The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, February 23, 1994, Page 9, Image 9
Nebraskan Wednesday, February 23,1994 SPORTS Three wins to be tough but may be enough By Mitch Sherman Staff Reporter Danny Nee has the whole puzzle pieced together. The Nebraska men’s basketball coach said it would take at least three victories for the 14-8 Cornhuskers to find their way into the NCAA tournament for the fourth straight year. “You want numbers?” Nee said. “If we win two games and go into the (Big Eight) tourna ment and win one, then we are going to get into the ‘big dance.’ Big 8-SWC union starts to take form From Daily Nebraskan and Associated Press Reports The pieces to a merger between the Big Eight conference and four South west Conference schools appear to be falling into place. The Houston Chronicle and Dallas Morning News reported Tuesday that the Big Eight invited Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Baylor to join the conference beginning in the 1996 97 season. Those SWC schools “in the loop” were arranging hasty regents’ meet ings Tuesday to decide whether they’ll leave the league, the Associated Press reported Tuesday. The courted foursome boast the SWC’s strongest fan base and consis tently best football and basketball teams. Their departure would leave Hous ton, Rice, Southern Methodist and Texas Christian on their own. “I’m sure (the four left out) will not be happy if they ask these four other schools to join,” said Texas A&M Athletic Director Wally Groff. “But that’s these four schools’ prerogative. We Aggies are traditional ists, no ques tion, but you have to do what’s best for your school.” Baylor regents scheduled a meet ing Wednesday. Texas A&M and Texas Tech regents set meetings for Thursday and Friday. One Texas regent anticipated no problem endorsing the merger. Big Eight Commissioner Carl James would not take calls about the proposal, but did issue a statement regarding the Big Eight’s stance. James said the Big Eight would “continue to move forward in negoti ating an arrangement that is best for our institutions." But, he said, confer ence officials “will not publicly ad dress the most recent speculation on the issue of expansion.” Nebraska Athletic Director Bill Byrne said conference athletic direc tors were asked to not comment on the possible merger. A1 Papik, Nebraska’s senior asso ciate athletic director, said he could not comment from the Big Eight’s perspective. But he did offer his opin ion of the possibilities. UEOr.PD nn 10 As the season winds down, the Big Eight Conference is proving it de serves the nickname “The Big Three.” Only this time, it’s not in football. Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma State are locks for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. But many are left won dering how many teams from the Big Eight will be selected. Six, five, maybe only four? Unlike past years, the Big Eight may not showcase its depth in March Madness, because the “Big Three” may be the only teams that deserve a shot at the Final Four. W ith Oklahoma and Nebraska los ing again last weekend, it’s not hard to figure out why Big Eight basketball is losing respect. When the Big Eight landed six teams in the tournament last year, “If we win one regular season game and win ,,—-—_ two in the tournament, we are going to get in. Now that’s Danny Nee talking. I don’t think the committee listens to me, but if we get around that 17-18 win mark, we are going to be right there.” v'MMt The first item on the agon da for the Huskers is Kan sas, which plays Nebraska Nee Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. in the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The Jayhawks have dropped five of their last six games in Lincoln. But there’s more than meets the eye to Kansas. The Jayhawks have dropped two straight games, losing last Wednesday at Oklahoma State and Sunday to Missouri in Lawrence, Kan. That’s not unusual for most teams. But the last time the Jayhawks lost back-to-back games was Feb. 18 and Feb. 22,1989. In addition to losing their second straight game Sunday, the Jayhawks lost their chance for at least a share of the Big Eight champion ship for the first time since the 1989-90 season. So what does all this mean for the Huskers? “We are going to have to be ready to play,” Nee said, “because I think we will get Kansas’ best shot on Wednesday night.” The 11 -5 Jayhawks, who are ranked 1 Oth in the latest Associated Press poll, have received the Huskers’ top effort in recent trips to Lincoln. But, Nee said, past performances mean nothing to this game. “In the past against Kansas,” he said, “we have been fortunate and lucky enough to find a way to play well for 40 minutes and win. But See JAYHAWKS on 10 - Jon Waller/DN Chad Nelson, who suffered a tom anterior cruciate ligament, will have to sit and watch the NCAA wrestling championships for the second straight season. Down for the count Injury keeps wrestler out for third consecutive season By Tim Pearson Senior Report* _ Chad Nelson thought this year would be the year. Nelson had waited two years for the chance to wrestle at the Big Eight and NCAA tourna ments. But for the third season in a row, Nelson will be watching from the stands. A tom anterior cruciate ligament in his knee at the National Duals just over a month ago ended his hopes of wrestling in the Big Eight and NCAA meets. Nelson, a 167-pound sophomore, redshirted two years ago and wrestled behind Tommy Robbins last year. Watching last year’s Big Eight-champion Cornhusker team was tough for Nelson, he said. “I kept telling myself that I’ll be there next year,” he said. “But now I’ll be watching the dang thing for the third year in a row.” Nelson’s season came to a halt at the Nation al Duals against Iowa State. “It just popped out,” he said. “I didn’t think it was that bad. It hurt when it popped, but I just tried to wrestle. “I finished the match, and I thought I would wake up the next morning and it would be a lot better. But Nelson’s season took a turn for the worse. The next morning he was told that he had torn his anterior cruciate ligament. “I was really bummed out,” Nelson said. “First of all, I had a really bad National Dual tournament. “I was depressed. I thought I’d just go and have treatment, but the whole season’s gone now.” It will be another three months until Nelson can step on a mat again. Nelson’s college career began after a stellar high school career at Stewartville (Minn.) High See NELSON on 11 Now is time for Big Eight teams to put up or shut up people had to listen to Billy Tubbs and the Sooners cry about not making the cut. But at least in the National Invita tion Tournament, Tubbs and Co. had a longer postseason than their confer ence foes. Kansas was the only conference team to make a serious threat in the NCAA tournament last year, as four others were ousted in the first round. Oklahoma State managed to struggle past Marquette in the first round, only to lose in the following round to Lou isville. But the Big Eight is no stranger to a lack of success against the big boys in the big games. Since 1989, the Big Eight has been on a slide. Without the Jayhawks, the conference has an NCAA tournament Derek Samson record ofl 2-19. With Kansas, a team that made it to the Final Four in 1991 and 1993, the conference is 23-23. This season, pollsters are showing that they don’t consider the Big Eight as tough as it once was. Only Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma State arc rat ed in The Associated Press’ latest Top 25 poll. Missouri, however, climbed to sixth after beating Kansas at Lawrence Sunday and running away from the rest of the “Big Three” with an 11-0 conference record — 20-2 overall. Kansas, the most overrated team in college basketball, dropped to only 10th, even though the Jaynawks’ sec ond loss this season to the Tigers dropped them to 6-4 in the Big Eight. Oklahoma State, 18-7, checked in at 24th. After being manhandled 89-76 by Kansas State Saturday, 14-8 and 5-5 Oklahoma maybe trying to take itself out of the tournament picture. The 14-8 and 4-6 Comhuskers are trying to climb past the Sooners into fourth place. But with Kansas, Kansas State and Oklahoma State remaining on the schedule at home and Missouri lurking on the road, it won’t be easy. Chalk up a victory over Kansas for three reasons: Kansas can’t win in Lincoln; it’s as overrated as Texas A&M is in football and it has that stupid bird mascot. Nebraska should get another win against Kansas State, but a victory over Missouri or Oklahoma State will be hard to come by. Then again, wins like those will show Nebraska deserves another chance at the tournament. If the Huskers don’t finish strong, they can join many of their Big Eight buddies in the NIT and watch the “Big Three” struggle to make it to the second round. Rather than clamoring about a lack of respect, the Big Eight schools who make the big dance should try earning it this year. Samson Is a sophomore news-editorial major and a Daily Nebraskan senior report er and columnist.