Tuesday, January 30,1996 Page 7
Big
Not(
Colorado interim basketball
coach Ricardo Patton defended his
decision to reassign Buffalo assis
tant coach Scott Sanderson on
Monday. Patton was appointed
coach after Joe Harrington resigned
on Jan. 16.
“When I was given the position
on an interim basis, I was told I
would have the authority to do what
I would do if it was a permanent
basis,” Patton said. “I told him
(Sanderson) this was a good oppor
tunity for him to pursue some other
options.”
Sanderson, the son of former
Alabama coach Wimp Sanderson,
was Harrington’s top assistant and
had been with the Buffaloes since
1990.
* * *
The Big Eight Conference leads
the nation in shooting at 46.7 per
cent. Nebraska, which leads the
league in field goal percentage, is
fifth in the nation with a shooting
percentage of 50.5 percent.
* * *
Oklahoma coach Kelvin
Sampson said the Sooners, who are
10-8 overall and 2-4 in the confer
ence, weren’t getting the breaks
they did last season when they fin
ished 23-9 and 9-5. After the Soon
ers’ 67-61 loss to Iowa State on
Saturday, Sampson said he could
see the losses were wearing on his
players. He said when he went into
the locker room, all of his players
were hanging their heads.
“I told them to hold their heads
up, and that they had nothing to be
ashamed of. When they did, some
of them were cry ing with real tears,”
Sampson said. “That’s when coach
ing gets tough. These are college
kids who have given everything,
and it’s a shame they have to be
judged by their record.”
* * *
Iowa State junior guard Dedric
Willoughby was named the Big
Eight player of the week for his
performance in the Cyclones’ win
against Oklahoma. Willoughby
scored 11 of the Cyclones’ final 20
points and leads the league with a
21-point average in conference
games. Willoughby transferred to
Iowa State from Indian Hills (Iowa)
Community College where he did
not play a game. Willoughby did
play one season for Cyclone coach
Tim Floyd at New Orleans Univer
sity.
Oklahoma State sophomore for
ward Renee Roberts was named the
Big Eight women’s player of the
week Monday. Roberts averaged
13.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per
game in the Cowgirls’ wins over
Colorado and Missouri. Roberts
was named in a split vote over Iowa
State junior guard Kim Martin.
Martin scored 16 points, including
the game winner in the Cyclones’
79-77 overtime win against Ne
braska on Sunday.
* * *
Oklahoma State coach Eddie
Sutton, who favors man-to-man de
fense, said the 36 minutes of zone
the Cowboys played in their 62-59
loss to Kansas State on Wednesday
was the longest time one of his
teams had played zone defense.
Notebook compiled by senior re
porter Mike Kluck.
BSSaB—BttHim :ivi____M_x-x-M-ra-s.:*"-___■■ -_.•■.. •-*. vsmnsx*:......,_1
Travis Heying/DN
Nebraska power forward Bernard Garner has been the Cornhuskers’ most consistent player
during five Big Eight games. For the year, Garner is Nebraska’s third-leading scorer and top
rebounder.
Johnson
returns
to Lakers
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Saying
“it’s now or never,” Magic Johnson
ended a retirement of more than four
years Monday to play again for the
Los Angeles Lakers, whom he led to
five NBA championships during the
1980s.
Johnson, 36, left the NBA sud
denly on Nov. 7,1991 Just before the
start of the 1991 -92 season after learn
ing he had tested positive for the virus
that causes AIDS.
He returned the following year,
only to retire again after a handful of
exhibition games, and later coached
the Lakers for several games.
“Last night, I was just going crazy,”
Johnson said Monday. “I want my (3
year-old) son to see me play, right
here in the NBA.”
Johnson signed a contract for the
remainder of the season and will play
his first game back against the Golden
State Warriors on Tuesday night at the
Forum in Los Angeles.
Johnson, who said he’s 27 pounds
heavier than when he played his last
game on June 12, 1991, has been
practicing with the Lakers on and off
for about two weeks and will play
mostly at a forward spot.
“I know it’s going to take me some
time,” he said. “I’m not in NBA shape.
It’s going to take me a month or two.
This team has other people. It’s not
like I have to come in and dominate. I
know what to do. I still know what not
to do. I still know how to play this
game.”
Florida standout
ready to commit
By David Wilson
Staff Reporter
The Nebraska football team has
all but wrapped up its 17th verbal
commitment.
Robert Pollard, considered by
analysts to be one of the top high
school athletes in the country, said
Monday night — after speaking
with Comhusker assistant coach
Craig Bohl — that Nebraska was
his top choice.
Pollard said he planned to talk
with Bohl later in the week to con
firm his decision.
Pollard, a running back and
safety at Orange Park High School
in Jacksonville, Fla., said he had
narrowed his choices down to Ne
braska, Ohio State, and Auburn.
Pollard said he also spoke with an
Ohio State coach Monday night.
A 6-foot-2, 205 pounder, Pol
lard rushed for over 1,000 yards-as
a senior and was second on the team
in tackles.
Orange Park Coach Bob Will
iams said he thought Pollard, rated
the No. 2 safety in the nation by The
National Recruiting Advisor, was
more talented as a defensive back.
“I think he could have an impact
immediatly on defense, but he has
all of the physical capabilities to
play offense, too,” Williams said.
Pollard saidhis preference would
be to play running back at the colie
giate level. And he said Nebraska
was recruiting him as a running
back,
Pollard, who visited Lincoln
Dec. 8, said he liked the group of
players he was with. Husker re
cruits J.R. Edwards, John Gibson
and Steve Warren also visited that
weekend.
“It was cold, but I won’t let it get
to me,” Pollard said. “There was
another (player from Florida) down
there too, so at least I know I won’t
be alone.”
Pollard, who has been timed at
4.4 seconds in the 40-yard-dash,
earned all-state football honors as a
sophomore, junior and senior. He
also lettered in basketball, track
and weightlifting.
Although he had not received
his SAT scores yet, Pollard said
that he was pretty sure that he would
qualify academically.
“He’s a hard worker in practice
and a leader by example,” Williams
said. “He is a great athlete all
around.”
Including Pollard, the Huskers
have received 17 verbal commit
ments. Nebraska is expected to sign
18 players on signing day, Feb. 7.
After committing to Nebraska in
December, Eric Stevenson, a line
backer from Crescent, Okla., vis
ited various Big Eight schools and
has since committed to Oklahoma
State.
Gamer adds
power, bulk
to NU post
By Trevor Parks
Senior Reporter
Bernard Gamer never did set a
timetable for himself to fit in with the
Nebraska basketball team.
He knew a time would come even
tually when he would feel good play
ing for the Comhuskers after transfer
ring from Western Nebraska Commu
nity College.
That time has arrived.
“I’m feeling comfortable now,”
Gamer said. “It took me a while, but I
am starting to pick it up at the right
time.”
And fortunately for Nebraska, Gar-1
ner began to put his game together at
the right time—at the start of the Big
Eight season.
The Huskers are 15-5 overall and
3-2 in the conference after losing 88
73 to Kansas on Sunday at the Bob
Devaney Sports Center, but that record
may be worse without Gamer.
Gamer has had a major impact in
four of Nebraska’s five league games.
On Jan. 20 against Oklahoma State,
Gamer scored 15 points. He was 3
for-3 from the field and made 9-of-10
free throws. In a 76-58 win over Mis
souri on Jan. 24, Gamer scored nine
points and grabbed six rebounds.
Even in defeat Gamer has been
important.
In the Huskers’ 117-100 triple
overtime loss at Oklahoma, Gamer
scored 21 points and hauled in 12
rebounds, registering Nebraska’s lone
double-double of the season.
Gamer scored 16 points and had
seven rebounds in the loss to the
Jayhawks Sunday.
In five Big Eight games, the 6-foot
7,225-pound junior power forward, is
averaging 13.2 points per game, sec
See GARNER on 8
Thompson,
Terry win
at duals
From Staff Reports
Nebraskajunior heavyweight wres
tler Tolly Thompson became the
fourth-ever Comhusker to post three
consecutive 30-win seasons by down
ing No. 4 Jeff Walter of Wisconsin
Monday night at the NWCA All-Star
Meet in Iowa City, Iowa.
Thompson, 30-1 and ranked No. 2
in the nation, and Temoer Terry,
ranked second at 158 pounds, were
the only Huskers to compete in the
meet. Terry defeated third-ranked
Ernest Benion of Illinois 9-4.
Terry recorded a takedown and
three near falls in the second period
and iced the win with a third-period
takedown. Thompson had no prob
lems in his win, a 10-3 victory.
Nebraska will return to action Sat
urday at 7:30 p.m. against Oklahoma
at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. In
that match, Nebraska coach Tim
Neumann said he would change the
lineup in the lower weights.
Brad Canoyer will probably return
to 118 pounds, while Jeramie Welder
will wrestle at 126 pounds. Tony
DeAnda will return to 134 pounds ana
Mike Eierman could see action for the
first time this season at 142 pounds.
Eierman was suspended before the
season and missed more than a semes
ter of practice.
“Another week or so, he’ll be ready
to go,” Neumann said. “He’s good
enough to be in the top four in the
country.”