The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, February 18, 1998, Page 9, Image 9
Sam McKewon Missouri’s coach earns admiration I love Norm Stewart. OK, I said that to get you into my column. I am not really in love with the coach of Missouri’s basketball team. I haven't even met the guy. But I respect the hell out of him. 1 've heard many sportswnters talk about how they don’t like old Norm. They say he’s mean or underhanded. He’s whiny on the sidelines and is said to oftentimes have the referees in his back pocket. Maybe some of these things are true. No doubt Stewart gets some calls from the refs at home. But there are so many accomplish ments Stewart has had over the years that overshadow any personality con flict he has with a beat writer. The numbers speak for themselves: 708 career victories, including a 611-320 record at MU Then there are the 16 NCAA Tournaments, five Sweet 16 appear ances and two final eight appearances. Stewart has had his share of success in the Big 8/Big 12 Conference, too, with eight league titles. Still the numbers don't speak to the one word that characterizes Stewart's career: loyalty. Loyalty to his state. Loyalty to his players. Stewart has been extremely faith ful to the Show-Me State. He was bom in Shelbyville, Mo. He attended the University of Missouri, where he was the leading scorer in 1955-56 for the basketball team and a member of the NCAA champion baseball team in 1954. Then, after a stint at Northern Iowa, Stewart returned to MU to cre ate one of the nation’s best basketball programs. There have been moments during this season that show Stewart’s loyalty to his squad. One came on a weekly Big 12-teleconference, when Stewart angrily told all listeners that he would n’t stand for unfair fouls called on his 6-foot-11,355-pound Monte Hardge. Another was in an 81 -76 win over Nebraska. NU replaced an injured player with one off the bench to shoot free throws, and Stewart countered with the same action late in the game - only it didn’t look like the Missouri player really was injured. Sneaky? Probably. Below the belt? Maybe. Brilliant? Absolutely. It said simply, “I’ll do what I have to within the rules to see my team win.” Stewart refuses to let chances to win slip by. I admire that. Tonight Stewart’s Tigers will be in Lincoln, trying to hold on to NCAA Tournament aspirations late in the sea son. Fans should take a moment in that game to watch Stewart, who will no doubt be prowling the sideline with a fierce scowl and competitive fire. They’ll be watching one of the best. McKewon is a sophomore news editorial and political science major and a Daily Nebraskan senior reporter. Two let go from Huskers 1 Brandon Harrison and Derek Allen are dismissed for “disciplinary reasons." From Staff Reports Nebraska defensive back Brandon Harrison and defensive tackle Derek Allen have been per manently dismissed from the foot ball team for “disciplinary rea sons,” NU Coach Frank Solich said. “I really don’t plan to comment any further on that,” Solich said. When contacted by phone Tuesday, Harrison also refused to comment further on the situation. Allen could not be reached. Both players were still enrolled in classes, Solich said. Harrison, a 6-foot, 175-pound junior from Gainesv ille, Texas, played in 1 1 games last season including the , Orange Bowl - and recorded 14 tackles. Harrison started in three games and also served as a backup to Erwin Swiney. A junior col lege transfer from Blinn Harrison College in Gainesville, Harrison recorded 50 tackles and intercepted seven passes in two seasons before transferring to Nebraska. Blinn College posted a 24-0 record during Harrison’s stint and won the National Junior College Athletic Association champi onship in 1995 and 1996. Allen, a 6-3, 280-pound sopho more from Russelville, Ark., recorded two tackles in seven games last season. As a fresh man in 1996, Allen played in five games and had five tack les, two sacks, one breakup and one quarterback hurry. Allen red shirted in 1995. Both players took part in win ter pre-testing in January, and Harrison recorded the third-best 40-yard-dash time on the team at 4.53 seconds. Daniel Luedert/DN NU WRESTLER Brad Canoyer, who has been voted NU’s most dedicated wrestler two years in a row, shows his lead* ership on the mat - not through words. Wrestler leads by example Brad Canoyer voted NU’s most dedicated By Sarah Dose Staff Reporter Brad Canoyer wants to set an example. An example that, he said, will show leadership if it’s conveyed in the right way. Canoyer thinks the right way is through his actions, not his voice. A 134-pound senior, Canoyer has been voted NU’s most dedicated wrestler two years in a row. With that kind of respect from his own team mates, Canoyer has found his own way to lead the team. “I’ve always felt that you lead by example,” he said. “It’s your voice, too, but example is so much more important. “It means a lot to think those guys have that much respect for me. I like to use that award as a push in the right direction.” NU Coach Tim Neumann said that push has definitely helped Canoyer become an honest competi tor. “He’s not doing this for celebrity status,” Neumann said. “It’s for per sonal reasons. I wouldn’t call him overshadowed, but more like taken for granted.” Neumann said the rest of the team might not always see what Canoyer 66— I think of him as our blue-collar... guy Tim Neumann NU wrestling coach does for the team in certain situa tions. “He’s a solid performer,” Neumann said. “Maybe we’ll be in a slump in a tournament, and he’ll come through with a big win to get the ball rolling.” Tenth-ranked Canoyer said he is looking forward to the rest of his sea son and has confidence that both he and his team will win national titles. Neumann said those titles will come if Canoyer keeps his work ethic. “I think of him as our blue-collar work ethic guy,” Neumann said. “He’s been our solidifying force for a long time now.” As one of the team’s captains, Canoyer said he has never felt over shadowed by the hype of seniors Temoer Terry or Ryan Tobin. “I’ve always felt (wrestling) is a team sport,” he said. “So I don’t think I could be overlooked.” He might not be overlooked, Neumann said, but he doesn’t exactly stick out, either. “He’s honest and hardworking, but that doesn’t make him stand out,” Neumann said. “I think that’s the thing about him - he doesn’t stand out. “He’s never once quit or given up. And more importantly, he doesn’t ask for anything.” Canoyer and the rest of the No. 10 Nebraska wrestling team will dual with Missouri tonight at 7 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. They also look forward to Sunday, when they compete at home again, but against top-ranked Oklahoma State. “I hope everyone is looking at (tonight) and not Sunday,” Neumann said. Neumann also said he was wor ried that the team will be thinking about how OSU shut out Missouri in a regular season dual. “Every positive thing will happen against Missouri if they concentrate on the meet at hand and wrestle well.” Kubik sisters secure win for Huskers By Mike Kluck Staff Reporter COLUMBIA, Mo. - Nebraska's Cambridge connection out-dualed Missouri’s sophomore duo to give the Cornhuskers a 96-91 victory Tuesday night at the Hearnes Center. The Cambridge sis ters - Jami and Nicole Kubik - both gave NU career-best per tormances as Nicole Kubik the Huskers (20 7 overall and 9-12 in the Big 12 Conference) fought off a gritty Tiger performance. MU fell to 10 13 overall and 2-11 in league play. Nicole Kubik, who scored a career-high 23 points Saturday at Oklahoma - poured in 34, including two crucial 3-point field goals, and made 10 of 11 shots from the free throw line. Meanwhile, sister Jami. a 57 percent free throw shooter for the season, connected on 13 of 1 6 attempts from the free-throw line to help her career-best. 23-point per formance. “What you saw tonight was two young women who put this basket ball team on their back and refused to lose,” NU Coach Paul Sanderford said. “Nicole and Jami Kubik weren’t going to be denied 20 wins or this road win.” The Kubiks’ performance coun tered a 33-point outing from Missouri sophomore Julie Helm and 23 points from sophomore Ekpe Akpaffiong. Helm was named the Big 12 Conference freshman of the year last season. It was NU sophomore Nicole Kubik, who made two 3-point field goals within a two-minute span, who helped the Huskers overcome the feisty Tigers. The bucket was NU’s only 3-point field goal of the evening. “I guess 1 just was feeling it,” Nicole Kubik said. “I hadn’t been shooting them, and they just went in. When you’re having a good night everything goes in for you.” Both sisters said their perfor mance reminded them of their play ing days for the Trojans at Cambridge. “(Nicole) was awesome,” Jami Kubik said. “She really stepped it up and it reminded me of ours days from high school.” Jami Kubik said Nicole had a look in her eyes of confidence and determination - similar to when she played at Cambridge. Jami, who added two free throws around Nicole’s two 3-point ers, said those two field goals were big in the game. But quicker than Nebraska opened up its largest lead of nine points on Nicole’s second 3-point goal, the Tigers would cut the lead to five with 6:14 remaining in the game. The Huskers then recaptured a nine-point lead when Nicole Kubik added two free throws with 3:19 remaining. But then the Tigers went Please see WIN on 10