'
NU recruit
looksforward
to next year
By Mitch Sherman ‘
Senior Reporter
Any Comhusker fans roaming the stands of
the Bob Devaney Sports Center last week not
only witnessed the boys’ state basketball tour
nament, but also caught a glimpse of a future
member of the Nebraska backcourt.
When Omaha Burke took the Devaney Cen
ter floor last Thursday against Lincoln South
east, the Bulldogs were led by senior guard and
Nebraska recruit Alvin Mitchell. All the 6
foot-1 all-stater did was score 10 fourth-quar
ter points and 23 for the game, leading Burke
to a 78-70 win over Southeast.
The following day, Mitchell played his
final high school contest, scoring a game-high
25 points in Burke’s 71-68 loss to eventual
state-champion Lincoln Northeast.
More impressive than Mitchell’s point to
tals this season, Burke coach Gary Graner said,
has been his presence on the court. A three
time all-state tournament selection, Mitchell
has often drawn double teams from opponents
as a senior.
“He’s a complete player,” said Graner, who
has coached the Bulldogs to three consecutive
state tournament berths. “He does a lot more
than score 20 points per game.”
Graner said Mitchell’s defense and court
vision had improved dramatically since his
sophomore year, his first season as a member
of the varsity team.
Aivin s goi great coun sense, ne said.
“And he’s got a knack for getting the ball to the
open guys.”
He also has a knack for coming up big when
an important game is on the line, Graner said.
More often than not, he said, Mitchell has
produced while playing at the Devaney Cen
ter.
As a sophomore, he hit a game-tying jumper
at the buzzer during the state quarterfinals,
propelling Burke to the state championship
game.
A year ago, he scored 44 points, including
a state-record 10 3-pointers in the Bulldogs’
loss to eventual state champion Omaha
Creighton Prep in the quarterfinals.
“I have to step up in big situations and put
up the points,” Mitchell said. “It isn’t anything
special about this building, but I do like to play
in big games. When it eomes to times when we
play down here, seniors in high school have to
play like freshmen in college.”
Mitchell, who is still awaiting his college
entrance exam results, said he expected to sit
out the 1995-96 season as a rcdshirt. He was
one of two players — along with Western
Nebraska Community College power forward
Bernard Gamer—to sign a letter of intent with
the Huskers in November.
The Huskers expect to sign one player this
See ALVIN on 10
The avenger
Scott Bruhn/DN
Nebraska swimmer Penny Hey ns will try for a first-place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke at the NCAA meet, which
starts this Thursday. She hopes to avenge her second-place finish last year.
Husker plans to dive right in tor win
By Trevor Parks
Staff Reporter
This weekend, Nebraska swimmer Penny
Heyns is hoping what comes around goes
around for her toughest competition.
Last year, Heyns lost to Arizona State’s
Beata Kaszuba in the finals of the 100-yard
breaststroke at the NCAA Championships.
The two will compete again in the 100
yard breaststroke at the NCAAs in Austin,
Texas, on Friday.
All Heyns has to do is swim her kind of
race, and she’ll win, she said.
“She (Kaszuba) is really good on the
turns, and that’s why she causes me some
problems,” Heyns said. “I know I’m faster
than her in my swimming, because when I
lost last year, she beat me on the turns.
“If I can prevent her from gaining on me,
then I should be fine.”
Kaszuba has a season-best time of
1:01.40, while Heyns leads her with a time
of 1:01.29.
Kaszuba set an NCAA record and a U.S.
record in the breaststroke last year.
Now Heyns is the one looking for the
record.
The junior from Amanzimtoti, South
Africa said another goal she had was to be
the first person in the world with a time of
less than 60 seconds in the 100-yard breast
stroke.
For that to happen, Heyns said, she would
have to swim flawlessly.
“The perfect swim would do it,” Heyns
said. “I need to control my stroke and
concentrate on myself and not getting dis
tracted by anyone else before or during my
race.”
If she keeps herself under control,
Comhusker coach Cal Bentz said, no one
I don’t know if anyone can
beat her. But if they do, they
would have to swim really
fast to do it.
m
CAL BENTZ
Nebraska swimming coach
would beat her.
“I don’t know if anyone can beat her,”
Bentz said. “But if they do, they would have
to swim really fast to do it.”
Heyns also leads Kaszuba in the 200
yard breaststroke with a time of 2:12.27.
See PENNY on 10
NCAA Tournament predictions easy without Huskers
The next four days — Thursday,
Friday, Saturday and Sunday — are
my four favorite days of the entire
year.
Nothing compares to the first
two rounds of the NCAA Tourna
ment. And as the columnist
selected to share my opinion on the
day prior to beginning of the Big
Dance, I feel obligated to make a
fool of myself.
As soon as the pairings were
announced Sunday night, I knew
this was going to be my year. You
see, Nebraska didn’t make it this
time. Every year I pick the
Comhuskers to win a couple of
games.
Unfortunately, that always
equates to two losses right off the
bat. So this year, I am starting on
level ground with the rest of the
public. Before revealing my
selections, however, I must first
review a few ground rules.
• When in doubt, pick the
ACC. It’s a sure-fire way to avoid
major problems down the road. Th<
nation’s best conference will have
the best showing in the the tourney
• There are always more
upsets on Thursday than on
Friday. As evidenced by the Big
Eight Tournament champion’s lack
of success in the recent tourna
ments, it’s difficult to recover from
a great weekend and play on
Thursday. At least one high seed
will lose.
• Good coaches make a
difference. Denny Crum, Eddie
Sutton, Rick Pitino, Jud Heathcote,
Bob Knight, Rick Majerus, Roy
Williams. These guys know how tc
win. Period. Notice Duke, which
has played in three of the last four
championship games, is not even ii
the tournament this season. Gee, I
wonder why?
Mitch Sherman
• One great player can carry
a team a long way. Remember
Danny Manning. This year will be
no exception. Shawn Respert could
do it, and Lou Roe and Joe Smith
have the same type of potential.
Now for the picks.
In the Midwest, Kansas is a big
favorite playing the regional finals
in Kansas City. Just ask Connecti
i cut what the Jayhawks can do at
Kemper Arena. Anywhere else, I -
would have to go with defending
champion Arkansas over Kansas,
but not in K.C.
The best matchup of the first
round could be Michigan, which
has made it to the final eight three
straight years over a good Western
Kentucky team. Take Virginia over
Arizona, with or without Damon
Stoudamire and Ben Davis.
Louisville coach Denny Crum can
beat Memphis, but not Purdue.
Regional winner: Kansas
Kentucky, fresh off an impres
sive win over Arkansas, should
take the Southeast, which is
probably the most difficult region
in the tournament. Kelvin Sampson
did a great job in his first year at
Oklahoma, but the Sooners will
lose to 25-4 Manhattan in the first
round (Thursday upset special).
Georgetown’s Allen Iverson is
the best freshman in the country,
but he doesn’t have enough
experience to beat Michigan State
and Respcrt, the best senior in the
country. Iowa State, tired from the
Big Eight Tournament, will lose to
Florida on Friday.
Respert (ground rule No. 4) will
cany the Spartans over a thin and
injured North Carolina team in
round 16. The regional final in
Birmingham, Ala., will pit Ken
tucky against Michigan State.
Regional Winner: Kentucky
In the East Regional, Wake
Forest is the weakest No. 1 seed in
the tournament. The Demon
Deacons will be exhausted from an
incredibly performance in the ACC
tourney last weekend. Oklahoma
State is hot and can beat just about
any team in the field if Randy
Rutherford'and Bryant Reeves are
on at the same time. Look for the
Cowboys to topple Wake Forest in
the third round.
See SHERMAN on 11
