Strickland shines
By Peter Mabhoefer
Staff Reporter
I -
DALLAS — Erick Strickland
lived the climax scene of his per
sonal version of “Hoop Dreams”
Nov. 2 at Reunion Arena.
The farmer Nebraska basketball
player, from Bellevue, made his
National Basketball Association
debut with 2 minutes, 51 seconds
to play in Dallas’ 107-94 loss to
Sacramento.
After sitting for the first seven
quarters of his NBA career,
Strickland finally got the nod from
Dallas Coach Jim Cleamons. His
first assignment: Guard Dream
Teamer Mitch Richmond.
“I wasn’t thinking about Mitch
Richmond,” Strickland said after
the game. “I was just thinking that I
have to Stop this guy. Mitch Rich
mond to me now is just another
guard.”
Kicnmonu missea oom oi ms
shots against Strickland, who wears
No. 20 fw the Mavericks.
Strickland, meanwhile, made the
most of his playing time in the Mav
ericks’ home opener. He finished
with four points, (me steal, one re
bound, one turnover, and two per
sonal fouls.
In Strickland’s three short min
utes, he sewed as many or more
points as six Mavericks, each of
whom had played 15 minutes w
more.
“I don’t mind sitting on the
bench,” said Strickland, the fifth
guard on the Dallas roster. “I’ve got
to pay my dues.”
Strickland, NU's career steals
leader and No. 6 all-time scorer,
spends the majority of his time on
the bench fw the first time since his
sophomore year of high school at
Bellevue West.
But his work ethic hasn’t
changed. He was the last (me to
leave the flow during the pre-game
warm ups. During the game, he sat
on the bench and watched as veter
ans Jason Kidd and Derek Harper
gave him pointers.
“He’s a great defensive player,”
said second-year Dallas guard Tony
Dumas, who played against
Strickland in college while at Mis
souri-Kansas City. “Even in college,
he shut me down a couple of times.
“Erick is playing real well.”
Strickland’s tenacious defense is
a major reason he stuck with the
Mavericks after being passed over
M
I wasn't thinking
about Mitch
Richmond. I was
just thinking
that 1 have to stop
this guy. Mitch
Richmond to me
now is just
another guard.”
Ebick Strickland
Dallas Maverick guard
in the draft last spring. Dallas cut
Jimmy King, who had a guaranteed
contract, to make room for
Strickland on its roster.
Strickland’s first professional
points came when he was fouled by
Richmond while shooting a jumper.
Both free throws swished through
the net.
“I just said to myself, These are
good,’” Strickland said. “I didn’t
even hesitate. There was no ques
tion in my mind.”
Nebraska Coach Danny Nee
said Strickland’s success in Dallas
is one of the best things to happen
to the NUprpgramin several years.
“The coaching staff and I are
really excited for Erick,” Nee said.
“The staff knew he had a chance.
Once he concentrated on b&sketbdll,
you could see his physical skills re
ally coming through.”
Strickland has been playing
point guard for Dallas, a position
different than the shooting guard he
played at Nebraska.
Strickland is such a surprise to
the Dallas organization that he is not
mentioned anywhere in the team’s
media guide. But many Maverick
fans won quickly impressed with
the team’s only rookie.
“I don’t know who this kid is or
where he’s from,” season-ticket
holder Jose Hernandez said during
Dallas' season opener, “but he sure
can play.”
Dallas played Tuesday night at
home against Indiana and will next
play Thursday night against Minne
sota in Minneapolis.
to tumble I
."VS" r‘
8y Gbegg Madsen
Staff Reporter
If good things come to those who
wait, the Nebraska men’s gymnastics
team should have an outstanding 1997
season. . V .C -
Last season, Nebraska Coach
Francis Allen was confident his team
could win the national championship.
But injuries kept the Comhuskers from
earning the chance. For the first time
in IS years, NU failed to qualify for
the NCAA Championships.
Now, more than two months before
the season, Allen said, the Huskers are
tired of waiting for the chance to erase
last season. •
“I wish we had a meet already,”
Allen said. “I wish we had sane direc
tion to shoa fa, but it seems like the
team has a lot of direction flam within.
So it looks like we’re pretty much on
track."
Allen said that internal drive could
be the key to the team’s success this
season—that and remaining healthy.
Junior all-arounder Jim Koziol,
who fought back problems throughout
the 1996 seasoi, had surgery in June
to repair a ton right bicep muscle.
Doctors are still unsure if the Millard
South graduate will be able to compete
this season.
Sitting out of practice has been dis
couraging, Koziol said, but the rest of
the team is responding well.
“I just think they’re stepping op,”
Koziol said. “Maybe it’s just knowing
that they might have to fill a void.”
That Huskers’ lack of depth will be
offset by experience, senior Ryan
McEwen said.
“The coaches do a good job of
keeping us focused,” McEwen said.
“They tell us what to do week in and
week out.” >
Regardless of injury problems, the
team members know what will have to
be done to reach the NCAA Champi
onships, McEwen said.
“Really, the whole team knows the
job at hand,” he said. “We know the
past traditions of all the Nebraska
olympians. It’s just a matter of staying
focused.”
The team will hold its intrasquad
meet on Dec. 8 and open the season
Jan. 17 and 18 at the Rocky Mountain
Open at the Air Force Academy.
Minor pains cannot slow Huskers
FOOTBALL from page 7
Some of them are getting better, and
some of them are not.
“Overall, at this stage of the sea
son it’s not too bad, and it could be a
lot worse. We’ve held up reasonably
well."
Nebraska did receive a dose of bad
news this week when Osborne said No.
2 rush end Chad Kelsay will not play
against Iowa State on Saturday because
of a bruised knee.
Osborne is hopeful that Kelsay, a
sophomore from Alton, will return
against Colorado on Nov. 29. Sopho
more Travis Ibline will fill the spot of
Kelsay, who backs up Jared Ibmich.
Comerback Mike Fullman, who has
missed the last two games with an ankle
injury, might play Saturday. Split end
Kenny Cheatham has a hamstring in
jury and is also questionable for Sat
urday after missing practice Ibesday.
Defensive tackle Jason Peter (bro
ken left found)), Green (turf toe), tight
end Tim Carpenter (knee) and quarter
back Scott Frost (bruised shoulder)
have all played with nagging injuries.
Frost, who injured his knee on foe
third {day ofNebraska’s 51-7 win over
Missouri last Saturday—but remained
in foe game—hurt his right arm early
in foe season.
Jack Nickolite, head football trainer
and associate director of athletic medi
cine, said Frost has a minor bruise on
his left shoulder.
“It’s just a little pain, but it’s not a
bad injury,” Frost said. “I haven’t hurt
it any worse, so I just have to put up
with it.”
Peter has played the last three
games with his thumb in a cast.
Saturday’s game in Ames will be the
final time he has to wear the cast on
his left hand.
Green has been battling a toe prob
lem since Oct. 5. The sophomore I
back also required stitches above his
eye Monday because of a minor car
accident.
Carpenter, who had surgery to re
pair a torn knee ligament in the spring,
bruised his healthy knee against Mis
souri, but he should be near 100 per
cent by Saturday.
big 12 bowl picture still unclear
BIG 12 from page 7
how the bowls have worked out,”
Texas A&M Coach R.C. Slocum said.
“So many teams that have taken bowls
for granted are having to fight for them
now.”
To be eligibly for a bowl game, a
team must have six wins over a Divi
sion I-A opponent and a winning per
centage above .500.
“The bowls are up for grabs right
now,” Texas Tech Coach Spike Dykes
said. “Shoot, just about anybody could
get <me right now.”
Eight Big 12 teams still have a
chance to play in a bowl, but itrs pos
sible that as few as four could make it,
which would open additional bowl
spots for non-Big 12 teams.
“We're not even talking about a
bowl right now,” said Texas Coach
John Mackovic, whose Longhorns (5
4 overall and 4-2 in the Big 12) cur
rently lead the South Divisionbut still
must win one game to qualify for a
bowl. “We’ve still got some games
we’ve got to win first.”
Three teams have already Qualified :
Nebraska (8-1), Colorado (8-1) and
Kansas State (8-1), all from the North
division. The Bowl Alliance takes the
Big 12’s top team; the Cotton Bowl
takes the second team; and the Holi
day Bowl takes the third-place team.
Several key games in the next three
weekswill (day a large part in deter
mining the bowl lineup. Round (me is
in Boulder Saturday, when Kansas
State plays Colorado. Round two is
Nov. 29, when Nebraska plays host to
the Buffaloes.
Round three is the Big 12 Champi
onship, Dec. 7 in St. Louis, where the.
league’s Bowl Alliance participant will
likely be decided.
Nebraska and Colorado still con
trol their own destinies, and each have
a realistic shot at the Bowl Alliance’s
top draw, the Sugar Bowl, likely against
the winner of the Nov. 30 Florida
Florida State game.
“You want to have a chance to de
cide where you go at the end ofthe
said. “It gives you a chance to reach as
high as you want to.”
Five Big 12 teams remain on the
bubble: Texas, Texas Tech, Texas
A&M, Kansas and Baylor. They are
most likely vying for the Alamo Bowl,
the Aloha Bowl and the Copper Bowl,
which represent the league’s fourth, *
fifth and sixth spots.
Texas can secure a bowl spot with
a victory over Kansas on Saturday or a
win over Texas A&M on Nov. 29.
Texas Tech (54 and 4-3) needs one
more win with games remaining
against Southwestern Louisiana and
Oklahoma.
A&M (5-5 and 3-3), Kansas (4-5
and 24) and Baylor (4-5 and 1-5) face
significantly tougher roads. Each must
win its last two games of the year to
make a bowl.
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