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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 28, 1997)
I Mike Mock ’ftung players a key to suooess throughout year There is no such term as true freshman or first-year player when it comes to the March Madness of college basketball. By this time of the year those terms to describe young players are long gone and the athletes who were stumbling and bumbling for an iden tity at the beginning of the year have now grown by leaps and bounds. At this point in the season, the players might be called developmen tal, prospects, hope for the future or even young, but they all must prove their worth on the court. “I don’t consider myself a fresh man,” freshman Brooke Schwartz said. “At this point in the year, I think, you’re a player. There’s no such thing as seniors or freshmen.” This weekend starts a month-long fantasy called March Madness, which every basketball-crazed fan has been looking forward to since November. This year, surprisingly enough, both the Nebraska men’s and women’s basketball teams are on the verge of making this particular March memorable for Husker fans. How long Nebraska’s dance card is full in March will largely be deter mined by the play of freshmen—'or as they are called now, players — who stepped onto the Bob Devaney Sports Center floor for the first time four months ago. Nebraska Coach Angela Beck has played all four of her freshman this year. Schwartz, Charlie Rogers, Nicole Kubik and Cisco Gilmore have played together at the same time growing up and together this season. The freshmen of the Huskers have been contributing more than 30 percent of the scoring and all but Gilmore has seen a spot in the start ing lineup. Men’s coach Danny Nee faced a similar situation this season starting true freshmen Cookie Belcher in ev ery game. Nee has also used sophomore first-year players Larry Florence, — who has started all but one game — Alvin Mitchell and Troy Piatkowski considerably throughout the season. And just like the women’s team, these young players have produced this season. In December, two free throws by Schwartz iced a win over then-No. 9 Iowa. On Wednesday night, Piatkowski looked like the Polish Rifle scoring career-high 11 points to help the Huskers beat Okla homa State. This weekend both teams need wins to help make it into the NCAA Tournament and both teams need these players to make strong contri butions. It’s time they show they have passed Basketball 101 this season. Kluck is a journalism graduate student and a Daily Nebraskan se nior reporter. Beck happy to end February After a 2-6 month, Huskers hope March brings a win. By Mike Kluck Senior Reporter The Nebraska women’s basket ball team walked off the court of Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa, with its heads held high after hand ing Iowa State its worst home loss of the season. The 76-52 win over the Cy clones on Jan. 30 was the Comhuskers’ 16th of year, ninth straight and left them one game out of first place in the Big 12 Confer ence — still in the hunt for the league title and a berth in the NCAA Tourna ment. But Ne braska Coach Angela Beck knew what February had in store for her young Huskers — four games against teams ranked in the top 25 and four games on the road. Beck’s fears came true as the Huskers went 2-6 during February to fall to 18-7 overall and 8-7 in the league. The fall has dropped the Huskers to seventh in the confer ence race and in a precariously close position to not receiving an NCAA bid.j But that was February and now the calendar turns a new page. Saturday’s regular-season-end ing game against Oklahoma State (14-11 and 6-9) at Stillwater, Okla., at 2 p.m. begins a month that Beck believes the Huskers need at least one more win to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Please see COWBOYS on 11 Women s Basketball Starters Saturday, 2 p.m. GallagheMba Arena Stillwater, Okla. Nebraska w Pos Name Ht Yr. F 22 TiMffeCMn s^10 St F 30 Anna DeForge 5-11 Jr. 0 33Chafe Rogers 6-2 Fr. G24JamiKubik 5-11 Jr. G 20 LaToyaDoage 5-6 Sr. OUahMnaSL i4-n(&9) Pos Name Ht Yr. F 24 BeneeBoberts 5-to Jr. F 32 Cheri Edwards 6-2 Jr. G 10 Kourtney Bower 5-7 So. NU enters dual without two stars By Gregg Madsen Staff Reporter Just when the Nebraska women’s gymnastics team thought things couldn’t get any better, things got worse. After breaking the 196-point barrier last Sunday for the first time in school history at the Master’s Classic, the sixth-ranked Comhuskers (11-1) hit a wall on Thursday when it was determined that freshman Laura Ohlendorf has a broken her right foot. Nebraska Coach Dan Kendig said the loss of Ohlendorf makes Saturday’s 2 p.m. meet with Iowa State at the Bob Devaney Sports Center much more difficult to win. It hurts us a lot, Kendig said. “We lose a bar and a beam girl with Laura. And she’s not just a bar and Please see WOMEN on 10 Nee expects ‘electric zoo’ A win Sunday assurer; Nebraska of a No. 7 seed in Kansas City. By Mitch Sherman Senior Reporter The big one is here. Nebraska lays its basketball season on the line Sunday afternoon at the sold-out Bob Devaney Sf>orts . Center, playing host to top-ranked Kansas at 2:47 p.m. A win earns the Cornhuskers the No. 7 seed in the Big 12 Confer ence Tournament next week in Kan sas City and the inside track to a spot intheN^fcA Tournament Aloss Sun day iencffilfU to Kansas City likely in need of four wins in four days to crack the NCAA selection committee’s top 64. “There’s so many things that could happen,” Nebraska Coach Danny Nee said. “But a win over the No. 1 team would pretty well put us up there.” NU enters Sunday’s game — per haps the most important contest at the Devaney Center in three years—play ing its best basketball of the season. Winners of four of their last five games, the Huskers (16-12 overall and 7-8 in the Big 12) dominated Okla homa State in the second half Wednes day, committing a season-low nine turnovers in a 77-68 win. Turnovers plagued Nebraska in an 82-77 overtime loss at Kansas on Feb. 1. The Huskers lost the ball a season high 28 times, and point guard Tyronn Lue, despite scoring 26 points, ac Please see KANSAS on 11 Homestand comes By Gregg Madsen Staff Reporter For the first time in a month, the Nebraska men’s gymnastics team will compete within the comforts of home at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Saturday at 2 p.m. against third ranked Iowa, the Comhuskers begin a four-week homestand. The meet will also feature the Nebraska-women’s gymnastics team, which will face Iowa State. Nebraska Coach Francis Allen said NU needs to defend its home turf in the next four meets. After this week end, Nebraska will face No. 13 Min nesota on March 9 and fourth-ranked Penn State on March 16 before play ing host to the Mountain Pacific Championship on March 28-29. it we can get those teams here at home that’s going to make diem think they can’t beat us,” Allen said. “That’s not the way to go into a National Championship, with everybody and their brothers scored a season high 230.55 weekend at nois. Nebraska’s top score, a 229.35, came on Feb Allen said the ] to score higher than effort to defeat Iowa — Please see MEN on 10
