Husker women start ‘boot
camp’preseason training
VOLLEYBALL from page 16
think we’re not going to see the
improvement right now, but in the
future we’ll see what it has done for
us.”
The spring break getaway will be
twice as sweet for Cepero. It will
serve as a homecoming for the fresh
man who is from the town of Dorado
on die island.
Cepero, who will also play bas
ketball for NU next winter, said it is
just a coincidence that the trip will be
back to her home.
“It was Coach Cook’s idea,” she
said. “I know they usually go some
where. They just decided to go to
Puerto Rico this year.”
The Huskers will train at
American University on the island in
preparation for the match vs. the
Puerto Rican national team at the
end of their stay.
Though she said she didn’t know
a lot about the national team, Cepero
said the Huskers should fare well
against them.
“We’re more prepared in every
area of the game than they are,”
Cepero said.
While the team will use every
opportunity to enjoy its spring break
shopping or spending time at the
beach, Cepero said that the games
will be taken seriously.
“We’re going to work hard there
so we’re ready for next season,”
Cepero said. “And we want to win,
that’s for sure.”
JOIN AN ECOMMERCE COMPANY WITH AN EDGEI
Nee: Coaching tough
COACHING from page 16
Instead, Nee has gone the junior
college route, which has not pro
duced gleaming results.
“If we can get that steady flow of
players coming in and keep it consis
tent, we build to that,” Nee said.
“Now I can’t get a five-year player.
We are trying to build that. That is
how we stayed competitive.
“That’s why I say it is bad recruit
ing because we have not been able to
find role players to come in and fill
those spots.” ! .
Nee referred to Stanford as not
having to worry about their players
leaving early for the draft because
they don’t have that mentality. The
current No. 1 team in the nation
draws athletes with its strong acade
mics.
“Those guys don’t recruit, they
reload,” Nee said.
Nebraska currently has four
junior college players on this year’s
team, compared to four scholarship
recruits who came here as freshmen
and contribute major minutes.
But Nee said it is hard to find
those players these days.
“It is just very hard to find play
ers who can play this level, who can
take you to the top and keep you
there and keep enough of themNee
said. “So we go the juco route, and
the first time they go down to
Lawrence, Kan., the four guys on the
floor don’t know who Phog Allen is.”
Nee said redshirt freshman Brian
Conklin is that type of player. The
experience he has gained this season
will help him and the team, Nee said.
As far as finding the right combi
nation and reaching the plateau like
Duke, Nee said it is like “winning the
lottery.”
Nee asked those in attendance at
one point, “Why would you come in
this business?”
One response was money.
Nee replied: “I can make just as
much money on the stock market.”
In what might have been a hint to
the future, Nee said that seeing cur
•• I can make just
as much money
on the stock
market.
• Danny Nee
NU baskethall coach, on coaches’
• • • • salaries
rent Georgia Tech Coach Bobby
Cremins, who is resigning at the end
of the season, is “like looking in the
mirror.”
But Nee defended his friend from
GT and himself soon after.
“It doesn’t make Bobby Cremins
or Danny Nee a lesser guy,” Nee said.
“But when you don’t win and don’t
succeed and don’t meet expectations
... there is life afterwards.
“Changing coaches at Nebraska
or Georgia Tech doesn’t mean it is
fixing the problem.”
Hansen: Huskers can’t quit season
HUSKERS from page 16
Close, hard-fought home losses to
Iowa State, Missouri and Oklahoma
prove the Huskers have it in them to
play with the big boys. In those games,
NU competed like crazy before suc
cumbing to inexperience and pressure
in the final minutes.
In a backhanded way, it’s encour
aging. Experience can be gained and is
being gained with every game that the
Huskers play. Pressure can be over
come and will be with added experi
ence.
There’s other reason for hope. His
name is Kimani Ffriend, and his talent
still largely is untapped. Ffriend has
shown flashes of brilliance this year.
There have also been stretches when he
would’ve had a hard time scoring
against Lincoln High.
You’re starting to rub your hands
together now. NU will have an
improved Ffriend, who is capable of
dominating the Big 12’s slow trees
consistently. Then there’s the return of
the proven Belcher, provided he does
n’t lose his medical redshirt because of
Nee’s utter irresponsibility.
Add to that mix New Mexico
transfer John Robinson, who becomes
eligible in January. He averaged dou
ble figures in points for a Sweet-16
team last season.
Steffon Bradford is a good
rebounder. Cary Cochran and Danny
Walker will be able to come off the
bench and display their offensive tal
ents. Louis Truscott shows promise.
Redshirt Brian Conklin will add depth
and talent down low... ■
Stop it. This isn’t a fantasy league
team. An NCAA tournament bid and
(gasp) a win in the Big Dance require
more than just talent on paper.
With scrappy play down the
stretch, Nebraska can hope to emulate
Iowa State. A year ago, the Cyclones
went 15-15. Af times, they were down
right bad.
But Iowa State Coach Larry
Eustachy always had ISU playing hard.
They turned games into ugliness but
clawed for every last point and win.
This season, with the addition of
Jamal Tinsley, a guard not as good as
Belcher, the Cyclones are 22-4 and tied
for the Big 12 lead.
And what if NU goes the other
way, which increasingly seems likely
after the OSU debacle? What if they
throw in the towel and issue a “wait
until next year” edict?
Well...
Matthew Hansen is a sophomore
news-editorial major and a Daily
Nebraskan staff writer.
r ;
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-BIG 12 NOTEBOOK
For the second time this year,
Colorado guard Jaquay Walls was
named the Big 12 player of the week.
Walls lit up Iowa State in an overtime
thriller, scoring 42 points against the
No;.f7 Cyclones. Walls previously
had won the award the week of Jan.
24.
Freshman sensation Kareem
Rush of Missouri was named the Big
12 rookie of the week for the second
time in three weeks. In two games,
the freshman guard averaged 25
points, hitting 68 percent from the
field. Rush scored a career-high 31
. points against Texas Tech.
■
The Big 12 once again boasts five
teams in the AP top 25 men’s basket
ball poll. The Cowboys of Oklahoma
State head the list, as they slid two
spots to No. 10 this week. Texas
moved up three places to No. 14.
After the loss to Colorado, Iowa State
fell three spots to No. 17. Oklahoma
remained idle in the poll at No. 20.
Kansas was able to move up a spot to
No. 23.
■
Keitha Dickerson of Texas Tech
was named this week’s Big 12
women’s basketball player of the
week. The senior forward averaged
17.5 points and 9 rebounds in two
games last week.
■
The women’s Big 12 rookie of the
week was Colorado’s Sabrina Scott.
Scott tallied 15.5 points, 8 rebounds
and 3.5 blocks in two games. She
leads all Big 12 freshmen in double
doubles with six fbr the season.
After having a .583 (7 for 12) bat
ting average, nine RBIs and a home
run in three games, Roy York of
Oklahoma State was named this
week’s Big 12 baseball player of the
week. York hit a three-run home run
in the first inning against conference
foe Kansas State in the San Diego
baseball showcase.
■
Missouri pitcher Logan Dale used
a two-hit win over upstart
Northwestern State to win this week’s
Big 12 pitcher of the week. Dale reg
istered seven strikeouts, four walks
and one unearned run in eight innings
against NSU.
■
Perfection was dropped by Texas
A&M leftfielder Brooke Boyer as
pitcher Amy Vinning settled for her
first career no-hitter against
Colorado State at the GTE Aggie
Softball Invitational. Vinning struck
out seven batters in the 14-0 win. The
game was called after five innings
due to the eight-run mercy rule in
softball.
Notebook compiled by staff
writer Jason Merrihew.