Daily -
Nebraskan
Tuesday, March 15,1994
SPORTS
Page
7
Kickoff Classic pairs NU, West Virginia
By Derek Samson
Senior Reporter_
Nebraska Athletic Director Bill Byrne and
the Comhusker football team finally got what
they wanted — a matchup with West Virginia
in the Kickoff Classic next season.
Kickoff Classic officials announced Monday
the matchup between Nebraska and West Vir
ginia, the only nonprobation teams to finish the
1993 regular season undefeated.
Byrne said the contest at Giants Stadium in
East Rutherford, N.J., provided Nebraska with
the kind of contest it desired.
“We wanted to play West Virginia all along,”
he said. “We were pretty consistent in saying
r
that. We’ve been deliberate in trying to upgrade
our schedule. This definitely does that.”
Nebraska turned down an earlier invitation
to play Fresno State in the Pigskin Classic, a
game Pigskin officials thought was etched in
stone.
Byrne said the players passed up that oppor
tunity because they wanted to play West Virgin
ia.
“I think somehow the cart got a little ahead
of the horse on that (the Pigskin Classic),”
Byrne said. “We consistently told them we
wanted to play West Virginia, not Fresno State.
Finally, someone listened.”
When the players were given the option to
play the Mountaineers, Byrne said, the vote was
“virtually unanimous.’
“You would have to have pretty much an
overriding commitment,” he said. “To lengthen
the season like that, you would need it to be
almost unanimous. The players are excited
about the opportunity to play the only other
undefeated team in last year’s regular season.”
In a statement released Monday, Nebraska
coach Tom Osborne said the players had the
final say.
“Our players were very enthusiastic about
playing this game — about 90 percent — and
that was crucial in our decision,” Osborne said.
“It is vital to have the players’ support because (
they are the ones who have to report early and ■
commit to extending the season.”
- II
We consistently told them
we wanted to play West
Virginia, not Fresno State.
Finally, someone listened.
—Byrne,
Nebraska athletic director
w w
Nebraska is no stranger to the opening game,
outing Penn State 44-6 in the 1983 Kickoff
Classic and beating Texas A&M 23-14 in 1988.
See KICKOFF on 8
Huskers’ uphill season culminates in Big bight success
By Derek Samson
Senior Reporter ___
Pennsylvania University and
Long Island, N.Y., can wait, Ne
braska basketball coach Danny Nee
said Monday.
Even though Nee ’s 22nd-ranked
Huskers will be playing the Ivy
League champion Quakers Thurs
day in the first round of the NCAA
tournament, the Comhuskers are
taking time to relish the school’s
first Big Eight tournament champi
onship in 98 years.
Nee said the Huskers needed to
use the emotion from the champi
onship when they faced the 26th
ranked Quakers at 6:30 p.m.
The title “was so good for the
program and the players,” Nee said
during his weekly press conference
Monday. “It’s like a magic carpet
ride. It is so exciting. You can never
start celebrating too early on your
first Big Eight championship.”
Nee said the Huskers, 20-9, raised
the program up a level with the
championship.
“I thought it was a tremendous
weekend for Nebraska basketball,”
he said. “The determination, com
petitiveness and attitude of the play
ers was there all weekend. 1 really
felt we played Nebraska basketball
at the highest level.”
Nee said the 1994 Huskers
weren’t comparable to any ot his
past teams, including the last three
that lost in the first round of the
NCAA tournament.
“This year’s team is totally dif
ferent,” he said. “This team and
this situation is totally different than
any I’ve ever been in. We’re excited
to go play.
“This team, as far as I’m con
cerned, at the moment, is the best
basketball team that I’ve ever
coached.”
Nee said he ranked these Husk
ers ahead of the 1991 Huskers who
went 26-8 but lost in the first round
of the NCAA Tournament to
Xavier, Ohio.
Nebraska forward and Big Eight
Tournament MVP Eric Piatkowski,
a freshman on the 1991 team, said
Cornhusker players celebrate Nebraska's first Big Eight men's basketball championship Sunday at Kemper Arena in
Kansas Cftv. Mo.
the teams shouldn’t be compared.
“That team probably had more
depth, but there’s something about
this team,” Piatkowski said. “I don’t
want to say this team is better,
because that team was awfully good.
This team just works very hard and
feels like it can beat anyone.”
Nebraska didn’t look like it
would be a sixth seed in the NCAA
tournament midway through tne
season.
Five days after a 115-111 over
time loss at Oklahoma on Feb. 14,
the Huskers were routed at Oklaho
ma oiaie. i nai Mump, ui wmwu mv
H uskers lost six out of eight game s,
dropped the Huskers to 4-6 in the
See RELISH on 8
Look out, NCAA: Red-hot Huskers are ready to play
Listen closely.
Can you hear the buzz on campus?
An estimated crowd of 5,000 fans
began the buzz by filing into the Bob
Devaney Sports Center on Sunday
night to greet the victorious Nebraska
basketball team on its return from
Kansas City, Mo.
The Huskers were scheduled to
arrive at 7 p.m., and the NU faithful
began flowing into the Sports Center
by 6 p.m.
AS me crowd grew, uic uuia
to feed off each other’s energy, ami
spontaneous chanting began at 6:25
p.m.
The wave rolled around at 6:30
p.m., and a wide range of fans kept the
cheers rolling until the Huskers ar
rived.
Two elementary-school-age boys
sitting in the lower level of the Sports
Center tried three times to get a “Big
Eight Champs” chant going until their
excited, high-pitched screams finally
inspired the rest of the crowd to join
them.
Parents sat with preschool-age chil
dren in their laps and showed them
how to clap in unison for the Huskers.
And one middle-age man, sporting
a Nebraska shirt stretched to its 1 imits,
boomed above the crowd — almost
uncontrollably — “Go Big Red.”
By 7:01 p.m., me cruwu ucgwi
flowing restless, and an anxious buzz
illed the air above the floor of the
Devancy Center.
The floor itself was filled with gym
mats, bars and chairs left there from
the gymnastics meet earlier in the day.
The team bus was given a police
escort to the parking lot of the De vaney
Center, and at 7:10 p.m., the players
finally arrived. .
Jamar Johnson led the way with the
Jeff
Griesch
Phillips 66 Big Eight Championship
trophy in his left arm and his right arm
raised with index finger extended.
The rest of the Huskers exploded
out of the tunnel, arms raised, jump
ing over chairs, screaming at the tops
of their lungs and chasing Johnson to
the raised platform where he proudly
displayed the trophy.
I ne piaycrs iuuk. me sicp icaumg
up to the platform three and four at a
time, and some didn’t quite make the
entrance that they would have liked.
Erick Strickland, who sparked the
Huskers throughout their tournament
run with aggressive defense, spinning
moves in the lane and sizzling three
point shooting, suffered his only set
back of the weekend when he slipped
on the platform and fell to the ground.
But Strickland was so excited, he
didn’t seem to care. The sophomore
from Bellevue just got up and kept
hugging his teammates and pumping
his fist in the air like nothing could
hurt him.
Aller nopping arouna lor a orici
moment on the platform, the Huskers
moved onto the floor exercise.
Standing on the red floor exercise
mat, the Huskers continued their cel
ebration.
Tournament MVP Eric
Piatkowski’s beam was brighter than
the Big Eight trophy.
Jaron Boone, who was named to
the all-tournament team, kept asking
lor more.
And Bruce Chubick, who was the
third Husker named to the all-tourna
ment team, drew the biggest roar when
he said the Huskers weren’t going to
settle for falling in the first round of
the NCAA tournament like they have
the past three years.
With the four-team bracket of Penn
sylvania, James Madison and Florida,
the Huskers not only have a chance to
do a little damage but also have a very
realistic shot at the Sweet 16.
Can you imagine the buzz on cam
pus if the Huskers get that far?
Start preparing yourself because
Nebraska will be playing for at least
one more week.
Giiesch ii a Junior newt-editorial major
and the Dally Nebratkaa aaiiitant tportt ed
itor.