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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 26, 1990)
Nebraskan Qt)nT'f'Q P?e Friday, January 26,1990 A m* Cornhuskers hope to end losing streak By Paul Domeier Senior Reporter The Nebraska men’s basketball team will be looking for its first win in the Big Eight Saturday against Iowa State at the Bob Devancy Sports Center. The game is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Nebraska, now 8-10 overall and 0 3 in the Big Eight, lost to top-ranked Missouri and No. 2-ranked Kansas at home earlier this season. Nebraska coach Danny Nee said the game is an important one. “I think it’s very important we control the home court, something we haven’t done in the first two (conference) games because of the type of opponent,” Nee said. Last season, the Huskers never recovered from an 0-5 conference home start. ‘‘We dug ourselves a hole, and when we started playing a little bit respectable, we ran out of home games,” Nee said. ‘‘This year, we have to start Saturday.” The home court might help the Huskers score more points, Nee said. Nebraska averages 92.7 points per game at the Sports Center and 69.2 on the road. “I would like to get some consis tency in how we score,” Nee said. ‘‘Sometimes we get them in transi tion. We’ve got some of our high scoring games from the three-point shot. Other times, we get them from (Rich) King inside. “I’d like to zero in and get a couple of ways that we know (will score).” A group of former Huskers will play before the game Saturday, and Nee could have used some of those alumni in Nebraska’s 95-65 loss at Wyoming on Monday. Because of injuries and illness, the Huskers finished the game with only six available players. “1 don’t think it caused us to lose the basketball game,” Nee said. “I think the way we played caused us to lose the basketball game. ’ ’ Guard Clifford Scales missed the entire game with an injured knee. Nee said Scales’ effectiveness is at 90 percent, and he should be able to play. Forward Richard van Poelgeest, who sat out with the flu during the second half of the Wyoming game, also will play. Carl Hayes is at about 80 percent of his potential, Nee said, after spraining his ankle during the game with the Cowboys. Nebraska suffered its worst defeat of the seasonal Wyoming. The Husk ers trailed 31-4 early in die first half. “After a loss like that, we have to go on and focus on Iowa State and the Big Eight, and that’s what we have done,” Nee said. The Cyclones, 6-9 and 1-2, pushed Oklahoma before falling 107-96 Wednesday night. Iowa State led by one point at halftime at the game in Norman, Okla. “I was very impressed with them,” Nee said. ‘‘Iowa State is way, way better than their record indicates Maybe they’re just a little bit un lucky.” In addition to the loss at Okla homa, the Cyclones have lost to Michigan, Minnesota, Indiana, Kan sas State (by two) and Houston (by See NEE on 8 Recruitment ot passing quarterbacks defies NU tradition This is one of the most important times of year for Nebraska football, as entire seasons hang in the balance of the next few weeks. Days tick off the clock. The count down to college football’s zero hour - national lcuer-of-intent day — is in full progress. i radmonally, Nebraska lands some of the best running backs, lineback ers, and linemen in the country. These recruits help bolster an already-pow erful team and also cause less-fortu nate coaches to drool in envy. There is nothing new about Ne braska recruiting some of the highest ranked prep quarterbacks in irk' na tion. In fact, both of the Comhuskers returning at that position -- Mike Grant and Mickey Joseph -- were highly touted coming out of high school. But this year, it looks as though Coach Tom Osborne has something new in mind. Nebraska has already received oral commitments from two quarterbacks who have put up some big numbers in high school. Big numbers, that is, passing wise. Maybe Osborne has gotten tired of all the criticism. Maybe he has given into all the fat beerhounds who say they could integrate a passing game into Nebraska’s offensive scheme. And maybe, after getting soundly trounced by a pair of pass-oriented teams in two-consecutive bowl games, he is trying to keep all the good passing quarterbacks away from everyone else. Whatever it is, Nebraska has al ready received commitments from passing quarterbacks Todd Gragnano and Matt Jones. Gragnano, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound signal caller trom Los Alamitos, Calif., chose Nebraskaover UCLA and USC after completing his prep career by throwing for 6,200 career yards, which was enough to rank third in Orange County history. In his senior season alone, Grag nano completed 137 of 241 passes for 2,443 yards and 20 touchdowns. Thai’s more passing production than all nine Nebraska quarterbacks compiled last season. Gragnano will be complemented by Matt Jones of Michigan City, Ind. Jones is the ninth-leading passer in Indiana history with nearly 5,300 career yards. Both quarterbacks have been highly ranked by national analysts. In fact, national recruiting analyst Max Emfin ger ranked Gragnano the llth-best “drop back” quarterback in the na tion. Who knows? With the addition of two passing quarterbacks, a couple decent cornerbacks and a new defen sive coordinator, maybe Nebraska will give Osborne his first national cham pionship next season. Then again, that’s probably just a passing dream. Hopfensperger is a freshman news-editorial major and is a Daily Nebraskan sports writer and columnist. •— ' ijymnasts ktoo generous7 in opener, coach says By Julie Naugnton Senior Reporter Nebraska women’s gymnastics coach Rick Walton is playing the role of a scrooge. Walton said he does not want to see any generosity from his team when it squares off against Missouri. He said the Comhuskers were too gener ous during their season-opening, 185.50-175.50 victory against Iowa State. Nebraska will get a chance to re deem itself when it faces the Tigers on Sunday in Columbia, Mo. The meet begins at 2 p.m. wauon saia rscorasita s generos ity problems resulted from difficul ties on the balance beam. He said the Huskers’ team score could have been four points higher if they had avoided beam mistakes. Six Nebraska gymnasts made mistakes on the beam, as they either fell or wobbled. Iowa State also had problems on the beam, as it had three gymnasts fall off, including one who took three plunges. Walton said Nebraska will rely on Tami Bair and Jane Clemons against Missouri. Bair won the all-around See SCROOGE on 8 I Allen anxious to show off team in weekend meet By Julie Naughton Senior Reporter Ncbraskamcn’sgymnaslicscoach Francis Allen can’t wait to show off. .. his team, that is. Allen said he is looking forward to Nebraska’s season-opening meet against Oklahoma and Iowa Stale on Sunday because it will give the Corn huskers an opportunity to display their talent. The meet, which Allen guaranteed would be over by the lime the Super Bowl begins, starts at 2 p.m. at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. All University of Nebraska-Lin coln students who present their stu dent I.D. cards will be admitted free. Allen said the Huskcrsare ready to start their season. “We need a meet,” he said. “We had a good first part of the season and an excellent Christmas break, but we really need to get going again.’’ Allen said the meet should gel the Huskcrs in shape for the rest of their competitive season. “Looking down the road, we need to get up for Ohio State, UCLA and Minnesota, which are coming up soon,” Allen said. “It’s going to be a good meet. We’ll get enough pres sure from Oklahoma and Iowa Slate to make it worthwhile. We II know we’re in a meet.’’ Nebraska, 3-0, faced Iowa State and Oklahoma during last Novem ber’s Big Eight Invitational Meet, and claimed the team title with a score of 272.00. Oklahoma finished second with a score of 264.90, while Iowa State was third with 257.10. Allen said he will look for senior All-Americans Patrick Kirksey, Bob Steller and Mark Warburton to pro vide leadership on Sunday. In addition, Allen plans to use freshman Trent Dimas in the all-around competition. Dimas, the top-rated men’s gymnastics recruit in the na tion last year, finished fifth in the conference meet’s all-around compe tition with a score of 54.14. Allen also will use junior Ted Dimas in the all-around competition, fresh man Josh Saegert on the vault, senior Earl Carter on the still rings and sen ior Brad Bryan on all events except the vault and still rings. Allen said he is optimistic about his team’s upcoming meet. “This is as good a team as we ve ever had, and we’ve had six national championship teams,’’ Allen said. “If we stay unhurt, I think we’ll have an excellent season.” Nebraska women’s basketball coach Angela Beck expresses her displeasure at a call. Positive attitude plays new role in Beck’s strategy By Paul Domeier Senior Reporter A negative attitude brought negative results, so Nebraska women’s basketball coach Angela Beck said she is trying a positive attitude to get positive results when the Comhuskers play at Iowa Suae Saturday.* “You can second-guess a mil lion things, but I walked into a practice this morning at 9 a.m. and 1 told the kids I loved them, and that I cared about them,” Beck said Thursday at her weekly press conference. “I’m not going to give up on them and they d better not give up me.” The Huskers lost Wednesday night to Kansas State, 67-60. Ne braska was in the game until a 12 point, six-minute run by the Lady Cats sent the Huskers to 0-5 in the conference. This was their sixth straight loss overall. Alter a loss to Colorado one week before, Beck put her squad through a 2 1/2 hour bool camp for practice. Thursday was different. Beck said, “This is how I started up: ‘ Tell me what your most preva lent thought of last night’s game was.’ Nine out of the 11 players told me something negative they did.’’ Earlier in the season, she said, her players watched a tape of turn overs and missed lay-ups. Thurs day afternoon they were going to see a tape of good things. “They feel badly enough,” Beck said. “You can lose and they c*ui hate you, you can lose and they care about you, and I’d rather have them care about me right now.” Nebraska, 8-10, was tied with Kansas State at halftime, and Beck said she still believed in her strat egy to press the Lady Cats and raise the tempo. “1 thought if I went nine or 10 deep, by the lime we got down to the last eight minutes we could put them away,’ ’ she said. ‘ ‘They’d be