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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 21, 1993)
Experience anchors KSU By Susie Arth Senior Reporter When the Kansas State men’s bas ketball team travels to Lincoln toplay the Comhuskers Saturday, Wildcat coach Dana Altman will be hoping to see small improvements in his team. Ball handling, defense and consis tency arc all aspects of the game Altman hopes to improve before his team gets to the heart of its Big Eight schedule. “Every phase of our game needs a little work, every phase,” he said. “Hopefully we’ll continue to work hard and improve.” Altman, whose team is off to a 2 1 start in Big Eight Conference play and & 10-3 overall, said Nebraska’s height is his biggest concern entering the 7:05 p.m. contest at the Bob Devancy Sports Center. “Their size has always created problems for us, and depth is andffier concern of mine,” he said. Altman, who is originally from Wilbur, said he also was concerned with his team’s ball handling. “We haven’t been handling the ball really very well at all,” he said. “We’ve definitely had some lapses that have caused us some trouble.” Experience, Altman said, is a ma jor asset his team possesses. The Wildcats return two starters from last year’s 16-14 squad—guard Askia Jones, their leading scorer from a year ago, and senior forward Vincent Jackson. Pate Site Resalt 1/5/91 Manhattan NU, 7«9 2/23/91 Lincoln NU, 85-78 2/8/92 Manhattan KSU, 7046 ,3/4/92 Lincoln NU, 91-82 In addition, three part-time starters — forwards Aaron Collier and Deryl Cunningham and guard Brian Henson — return to anchor the Wildcats this year. But Allman said Jones, who aver aged 11 .o points a game anu was uic Big Eight three-point champion last year, had been inconsistent so far this season. “(Jones) has been kind of up and down all year,” he said. “Right now he’s struggling a little bit.” Altman said both Jones and Jack son needed to improve if the Wildcats were to be successful. “Jones is going to have to play better than he has been latcl y,’ ’ A liman said. “And Jackson is going to have to step up his play.” Allman, who is 39-32 and in his third season at Kansas State, said he believed his team’s success hinged on its defensive intensity. “When we’ve done well covering people defensively, we’ve won; if not, we’ve lost,” he said. “We’ve been able to stop some people, but when we don ’ t stop them, we ’ ve been in some trouble.” Allman said he had not yet had the opportunity to study Nebraska’s game films, but he was certain his team would need to prepare for a difficult challenge. Altman said he was unable tocom pare Nebraska to Oklahoma State, Colorado or Kansas, the three Big Eight opponents the Wildcats have faced this season. But Allman said he was unable to find any obvious weaknesses in the 11-5 Husker team. > “We’re going to have to play aw fully well to beat Nebraska,” he said. “They arc a very talented team.” •m • -m -i Mho Fari Jaw Maria. CX07 Cl li n ll . John Fail Mfehal tyaanu rib Maria! Maariayway. Naif tfyM abb FaJ Mridai Sculpang Foam. Be what you want, but always be you. AUTHfNTK FAIA MITCHCU FtOOUCTS AK CIUCLTY ffcft. Cdjege ofHairDesien «-» tltiltW'li V). >JJLVttFJ* 'JMif'tt’A'Ifl f&tTt] M°nd*y Qosed PRUL MITCHELL w“iS"' U Sit 7:30*3 Take a Spring Break reality Trash the trappings Q gllll |Z □ MMI U Iwl don the warmth of a island. Next, slip into the rippin' blue waters of South Padre. Soak up the sun on our 34 miles of white sand beaches. Our playground has beach volleyball, sand castle building contests and lots of really cool entertainment. Detour from the beach and SK^trf experience the ultimate in \ / partying with our sensational \/ And save some real chump change night life. And we Party Smart on (up to 50 percent!) on select South Padre so you won’t fall off airlines. Southwest, American and the deep end. If you're In the mood Continental serve The Valley for a real fiesta, just drive 20 International Airport in Harlingen, minutes for a diversion in Mexico. _....... . , Get the hare facts on discounts for vou and Centralized island accommodations your friends hv calling South Padre Island fit any budget. Call the Visitors free• Bureau for a color brochure on 1_Qflll-9/jQ_99fiO fti ■ hotels, motels, and condos. ■ 0lfll"0*§ OOP Hornets coacn is pleased despite team’s \1 losses j By Jeff Griesch Staff Reporter Whal is il like to be 1-17? The Sacramento State Hornets found out after its 86-70 loss to Ne braska at the Bob Dcvancy Sports Center on Wednesday night. Hornet coach Don Newman is struggling in his first season as coach of the Hornets. The team is in its second season as a Division I school. “I know the fans see our record and say that we arc alembic team, but that isn’t the case,” Newman said. “I know that this doesn’t sound like much, but we have got to be the best 1-17 team in the country.” Newman said that despite Sacra mento State’s record, he was happy with his team’s aggrcssivcncs and the progress il had made this season. “My players go out and play hard every single night and give great ef fort,” Newman said. “My seniors arc providing good leadership and are sacrificing some pride todo the things that we need to do to be successful at the Division I level.” Sacramento State has been forced into playing big name opponcnels to maintain its Division I status. Along with the Huskcrs, the Hornets’ sched ule includes gamcsagainslCalifomia, Loyola-Marymount and Brigham Young. Newman likes his team’s altitude about playing marquee teams, know ing that they probably don’t have a chance to win. “I think the guys arc excited about playing team’s like Nebraska because it gives them an opportunity to play against a higher level of competi tion,” Newman said. “It’s great for them to play in an atmosphere like Nebraska has here and experience major college basketball.” Newman is secure about his future as the Hornets’ coach and is more concerned with gaining the rcspeclof his players and the progress of the basketball program at Sacramento State than keeping his job. “When the season is over, we will evaluate our job beyond just W’s and L’s,” Newman said. “It is more im portant for me to get the young kids to believe in my system and understand the discipline and work ethic we need to be successful.” Although it seems like Sacramento State and Nebraska arc at opposite ends of the basketball spectrum, Newman drew a comparison between the Hornets and the Huskers. “We arc really in similar positions as basketball teams,” Newman said. “We arc both in transition. We arc struggling to make the transition to Division I and they arc trying to make the move from a team on the bubble to a top team in the country. I hope we are both successful.” Talented recruits give CU three verbal commitments BOULDER, Colo. — Colorado, placing a high priority on recruiting in state lootball talent, has received verbal commitments from three play ers in the state and is pursuing five others. Overland’ s Scott Bentley is the top in-state recruit, and in fact is the lop place-kicking prospect in the nation. Bentley says his options still involve three teams—Colorado, Florida State and Notre Dame. Bentley visited with CU coach Bill McCartney on Saturday and is expecting a home visit from Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz this week. The Buffs also are targeting Sierra quarterback-defensive back Mike Forney, Brighton quarterback John Hessler, Boulder defensive end Tennyson McCarty and Fort Collins linebacker Pete Monte. Forney, who admits he isn’t a clas . sic drop-back quarterback, is being recruited by CU as a quarterback but could project to another position be cause of his athletic ability. He visited Oklahoma last weekend and will visit Arizona this weekend. Hcssler has narrowed his choices between Arizona and CU. Like Bentley, Hcssler wants to play base ball, a sport CU doesn’t offer. And like Bentley, CU has promised to place Hcssler in a summer baseball program. McCarty visited Northwestern and Penn State and visits CU this week end. He knew Northwestern head coach Gary Barnett when he was of fensive coordinator at CU, and Penn State assistant Bobby Kennedy was once an assistant at Boulder. Western Athletic Conference schools arc recruiting Monte, and Notre Dame has shown interest.