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Men's Basketball: Huskers getting national attention
BY LEE BARFKNECHT
WORLD-HERALD BUREAU
LINCOLN - ESPN has conducted a veritable lovefest with the Nebraska men's basketball team since the Huskers' upset Saturday of Texas.
First came analyst Fran Fraschilla's Monday blog in which he wrote:
"Watching Doc Sadler's team practice and play is a joy because I honestly don't think there are five teams in all of college basketball that play harder or get more out of their ability."
On the Big Monday broadcast of Kansas-Missouri, Fraschilla and play-by-play man Ron Franklin praised the Huskers (15-7, 5-4) as the league's best in team defense.
On Tuesday, during the Kentucky-Florida game, analyst Jimmy Dykes listed Nebraska as one of five teams nationally that has gone from forgotten to noticed.
And on Wednesday's Texas Tech-Kansas State game on ESPNU, announcers Dave Armstrong and Rich Zvosec, a former coach, raved about Nebraska's all-out effort that has inserted the Huskers into NCAA tournament speculation.
Sadler, who spent much of this week recruiting, said he was unaware of most of the praise.
"I guess it's better than getting attention for getting fired," he said jokingly Thursday. "Really, I'm just happy for our team. I'm glad people are recognizing them for doing something good."
For the previous 10 seasons, Nebraska basketball wasn't much worth discussing nationally.
The tally: No NCAA bids since 1998. No winning conference record since 1999. Two coaching changes.
The value of being in the basketball world's conversation, Sadler said, is immeasurable.
"People have to talk about you and hear about you when you're building a program," he said. "When we were 2-4, it wasn't like we were playing bad. We just weren't finishing wins.
"Now, we've won a couple, and we're getting some attention, which is good."
Sadler can tell on the recruiting trail when Nebraska gets publicity.
"It's not necessarily with the kids," he said. "But the parents and the coaches have watched and comment on what they hear during games. That part of it does help.
"Kids, you never know. Ask our guys if they watch games, and a lot of them will tell you they don't."
Sophomore point guard Cookie Miller, who knows his ESPN channels by heart, smiled big Thursday when asked if he has heard the Husker references.
"It's good to hear that we're being known," Miller said. "But that's not our biggest concern right now. It's to maintain what we've been doing.
"We've got to stay humble. We really ain't done anything. Yeah, we've got a couple of nice wins in the Big 12. But our big goal is to get to the NCAA tournament."
With a week between the Texas win and Saturday's 12:45 p.m. game at No. 17 Missouri (21-4, 8-2), it has been up to seniors such as Ade Dagunduro to monitor the mood in light of reading the following from the former St. John's and New Mexico coach Fraschilla:
"Playing hard is just as much a basketball skill as passing, shooting and dribbling. And it's a primary reason that, in a year when No. 2 Oklahoma's Jeff Capel has done a brilliant coaching job, Sadler will steal some (Big 12) coach of the year votes."
Dagunduro said he's happy to police the issue, loudly if necessary.
"Especially with the young guys," he said. "They can get caught up in a big win like that. So we've got to stay focused."
• NOTES: Husker guard Steve Harley, who missed two days of practice with the flu, returned for a full workout Thursday. . . . Kansas State has announced that its Feb. 28 home game against Nebraska is sold out.
Two Huskers earn academic honors
LINCOLN — Nebraska senior Paul Velander and freshman Christopher Niemann have been named to the Big 12 commissioner's fall honor roll.
Velander, a biological sciences major, was named to the honor roll for the seventh time in his career. To make the honor roll, a student-athlete must post a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher during the semester.
BY LEE BARFKNECHT
WORLD-HERALD BUREAU
LINCOLN - ESPN has conducted a veritable lovefest with the Nebraska men's basketball team since the Huskers' upset Saturday of Texas.
First came analyst Fran Fraschilla's Monday blog in which he wrote:
"Watching Doc Sadler's team practice and play is a joy because I honestly don't think there are five teams in all of college basketball that play harder or get more out of their ability."
On the Big Monday broadcast of Kansas-Missouri, Fraschilla and play-by-play man Ron Franklin praised the Huskers (15-7, 5-4) as the league's best in team defense.
On Tuesday, during the Kentucky-Florida game, analyst Jimmy Dykes listed Nebraska as one of five teams nationally that has gone from forgotten to noticed.
And on Wednesday's Texas Tech-Kansas State game on ESPNU, announcers Dave Armstrong and Rich Zvosec, a former coach, raved about Nebraska's all-out effort that has inserted the Huskers into NCAA tournament speculation.
Sadler, who spent much of this week recruiting, said he was unaware of most of the praise.
"I guess it's better than getting attention for getting fired," he said jokingly Thursday. "Really, I'm just happy for our team. I'm glad people are recognizing them for doing something good."
For the previous 10 seasons, Nebraska basketball wasn't much worth discussing nationally.
The tally: No NCAA bids since 1998. No winning conference record since 1999. Two coaching changes.
The value of being in the basketball world's conversation, Sadler said, is immeasurable.
"People have to talk about you and hear about you when you're building a program," he said. "When we were 2-4, it wasn't like we were playing bad. We just weren't finishing wins.
"Now, we've won a couple, and we're getting some attention, which is good."
Sadler can tell on the recruiting trail when Nebraska gets publicity.
"It's not necessarily with the kids," he said. "But the parents and the coaches have watched and comment on what they hear during games. That part of it does help.
"Kids, you never know. Ask our guys if they watch games, and a lot of them will tell you they don't."
Sophomore point guard Cookie Miller, who knows his ESPN channels by heart, smiled big Thursday when asked if he has heard the Husker references.
"It's good to hear that we're being known," Miller said. "But that's not our biggest concern right now. It's to maintain what we've been doing.
"We've got to stay humble. We really ain't done anything. Yeah, we've got a couple of nice wins in the Big 12. But our big goal is to get to the NCAA tournament."
With a week between the Texas win and Saturday's 12:45 p.m. game at No. 17 Missouri (21-4, 8-2), it has been up to seniors such as Ade Dagunduro to monitor the mood in light of reading the following from the former St. John's and New Mexico coach Fraschilla:
"Playing hard is just as much a basketball skill as passing, shooting and dribbling. And it's a primary reason that, in a year when No. 2 Oklahoma's Jeff Capel has done a brilliant coaching job, Sadler will steal some (Big 12) coach of the year votes."
Dagunduro said he's happy to police the issue, loudly if necessary.
"Especially with the young guys," he said. "They can get caught up in a big win like that. So we've got to stay focused."
• NOTES: Husker guard Steve Harley, who missed two days of practice with the flu, returned for a full workout Thursday. . . . Kansas State has announced that its Feb. 28 home game against Nebraska is sold out.
Two Huskers earn academic honors
LINCOLN — Nebraska senior Paul Velander and freshman Christopher Niemann have been named to the Big 12 commissioner's fall honor roll.
Velander, a biological sciences major, was named to the honor roll for the seventh time in his career. To make the honor roll, a student-athlete must post a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher during the semester.
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