Sdo rtsWeeken d
NU men's
schedule
dangerous
At some
point in his first
season, Nebraska
Basketball Coach
Barry Collier
might want to
seek some coun
sel from
Colorado
Football Coach
Claru Rgmott
Joshua
Camenzind
Barnett had a bone to pick
with Big 12 Conference officials
over his team’s having to play the
likes of Kansas State, Texas A&M
and Texas back to back to back
after going through a murderous
nonconference slate that includ
ed Colorado State, USC and
Washington.
Barnett’s squad was only 1-5
after the six-game stretch. Collier
might want to give old Gary a
holler because his team may have
a similar look when the middle of
February rolls around.
NU’s first six games in confer
ence play are murderous to say
the least - all six made the Big
Dance in 2000.
NU opens at Missouri, is
home against Texas, travels to
Kansas, plays host to Iowa State
and Missouri, and finally, goes to
Oklahoma.
But I am getting a little ahead
of myself here. Much like CU’s
nonconference schedule, NU’s
offers very few breaks for an 11
win team from a year ago.
The 2000-2001 schedule will
offer NU stiff test after stiff test in a
season in which minor quizzes
will be hard to handle. But the
tests are a little deceptive.
You won't find Top 25 powers
like Indiana, Illinois, Iowa or
DePaul on this year’s schedule like
on the Missouri Tigers’ schedule.
What you will find is seven non
conference opponents with a
legitimate shot at the Big Dance
five months from now.
And it all starts Saturday with
a trip to TUlsa, Okla., to face Oral
Roberts. The Golden Eagles are
coming off a 13-17 campaign, los
ing three double-figure scorers.
But die most important statis
tic of the game lies in die site - the
Mabee Center. It's not the Bob
Devaney Sports Center, and that
means trouble.
Last season’s Husker team
went winless on the road for the
first time since 1960. A win against
Oral Roberts would be huge for
NU but wouldn’t seem all that
great to the common fen.
But that is the life of higher
expectations for Collier, who has
had his hands frill with meshing
old and new players with his style.
Getting them to run die same play
(or a play at all) is progress over
last year, but Collier must now
start preparing his team for a
tough nonconference schedule.
After Nebraska’s game with
Eastern Illinois, who lost to NU in
double overtime last season, the
Busker's home slate gets signifi
cantly tougher. NU faces
Winthrop, Murray State and
Creighton, all NCAA qualifiers last
season.
The only break in the sched
ule seems to come fittingly in the
Husker Team Classic on Dec. 8
and 9, but NU’s first-round oppo
nent, the University of Missouri
Kansas City, won 16 games last
season and returns five starters.
And that’s just a gander at the
home schedule.
NU must travel to Pittsburgh
on Dec. 2 to face former team
mate Chad Johnson. And even
though the football team won’t be
going to the Orange Bowl this
January, the basketball team {days
Miami, a Sweet 16 team last sea
son, on Dec. 16 in the Orange
Bowl Classic.
From that tropical pit stop,
Nebraska will continue south to
San Juan, Puerto Rico, for the San
Juan Shootout.
The Huskers don’t receive a
break there as they face Iona - a
20-game winner and NCAA quali
fier last season - in the first round.
Other possible opponents
include Kent State (23 wins last
year and an NCAA qualifier),
Southern Methodist (21 wins with
possible All-American Jeryl
Sasser) and Evansville (18 wins).
The road won't get any easier
in NU’s trip back from paradise. A
game at Minnesota is NU’s last
road game before the Big 12
Conference season begins.
It is unlikely that this schedule
will offer many breaks for Collier’s
gang. But any improvement from
an 11-19 campaign will be accept
ed from this casual observer
Great things come to those
who wait-so wait
Huskies get rematch with NU in NCAAs
■ Nil's 2-0 win over UConn
doesn't mean the Huskers will
walk overthe No.13 Huskies,
according to Coach John Walker.
BY JAMIE SUHR
Looking at the game film from
its 2-0 win at Connecticut earlier in
the year, Nebraska soccer Coach
John Walker doesn’t see any weak
nesses or areas to exploit now that
the two will meet in die Sweet 16 of
the NCAA Tournament.
"It was a pretty even game,”
Walker said.
"They’re the best team we’ve
played all year ... we just need to
finish and do a tremendous job
defensively.”
Last week, No. 2-ranked and
third-seeded NU (22-1) faced a
Richmond team competing in its
first-ever NCAA Tournament.
UConn (16-6-2), on the other
hand, is battle-tested and tourna
ment savvy.
The No. 13 team in the country
fought No. 1 seed Notre Dame to a
0-0 tie in the regular season and
met again in the championship of
the Big East Conference. The
Fighting Irish won round two, 1-0.
In those two games, the
Huskies out-shot the Irish 24-17,
and NU out-shot UConn 16-13. Yet
the Huskies were unable to regis
ter a goal.
“They always play a tough
schedule, so they drop a couple of
games early in the season, but
they’re always in the Sweet 16,"
Walker said.
Walker said the team didn't
focus much on making adjust
ments from the teams’ previous
encounter, instead placing the
burden on his players to continue
what they’ve been doing all year.
While Walker wasn’t concerned
with any on-the-field changes,
Christine Latham, the Big 12
Conference Player of the Year, said
the Husker forwards would have to
play defensive minded.
The forward said the team had
been working on making the tran
sition from offense to defense
because of the teams’ conflicting
styles.
“The strikers will have to be
more aware defensively than in
other games because (UConn for
wards) are quite skilled,” Latham
said.
The Huskies are led by forward
and midfielder Mary-Beth Bowie,
the Huskies’ team leader in goals
(12) and points (31).
UConn will be stingy on
defense, as well. Goalkeeper Maria
Yatrakis yields just 0.62 goals per
game.
"She made a lot a good saves
against us last time,” Latham said.
“She’s very good.”
All-Big 12
defender and
senior captain
Jenny Benson
looks to lead the
Huskers past
UConnin the
round of 16 of
the NCAA
women's soccer
tournament The
Huskers defeat
ed the Huskies
2-OonSept17.
to
Husker hoops tip off
Women face
test in tourney
BY LINCOLN ARNEAL __
After the women's basketball team’s loss
in its exhibition on Sunday to the Australian
Institute of Sport, Coach Paul Sanderford
said he wished he could have an extra week
of practice before the season started.
He doesn't It's time for the real thing.
The Huskers begin their season tonight
against Oakland (Mich.) at 8:05 in the first
round of NU’s own Time Warner Cable
Classic
After the Huskers’ 23-point loss against
the Aussies, they have tried to fine-tune their
game
Senior forward Monique Whitfield said:
"We have been focusing on the little things
like ball fakes and running out at defenders
with our hands up.”
Sanderford said he had tried several
things to raise the level of play.
“What I have attempted do this week is
simplify things and really try to ask the kids
to do some basic things, but at the same time
play hard and compete,” he said.
Sanderford also said he needed more
physical play on defense from the team, who
must use its size and strength more efficient
ly, he said.
NU’s first opponent, Oakland, features
guards Beth Zeone and Katie Wolfe, who
both averaged more than 17 points last year.
Oakland features one of the top three
point attacks in the nation. In its last exhibi
tion game it shot 8-14 from beyond the arc.
“They shoot the ball exceptionally well,”
Sanderford said. “They have exceptional
guard play from two gills who were all-con
ference last season.”
The Golden Grizzlies suffered a major
setback when they lost starting center Sarah
Judd to a knee injury.
With its center out and no dominant
player in the middle, Oakland will have to
change its game plan.
“They will try to spread the floor, try to
get our bigger players away from the basket,
and drive on us,” Sanderford said.
Whitfield is not worried about Oakland's
new starting lineup.
“I think we will match up fine because
overall we are very quick defensively,”
Whitfield said.
Nebraska will try to recapture the Time
Warner Classic Championship after losing
last year to Wisconsin in overtime in the final.
It won’t be an easy task, because if they
i/n rnc riiuiu
NU senior forward Monique Whitfield powers it up in an exhibition game.The Huskers begin regular-season
play at home in the Time Warner Cable Classic tonight at 7 against Oakland (Mich.).
get past Oakland in the first round they will
likely face No. 25 UC Santa Barbara, which
plays Louisville in the first round.
Whitfield said: “I think that (Santa
Barbara) will be really good, and we will be
able to see where we are at right now.”
With the work that the team has done
this week, Sanderford said, he thought the
team will be ready to go.
“I look for much improved play this
weekend,” Sanderford said. “I think we will
be more physical, be more aggressive. You
will see a more typical Paul Sanderfoid-type
team.”
Collier era
set to open
BY BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON
Now, the real fun starts.
The Nebraska basketball season and
the Barry Collier era have officially arrived.
The Comhuskers open in unfamiliar
territory, traveling to Tulsa, Okla., for a
clash with Oral Roberts at 2 p.m. on
Saturday.
“I think everybody is looking forward
to playing for keeps Saturday,” first-year
Husker Coach Collier said. "There's an
anticipation and excitement but a lot of
responsibility with that, too.”
This weekend begins a season of
hopeful redemption for NU following last
year’s 11-19 campaign. It also offers the
official return of guard Cookie Belcher
who missed most of last season with an
injury to his right wrist
However, die Big Red is going into the
game short-handed. Senior center
Kimani Fffiend and senior guard Rodney
Fields will serve the last game of a three
game suspension.
v “Everybody has to step up on another
level with Kimani and Rodney out” senior
forward Steffon Bradford said.
More responsibility may rest on those
Huskers cast in supporting roles.
Collier said Belcher's wrists were still
sore as of Thursday's practice after an
awkward fall he took in Ttiesday night’s
exhibition game. However, Collier said the
pain wouldn’t be serious enough to keep
Belcher off the floor Saturday.
Oral Roberts will be looking for
revenge against Nebraska. NU defeated
the Golden Eagles 80-65 last season in
Lincoln. However, Oral Roberts is inexpe
rienced, graduating its five leading scorers
last season.
“They’re a pretty good team ...,”
Bradford said. “They have a pretty big line
up.”
Oral Roberts’ new inside attitude will
be a 180-degree turn from the bombs
away three-point attitude it featured last
year. Against the Huskers, Oral Roberts let
fly 34 three-pointers last season.
Collier said he just wanted his team to
continue to improve and grab some
momentum from a 40-point exhibition
win against Yugoslavia Select on Tuesday.
“We played better and that’s what
we’re looking for,” Collier said. “I think
that’s the satisfaction... that we're work
ing and improving.”
Wrestlers open home season at Coliseum
BY DAVID DIEHL
Nebraska is going on the
road for its season home
opener. Well, at least down
the street
NU’s dual against
Wyoming has moved from
the Bob Devaney Sports
Center down 14th Street to
the NU Coliseum because of
a scheduling conflict with a
women’s basketball game.
It will be the first time
since the 1996-97 season that
the wrestling team has com
peted in the rustic arena in
the middle of campus.
Marie Manning, first-year
coach of the sixth-ranked
Huskers, said he enjoys the
small, cramped quarters of
the Coliseum. The surround
ings are much unlike the
wrestlers’ cavernous home at
the Devaney Center.
Manning said he would
n't mind having all of the
home matches at the
Coliseum because it would
benefit both wrestlers and
fans.
“The fans are close, it
seats 4,500 people and the
environment is great,”
Manning said. “In wrestling
you need that: a close, great
crowd. They make it loud,
and people get into it, and
you feel a part of it when
you’re a lot closer to the mat.”
Manning came from
Northern Iowa where the
Panthers wrestled in a small
on-campus gymnasium that
sat 2,000 fans. Smaller arenas
also seem to be a favorite of
wrestlers, as well.
Brad Vering, the nation’s
No. 1 197-pounder and
defending national champi
on, said it would be nice to
have a home crowd at the
Coliseum after spending last
weekend wrestling on the
East Coast
“In wrestling you need that: a close,
great crowd. They make it loud, and
people get into it, and you feel a part of it
when you’re a lot closer to the mat."
Mark Manning
NU wrestling coach
Nebraska crushed Drexel
35-12 and posted a strong 23
16 victory against Rider last
weekend. Vering will be going
for his lOOth-career victory
against the Cowboys. He said
the small arenas may help
him in that cause as it will
probably be a little louder in
the tight spaces of the arena.
"When you hear that roar
get behind you, it gives you a
big lift,” said Vering, who is
99-21 at Nebraska.
If the fans come out,
they’ll be witnessing a
Wyoming team that lost four
starters from last year’s 8-8
team. Coach Steven Suder
had Steven Schenk (174
pounds), Kelly Mconville
(133-pounds) and Brad
Steele (Hwt.) all place second
at the Cowboy Open last
weekend.
Vering said NU had a
simple plan to stick to for a
victory.
“We need to go out and
dominate the weights we
can,” Vering said, “and win
the matches that they think
are tossups and just go out
and do the best we can.”
Volleyball defends
clean record at Baylor
BY KRISTEN WATERS
The newly crowned 2000 Big XII champion
Nebraska volleyball team will look to start a storm
in Waco, Texas, this weekend as the Huskers take
on the Baylor Bears Saturday night.
NU will look to move to 26-0 on the season as it
faces the Bears on Saturday at 7 p.m.
NU Coach John Cook doesn’t think the atmos
phere in Waco will rival the rowdy fans of other Big
12 teams. ,
“Baylor has a big arena so it will take a crowd of
a couple thousand before they become a factor,”
Cook said. “Last time we were there they had a
pretty big crowd.”
The Huskers faced Baylor earlier in the season
before a crowd of 4,128 at the NU coliseum where
Nebraska swept the Bears in an easy 15-2,15-2,15
10 victory.
In order to walk away with a victory this week
end, Baylor will have to stop the Husker front line.
The Bears were unable to stop sophomores
Greichaly Cepero, Amber Holmquist and Laura
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