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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 16, 1990)
Nee prepares for top-ranked Jayhawks By Jeff Apel Senior Editor Nebraska men’s basketball coach Danny Nee admits he is caught up in the mystique of Allen Fieldhouse. Nee said he likes travel to Law rence, Kan., to face the Kansas Jay hawks because players and coaches are treated to a history lesson when they step into the fieldhouse. He said the lesson evolves around some of the great names in college basketball, all of which can be found hung in por traits that circle the fieldhouse track. Some of the names Nee said he will take note of before his team’s game against Kansas on Saturday include Dr. James Naismith, who became known as “The Father of Basketball” after he introduced the sport tot he school in 1898,and F.C. Allen, a former Jayhawk coach who is the second all-time winningest coach in NCAA history. Nee said he always enjoys visiting Allen Fieldhouse, even if it means his team must face top-ranked Kansas. Nebraska will do just that in a 3:07 p.m. game that will be televised by Raycom (channels 10-11). ‘‘I’ve always enjoyed going down there,” Nee said. “It’s the older type of fieldhouse that has charisma. It’s nice.” Nee said the trip would be even more enjoyable if the Comhuskers could defeat the Jayhawks, who likely lost their No. 1-ranking when they dropped a 77-71 decision to second ranked Missouri on Tuesday. Kansas, now 24-2 overall and 7-2 in the Big Eight, will find out just how many spots the setback cost the team when the new polls are released Monday. Nee said Nebraska must shoot better than it did against Oklahoma State in order to defeat Kansas. The Com huskers, now 9-13 and 2-7, connected on only three of their first 25 shots from the floor en route to dropping a 103-84 decision to the Cowboys on Wednesday. Nee said he didn’t know what to do about Nebraska’s poor shooting. The Huskers did improve in the sec ond half, as they connected on 46.2 percent of their shots to finish with a 36.4 percent rate. “Those type of things happen once in awhile,’ ’ Nee said. *4When it hap pens, there is just very little you can do atx)ut it.” Nee said Nebraska needs to im prove its shooting from inside the three-point line and continue to fire bombs from outside the 19-foot, 9 inch mark. He said he has been pleased with the Huskcrs’ three-point shoot ing this season. Nebraska’s three-point shooting has been led by guard Ray Richardson, who has connected on 37 of his 91 attempts. Guard Chris Cresswell also has hit 36 of his 90 attempts. “I’ve been pleased with the three point shooting,” Nee said. “We’re putting the points on the board and it has really helped us.” Nee said Cresswell has improved as the season has progressed. “I think Chris Cresswell has played with a lot more confidence,” he said. “He feels better about himself.” Kansas coach Roy Williams said the Jay hawks are feeling better about themselves this season because they are allowed to compete in the NCAA tournament. Kansas was prohibited from competing in last season’s 64 team competition because of NCAA violations which occurred under for mer coach Larry Brown. “I know that the anticipation of having a chance to compete in the NCAA tournament is something that the kids will enjoy,” Williams said. ‘‘I know I will. There’s a bigger car rot at the end.” Kansas has made itself a virtual lock for the NCAA tournament by relying on forward Mark Randall and guard Kevin Pritchard. Randall leads the Jayhawks with an average of 14.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, while Pritchard averages 14 points per contest. Nee said he is impressed by Pritchard. ‘‘He’s a dynamite point guard,” Nee said. Williams said the 6-foot-9 Ran dall has teamed with 6-10 junior center Pekka Markkanen to give Kansas a strong interior game. Markkanen, a junior from Jyvaskyla, Finland, aver ages 7.2 points and 4.2 rebounds. Williams said Randall is a danger ous weapon. “I think Mark (Randall) becomes more of a weapon if he plays out on the floor and down low,” Williams said. “He’s a good shooter and runs the floor well. Plus, he's strong enough to compete in the middle.” Williams said Kansas also has received a boost from senior forward Ricky Calloway. Calloway, a trans fer from Indiana, averages 12.9 points per contest. “He’s a hard worker,” Williams said, “and that’s what I like about him.” Williams said his greatest concern this season has been Kansas’ lack of height. He said the Jayhawks faced a similar situation last year, when they finished 19-12. “It’s of great concern to me that we lack the size,” Williams said. “It was a concern last year, and hope fully by getting good position and playing good defense, we can make up for that condition.” Track teams to prepare for Big Eight competition with meets this weekend By Sara Bauder Staff Reporter Wuh ihc Big Eight meet a week away, the Nebraska men’s and women’s track teams will split up and compete in two different places this weekend. Nebraska track coach Gary Pepin said sophomores Yvonne van dcr Kolk and Tamas Molnar have been invited to compete at the Los Angeles Times , Eagle Indoor Games on Friday in Inglewood, Calif. Van dei Kolk will , compete in the mile run, while Molnar will compete in the 400-mcter dash. Pepin said 35 Cornhuskcrs will travel to Manhattan, Kan., to com pete in the Kansas State Open on Saturday. Pepin said the nationally televised Eagle Indoor Games meet is a good opportunity for van dcr Kolk and Molnar. The two women established themselves as two of the top colle giate runners in the country earlier this season by earning automatic berths to the NCAA Championships on March 9-10 in Indianapolis, Ind. ‘ ‘I think they have a chance to do well at the meet,” Pepin said. “They’ll be competing on national television, which isgood for them and the school. They’ll also have a chance to run against international competition, and that’s good too.’’ The only concern about letting the wo go 10 the meet is that they will be isking injuries just a week before the inference meet, Pepin said. Pepin said only part of the team is going to Kansas because he wants to rest the others before the conference meet. The conference meet will be Feb. 23-24 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. “We’re taking those who we feel iced one more meet to be better pre pared for the conference,” he said. ‘Some of those going haven’t had as nany meets because of injuries.” Pepin said Nebraska has not been practicing “overly hard” this week. “We practice kind of medium hard one day, and then have an easy practice day,” he said. “We’ll be resting up next week for the Big Eight.” Junior Dicudonne Kw i/cra became the fifth Huskcr man to qualify for the national meet Monday when he finished first in the 800 at the Yo- . miui-Chitosc Invitational in Osaka, Japan. Kwizera’s time was 1:49.21 minutes. “Kwizcra ran real well,” Pepin said. “Of course, he’s so good he can qualify almost any time.” The men’s team is not suffering from any injuries, Pepin said. He said the women’s team still is without jumper Joanne Gomez, who was a national qualifier last year, and sprinter Susan Hedrick. Sean Frampton Peter Williams Tom Stus Brian Shellito/Dally Nebraakan Parting seniors to be honored at farewell meet By Jeff Apel Senior Editor ^_ If there is one thing Cal Bent/ has learned during his 12-year coaching career with the Ne braska men’s swimming pro gram, it is not to become overly emotional. But Bent/ said he will have some strong feelings when Nebraska’s three seniors arc honored tonight during the last home dual meet, against Iowa. The meet, which will mark the regular-season, home farewell for seniors Peter Williams, Scan Frampton and Tom Stus, begins at 7 p.m. at the Bob Devancy Sports Center. All University of Nebraska Lincoln students who present their student ID cards will be admitted free. Bent/ said he will not allow himself to become overly emo tional tonight because he has grown accustomed to seeing his athletes enter and leave the program. “After you’ve been involved in it long enough you realize everyone involved passes through the program,” Bent/ said. “It’s a process you get used to.” Bent/ did say that Nebraska See SENIORS on 7 Injury-free wrestlers prepare for Sooners NU’s Neumann wants second victory against Oklahoma By Chuck Green Senior Reporter Before last month, Nebraska’s wrestling team hadn’t beaten Okla homa in three years. But the Comhuskers broke the losing streak with a 29-12 win against the Sooners on Jan. 12 at the National Wrestling Team Championships in Hampton, Va. Coach Tim Neumann hopes to extend that winning sueak Saturday when his No. 4-ranked Huskcrs take on Oklahoma at the Bob Devaney Sports Center indoor track area. All University of Nebraska-Lincoln stu dents who present their student ID cards will be admitted free. The match begins at 5 p.m. Neumann said last month’s result will give the Sooners extra motiva tion this weekend. “They haven’t lost to us too often in the past,’ ’ he said. “For us to beat them twice in one year would be a big feather in our cap, but I don’t think that’s going to happen too easily.” Neumann said the Sooners, who had injury problems earlier in the season, “always seem to pull every thing together at the end” of the sea son. “They’re coming off a big win at Iowa State last week, and that just shows they’re right on track for this time of the season,” he said. Oklahoma beat No. 7-rankcd Iowa State last Saturday 24-17. In his five years as Nebraska’s coach, Neumann has posted a 2-2-1 record against the Sooners. Last season in Norman, Okla., the Huskers led 15-14 heading into the -4 4 For us to beat them twice in one uear wou'd be a big feather in our cap, but I don't think that's going to hap pen too easily. Neumann wrestling coach -9 9 dual’s final match between heavy weights Sonny Manley and Okla homa’s Carl Presley. Presley won the match 4-3, with all of his points coming on penalties. Manley was called for stalling three times despite turning Presley on his back twice in the third period. “Our guys arc up for it,” Neu mann said of this weekend’s match. “They’ve been up for this week all year long, because they know it’s a great challenge. There are five or six weights where we should have an advantage, and we need those if we ’re going to have a chance at winning the dual.” A definite advantage for Nebraska, he said, is that injuries, which have hampered the 17-3-1 Huskers all season, have been taken care of. “We don’t have any injuries to our starters, which is a plus for us,” Neumann said. “There aren’t too many teams that can say that right now. At this time of the season, it’s important to put your 10 best on the mat. “I know Oklahoma has had a couple of injuries lately, but I don’t expect them to come up here with anything but their best. We wouldn’t want it any other way.” Nebraska’s probable starting lineup includes: 118 - John Buxton (Fr., 22-13-2) 126 - Jason Kelber (Jr., 28-2) 134 - Dave Drocgemueller (Jr., 21-13-2) 142 - Paul Herrera (Jr., 26-9) 150 -Todd Enger (Jr., 18-9) 158 - Dan Harrison (Fr., 10-11) 167 — Scott Chcnoweth (Jr., 25-4) 177 — Corey Olson (Fr., 25-9) 190 — Chris Nelson (Soph., 27-5) Hwt.- Joe Malecck (Sr., 30-2-1)
