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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 17, 1998)
NU softball catcher Jenny Smith picked up Big 12 Player of the Week honors last week after batting .600 in five games over the weekend. Smith went 9 for 15 at the plate with a double and her first home run of the season. She had a .867 slugging per centage and .684 on-base per centage. Texas pitcher Christa Williams was named Big 12 Pitcher of the Week after throwing her third no-hitter of the season. And then ... there was none. For the first time since the 1983-84 season no men's basketball team in the Big Eight/Big 12 Conference made it the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. The Big 12’s best chance for a Sweet 16 berth was top seeded and third-ranked Kansas, who was upset yester day by eighth-seeded Rhode Island 80-75 in the second round of the Midwest Regional in Oklahoma City. It was the fifth time in the 1990s that the Jayhawks had a No. 1 seed in the regional and failed to make it the Final Four. Last season, KU lost to eventual national champion Arizona in the regional semi finals. Other teams that bowed out in the Big 12 included Oklahoma State, which lost to Duke 79-7 3 in the second round; Oklahoma, which lost to Indiana 94-87 in overtime in the first round; and Nebraska, which lost to Arkansas in the first round. Kansas did get some good news last week. Both Raef LaFrentz and Paul Pierce were named to The Associated Press All-American Team last week. They were named to the team along with Arizona guards Mike Bibby and Miles Simon and North Carolina forward Antwan Jamison. ■ In Big 12 tennis, Pavel Kurdnac of Oklahoma State and Zana Zlebnik or Texas Tech were named the men’s and women’s Big 12 Players of the Month Friday. Kurdnac, a native of Pilsin, Czech Republic, is the top ranked player in both singles and doubles in the Rolex Collegiate Tennis Rankings and compiled a perfect 8-0 record last month. He was only the third player in history to sweep both the singles and doubles competition at Rolex National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships in Dallas. Zlebnik, a freshman from Maribor, Slovenia, has yet to lose a match in singles or dou bles this season. She is 6-0 overall this season and 4-0 in the Big 12 Conference. The Big 12 Notebook was compiled by Senior Reporter Sam McKewon. NU seeks more mental toughness ByMikeKluck Staff Reporter One week into practice last November, first-year Nebraska Women's Basketball Coach Paul Sanderford walked off the Devaney Center court thinking NU would be lucky to win 10 games during the 1997 98 season. Four games into the season, the Comhuskers were confident they could play with any team in the nation. It was that confidence that earned Nebraska to a 23-10 record, which tied the most wins in school history. But in the end, the Huskers were not able to turn that confidence into an upset victory as NU finished its season with a 75-60 loss to No. 2 Old Dominion in the second round of the NCAA Tournament Sunday. Nebraska proved it could play with the Lady Monarchs, a perennial power in women's basketball, as it tied the score with less than 15 minutes remaining in the game. But the Huskers also showed they didn’t have the maturity to Kubik get the win. “We don’t have that mental tough ness, that savvy, to win the big games,” Sanderford said. “We’re just trying to develop that mental toughness.” How the Huskers develop that men tal toughness will depend on what the players and the coaches are able to accomplish between now and November. The players must make themselves better, Sanderford said. “It’s up to us now to make ourselves better,” said sophomore guard Nicole Kubik, who will be NU’s leading return ing scorer next season. “During the off season we need to improve our individ ual game so when we start practice all the coaches have to worry about is the team game.” Sanderford said the coaching staff’s job is to bring in the players that will keep Nebraska ranked in the top 25, keeping them in the NCAA Tournament. In the future, Sanderford wants to contend for the national cham pionship. “We have to get quicker and bigger athletes and still play with that Nebraska heart,” Sanderford said. “We need to get some immediate help.” With the departure of five semors - Anna DeForge, Emily Thompson, Jami Kubik, Amy Gusson and J.J. Jurgens - the Huskers have four scholarships available, but at least two more may open. Nebraska already has signed two high school players, but Sanderford said he also is looking for immediate help, which may include signing junior col lege players. “We need an inside player desper ately,” Sanderford said. He said sopho more post Charlie Rogers, who was mostly ineffective the last month of the season because of a stress reaction, is more suited as a power forward than an Please see NCAA on 8 Pitcher ready to bounce back By Andrew Strnad Staff Reporter Like many college baseball play ers, Kenny Duebelbeis has changed his home address more times than he can remember. Between the left-hander's home town of Los Gatos, Calif., and his latest home in Lincoln, Duebelbeis has had a busy four-year college career. The 6-foot-3 senior grew up in the Bay area near San Jose. Calif., and like many kids in Northern California, dreamed of playing base ball for the San Francisco Giants. “That’s just what everybody wants to do when you’re a kid, and I was really no different.” Duebelbeis said. After graduating from Los Gatos High School, Duebelbeis went to play at DeAnza College in nearby Cupertino, Calif., for a year before leaving for Canada College in Redwood City, Calif. Betore his season at Canada College, Duebelbeis was drafted in the 39th round by the Florida Marlins in the 1995 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. Like many late-round draftees, Duebelbeis decided to stay in the collegiate ranks before pursuing a major league career. “It was cool to get drafted, but I didn’t think I was ready for that.” Duebelbeis said. As a sophomore at Canada College Duebelbeis posted a 5-2 record as a starter and played with current Cornhusker teammate and roommate, senior Kevin Harrington. Before joining the Huskers for his junior season, Duebelbeis thought he was on his way to Alabama, but because of eligibility complications the NCAA told him he was ineligible. “It would have been one thing if I would have known right away that I couldn’t play.” Duebelbeis said. “But I wasn’t told until after I got down there, and I wasn’t happy about that.” With Alabama an unpleasant memory, Duebelbeis was courted by Nevada-La§Vegas and Nebraska. Duebelbeis enrolled at Nebraska in January 1997 and joined the Huskers just in time for die season. Lastyear, Duebelbeis finished the season with a 3-5 mark and a 7.39 eamed-run average. This season, the low-key south paw has gotten off to a bumpy start, beginning the season 1-1 with a 3.66 ERA. During his six-inning outing against Baylor on March 7, Duebelbeis was hit for seven runs on Mike Warren/DN NEBRASKA STARTING PITCHER Kenny Duebelbeis, who owns a 1-1 record this season, will start on the mound for the Cornhuskers today. * * It was cool to get drafted, but I didn’t think I was ready for that” Kenny Duebelbeis NU pitcher nine hits while issuing five walks. NU Pitching Coach Rob Childress said it was die first time all year a member of the Husker pitch ing staff hadn’t been able to throw strikes. “Up until that game, our pitchers were able to get ahead early and not walk anybody,” Childress said. “I know Kenny’s disappointed, and we hope he’ll be able to refocus this week.” Duebelbeis will try to bounce back this afternoon pitching the first game of a doubleheader against Missouri. The Tigers are 12-5 overall and 4-2 in the Big 12 Conference and are fresh off of a three-game sweep of Eastern Michigan. The two-game series at Columbia, Mo., begins a stretch where Nebraska (7-6,0-1) will play 15 games over 20 days. “This is a big series for me and for the team,” Duebelbeis said. “We want to get to the Big 12 Tournament and get a regional bid.” The Huskers haven’t been to an NCAA regional since 1985. After this afternoon’s double header, the Huskers return to Lincoln to host Chicago State Thursday before leaving for HawaiiK over spring break. Loss helps NU focus its goals for fall season By Matt Miller Staff Reporter The U.S. Under-20 National Soccer Team took advantage of inexperienced Nebraska defenders playing a new defensive system Thursday. The Comhuskers lost 2-0, 3-0 and 2-0 in three 30-minute games against the national team in Clemson, S.C., but NU showed improvement. “Although the score didn't indicate it, we closed the gap on them,” said NU Assistant Coach Marty Everding. NU lost 2-1 to the U.S. Under-20 National Team last year, and this year's game was just as competitive, Everding said. Junior Lindsay Eddleman agreed and said despite losing four starters, the Huskers would be just as good as they were last fall. “We have tons of good players on the team,” Eddleman said. “We did lose a couple of important players, but we have just as many good players to fill their positions. We should be just as good if not better.” Everding said the Huskers were hurt by players playing different positions and inexperience. NU lost three defen sive starters from last season. The young Husker defenders are tying to learn the new defense. Instead of having a sweeper, three defenders play in the back row and the goalie plays about 5 to 10 yards behind them. Since the defenders usually push up, the NU goalie could be playing near midfield. Before a rematch with Notre Dame on April 5, the Huskers want to work on playing together, defensive technique and learning the new positions, Everding said. NU also hopes to regain its aerial dominance. Everding said Nebraska was “crushed in the air” against the U.S. team. One of the players who already is stepping up is junior Amy Walsh, Everding said. “She gives us industry,” Everding said. “She has an ability to be in the thick of things. She has physical stamina to attack a ball in the box and running back and defending a ball in our box. We have never really had that before - that engine quality” Note: NU junior Jenny Benson spent about one week practicing with the U.S. Under-20 National Team in Clemson before the games with Nebraska. Benson played for the Huskers in the matchup. Everding said the national team coaches told him Benson was one of the best wide players on the U.S. Under-20 National Team.
