Next year

[huskerfan500]

Sadler in search of inside presence

BY BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star

Wednesday, Mar 26, 2008 - 03:10:19 pm CDT

Two obvious questions concerning next season for the Nebraska men’s basketball team have anything but obvious answers for coach Doc Sadler.

 

Who replaces center Aleks Maric, and will Nebraska’s style of play differ next season without him?

 

The last question, Sadler said, can’t be easily answered until the first question is.

 

“I don’t think we can decide (about style of play) until we figure out who’s going to be on the team,” said Sadler, who is preparing for his third season at Nebraska. “Depends on who we get signed and who’s eligible.”

 

Therein lie the problems.

 

Nebraska signed 6-foot-11 Christopher Niemann, a Germany native, although his eligibility for next season is in doubt because of his involvement with a German club team.

 

“The NCAA will not do anything until he goes through the clearinghouse,” Sadler said Wednesday in his office. “According to his coach over there, they’re in constant contact with the NCAA. He sounds like it’s much more positive than it was at the beginning.

 

“Now, what does that mean? Who knows?”

 

The uncertainty is partly why Sadler, two days after Nebraska’s season ended in the National Invitation Tournament, was headed on a recruiting trip to Arizona and New Mexico in search of junior college big men. Sadler has said he’d sign a player in the spring signing period, if that player could start.

 

Maric finished his career ranked fifth on Nebraska’s scoring charts (1,630) and second in rebounding (1,015). He tied Nebraska’s single-season mark with 335 rebounds this season.

 

Maric’s 39 career double-doubles are second most in school history and rank fifth in Big 12 history.

 

Not only do the Huskers lose Maric, the team’s lone senior, but two players who at one time were expected to replace Maric are having offseason surgeries.

 

Shang Ping, a 6-foot-9 forward, will have surgery next week on his ankle, and Chris Balham, a 6-foot-8 forward, is scheduled for surgery on his knee.

 

Ping, who has one season of eligibility remaining, saw little to no time during the Big 12 Conference season, while Balham, who has two seasons of eligibility left, provided some key minutes to spell Maric. Chronic knee problems, though, have prevented Balham from playing long spells.

 

The Huskers have 12 current scholarship players for next season — not including walk-on Paul Velander — and welcome at least two recruits in Niemann and juco transfer Roburt Sallie. That would put Nebraska one player over the NCAA scholarship limit.

 

Sallie, a 6-foot-5 guard from City College of San Francisco, is in good academic shape and expected to arrive in Lincoln for the second session of summer classes.

 

Briefly

 

* Sadler said freshman guard Cookie Miller’s shoulder will be re-evaluated. “They don’t think (surgery), but they want to check it,” he said.

 

* Nebraska finished 20-13, only the 12th time in school history the team has won 20 games.

 

Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Copyright © 2002-2008 Lincoln Journal Star. All rights reserved.

 

 

 

that also brings me to think, am I disremembering or isn't there going to be USC transfer that would be able next year?

 

I think NU will be good next year, hopefully Balham can finally get healed, also have Chapman and Edwards can step in, and hey maybe Ping can learn to catch (jk, but he needs to improve)

[raidersfan13]

Sadler in search of inside presence

BY BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star

Wednesday, Mar 26, 2008 - 03:10:19 pm CDT

Two obvious questions concerning next season for the Nebraska men’s basketball team have anything but obvious answers for coach Doc Sadler.

 

Who replaces center Aleks Maric, and will Nebraska’s style of play differ next season without him?

 

The last question, Sadler said, can’t be easily answered until the first question is.

 

“I don’t think we can decide (about style of play) until we figure out who’s going to be on the team,” said Sadler, who is preparing for his third season at Nebraska. “Depends on who we get signed and who’s eligible.”

 

Therein lie the problems.

 

Nebraska signed 6-foot-11 Christopher Niemann, a Germany native, although his eligibility for next season is in doubt because of his involvement with a German club team.

 

“The NCAA will not do anything until he goes through the clearinghouse,” Sadler said Wednesday in his office. “According to his coach over there, they’re in constant contact with the NCAA. He sounds like it’s much more positive than it was at the beginning.

 

“Now, what does that mean? Who knows?”

 

The uncertainty is partly why Sadler, two days after Nebraska’s season ended in the National Invitation Tournament, was headed on a recruiting trip to Arizona and New Mexico in search of junior college big men. Sadler has said he’d sign a player in the spring signing period, if that player could start.

 

Maric finished his career ranked fifth on Nebraska’s scoring charts (1,630) and second in rebounding (1,015). He tied Nebraska’s single-season mark with 335 rebounds this season.

 

Maric’s 39 career double-doubles are second most in school history and rank fifth in Big 12 history.

 

Not only do the Huskers lose Maric, the team’s lone senior, but two players who at one time were expected to replace Maric are having offseason surgeries.

 

Shang Ping, a 6-foot-9 forward, will have surgery next week on his ankle, and Chris Balham, a 6-foot-8 forward, is scheduled for surgery on his knee.

 

Ping, who has one season of eligibility remaining, saw little to no time during the Big 12 Conference season, while Balham, who has two seasons of eligibility left, provided some key minutes to spell Maric. Chronic knee problems, though, have prevented Balham from playing long spells.

 

The Huskers have 12 current scholarship players for next season — not including walk-on Paul Velander — and welcome at least two recruits in Niemann and juco transfer Roburt Sallie. That would put Nebraska one player over the NCAA scholarship limit.

 

Sallie, a 6-foot-5 guard from City College of San Francisco, is in good academic shape and expected to arrive in Lincoln for the second session of summer classes.

 

Briefly

 

* Sadler said freshman guard Cookie Miller’s shoulder will be re-evaluated. “They don’t think (surgery), but they want to check it,” he said.

 

* Nebraska finished 20-13, only the 12th time in school history the team has won 20 games.

 

Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Copyright © 2002-2008 Lincoln Journal Star. All rights reserved.

 

 

 

that also brings me to think, am I disremembering or isn't there going to be USC transfer that would be able next year?

 

I think NU will be good next year, hopefully Balham can finally get healed, also have Chapman and Edwards can step in, and hey maybe Ping can learn to catch (jk, but he needs to improve)

i thaught i heard somethin about that usc transfer too but im not sure

[Dhuskers]

pretty sure Sek Henry transfered from USC...

 

EDIT: nvm, not sure what/who you guys are talking about but just found this on Huskers.com...

 

"Henry originally signed with Arizona State for the 2005-06 season before attending Patterson School. He was also recruited by UNLV, Washington, San Diego State and USC out of high school, among others."

[T-BONE]

SEK Henry didnt transfer from USC. It was a guy by the name of Jeremy Barr he would have been able to play this semester but he has since transfered to a JUCO in Texas and will be playing next year at Louisiana-Laf.

[SkersNblackshirts]

A possiblity of a big man coming in is 6'11 330 pound Melvin Oliver from a prep school in Mississippi. We are one of his final 4 teams he's narrowed it down to (others are Seton Hall, Baylor, & Southern Miss.).

[Blackshirt316]

Oliver seems to be going to Seton Hall.

[huskerfan500]

LJS said not to put to much into the "commitment" because he has visited Setan Hall yet and it is signing period so if he for sure wanted to go there he could sign now.

 

I have to agree with Rosenthal that he doesn't fit into Docs mold of a big man, Oliver is more like Maric not a speed and long guy