SPORTS
Nebraskan
Thursday, July 14, 1994
Arizona athlete
will play at NU
By Mitch Sherman
Staff Reporter
I n ihc eyes of the Nebraska footbal 1
team, good things come to those who
wait.
So the Cornhuskers waited.
More than five months after the
national lcttcr-of-intent signing day,
Kenny Cheatham, a three-sport star
from Phoenix South Mountain High
School, signed with Nebraska on July 6.
In addition to catching 2X passes
for 880 yards last season, the b-fool-4,
185-pound wide receiver was also a
star on South Mountain’s basketball
and track teams. Cheatham visited
Lincoln on Jan. 14.
Husker football coach Tom Osborne
said Nebraska offered Cheatham the
opportunity to play more than one
sport next season.
“That was a factor," Osborne said.
“He told us that if he was going to play
football, he would come here. But, at
that time, he was undecided about
football or basketball."
South Mountain football coach
Cleveland Dansby said Cheatham had
the athletic ability to make an imme
diate impact at Nebraska.
“I think Nebraska just signed one
of the best receivers in the west."
Dansby said. “If there was an award
given to the top athlete in the state of
Arizona, he would have won it last
year."
As lar as playing more than one
sport. Osborne said, that decision will
have to be made after the football
season.
“He’ll definitely play football in
the fall," Osborne said. “What he’ll do
after that, I don’t know. Of all the
recruits we signed, nobody would ex
cel in three sports better than him."
Nebraska basketball coach Danny
Nee said Cheatham was welcome to
attend basketball practice if he was
interested in joining the team.
“We’ll have to wail and see what
happens alter football season.” Nee
said. “It would be difficult to do. but
we’ve always wanted to leave that
— «t
I think Nebraska just
signed one of the best
receivers in the west.
If there was an award
given to the top
athlete in the state of
Arizona, he would
have won it last year.
— Dansby,
football coach
Phoenix South Mountain
High School
-ft
option open."
As a sophomore, Cheatham was
the fastest Arizona high school athlete
in the 20(1 meters. He has been clocked
at 10.4 seconds in the 100 meters.
Bobby Burton, who is a consultant
for National Recruiting Advisor, based
in Austin, Texas, said Cheatham was
a prize recruit for the Huskers.
“He's a great athlete and adds a lot
to their class." Burton said.
The Huskers could also reap future
benefits from South Mountain High
School. Burton said.
“If they can establish a connec
tion, it might really help down the
road," he said.
Three players widely regarded as
Division-1 prospects will be seniors at
South Mountain this year. Burton said.
Included ill that group is Dansby’s
son.Cleveland, Jr., who is the team’s
quarterback.
Cheatham chose Nebraska over
Tennessee. Healsoconsidered UCLA,
Colorado, Arizona and Arizona State,
Dansby said.
Cheatham’s signature brings the
total number of Husker football re
cruits to 1K. Two additional players—
kicker/baseball player Darin Erslad
and John Livingston, a wide receiver
transfer from Arizona Stale—will be
placed on football scholarship in Au
gust.
Jason Levkuhch/DN
Sedric Collins tries to stay on his feet as Clinton Childs and others watch.
Piatkowski rests easy alter being picked in NBA draft
By Derek Samson
Staff Reporter
Finally, Eric Pialkowski could
breath a sigh of relief.
The former Nebraska forward was
taken by the Indiana Pacers in the first
round as the 15th pick overall in the
National Basketball Association’s
draft.
The selection, announced by NBA
commissioner David Stern, ended
weeks of preparation and anticipation
for Pialkowski.
“When 1 heard my name I was very
excited, but even more relieved,” he
said. “I t (workouts for the N BA teams)
was fun, but I was ready for that part
io dc over, u was
like a huge load
was taken off my
back when I was
chosen.”
But the “Polish
Rifle” couldn’t re
lax very long.
Soon after the
draft. Piatkowski
was traded to the1 _ .
Los Angeles Clip- Pi3tkOWSkl
pcrs in a deal that involved five play
ers.
Indiana traded Malik Scaly and
Pooh Richardson to the Clippers lor
Mark Jackson, while the two teams
also swapped draft picks.
Pialkowski wascxchangcd forGreg
M inor of Louisville, who was drafted
by the Cl ippers, also in the first round.
Piatkowski said the important thing
was that he was drafted.
‘‘As far as I’m concerned, any
where I go, it’s going to be a good
situation,” he said. “Fifteen is still 15
so I’m just happy where I was drafted.
... I’m not a hard guy to please.”
Piatkowski was the first of lour
players taken from the Big Eight.
Oklahoma State’s Brooks Thomp
son was the final first-round pick,
selected by Orlando, while Oklaho
ma’s Jeff Webster went 40th to Miami
and Missouri’s Jevon Crudup was
chosen by Detroit as the 48th pick.
Piatkowski was also the first Husk
er taken in the first round since Rich
King was drafted by Seattle as the
14th overall selection in 1901.
“Being drafted is one of those
dreams that you put in the back ofyour
mind, but it’s always there,”
Piatkowski said. “I have thought about
this day lor such a long time and I |ust
feel fortunate that it arrived.”
Piaikowski averaged 21.5 points
and 6.3 rebounds a game last season to
finish his career as the only Husker to
score over 1,000 points, pull down
600 rebounds and dish out 300 assists
in a career.
But for Piaikowski, his four years
at Nebraska didn’t seem as long as the
hour and a half he waited and watched
players one through 14 being selected
in the draft.
“The first ten or so didn’t seem too
bad. but from then on it just seemed
like an eternity,” he said. “When it got
around 12, U amt 14,1 thought- my
lime would never come.”
*——-—-—
