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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 1998)
NU looks to remedy \ turnover problems | By Sam McKewon Senior editor Nebraska Basketball Coach Danny Nee ran off a laundry list of new, exciting ways his team found to turn the ball over in a 65-47 win against North Carolina A&T on Saturday. The list was, well, pretty long. After all. there were 21 giveaways to account for. "You got the illegal screens and the charges,” Nee said. “And you got the walking turnover and the dribbling turnover where guys are making mechanical errors.” He continued. “Then you got the decision pass and the high nsk pass. That's the ones that bother me the most.” Such is life for the Comhuskers as they strug gle to control turnover problems and find roles for all of the players. That search for identity continues tonight when NU faces Tulsa at 7:05 p.m. at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Nee said part of the turnover problem for NU (3-2 overall) is adjusting to life without guard Tyronn Lue. Nee said players have yet to find their place on the team. “Lue would go out and get his 20 points, and we could hide those turnovers,” Nee said. “We can't do that now. Guys have to see that out there.” Senior forward Andy Markowski, who 15 had pomts and rune rebounds against A&T, agreed. “We've got to establish our roles,” Markowski said. “When you have good teams, everyone takes on a role. You got players that going to make the open shot, and you got players that are going to turn that shot down. Right now, everybody's not on the same page.” The Golden Hurricane is one team NU had problems turning over the ball against last year. NU had 24 turnovers in 85-68 loss at Tulsa. The Hurricane made 10 of its 16 3-point attempts. At 4-1, Tulsa is coming off a 66-55 win over St. Joseph's (Pa.). The lone loss this season came in a Tuesday, 7:05 p.m. Devaney Sports Center Nebraska (3-2) Rankings: None Pos. No. Name Ht/Yr. PPG RPG H F 15 Chad Johnson 6-6 / So. 7.4 3.8 F 44 Andy Markowski 6-8 / Sr. 8.4 5.6 C 4 Venson Hamilton 6-10 / Sr. 14.4 8.4 G 30 Cookie Belcher 64Ik. 13.8 3.0 G 21 Joe Holmes 5-11/Jr. 2.4 1.6 Tulsa (4-1) Rankings: None Pos. No. Name HUYr. PPG RPG F 11 Eric Coley 6-5/Jr. 11.2 4.4 F 51 Michael Ruffin 6-8 / Sr. 10.8 9.2 C 13 Brandon Kurtz 6-10/Jr. 10.6 5.0 G 31 Marcus Hill 6-5 / So. 12.6 3.6 G 24 Shawn Williams 5-10/Sr. 7.6 1.8 Jon Frank/DN H 78-61 setback at Alabama-Birmingham. Nee called Tulsa a good team with several junior college transfers. TU returns two starters from last year, including 6-foot-8 forward Michael H Ruffin, who averages 10.8 points and 9.2 rebounds IH per game. He had 20 points and 10 rebounds against Nebraska last year. Like always, Markowski said limiting turnovers is a key. “We have cut them down," Markowski said. “Coaches emphasize it in practice, and every time H we drop the ball, we run. We don't like to run. “But still it doesn't get better. We just have to turn down some of the bad passes. We must cut each player down to one or two turnovers.'’ NU guard Cookie Belcher said he'd also like to ■ see better decision-making from an offensive point of view in approaching the Hurricane. “A lot of times we run the clock down to four ™ seconds and then throw up something," Belcher said. “We need to pull it out and run a set offense.” - | Scott McClurg/DN Senior forward Andy Markowski said the ^ Huskers need to cut down turnovers if they are jl to be successful against Tulsa on Tuesday night. ■ Huskers battle for top recruits By Sam McKewon Senior editor The great chase began yesterday. Monday was the first day allowed under NCAA rules for college football coaches to start visiting players. One at a time, Nebraska assistant coaches will go after some of the nation's most her alded recruits in high schools and junior colleges. Nebraska remains in the race for several key recruits, many of them of the national variety. NU has already plucked many of the state's top talents including Omaha Westside lineman Tim Green, who committed on Saturday and brings NU’s total com mitments up to 12. Green, a 6-foot-5, 305-pound offensive lineman, said he would com mit to Nebraska when it offered a scholarship after he met the final pre requisite of getting a 20 on his ACT. NU Coach Dan Young called Saturday, and Green committed. Nebraska already has done well in the lineman department, picking up six (Phil Peetz, Chris Loos, Green, Ryon Bingham, Trevor Johnson and Spencer Owen), who will play either offensive or defensive line. NU has picked up three running backs as well. Robm Miller, a 6-foot, 220-pounder from Kent, Wash., com mitted a few weeks ago. Josh Davis, a 5-11, 190-pound back out of Loveland, Colo., currently has 1,325 yards and is ranked the nation’s 12th best back by the National Recruiting Advisor. Judd Davies, a 6-2,245-pound full back out of Millard North High School also signed this summer. He finished the season with 1,499 yards and 23 touchdowns. He’s ranked ninth by the Advisor. NU also has two com mitments from defensive backs and one linebacker. The defensive backs are Taylor Gehman and Rob Blomeier, and the line backer is Shaun Coleman. Nebraska remains in the running for several top play ers around the nation. One of the most pressing needs is at quarterback, where Nebraska failed to land a recruit last season. NU is contending for five quarter backs who are considered prospects. The highest ranked is C.J. Leak of Charlotte, N.C. Leak, a 6-4, 215 pounder, is considered the top run/pass quarterback nationally and is being recruited by NU, Syracuse and Tennessee, among others. He's thrown for 2,400 yards and 28 touchdowns this season. He’s run for 450 yards and 10 touchdowns. “I like Nebraska,” Leak said in an interview with the Daily Nebraskan. “But I like to throw the ball a lot, too. I think I'm lot like Donovan McNabb at Syracuse.” Chris Massey, a 6-1, 190-pound quarterback out of Spiro, Okla., also is looking at Nebraska. Massey is ranked 12th by the National Recruiting Advisor and is considered an option quarterback. Massey also is looking at several other teams including Miami, Oklahoma State and Arkansas. Colby Freeman, a 6-3, 225 pounder from Brownwood, Texas, is a strong possibility to commit to Nebraska. Freeman said he had nar JON r RANK/UJN rowed his choices to the Huskers and Texas A&M, although Tennessee, Texas and Syracuse have offered schol arships. “Nebraska runs the type of offense I ran,” Freeman said. “They have some great quarterbacks in Eric Crouch and Bobby Newcombe, and I can learn a lot from them.” Two running backs remain interest ed in Nebraska: 5-11, 180-pound Onterrio Smith, a running back out of Sacramento, Calif., lists Nebraska as his No. 1 option. Smith was unknown before the season began but has rushed for 2,500 yards and 46 touchdowns in nine games. He has a visit scheduled for Dec. 11. He is still waiting to academi cally qualify. Clinton, Miss., running back Dontae Walker also said he is still inter ested in Nebraska. Walker is considered one of the nation’s top three running backs by the Advisor and has rushed for 1,689 yards and 29 touchdowns so far this season. Walker does list Mississippi State as the favorite. 1999 Verbal Commitments The NRA stands for the National Recruiting Advisor, a national recruiting service. Name Pos Ht. Wt. 40 time Home NRA rank Ryon Bingham DT 64 260 - Sandy, Utah 57 RobBlomeier DB 6-0 185 4.6 Manheim 118 Township, Pa. Shaun Coleman LB 64 212 4.5 Aurora, Colo. 32 Josh Davis RB 6-0 195 4.5 Loveland, Colo. 12 Judd Davies FB 6-2 230 4.6 Millard (North) 9 Trevor Johnson TE 64 225 4.7 Lincoln (Northeast) 32 Chris Loos OT 64 300 5.2 Lincoln (Southeast) 52 Robin Miller OLB 6-0 215 4.5 Kent,Wa. 27 Spencer Owen DL 6-5 225 4.9 Carrollton, Mo. 19 PhilPeez DL 6-2 245 4.8 Elkhom 28 Taylor Gehman DB 6-0 190 4.5 Omaha Northwest 53 Tim Green OL 6-5 305 - Omaha Westside - NU athletes battle asthma in the heat of competition By Darren Ivy Staff writer For former Nebraska cross coun try and track and field standout Nora Ordt, the most frustrating part about her asthma was the fact she never knew when it was going to hit her. “I'd be running great,” Ordt said. “Then all of a sudden. I'd go from one of the top runners to one of the last runners in the race. It’s frustrating //- when I knew I had the talent to It gets to be up there'but 1 ° couldn't get the point enough air and oxygen to my where you muscles.” Ordt's case can’t make of exercise induced asthma it thrOUgh may be extreme, . ,, but there are anything. many other ath letes at AMYRlNGO Nebraska who NU gymnast suffer from some kind or degree of asth ma, said Dr. Lonnie Albers, Nebraska Athletic Department physician. Asthma is a common breathing disorder that affects 40 million Americans, Albers said. It can be set off by many different factors, such as air temperature changes, season changes, pollens in the air, self inflicted stress or allergies. What happens during an asthma attack is the smooth muscle sur rounding the bronchial tubes narrows or constricts, causing the tube to do the same. Less air gets through the smaller tube, causing the person to gasp for air. There also can be lung inflammation, which causes more mucus and coughing, Albers said. A national study indicated that asthma is relatively common in col lege athletes. The study indicated one athlete out of 10 has asthma. The Athletic Department doesn’t have any statistics, but Albers estimated that 10 percent of Cornhusker ath letes suffer from asthma. Sophomore gymnast Amy Ringo is one of those athletes. When she was younger, the Phoenix native had gone through two years of twice-a week allergy shots and was starting to overcome her asthma. Then she came to Nebraska. She was fine for the first couple of months in the new climate, but during November, her asthma came back with a vengeance. She had an attack while she was working out. “You feel shaky,” Ringo said. “It feels like someone is trying to squeeze you. Your lungs can’t expand.” Ringo had to go to the health cen ter to get a muscle-relaxing shot. Like Ordt, Ringo said the most frustrating part of asthma is the way it just comes out of nowhere and affects her athlet ic performance. “It gets to the point where you can't make it through anything,” Ringo said. Teammate Laurie McLaughlin knows that feeling. She can’t com Please see ASTHMA on 8