The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, September 17, 1996, Page 8, Image 8

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NCAA on Monday, but die pen
alty does not include bans from
bowl games or television appear
ances.
The NCAA concluded the
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1995, the NCAA also reduced by
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the 1997-98 academic year. And
it cut by one the number of
coaches who can recruit off cam
pus during December 1996 and
January 1997.
The sanctions do not include
MSU’s self-imposed penalties.
Michigan State placed its
football program on probation
for two years, starting Dec. 1,
1995, fired its athletics student
adviser and reassigned others
connected to the program during
the time the violations occurred.
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1
J.
Byrne said. “I was very pleased with
the way they ended their season.”
The Cornhuskerswon five straight
games and captured the National Invi
tation Tournament last spring, the first
postseason tournament crown in the
100-year history of the program.
Heading into the 1996-97 season,
Nee may no longer have to worry about
the NCAA investigation.
A1 Papik, NU’s director of athletic
compliance and senior associate ath
letic director, said the Huskers sent
three different reports to the NCAA
involving the recruitment of Nigerian
Osita Nwachukwu.
The first report — answering an
NCAA inquiry—was sent March 13;
the second — a follow-up to accusa
tions made by the Houston Chronicle
— was sent May 16; a third — a re
quest by the NCAA for more informa
tion —was sent July 8.
The NCAA has talked with Chris
topher Pond, the North Carolina busi
nessman, and Nwachukwu, Papik said,
but their stories did not collaborate.
Nebraska has not received a final
report, but there is no reason to believe
the NCAA will penalize NU, Papik
said. A response is expected prior to
the season, Papik said. r
So far now, Nee has his team out
of bed for 6:15 am conditioning work
outs Monday through Friday.
“That’s hard on us,” Nee said. “But
it’s good for discipline, and it’s good
to start a work ethic.”
in past years, he said, the team did
not become organized until a few
weeks before the start of the season.
This year's workouts began Aug. 26.
The team's nucleus includes seniors
Mikki Moore and Bernard Gamer and
sophomores Tyronn Lue, Andy
Markowski and Venson Hamilton. All
five sgw substantial playing time in
Three players, 6-foot guard Alvin
Mitchell, 6-foot-6 forward Larry Flo
rence and 6-foot-5 guard Troy
Piatkowski, enter the Nebraska lineup
after being academically ineligible last
season.
The Huskers have added five walk
on players, including Mike Johnette
from Cloud County (Kan.) Junior Col
lege and Ryan Phiefer from Mid Plains
Community College in North Platte.
Juniors Ryan Hinckley and Chad
Buiback and freshman Andy Schwindt
have also joined the team.
Segado “Cookie” Belcher, a 6-foot
3 guard from Mexico, Mo., is NU’s
only freshman signee. Nee said Belcher
will have a great impact and compete
for significant playing time.
“I’m not going to let them be satis
fied with them winning a couple of
games,” Nee said. “We’re going to try
to have a hell of a team. We are going
to be on them to do their best.”
But not all is well in the NU pro
gram.
Three players — Chester Surles,
Chad Ideus and Leif Nelson — have
left the team. Rodney Fields,
Nebraska’s only spring signee, did not
meet NCAA academic eligibility re
quirements. He will spend his first two
seasons at Tyler, (Texas) Junior Col
lege.
And this summer, Avery Curry, a
6-foot-2 guard who played at Florida
State last year, told NU’s coaches he
was coming to Lincoln. But Curry—
who averaged 6.4 points per game at
FSU and started the season playing 35
minutes per game before & horrid
shooting slump—decided three weeks
later to attend Idaho.
Each of the players who left would
have played an important role in the
future of the program, said Nee, who
remains optimistic about NU’s inaugu
ral season in the Big 12.
“The one great thing about cpach
ing is each year it’s a new chapter,” Nee
said. “You erase the board and every
thing starts at step A.
“It all starts with how committed
our players are and how much they are
willing to sacrifice.”
Senior reporter Mike Khick con
tributed te Bus report
j Position switch fits
NU center Thvlor well
TAHiOR from page 7 r
f^1fTT-JrTT~^wfmTf^TWTi
It’s not size that always counts, and
they made that clear to me.”
According to Tenopir, who has
coached 17 All-Americans in his 23
years at Nebraska, Tfcylor has what it
takes to become the 18th.
“If you really watch a guy and study
him on film, Aaron certainly has the
qualitiesofbecaning an All-American
just because of his on field perfor
mance,” Tenopir said. “He truly is a
guy who does a good job and deserves
an All-American role.”
Last season, Taylor’s first as a
starter, the 305-pound junior from
Wichita Falls, Ibxas, led the line with
128 pancakes (knockdown blocks)
while playing left guard.
His position change conies after the
graduation of two-year starter Aaron
Graham, a first-team All-American last
Season.
But after just one game at his new
spot, Thylor said he doesn’t feel any
pressure trying to live up to Graham’s
accomplishments.
Tmmyown person,” Thylorsaid.
“He has talents, and I have talents. But
if I play the best I can, there’s not go
ing to be a drop off.”
Senior Chris Dishman moved from
left tackle to left guard this fall, and
Adam TVeu took over Dishman’s
former spot. Thylor was moved to cen
to- fo benefit the team, Tenopir said.
“He was the logical guy tb move
because he played next to Aaron (Gra
ham)all along,” Ifenopir said, “and the
terminology and line calls are familiar
to him. It’s just a matter of executing
the position.
“But we made the change so we
could get the five best players on the
field.”
Noth calls NU shots
after Pettit’s injury
NQfni from page 7
about becoming a head coach.
“I’ve always had it in my mind,”
she said. “There are a lot of opportu
nities out there, and I’ve been asked.
I’ve turned them down, but there may
be a time down the road. Tlljusthave
to know in my heart”
Before being named an assistant in
1988, Noth was a member of the U.S.
National Team and an alternate for the
1988 Olympic squad. She played un
der Pettit from 1981 through 1984,
-helping the Huskers to four straight Big
Eight titles.
The 6-2 Huskers gained valuable
experience from the weekend, die said.
“Obviously, Friday was not what
we wanted,” die Said, “but a lot of
things were (Hit of the ordinary for us,
You grow from it and move on.
“After they lost, I think they needed
to take it up as a challenge to perform
the next night. It’s no fun to play the
way we did on Friday.
“they have definitely developed
more maturity. You have to learn to be
a player even without the head coach.”
*
BIG n^^Li E
Inexperience
to blame for
A&M’s start
By Vince IPAdamo
Staff Reporter
The 1996 season is off to a dismal
beginning for the Texas A&M football
team.
Saturday’s 29-22 loss to Southwest
ern Louisiana gives the Aggies their
first 0-2 start since 1988.
Texas A&M had finished 10 of the
last 11 seasons ranked among the
nation’s top 25 teams. Five of those
years, the Aggies finished in the top
10,
“There’s an expectation level that I
and that people associated with our
program have,” Aggie Coach R.C.
Slocum said. “We’re concerned about
it.”
The Aggies, who play host td North
Texas on Saturday, have found two dif
ferent ways to lose this year. In their
41-34ioss to Brigham Ybtmg in the
Pigskin Classic last month, the Cou
gars scorched Texas A&M’s young
secondary for 536 yards passing and
six touchdowns.
Saturday, the Ragin’ Cajuns mus
tered only 128 yards passing and one
touchdown through the air. But the
Aggies, who were ranked 13th in The
Associated Press preseason poll,
turned the ball over eight times, three
of which translated into Southwest
Louisiana touchdowns.
Slocum said both losses were bit
ter disappointments.
This A&M squad is one of
Slocum’s youngest in his eight years
in College Station. The secondary con
sists exclusively of freshmen and
sophomore starters.
“We were tremendously disap
pointed,” said Slocum, who never lost
an opener in his first seven seasons at
A&M. “We’re certainly not accus
tomed to being 0-2. We made too many
mistakes combined with the play of
Southwest Louisiana contributed to us
losing,”
Slocum said he remains confident
in his players.
“We’re definitely soul-searching,”
he said. “It's important that I stay in
the boat right now.”
Despite the Aggies’ early season
woes, they are still respected by the Big
12 coaches.
“I think they just need to work a
few things out,” Kansas State’s Bill
Snyder said. “They’re a fine football
team.”
No. 12 Colorado travels to College
Station on Sept 28. CU Coach Rick
Neuheisel said it would be a mistake
to take the Aggies lightly.
“I know R.C. will have that team
ready,” Neuheisel said. “You know
they have great pride, and they’re well
coached. I look at those two factors to
mean they will right themselves.”
; The previously fifth-ranked Buffs,
who were beaten 20-13 by Michigan
Saturday in Boulder, have not lost a
road game in Neuheisel’s one-year stint
at Colorado.
“A win over Colorado will make
the Aggie faithful less bitter than how
it started,” Neuheisel said.