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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 12, 1992)
Sports Veteran players to lead attempts at making history By Jeff Singer Senior Reporter It only seemed appropriate that Nebraska basketball media day was held on Veterans Day. That’s because returners will lead both the Cornhusker men’s and women’s basketball teams in their respective runs at Big Eight titles. The men’s team, which finished 19-10 last year and made school his , lory with its second straight trip to the NCAA championships, have four starters returning. Center Derrick Chandler, forwards Bruce Chubick and Eric Piatkowski, and guard Jamar Johnson comprise a returning core that has been ranked as high as No. 11 in prescason polls. Nebraska men’s basketball coach Danny Nee said Chandler, the only senior on this year’s team, is one of the major keys to the Huskcrs’ suc cess. “I think everything starts with our senior Derrick Chandler in the middle; he is totally one level above where he was one year ago,” Nee said. “He’s stronger and he knows what’s ex pected of him, and he comes with a great work ethic.” But the freshmen aren’ t too shabby for Nebraska. Guards Andre Woolridge, Erick Strickland and Jaron Boone make up what many consider to be the best recruiting class in school history. Nee said he has been impressed with what he has seen so far from the freshmen. “They’re all three genuine ath letes,” Nee said. “All of them are making the adjustment tocollege bas ketball rapidly. I’m very pleased with them.” Others expected to contribute to the Huskers’ success this season are sophomore Jason Glock, redshirt freshman Terrance Badgett and Tom Best, a transfer from Toledo. Nee, who has a 106-82 record en tering his seventh season at Nebraska, said he wanted this year’s team to make history. “Making this team make* an im print of what we’re remembered by would be to do something that no other Nebraska team has done,” Nee said. “A Big Eight championship, a Big Eight Tournament championship, winning games in the NCAA Tourna ment — those are three things that we’ve never done.” On the women’s side, the Huskers arc expected to challenge for the Big Eight crown behind last season’s Big Eight Player of the Year, senior Karen Jennings. The 6-foot-2 center averaged 27.5 points per game last season in leading Nebraska to a 21 -11 record and a trip to the Women’s National Invitational Tournament. Nebraska women’s basketball coach Angela Beck said Jennings is the main cog in the Husker machine. “We have an awesome player in Jennings,” Beck said. “Jennings is the type of player that you can lean on to win the (Big Eight) title.” Beck said she hoped Nebraska could improve from its second-place finish of a year ago in an improved Big Eight conference. “I do think that it is our year,” Beck said. Beating NU tough task, Cyclone player says By Derek Samson Staff Reporter_ Iowa State defensive back Mark DouBrava said he hoped Nebraska didn’t continue the style of football it displayed against Colorado and Kan sas. But DouBrava said the Cyclones’ chances of an upset against the Comhuskers this Saturday were slim, no matter how Nebraska plays. “1 he way they took care of Colo rado and Kansas docsn ’ l really give us much of a chance,” DouBrava said. ‘‘I think a realistic goal is to try to stay in the game, but if they play like they have been the last few weeks, even that will be lough.” DouBrava, a first-team, all-Big Eight selection last season, collected 99 tackles in 1991. In nine games this year, he has racked up 80 total tackles — includ ing 50 solo tackles — for an average of nearly nine tackles per game. But the numbers that have cap tured DouBrava’s attention arc 45 and 42, the Huskcrs’ victory margins in their last two games. “They’re off to such a big start,” DouBrava said. “They’ll come out and play hard like always.” Like many other Huskcr opponents, DouBravasaid keeping Nebraska from big plays could keep the game close. “I want to prevent a big play from happening,” DouBrava said. “At least if we can prevent some of those, (the score) shouldn’t be as bad.” Huskers snoot tor win in reverse UCLA berth oy i im rearson Staff Reporter_ Last season the Nebraska vol leyball team was coasting along with a 7-0 record and a No. 4 ranking in the nation. That was until UCLA came to Lincoln. The Bruins pulled off a four game win in front of an NCAA record 11,032 fans at Bob Devaney Sports Center when the two teams met in September. This year, the situation is re versed, with the Comhuskers trav eling to Los Angeles this weekend to try to upset the undefeated Bru ins. UCLA Coach Andy Banachowski said Nebraska would be looking to pay back the Bruins for last year, but added that playing at home would help the Bruins. “It was exciting to play in front of that crowd. (The Huskers) were disappointed to lose," Banachowski said. They 11 be looking lodo to us what we did to them last year.” Nebraska will face the top ranked Bruins at 7:45 p.m. Satur day and No. 10 USC on Friday night at the Big Eight/Pac Ten Challenge at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles. Colorado will also play in die four-team tourney. “This will be one of our toughest matches, even though it’s not as emotional as when we play a con ference rival,” Banachowski said. UCLA, the two-time defending national champion, is riding high with a 23-0 record this season. In that streak, th$ Bruins have lost only three games. Banachowski said that this year’s team was better than last year’s team that went 31-5. “We’re basically a year older,” he said. “We’re more mature physi cally and mentally.” The match against Nebraska will be a test of who wins at the net, Banachowski said. (Nebraska s) style is to be big and physical,” he said. “We have to win the net game; our hitting and blocking has to be better than theirs.” USC is coming into its match against Nebraska with the same type of strategy. “We respect the ability of Ne braska to hit and block at the net,” said USC coach Lisa Love. “We have to match up at the net and take care of the ball when it’s on our side.” The Women of Troy come into the match with a 16-6 record. “We’ve peaked and valleyed over the season,” Love said. “It will be nice to get a Pacific Ten reprieve. This is sort of a dress rehearsal for the playoffs.” USC has two players, Katie Haller and Cica Baccelli, averag ing more than four kills a match. Setter Sue Peters has helped USC to a winning record, averaging just over 11 set assists per match. Buffaloes knock offHuskers in tennis From Staff Reports The Nebraska men’s tennis team fell one victory short of a shot at a national title. The Comhuskers were defeated by Colorado in the finals of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association/ Rolcx Regional Team Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, last weekend. Nebraska, the top seed in the tour nament, advanced to the final with a 4-3 victory over Kansas before falling 4-1 to the Buffaloes. With the victory, Colorado, the second seed, advances to the national indoor championships in Louisville, Ky., in February. Although the Huskers failed to qualify for the national tournament as a team, they will have individual rep resentation in the national event. Senior Karl Falkland qualified for the singles competition, and the No. l doubles team of Mathias Mueller and Anthony Kotarac will play in the doubles portion of the championship. Falkland and the doubles team pre viously won at the individual regional tournament in October. The national indoor championships mark the end of the fall season for collegiate tennis. The NCAA splits tennis into fall and spring seasons. Reporter's image of heaven lies in Memorial Stadium I experienced a Nebraska sports reporter’s dream last Saturday. It’s considered by many to be a journalist’s jewel and a reporter’s re ward; and no, it wasn’t writing the obituary of Colorado football coach Bill McCartney. I got to cover my first Nebraska football game. The Huskcrs played against Kan sas for the lead in the Big Eight stand ings, and unless you’ve been out of the country or in a coma, you know Nebraska blasted the Jayhawks 49-7 and Huskcrs consequently started packing their bags for the Miami Or ange Bowl. But my tripto Memorial Stadium’s press box was an experience in itself. 5 p.m. — I get to the stadium after watching the Nebraska volleyball team crush Texas. After some searching, 1 finally locate the elevator that leads to Memorial’s press box. I press the button for third floor, .w—~~— •*- • — — |— and consider it odd that I’m the only one of 20 media people to get off. I soon realize that not only was I the lone person gelling off the elevator, but also the only person on the third floor. Oops — wrong floor. 5:05 p.m. — I finally get to the right floor, but as soon as I get off the elevator, I’m assaulted by a member of stadium personnel who thinks he’s Memorial’s Robocop. The problem? Instead of wearing my press pass, I had it in tny pocket; the way he was acting, it was like I had just auackcd Tom Osborne. 5:15 p.m. — After getting past Memorial Stadium’s version of H untcr (and he did sort of look like Fred Dryer), I decide it’s time to eat at the press box’s snack bar. When I wentdown to KansasCity, Mo., over the summer to cover a Royals game, 1 was treated to a full meal highlighted by steak at Royals Stadium’s press restaurant. So this, being Nebraska’s last home game, I was expecting something simi lar. What did 1 end up with? A ham sandwich that was about as tasty as the wrapper it came in. ^ 5:30 p.m.—A reporter from Sports Illustrated shows up — now I know it’s a big game.___ 6:15 p.m. — While sitting in my seat and watching the people file into _ • _— -..x.. the stadium — intoxicated students stumbling around to find their seats — I make a couple of observations: First is that now more than ever, the Kansas Jayhawks’ mascot looks like a deformed chicken than a flying fowl, and second, 1 think I enjoy the 72-degrec press box’s temperature more than the brisk 33 degrees out side. First half— As the Huskcrs con tinue their domination of Kansas, I hear expletives and possible damage coming from the Jayhawks’ coaching box five feel from where I’m sitting. At the very least, it provides a brief period of amusing entertainment. Halftime—I go to use the restroom next to the press box area, and while in there see ESPN’s legendary play by-play announcer, Ron Franklin. 1 wanted to bow to him, but thought it would De a iiuic inappropriate wnne standing next to the urinal. Second Half — I hear excuses of poor officiating coming from select Kansas media as Nebraska continues its pounding of the Jayhawks. The excuses are equally as entertaining as , the Kansas coaches’ tantrums next door. After the game — During a post game interview with Kansas coach Glen Mason, 1 experience a reporter’s nightmare — my tape recorder jammed. But after a few good bangs against the wall, it’s as good as new. No matter, this is an experience that all should encounter at least once —just stay away from the ham sand wiches. Singer is a senior news-editorial and po litical science mi^or and a Daily Nebraskan sports senior reporter.
