard. He has proven them right.
In 1986 and 1987, the Oklahoma
line was the best in school history.
Then three starters graduated, leaving
Phillips and center Bob Latham to
lead the way.
Latham got hurt three games into
the season. Meanwhile, academic and
physical casualties to other players on
the offensive line left Johnson trying
more combinations than a safe
cracker.
Phillips, however, was always
there.
“He’s been such a leader for us litis
year,” Johnson said. “The other guys,
they all respect him and look up to
him. And he hasn’t cut himself any
slack as far as the way he’s worked.
‘it’s just his personal drive to excel
in everything he does. In a very quiet
way, he’s going to be the best at what
he does, whether it’s making the high
est grade on a test or whatever it might
be.”
In the Texas game, the Sooners ran
over Phillips’ right guard spot con
tinuously in the clinching touchdown
drive.
When Oklahoma found itselt in
anotlier tight fit against Colorado,
Phillips’ number was again called
over and over. The same was true two
weeks ago against Oklahoma State,
when the Sooners drive 80 yards in the
fourth quarter to score the winning
touchdown.
Phillips said those games bring the
most pressure but also are the easiest
to play.
“If I doagood job, 1 thriveon it. It's
gratifying to me that they have
enough confidence in me to run over
my back,” he said. “But I think that’s
pretty natural. I’ve played in this of
fense four years and know all the
plays. I think I react to it well.”
Where would the Sooners have
been without him this year?
“I don’t know. It’s interesting to
consider that,” said Johnson. “He’s
really been the catalyst as far as the
line is concerned, and maybe even the
whole offense.
“You always know how he’sgoing
to play. I could grade him for this
week’s game right now and wouldn’t
miss by much.”
Saturday Phillips will play in his
last game at home. The opponent is
Nebraska, and the Big Eight title is the
prize. A victory would mean Phillips
would have gone four years without
losing to a conference opponent.
“They’ve all been big games lor
our program, and lor me, he said.
“We’ve always had great games
against Nebraska.
“I think it’ll be sad for me in a way,
my last home game. But it’s a great
way to end a college career.”
-1-1
'Tis The
Season...
...to start making plans for the Holidays.
And the 1988 Daily Nebraskan Holiday^^
Supplement can help you with those
nlanu _
Th;s special section will appear
in the December 2 issue of the
Daily Nebraskan and will include \
feature stories on the upcoming WSfeS* ,
Holiday Season, highlighting such
things as unique gift ideas, tradi- IK/e
tions and festive events.
So pick-up the Holiday Supplemental^®
and let it help you plan your Holiday Seasor^
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