Sports – Page 614 – North Platte Post Archive

5 Things to Know About the Sochi Olympics

Posted on February 6, 2014

SOCHI, Russia (AP) — Fast five, Thursday edition: Things you’ll want to know about the 2014 Winter Olympics.

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SECURITY: It’s foremost on many minds as Olympic competition begins and thousands stream into the Black Sea resort city. The Russian government says it’s doing all it can to ensure safety, and on Thursday a deputy prime minister went even further. “We can guarantee the safety of the people as well as any other government hosting a mass event,” said Dmitry Kozak.

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TOOTHPASTE: It’s the latest item to fall under scrutiny after the U.S. Homeland Security Department warned airlines flying to Russia that terrorists might try to smuggle explosives on board hidden in toothpaste tubes. The threat was passed onto airlines that have direct flights to Russia, including some that originate in the United States, a law enforcement official speaking on condition of anonymity told The Associated Press.

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SNOWBOARDING: It begins, but without marquee name Shaun White, the world’s most famous snowboarder. He pulled out of slopestyle, a new Olympic event, to concentrate on the halfpipe, where he’ll have a chance to win his third straight title next week. After practice slopestyle runs, White said: “The potential risk of injury is a bit too much for me to gamble my other Olympics goals on.”

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WORLD LEADERS: It’s a record, says the Sochi Olympics’ chief organizer: Sixty-five heads of state and government and international organizations will be attending Russia’s first Winter Games. Dmitry Chernyshenko says that’s more than any other Winter Olympics and three times the number of leaders who attended the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. Here’s who you won’t see, though: President Barack Obama, French President Francois Hollande, British Prime Minister David Cameron and German President Joachim Gauck.

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OPENING APPROACHES: Friday night’s opening ceremony will showcase Russia to the world on its own terms — a storyline intended to impress the many nations in attendance and allow President Vladimir Putin to put forth the message he’s been trumpeting for months now: that his country has successfully combined its storied history with modern innovation and is ready for anything. The intended audience is as much Russians as it is the rest of the world.

Local Athletes Sign National Letters of Intent

Posted on February 6, 2014February 6, 2014

The college football world went crazy on Wednesday as die-hard fans tracked the movements and signings of the top high school football players in the country.

National Signing Day has become a huge event for college football and that is illustrated perfectly with ESPNU’s 11 hours of coverage that included the top high school football players in the country picking up a ball cap with a logo of the school of their choice on the front. The question though, is how does it affect the local athletes in North Platte? The answer, six athletes, five from North Platte High School and one from North Platte St. Patrick’s High School, signed their national letters of intent on Wednesday as well.

There was only one football player that signed and that was the Nebraska Wendy’s High School Heisman winner from St. Pat’s, Alex Harms. Harms signed his national letter of intent to play at the University of Nebraska Kearney. Harms said winning played a role in deciding to go to Kearney.

“The ultimate factor was just the coaches and how well they wanted to win and the drive they have; and what [the coaches] do in every aspect of their lives and transferring that to their teams and just making all the guys work hard,” Harms said. “That’s what I wanted to be a part of.”

Harms said he narrowed his choices down to UNK, Fort Hays State and Chadron State before choosing to become a Loper. He is expected to play box safety for the UNK defense. The Lopers finished last season with a 3-8 record.

The local athlete that signed to compete at the highest level of college sports next season is North Platte High School’s Wyatt McGuire. McGuire signed Wednesday to run cross country and track at the University of Nebraska Lincoln.

McGuire won the Class A Cross Country State Championship this fall with a time of 15:26.6. He beat the second place finisher by nearly 20 seconds. McGuire’s state meet time was the best in the state for any classification during the state meet. His success earned him the Nebraska Gatorade Cross Country runner of the year.

McGuire will run for a Nebraska cross country team that finished 11th out of 11 teams that competed in the Big Ten Championships. Despite placing last in the Big Ten the Huskers placed ninth out of 29 teams in the NCAA Midwest Regional.

North Platte High’s Drew Callaghan signed to play basketball at Hastings College Wednesday.

Callaghan currently leads a Bulldog team that is 8-9 on the 2013-14 season. He is averaging a double-double with 16.1 points per game and 12.2 rebounds per game. Callaghan is also averaging 3.6 blocks per game and 2.5 assists per game. Bulldogs coach Matt Kaminski said the Broncos are getting a player with great potential.

“We’re happy for Drew,” Kaminski said. “I know a couple coaches there very well and I think he feels very comfortable with Hastings and the direction they’re moving. I know the coaches there are excited about getting a talent like him with tremendous upside and a tremendous ceiling.”

Callaghan will join a Broncos team that is currently ranked 15th in the NAIA national rankings.

Three North Platte High School girls soccer players signed letters of intent Wednesday.

Hannah Wilkie signed her letter to play for Western Nebraska Community College in Scottsbluff. The Lady Cougars finished this past season with a 7-7 record.

Marisa Martinez signed to play soccer at Midland University in Fremont. The Lady Warriors finished this past season with and 8-6-6 record.

The third Lady Dawg to sign her letter of intent to play soccer at the next level was Taylor Banark. Banark will play at Hastings College. The Lady Broncos finished their season at the NAIA national championships ranked 25th in the country with a 16-5-1 record.

SOCHI SCENE: Welcome, world _ where are you?

Posted on February 6, 2014February 6, 2014

SOCHI, Russia (AP) — Olympic fans of the world, where are you?

Sochi is (more or less) ready for you to come to its Winter Games. Thousands of athletes, soldiers, journalists and herds of smiley volunteers are in place, eager to help.

So far, though, it seems like the only spectators milling about are Russian.

Dina Kobolenko is waiting for you at her tourist information stand near the Sochi train station, armed with maps of this subtropical resort on the Black Sea. She says that as of two days before the Games, she’d seen only a single foreigner — a South Korean. They couldn’t understand each other, though, so had to communicate in sign language.

Fears about terrorism and the hassle of reaching Sochi from points abroad may be keeping some foreigners away — and undermining Vladimir Putin’s plans to transform Sochi into a magnet for international tourism.

A train traveling between Olympic sites and downtown Sochi cheerily announces to visitors in English: “We wish you a pleasant journey!” But on a recent ride, its seats were half empty. And a sweep through four train cars found … not a single foreign fan.

— Angela Charlton — Twitter https://twitter.com/acharlton

Early Start Thursday for Sochi Olympics Events

Posted on February 6, 2014

SOCHI, Russia (AP) — Competition at the Sochi Olympics has begun, 32 hours before the opening ceremony.

Early starts are needed because of 12 men’s and women’s medal events added since the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

Men’s snowboard slopestyle qualifying runs — without American star Shaun White, who withdrew Wednesday — got underway Thursday 10 a.m. (0600 GMT) at X-Treme Park in the mountains above Sochi.

Women’s qualifying runs were following in the afternoon, and women’s moguls qualifying was scheduled to start freestyle skiing events at 6 p.m. (1400 GMT).

Men’s slopestyle and women’s moguls are among the first medals to be awarded Saturday.

Down in Sochi, the new team figure skating competition begins 7.30 p.m. (1530 GMT) at the Iceberg Skating Palace.

The men’s short program is to be followed by the pairs.

Chandler Leads Nuggets Past Bucks, 110-100

Posted on February 6, 2014

DENVER (AP) — Wilson Chandler scored seven of his 24 points in the final 1:52 and the Denver Nuggets held on to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 110-100 on Wednesday night.

Ty Lawson had 18 points and 13 assists and Randy Foye scored 20 points for the Nuggets, who avoided another embarrassing home loss to a sub-.500 team.

Denver has played well against good teams and struggled against losing clubs this year, especially at home. The Nuggets, who were 38-3 at Pepsi Center last season, watched Utah, Philadelphia, Cleveland and Charlotte leave Denver with unlikely victories.

Larry Sanders had 25 points and 15 rebounds for short-handed Milwaukee, and Khris Middleton also scored 25.

No. 22 Huskers Outlast Wisconsin in OT

Posted on February 6, 2014

Madison, Wis. – Emily Cady stole a post entry pass with two seconds left to preserve No. 22 Nebraska’s 71-70 comeback women’s basketball win at Wisconsin at Wednesday night.

With the victory, Nebraska notched its third straight win to improve to 16-5 overall and 6-3 in the Big Ten, while the Badgers slipped to 10-12 overall and 3-7 in the conference.

Nebraska, which was held to a season-low 21 first-half points, was shackled with first-half foul trouble and had to overcome many challenges in the second half to escape from the Kohl Center with a victory for the third straight season.

Cady finished with her 10th double-double of the season and sixth in Big Ten play with 10 points and 11 rebounds to go along with five assists. Cady managed just two points, five rebounds and two assists in the first half while being handcuffed by two fouls in the first few minutes.

All-American Jordan Hooper had just two points and two rebounds in the first half while battling two early fouls as well. Hooper finished with 15 points and four rebounds, including 10 points and a pair of the threes in a 3:40 span to end regulation and the first 2:30 of the overtime.

In addition to Hooper’s big shots and Cady’s huge defensive play, junior guard Tear’a Laudermill erupted for another 20-point performance. Laudermill, who was coming off a career-high 26 on Saturday at Iowa, poured in a team-high 21 points, including a career-high five three-pointers. Laudermill was just 1-for-6 from long range in the game’s first 34 minutes before heating up to bury three straight threes in regulation and a fourth straight early in the overtime.

The first of those four came with 5:50 left to answer Wisconsin after the Badgers took their biggest lead of the night at 48-42.

Sophomore point guard Rachel Theriot added a clutch performance of her own with the second double-double of her career – with both coming in the last three games. Theriot finished with 11 points and a career-high-matching 11 assists. Theriot scored nine points after halftime, including a clutch jumper with 1:18 left to tie the game at 58.

Junior forward Hailie Sample put all five Husker starters in double figures with 10 points and seven rebounds. Sample’s final two gave NU a brief 52-50 lead with 4:01 left. She also scored NU’s first four points of the game.

As a team, Nebraska hit 30-of-69 shots from the field, including 16-of-32 in the second half and 4-of-6 in overtime. The Huskers finished 43.5 percent from the field, including 41.7 percent (10-24) from beyond the arc. Nebraska hit six of its final seven three-pointers for the game.

Nebraska was outrebounded 40-38, but won the turnover battle 12-8, including just three turnovers in the second half.

Wisconsin’s Michala Johnson led all scorers with 24 points, including eight straight to open the overtime. Taylor Wurtz added 18 points, 10 rebounds and four assists, while Morgan Paige had 11 points.

Wisconsin finished 44.3 percent (27-61) from the field, including a sizzling 7-of-9 from three-point range. UW outscored Nebraska 9-1 at the free throw line.

In a low-scoring first half that lacked flow and featured the most significant foul trouble of the season for the Husker front line, Nebraska trailed 26-21 at the break. Hooper, Cady and Allie Havers all had two fouls with more than six minutes left in the half, the first time any two of them had first-half foul trouble together this season.

Laudermill gave the Huskers a lift, taking over NU’s offense with seven points in the final seven minutes of the half to hit NU’s only three and pull the Huskers even at 19 with 2:47 left. Sample, who finished with six first-half points, mustered Nebraska’s only points the rest of the way, as Wisconsin outscored the Huskers 7-2 down the stretch in the half.

Wurtz led Wisconsin with 10 first-half points, while Paige added six points. UW led despite hitting just 9-of-24 shots, but hit 3-of-4 threes and outscored NU 5-0 at the free throw line.

Nebraska hit just 10-of-31 shots, including just 1-of-10 threes. NU outrebounded the Badgers, 21-18 at the half and won the turnover battle 6-5. The 21 first-half points marked the lowest total in a half this season.

Neither team led by more than two possessions at any point in the game, but Wisconsin built a 48-42 edge before Laudermill caught fire in the second half. Her second three of the game cut the edge to 48-45, before her third triple trimmed the margin to 50-48 with 4:40 left. UW led 52-48, before a Sample layup an another Laudermill three put NU up 53-52 with 3:23 left.

Wisconsin then got back-to-back layups from Johnson to regain the lead at 56-53 with 2:10 left, before Hooper nailed a three of her own with 1:53 left to tie the game at 56.

UW got a pair of free throws from Paige, before Theriot’s jumper tied it at 58. Then the Badgers got two more free throws from Wurtz to make it 60-58 with 51 seconds left. Hooper’s turnaround jumper with 36 seconds left tied it at 60, before NU forced a Badger turnover by Paige at the other end. Nebraska got a shot off before time expired but it fell short.

After Wisconsin took a 64-62 lead after a pair of Johnson layups to open the overtime, Laudermill and Hooper hit back-to-back threes to match Nebraska’s biggest lead of the game at 68-64 with 2:29 left in OT. After a Johnson layup, Laudermill answered with a highlight reel finger roll of her own to keep NU’s edge at 70-66 with 1:58 to play. But back-to-back buckets by Johnson and Wurtz tied the score at 70 with 1:16 left in OT.

Cady was fouled with 1:01 left and gave NU its only point of the night at the free throw line by hitting her second free throw. The two defenses held down the stretch, as Cady’s steal secured the final margin.

Nebraska returns to Big Ten home action on Saturday to take on Michigan State. Tip-off between the No. 22 Huskers and No. 24 Spartans at Pinnacle Bank Arena is set for 2 p.m. Tickets are available now at Huskers.com.

Huskers Welcome Wolverines for Senior Night

Posted on February 6, 2014

After winning three consecutive road duals against ranked opponents, No. 7 Nebraska (11-1, 5-1 Big Ten) returns home for its final dual of the season at the Devaney Center on Friday night. The Huskers face No. 11 Michigan (9-3, 5-1 Big Ten), starting at 7 p.m. CT.

Friday night also marks Senior Night, Pepsi Pack the House and Youth Night. Admission to the dual is $1 for all fans and Pepsi products are also $1. Prior to the dual, seniors Caleb Kolb, Shawn Nagel and Adam Joseph will be honored.

The dual will be streamed on the Big Ten Digital Network, with a subscription required to view the action. It can also be followed on Twitter by tracking @HuskerWrestling.

The Huskers enter the weekend after achieving their highest ranking of the season at No. 7 in the USA Today/NWCA/Amateur Wrestling News Coaches poll. Last weekend, Nebraska won six matches over Illinois en route to a 22-13 triumph at Huff Hall in Champaign, Ill. The Huskers ride a three-match winning streak into the Michigan dual as NU downed Ohio State and Purdue on the road two weeks ago.

Friday night marks the 10th all-time meeting between the Huskers and Wolverines. Last season, Nebraska edged Michigan, 20-19, in Ann Arbor, Mich., to take a 6-3-0 lead in the series. During the match, Nagel pinned Rossi Bruno to turn the tide of a back-and-forth battle and help Nebraska earn the upset. The pair is scheduled to square off this weekend at 133 pounds.

A top-10 matchup is slated for 149 pounds between No. 5 Jake Sueflohn of Nebraska and Michigan’s No. 7 Eric Grajales. Friday night’s dual could also see top-20 matches at 125, 157 and 184 pounds.

No. 9 Tim Lambert (125) looks to bounce back from a heartbreaker against defending national champion Jesse Delgado when he grapples against No. 20 Conor Youtsey. Top-ranked 157-pounder James Green could face either No. 14 Brian Murphy or Jake Salazar. At 184 pounds, No. 9 TJ Dudley battles No. 16 Dominic Abounader.

Additional Huskers scheduled to start include No. 4 Robert Kokesh (174), Colton McCrystal (141), Austin Wilson (165), Collin Jensen (HWT) and Kolb (197).

Signing Day Capsules for each Big Ten School

Posted on February 6, 2014

ILLINOIS

National rankings (Rivals 71; Scout 68).

Best in class: Jihad Ward, 6-6 285, dt, Globe Institute of Technology (N.Y.)

Best of the rest: Malik Turner, 6-3 205, wr, Springfield (Ill.) Sacred Heart-Griffin

Late addition: Chris James, 5-11 185, db, Orange-Stark (Texas) High School

One that got away: Tyree Stone-Davis, CB, Pierce College (Calif.).

NOTE: The best player Illinois will add may not be among the signings. Quarterback Wes Lunt sat out last season after transferring from Oklahoma State.

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INDIANA

National rankings: (Rivals 36; Scout 44).

Best in class: Tim Gardner, ol, Avon, Ind.

Best of the rest: Dominque Booth, wr, Indianapolis; Jordan Fuchs, te, Queens, N.Y.; Greg Gooch, lb, Longwood, Fla.; Robert McCray III, Rockdale, Ga.; Tegray Scales, lb, Cincinnati.

Late addition: McCray, who didn’t make his decision until the final hours leading up to signing day.

One that got away: Willie Yarbary, de, Augusta, Ga., decommitted from Indiana and wound up choosing Wake Forest after Indiana changed defensive coordinators.

NOTE: “Physically, he (Gooch) is a Mike linebacker, who can come in and rush off the edge. He’ll provide tremendous personality for this defense,” new coordinator Brian Knorr said.

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IOWA

National rankings (Rivals 60; Scout 41).

Best in class: Wiegers, Scheel

Best of the rest: Nelson, Keegan Render, OG, Indianola, Iowa

Late addition: Taylor

One that got away: Ross Pierschbacher, OT, Cedar Falls, Iowa (Alabama)

NOTE: Although Iowa signed many of the state’s top prospects, Pierschbacher wavered on his oral commitment and wound up with Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa. The Hawkeyes also failed to land the state’s No. 1 recruit, wide receiver and Iowa State signee Allen Lazard. But Lazard’s father and brother played for the Cyclones, and he’s been committed to them for years.

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MARYLAND

National Rankings: (Rivals 51; Scout 60).

Best in class: OL Damian Prince, Forestville, Md. Parade All-American picked Maryland over Florida and South Carolina in a nationally televised ceremony at Bishop McNamara High School.

Best of the rest: DE Jesse Aniebonam, Olney, Md.; WR Juwann Winfree, Englewood, N.J. Aniebonam is a highly regarded pass rusher who had 30 scholarship offers from schools in just about every major conference. Winfree was offered as a safety by Georgia but wanted to play offense.

Late addition: LB Nnamdi Egbuaba, Baltimore. Edsall thinks the Terps got a steal in this under-the-radar prospect, who possesses great size and speed along with a high motor.

One that got away: CB Jalen Tabor, Washington, D.C. Five-star cornerback from Friendship Collegiate Academy grew up minutes from the College Park campus and always spoke highly of Maryland, but ultimately signed with Florida.

NOTES: Two of Maryland’s top recruits are already enrolled at College Park. Derwin Gray and Larry Mazyck, both of whom graduated from Friendship Collegiate Academy in D.C., spent the 2013 season playing at Fork Union Military Academy and Iowa Western Community College, respectively. Gray and Mazyck, who technically count against the Class of 2013 in terms of how their scholarships are assigned, should contend for immediate playing time.

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MICHIGAN

National rankings (Rivals 31; Scout 27).

Best in class: Jabrill Peppers, DB, Paramus, N.J.

Best of the rest: Drake Harris, WR, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Late addition: Jared Wangler, LB, Warren, Mich.

One that got away: Damon Webb, DB, Detroit.

NOTE: Wangler’s father, John, was a quarterback for the Wolverines from 1977-80.

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MICHIGAN STATE

National rankings (Rivals 21; Scout 21).

Best in class: Montae Nicholson, db, Monroeville (Pa.).

Best of the rest: Brian Allen, ol, Hinsdale (Ill.)

Late addition: T.J. Harrell, db, Tampa (Fla.)

One that got away: Darius Slade, de, Montclair, N.J.

NOTE: Slade committed to Michigan State in mid-January but had a late change of heart and signed with Urban Meyer and Ohio State on Wednesday.

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MINNESOTA

National rankings: Rivals 53, Scout 51.

Best in class: Jeff Jones, RB, Minneapolis Washburn HS.

Best of the rest: Isaiah Gentry, WR, Cincinnati Moeller HS; Melvin Holland, WR, Ashburn (Va.) Briar Woods HS; Conner Krizancic, WR, Mentor (Ohio) HS; Brandon Lingen, TE, Wayzata (Minn.) HS; Connor Mayes, OL, Van Alstyne (Texas) HS; Gary Moore, DT, Mobile (Ala.) Murphy HS; Dimonic Roden-McKinzy, QB, Kansas City (Kan.) Wyandotte HS; Andrew Stelter, DE, Owatonna (Minn.) HS.

Late additions: Moore reneged on his verbal commitment to Southern Mississippi and Krizancic did the same to Cincinnati.

One that got away: Frank Ragnow, OL, Chanhassen (Minn.) HS. Signed with Arkansas.

NOTE: Julien Kafo, a defensive end from Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, has an atypical background as a Canadian prospect. He speaks four languages: English, French, German and Spanish.

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NEBRASKA

National Rankings (Rivals 32; Scout 34).

Best in class: Monte Harrison, WR, Lee’s Summit, Mo. He’s a dynamic athlete who led his West High team to a state championship. The question is whether he’ll show up in Lincoln or turn pro in baseball. A speedy and strong-armed outfielder, he’s pegged as a top-50 MLB draft pick.

Best of the rest: Tanner Farmer, OL, Highland, Ill. He made an impressive showing at the Under Armour All-Star Game and is ranked among the best offensive line prospects in the country. He and fellow O-lineman D.J. Foster out of Lincoln will make bids for early playing time.

Late addition: Mikale Wilbon, RB, Chicago. He flipped from Vanderbilt after James Franklin took the Penn State coaching job. He’s been injury prone but has the tools to be a great one.

One that got away: Blake McClain, DL, Jacksonville, Fla. He flipped twice down the stretch, de-committing from Florida State, pledging to Nebraska and signing with South Carolina.

NOTE: Nebraska secured verbal commitments from a half-dozen players in the two weeks before signing day, but the strong finish was mitigated by the loss of McClain and three others who went elsewhere.

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NORTHWESTERN

National rankings (Rivals 66; Scout 56).

Best in class: Clayton Thorson, QB, Wheaton, Ill.

Best of the rest: Austin Anderson, RB, Plano, Texas; Garrett Dickerson, TE, Englewood, N.J.; Justin Jackson, RB, Carol Stream, Ill.; Parrker Westphal, CB, Bolingbrook, Ill.

Late addition: Xavier Washington, DE, Cedar Hill, Texas

One that got away: Hamilton Anoa’I, LB, San Mateo, Calif.

NOTE: DL Fred Wyatt of Lawrence, Kan., comes with a connection to Fitzgerald and Northwestern. His father Buddy was the defensive line coach at Northwestern for two years in the late 1990s, and Buddy and Fitzgerald worked under Gary Barnett at Colorado.

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OHIO STATE

National rankings (Rivals 3; Scout 3).

Best in class: Raekwon McMillan, LB, Hinesville (Ga.) Liberty County

Best of the rest: Dante Booker, LB, Akron (Ohio) St. Vincent-St. Mary; Johnnie Dixon, WR, West Palm Beach (Fla.) Dwyer; Jamarco Jones, OL, Chicago De La Salle

Late addition: Darius Slade, DL, Montclair (N.J.)

One that got away: Malik McDowell, DL, Southfield (Mich.) to Michigan State

NOTE: “We signed 23 players with an emphasis on linebacker, a position where we’re going through an overhaul. There are four linebackers we recruited and they have to play four us. Just so everybody knows, there’s no redshirting (for them),” Meyer said.

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PENN STATE

National rankings: Rivals 21; Scout 21.

Best in class: Saeed Blacknall, WR, 6-2, 210, Manalapan, N.J.

Best of the rest: De’Andre Thompkins of Swansboro, N.C., and Chris Godwin of Middletown, Del., were two of four wide receivers coach James Franklin recruited to fill void left by Allen Robinson, who left for the NFL draft. . Quarterback Michael O’Connor from Ottawa, Ontario, trained with former Florida State Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., and was one of five of Penn State’s 25 signees who began Penn State classes in January. . Franklin also added to his complement of tight ends with Mike Gesicki (6-5, 245) from Manahawkin, N.J.

Late addition: Torrence Brown, a three-star defensive lineman (6-4, 240) from Tuscaloosa, Ala., who de-committed from Southern Mississippi.

One that got away: Four-star defensive tackle Thomas Holley of Brooklyn, N.Y., de-committed from Penn State and opted for Florida when longtime Penn State assistant coach Larry Johnson became defensive line coach and assistant head coach at Ohio State.

NOTE: Recruits who faxed in letters of intent were welcomed by Franklin and his assistants via cellphone and were announced individually in NFL draft day fashion. There was a draft board that listed all players in the football offices as well.

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PURDUE

National rankings (Rivals 75; Scout 64).

Best in class: Gelen Robinson, de, St. John, Ind.

Best of the rest: David Blough, qb, Carrollton, Texas; Tim Cason, db, Clarkston, Mich.

Late addition: Corey Clements, ol, Mesa (Ariz.) CC.

One that got away: Ladarius Wiley, wr, Los Angeles, decommitted earlier this week.

NOTE: “We’re really excited about getting our needs. You look at last season, and I think we’ve done a lot of good things in addressing those needs.” — coach Darrell Hazell.

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RUTGERS

National rankings (Rivals 57; Scout 55).

Best in class: Sideny Gorpe, LB, Newark, N.J.

Best of the rest: Kevin Wilkins, DL, Mahwah, N.J.

Late addition: Giovanni Rescigno, QB, Macomb Township, Mich.

One that got away: Saeed Blacknall, WR, Manalapan, N.J.

NOTE: “…Rutgers had an abysmal year,” Mike Farrell, the national recruiting analyst for Rivals.com said. “They’ve had 12 de-commitments, which is a record. I’ve never heard of a program that didn’t lose a head coach, that didn’t go under NCAA sanctions, lose that many kids. They just had a disastrous recruiting year. I think they’re ninth in the Big Ten.”

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WISCONSIN

National rankings: (Rivals 33; Scout 28).

Best in class: Jaden Gault, OL, Cottage Grove, Wis.

Best of the rest: D.J. Gillins, QB, Jacksonville, Fla.; Dareian Watkins, WR, Galion, Ohio; Taiwan Deal, RB, Capitol Heights, Md.; George Panos, OL, Hartland, Wis.; Conor Sheehy, DL, Milwaukee.

Late addition: D’Cota Dixon, CB, Oak Hill, Fla.

One that got away: Craig Evans, DL, Sun Prairie, Wis. (Michigan St.)

NOTES: Panos’ father, Joe, played offensive line at Wisconsin from 1990-93 and was captain of the 1993 Big Ten championship team. … Andersen’s son, Chasen, is joining the Badgers as a walk-on inside linebacker.

Huskers Fall at No. 10 Michigan, 79-50

Posted on February 6, 2014

Ann Arbor, Mich. – Nebraska ran into a hot-shooting Michigan team as the 10th-ranked Wolverines topped the Huskers, 79-50 in Crisler Center Wednesday evening.

Michigan (17-5, 9-1 Big Ten) hit 13 3-pointers, including nine in the first half, as the Wolverines put the game away early and snapped Nebraska’s two-game win streak.

Glenn Robinson III paced the Wolverines in double figures with 23 points, while freshman Zak Irvin added 16 points and Caris LeVert had 16 each, as Irvin came off the bench to score all 16 of his points before the break.

Michigan blitzed the Huskers in the opening 20 minutes, shooting 63 percent from the field, including 9-of-17 from 3-point range to build a commanding 49-21 halftime lead. Michigan shot 50 percent on the night and also went a perfect 14 of 14 from the foul line.

Michigan got off to a quick start, outscoring the Huskers, 13-3 in the first three and a half minutes before the Huskers regained their footing. NU cut the lead to 16-7 after baskets from Terran Petteway and Shavon Shields and continued to battle, as Shields scored five straight points to pull within 16-12.

Unfortunately for the Huskers, that would be as close as Nebraska would get in the first half, as Irvin took over for the Wolverines. The freshman, who averaged just 6.5 points per game, sparked a 9-0 run with a pair of baskets, as Michigan built a 25-12 lead after a Robinson jumper.

Trailing 30-15, Michigan put the game out of reach with a 15-0 run, as Irvin scored 11 points in the run, including three straight 3-pointers, as he went 4-of-7 from long range in the first half.

While the Wolverines were knocking down shots, the Huskers struggled from the field, shooting 32 percent, including 2-of-12 from 3-point range in the opening 20 minutes.

Michigan continued to pull away in the second half, while the only bright spot for the Huskers was freshman Nathan Hawkins, who had all 11 of his points in the second half. Shields led NU with 13 points, while Walter Pitchford added 10 as Nebraska was held to 35.2 percent shooting and were held to a season-low 49 points.

The Huskers return to action Saturday afternoon, when Nebraska travels to Northwestern. Tipoff is at Noon (CT) and will be carried on ESPNU and on the Husker Sports Radio Network.

NU Soccer Reveals 2014 Recruiting Class

Posted on February 6, 2014

Lincoln – The Nebraska soccer team announced the addition of 12 student-athletes from eight U.S. states and one Canadian province to comprise the 2014 recruiting class on Wednesday morning. The commits consist of one in-state recruit, along with four from Illinois as well as one each from California, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon and across the border in British Columbia.

The Huskers are coming off a memorable 2013 season where NU claimed both the regular-season and tournament titles for the fourth time in school history and first since 2000. The Scarlet and Cream amassed a 19-4-1 record while going 10-1 in the conference and qualified for its first NCAA Tournament appearance in eight years.

Head Coach John Walker and his staff welcome back a young but experienced group of Huskers in 2014 with postseason play on their résumés. Despite losing six senior starters, including two members selected by the Houston Dash, NU returns starting forwards Jaycie Johnson and Mayme Conroy who combined to produce more than half of the Huskers’ goals last fall.

Click the names below to find out more about the 2014 Nebraska Soccer commits:

Name	Pos.	Ht.	Hometown, State (HS/Club)
Lia Baldo	F	5-9	Glenview, Ill. (Loyola Academy/FC Chicago)
Brooks Brennan	D	5-9	Albuquerque, N.M. (Academy/Rio)
Emilee Cincotta	MF	5-8	Tigard, Ore. (Tigard/Crossfire)
Haley Hanson	MF	5-6	Overland Park, Kan. (Olathe East/Sporting Blue Valley)
Amanda Hilton	MF	5-5	West Chicago, Ill. (St. Charles East/Strikers Fox Valley)
Erika Johnson	GK	5-10	North Oaks, Minn. (Mounds View/Dakota Rev)
Michaela Loebel	F	5-9	Geneva, Ill. (Geneva/Strikers Fox Valley)
Alli Peterson	D	5-9	Iowa City, Iowa (Iowa City West/Sereno)
Sami Reinhard	MF	5-8	Long Beach, Calif. (Woodrow Wilson Classical/Beach Futbol)
Hannah Schafers	D	5-7	Lincoln, Neb. (Pius X/Gretna Prima)
Nikki Turney	D	6-0	Surrey, B.C. (Fraser Heights/Vancouver Whitecaps)
Savanah Uveges	F	5-10	Bartlett, Ill. (South Elgin/Strikers Fox Valley)