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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 22, 2000)
SportsTuesday , Oa_ ■ The NU veteran says he understands retiring Georgia Tech Coach Bobby Cremins’ motivations. By Joshua Camenzind Staff writer Nebraska basketball Coach Danny Nee has three words for anybody looking to get into his profession. Don’t do it. Nee, in his 14th season at the helm of the Cornhuskers and 20th season overall, enlight ened reporters on Monday about a struggle he is naving witn ms son ratncK. “I am begging him to not go into coaching,” Nee said. “That is where he is headed.” Nee said that as a 54-year-old veteran of his craft, he can speak well on the subject. He has coached at Ohio University and Nebraska after starting out as an assistant at Notre Dame. In 20 seasons, he has won 360 games but has won only one NCAA tournament game - none at NU. Nee said he has seen the good and bad throughout, and current times are much harder, especially on young coaches. “It is simply the scrutiny of the media,” Nee said. “But I also think there is way more com petition. There are more schools effectively •• It is just very hard to find players who can play this level, who can take you to the top and keep you there and keep enough of them” going after it, and the pool of players has shrunk because of the academic conditions.” Nee said losing one player can be devastat ing to a team, much like when Tyronn Lue left for the NBA or this season with Cookie Belcher sitting out. Danny Nee NU basketball coach The Huskers have struggled to a 10-15 record this season with only one senior on the team. Nee said be would like more four to five year players on his team, but that is not die case. Please see COACHING on 14 Huskers start tough workouts By David Diehl Staff writer They haven’t enlisted in the Army just yet, but the Nebraska volleyball team still is going through boot camp. At the helm is Drill Sgt. and Coach John Cook in his first year. He said he is running an eight week “very intense, physically demanding” training program. The series of workouts has been given the title “boot camp” by Cook him self. The hard work put in now, though, hardly will go without a Cook A spring break getaway to Puerto Rico awaits the Comhuskers at the end of the train ing period. They will face the Puerto Rican national team and possibly a local professional chib. While Cook said that everyone is looking forward to a week in the tropical sun, he said he has the team’s prior ities in order. “Right now toe focus is on them improving,” Cook said. “Improving themselves physically - running faster, jumping higher, moving quicker side to side, just getting better.” The program includes conditioning sessions six days ' a week. Two mornings are spent running and toe four afternoons are devoted to lifting weights. Freshman outside hitter Laura Pilakowski said her first experiences with boot camp have gone pretty well. “Iti pretty tough,” Pilakowski said. “But we Ye getting used to it It’s getting to become pretty routine now.” Greichaly Cepero agreed that toe workouts are diffi cult but said she looks at the big picture and the long-term benefits. “We’re getting better every week,” Cepero said. “I Please see VOLLEYBALL on 14 NU against the wall going into OSUgame ■Nebraska looks to stop powerful Cowgirls guard Jennifer Crow tonight. By Brian Christopherson Staff writer Dig out any standard dramatic sports cliche for tonight’s basketball game between the Nebraska women and Oklahoma State, and it would like ly apply. NU Coach Paul Sanderford is quite in tune with the realization that a loss in tonight’s 7:05 p.m. matchup at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The loss might be the dart that bursts the bubble of the Cornhuskers’ NCAA tournament hopes. “With our postseason chances and our conference situation, we need wins - any win we can get,” Sanderford said. “We need to win die next three basket ball games.” With a 13-11 record overall and a 7 6 conference mark, the Huskers sit in sixth place in the Big 12 Conference, one game behind Texas. However, with wins over a ranked Kansas team and Baylor, sandwiched in between a tight road loss to No. 12y Texas Tech, Sanderford said he hopes y that a running of the table down the homestretch could put his team in posi tion to qualify for the Big Dance. “The NCAA tournament is still in the picture,” Sanderford said. “We played ourselves back into that posi tion, and now we have to continue to play well.” Playing well tonight for NU will. include stopping OSU guard Jennifer Crow, who comes into the game averag ing 21.4 points per game. “I think (Crow) is one of the best offensive players in the league,” Sanderford said. “I watched the Colorado film today, and it was like a horror show. She had 34.” Nebraska will hope to offset Crow with the play of senior Nicole Kubik, Please see WOMEN’S on 15 Mike Warren/DN CASEY LEONHARBT and the Huskers take on Oklahoma State tonight at the Boh Devaney Sports Center. A win could keep HU’S NCAA hopes alive. SPORTS OPINION If Nebraska quits now, throw 2000 season out the window -----= Matthew Hansen You’ve heard the words in every press conference, spoken breathlessly, full of hope. “Next year ..Nee says, making another plea for his return. “Next year...” say the players, dis appointed in a season that began with such high hopes, looking forward to better days. “Next year...,” says the die-hard in section B-12, the old guy with the ill fitting red hat It’s a reason for him to keep coming to watch another Husker loss. Many others don’t. There’s this thing about next year, though. • It starts right now, today. It starts on Wednesday, when the Kansas Jayhawks come calling. It real ly started a long time ago, maybe after Nebraska got pasted at KU or Texas. And maybe it began when obscure Western Carolina, No. 239 in the latest Sagarin ratings* left the Bob Devaney Sports Center with a win earlier this season. No matter. What is important is the continued teamwork, enthusiasm and, most importantly, effort of Nebraska in the final weeks of a season headed nowhere. Until Saturday’s game against Oklahoma State, effort hadn’t been the main problem for the Huskers. But it was in Stillwdler, Okla. There were times in the second half of the OSU game where Nebraska’s defense disappeared, completely. It wouldn’t have beenany easier for the Cowboys if die five Huskers had sat around die 3-point line. This lack of intensity is easy to understand. A season full of lopsided road losses is bound to take its toll. After a while, even the hardest-working player is going to ask himself if it’s worth it. It is. If die Huskers he down and accept beatings at Missouri and Texas A&M and go through the motions in home games with Kansas and Colorado, take next year and flush it right down die toi let. College basketball isn’t a year-by year proposition. There’s no such thing as a clean slate. If the final weeks of die season degenerate into selfish play and questionable effort, the team that takes the court next Oct 15 very well could be defeated already. And ifNee expects to throw the ball out to Cookie Belcher next season and watch him single-handedly bring together a team in shambles, he’s delu sional. Please see HUSKERS on 14