FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — The University of Arkansas is set to hosting Nebraska in mid-week college baseball.
The Razorbacks and Cornhuskers are to play starting at 6:35 p.m. Tuesday and at 1:35 p.m. Wednesday at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville.
Arkansas is 17-10 overall while Nebraska is 15-12.
Rosemont, Ill. — The Big Ten Conference on Wednesday recognized a total of 678 winter sports student-athletes who have been named to the Academic All-Conference team. The list of honored student-athletes features 34 men’s and 49 women’s basketball players, 51 men’s and 52 women’s gymnasts, 69 hockey players, 143 men’s and 183 women’s swimmers and divers and 97 wrestlers. To be eligible for Academic All-Big Ten selection, student-athletes must be letterwinners who are in at least their second academic year at their institution and carry a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher.
At least nine of these student-athletes have maintained unblemished cumulative GPAs:
Nicholas Caldwell, Wisconsin men’s swimming & diving (Jr., Chemistry)
Michaela Cunningham, Nebraska women’s swimming & diving (Jr., Biological Sciences/Mathematics)
Nathan Fortunato, Minnesota men’s gymnastics (Sr., Recreation Resource Management)
Mike Gesell, Iowa men’s basketball (So., Finance)
Justin Glanda, Michigan men’s swimming & diving (Jr., Business Administration)
Hayden Hamby, Purdue women’s basketball (So., Movement and Sport Sciences)
Adam Marsh, Michigan State men’s swimming & diving (So., Chemical Engineering)
Jessica Plant, Minnesota women’s swimming & diving (Jr., Classical Civilization)
David Zoltowski, Michigan State men’s swimming & diving (Jr., Electrical Engineering)
The conference office also awards Academic All-Big Ten distinction in the fall and spring seasons and will present the Distinguished Scholar Award at the end of the academic year. Student-athletes eligible for the Distinguished Scholar Award must be letterwinners in at least their second year in residence at their institution. Qualifying student-athletes must have earned a GPA of 3.7 or higher for the current academic year, excluding summer school. The Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award was established by conference Faculty Representatives as an addition to the conference’s Academic All-Big Ten program.
VERMILLION, S.D. (AP) — The University of South Dakota is hiring Nebraska assistant Craig Smith as its new head men’s basketball coach.
The Coyotes scheduled a Monday news conference to introduce Smith.
Smith has been a longtime assistant for Cornhusker coach Tim Miles. He’s coached with him at Mayville State, North Dakota State and Colorado State.
Smith was the head coach at Mayville State in North Dakota from 2004-07, winning NAIA coach of the year honors after leading the Comets to the NAIA Division II national championship game in 2007.
Smith also has served as an assistant at Northern State in South Dakota and Minot State in North Dakota.
Smith is a native of Stephen, Minn., and a University of North Dakota alum. He’s replacing Dave Boots, who retired last September after 25 years.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jordan Hooper had 23 points and 11 rebounds, and fourth-seeded Nebraska defeated Fresno State 74-55 in the first round of the NCAA women’s tournament Saturday.
Emily Cady added 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Cornhuskers (26-6), the Big Ten tournament champions who have won 13 of 14 games.
Taylor Thompson was the only player in double figures with 14 points for the 13th-seeded Bulldogs (22-11). They closed within four points early in the second half, but never got any closer in falling to 0-7 in the NCAA tourney. The Mountain West tourney champions had their eight-game winning streak snapped.
The Huskers advanced to play either No. 5 seed North Carolina State or 12th-seeded BYU in Monday’s second round at Pauley Pavilion on the UCLA campus.
Tear’a Laudermill added 13 points, and Rachel Theriot had 10 points and 12 assists for the Huskers, who controlled the boards, 46-35.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nebraska came all the way to Los Angeles, and what the Cornhuskers really want is to go home.
First, though, they’ll need to get two wins to return to their home arena in Lincoln, which will host an NCAA women’s regional next weekend.
Led by Big Ten player of the year Jordan Hooper, the fourth-seeded Cornhuskers (25-6) face No. 13 seed Fresno State (22-10) in the first round Saturday at Pauley Pavilion on the UCLA campus. In the other game, fifth-seeded North Carolina State (25-7) plays 12th-seeded BYU (26-6).
Nebraska (25-6) has won 12 of its last 13 games, including four victories over Top 25 opponents and its first Big Ten tournament title. The Huskers haven’t played in nearly two weeks.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska has earned a No. 4 seed for the NCAA women’s basketball tournament and will open against Fresno State on Saturday in Los Angeles.
About 500 fans gathered with players and coaches at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Monday night to find out their destination. The Cornhuskers must beat No. 13 Fresno State and then the winner between No. 5 North Carolina State and No. 12 BYU to make it back to their home arena for the Lincoln Regional.
The Big Ten tournament champion Huskers (25-6) are in the NCAAs for the third straight year and fifth time since 2007. They lost to Duke in last year’s Sweet 16.
Mountain West Conference tournament champion Fresno State (22-10) is in the NCAA tournament for the seventh straight year.
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Baylor may have gotten off to a slow start in conference play, but victories in 10 of the last 12 games have propelled the Bears into the NCAA tournament as a No. 6 seed in the West.
Baylor (24-11) will face No. 11 Nebraska in San Antonio on Friday. The Bears return to the tournament after winning the NIT last season.
Baylor is coming off a loss to Iowa State in the Big 12 tournament final. Baylor finished tied for sixth in the regular-season conference standings, after going 2-8 to start league play.
The Huskers (19-2) are making their first tournament appearance since 1998, and seventh overall. They’ve never won in the tournament.
Nebraska, picked to finish last in the Big 10, surpassed expectations overall this season but fell 71-67 to No. 24 Ohio State in the quarterfinals of the Big 10 tournament.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s selection to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament is worth an extra $150,000 for coach Tim Miles.
The bonus is one of several that are spelled out in Miles’ contract based on his team’s performance.
Miles already had secured a $50,000 bonus for finishing fourth in the Big Ten regular season. If the 19-12 Huskers beat Baylor on Friday, Miles’ contract calls for him to receive an extra $75,000 for having a 20-win season.
Miles was named Big Ten coach of the year in a vote of the coaches, but Michigan’s John Beilein was tabbed by the media. Miles is supposed to receive a $50,000 bonus if he is the consensus coach of the year. Executive associate athletic director Marc Boehm said he would consider giving Miles that bonus anyway.
The state of Nebraska will have two teams in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament for the first time since 1991 — and they would meet if they win their openers Friday in San Antonio.
No. 3-seeded Creighton will open against No. 14 Louisiana and No. 11 Nebraska will play No. 6 Baylor.
Creighton (26-7) is in the NCAA tournament for the third year in a row. Nebraska (19-11) had to sweat until its name was called, but it didn’t take too long. The Huskers are in the tournament for the first time since 1998.
The crowd of 2,000 at Pinnacle Bank Arena erupted when Nebraska appeared on the big screen at the team’s NCAA Selection Show watch party.
Creighton and Nebraska will be hosting NCAA Selection Show watch parties on Sunday.
Creighton invites fans to join players and coaches at the on-campus D.J. Sokol Arena in Omaha as they find out where and when the Bluejays will play next week. The Bluejays are assured of playing in the tournament for the third year in a row.
Nebraska’s watch party is at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln. The Cornhuskers lost to Ohio State in the Big Ten tournament Friday and hope for their first NCAA bid since 1998.
If the Huskers make the NCAA field, it will mark the first time since 1991 that both Creighton and Nebraska have played in the tournament in the same year.
Doors at Sokol Arena and Pinnacle Bank Arena open at 4 p.m.
