Nebraska...not feeling Frosty anymore

[THE_WIZARD_]

Ent has Schwetty Balls.

[entropy]

LJS

Those 7-footers don't just walk into your gym every day.

When one does, you take a good look.

That's what Nebraska basketball coaches did this week, gaining a commitment in the process from 7-foot-1, 235-pound Sergej Vucetic, according to Rivals.com.

A native of Serbia, Vucetic could play immediately this year for new Husker coach Tim Miles. That's no small detail for a roster that could use some help inside, particularly after the offseason departure of the 6-11 Jorge Brian Diaz.

Vucetic committed after visiting Lincoln on Wednesday. Currently playing for Aim Prep in Michigan, Vucetic was receiving interest from Georgia Tech, Illinois, Marquette, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Providence and Rhode Island.

"I talked with my friends about it, and we all agreed that with Nebraska's coaching change and all that, it was worth taking a visit," Vucetic told Rivals. "I got down there and I really liked it."

The left-hander told the recruiting website he averaged 19 points and 14 rebounds this past year.

Vucetic would fill one of three scholarship openings Miles has for the 2012-13 season. The coach could continue to look for recruits to add to this year's team or save one or both of the remaining openings for future recruiting classes.

[*JD*]

Hoops recruits feel the love in Lincoln

By BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Monday, April 16, 2012 11:45 pm



Why the group visit to Nebraska?

Credit Ron Coleman, a member of Miles' staff, albeit without an official title, as of yet. Coleman formerly coached with the Mac Irvin Fire program in Chicago and convinced the players to pay their own way to Lincoln.

Neither Woghiren nor the players expected the overwhelmingly positive reception.

"Going into it, we didn't realize it, but as we got there and were on our way there, we heard the buzz and read the buzz about it," Woghiren said. "We started to understand how big of a deal it was."

Tom Osborne told them as much, too. The NU athletic director visited with the recruits.

"He was very genuine with them," Woghiren said. "He expressed interest in the players, told them they've never had anything like this on campus before."

Equally as impressive as Nebraska's welcome mat was the program's state-of-the-art practice facility. The $18 million Hendricks Training Complex opened in August.

"I've been to a few schools, and I haven't seen anything like that," Woghiren said. "Everything is above what they had to do."
The recruits also visited the construction site of the Pinnacle Bank Arena, set to open for the 2013-14 season, and played pick-up games with current Husker players.

Will any of the visitors eventually sign with Nebraska? Nobody knows, but getting them on campus was a victory in itself, in many peoples' eyes.

Turns out, this wasn't a token visit, either. The players were impressed and are genuinely interested in Nebraska, Woghiren said.

"One, they do like the facilities. They've never seen anything like that before," he said. "Two, they like the relationship they have with Coach Miles and Coach Coleman.

"And three, they see the chance for immediate playing time. They like that."

Reach Brian Rosenthal at 402-473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com. You can follow him on Twitter @HuskerExtraBR.

The ol' "Hire the AAU Coach in some unspecified capacity so you can pipeline his kids" move. Interesting.

[entropy]

he was an assistant coach at CSU under Miles as well..

[*JD*]

Okay. That works.

Where did Miles come from, BTW? Has he been the hoops coach for long?

I'm not insinuating anything here. I've just never heard of him.

[entropy]

not a problem JD.

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Miles"]Tim Miles - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

basically, he's a self made guy with connections he's created on his own.


He's coached at Northern State, Mayville State, SW Minn State, ND State, Colorado State and now Nebraska.

[entropy]

http://www.csurams.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/082311aaa.html

this is from Coleman's CSU announcement.. some details on his background.

[entropy]

Also, I think it is actually good UNL has someone on staff with ties to the AAU. UNL certainly has none today

[entropy]

Christian Lacouture committed to Nebraska today over Michigan, LSU and ATM. He's from College Station Texas and is a RE. Big "get" for the Huskers...

[iam416]

Lucky for you Hoke "cooled" on him.

[entropy]

Nephew of Jumbo Stiehm, someone who ought to be better known/remembered by real NU fans....

****************

By Randy York

Ewald Richard Stiehm, namesake and nephew of Ewald “Jumbo” Stiehm (pronounced Steam), made his first-ever trip to Lincoln Friday, and the 79-year-old Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics at UCLA’s School of Medicine experienced a surprise visit with Nebraska Athletic Director Tom Osborne, who showed him some historic photos hanging on the wall outside his office. Fifteen minutes earlier and one floor below, Dr. Stiehm found the uncle he was named after in five team pictures hanging in the hallway of Nebraska’s football offices, and sure enough, he saw every player on every team coached by Uncle Ewald, whose teams won or tied for five consecutive Missouri Valley Conference championships from 1911 to 1915. Jumbo’s teams won 35 games, lost only two and tied three and his .913 winning percentage is the highest in Nebraska history. His teams’ 34-game unbeaten streak is another school record.

In their conversation, Osborne mentioned his friendship with John Wooden and commented how well grounded he thought UCLA’s legendary basketball coach was. Dr. Stiehm, who had given three lectures in Omaha and Lincoln and was scheduled to give a fourth Friday night, told me that Osborne reminded him of Wooden “because he’s so very soft-spoken, self-effacing and such a modest person,” he said. “It was an absolute pleasure to meet him. I was very impressed and glad he helped get Nebraska into the Big Ten. This conference is a great fit for Nebraska. They belong here because they have a terrific combination of athletes, scholars and a diverse student body.” A Phi Beta Kappa at Wisconsin, where he also earned his medical degree, Stiehm mentioned how impressed he was with Lincoln. “It reminds me of Madison,” he said. “They’re like mirror images of each other … about the same size and both state capitals with wonderful universities. The people are extremely friendly and nice, very much like the people I grew up with in Madison. I must say though that Nebraska has much better athletic facilities than Wisconsin. Once Nebraska gets into its new basketball facility, I think the only facility better at Wisconsin is our 16 indoor tennis courts.” (FYI: Stiehm was a Badger letter winner in tennis).

Dr. Stiehm said his research of family history revealed several interesting historical facts: 1) His uncle coached Nebraska’s first two All-America players – Vic Halligan and Guy Chamberlin; 2) His uncle’s 8-0 team in 1915 was invited to the Rose Bowl, but Nebraska’s Athletic Board turned down the invitation because travel costs to and from California were too expensive; 3) Since one of Nebraska’s 1915 wins was against Notre Dame, some call the Huskers unofficial national champions that season; 4) His uncle also won a conference championship as NU’s head basketball coach, making him the only coach in Big Eight (and its predecessors) history to win football and basketball titles in the same academic year; and 5) His uncle’s request for a $750 raise was rejected because Nebraska did not want a coach to make more money than the school’s top professor, so Jumbo resigned and became head football coach and head basketball coach at Indiana. His salary at Nebraska was $4,250; Indiana paid him $4,500.

We asked Dr. Stiehm, who has two degrees from Wisconsin and has been a professor at UCLA since 1969, how he thought Nebraska would fare in 2012 games at UCLA and at home against his alma mater. “I think Nebraska is going to slaughter UCLA and get beat by Wisconsin,” he said. “Wisconsin is just too big and too tough. Their top two running backs are back, and they’ve imported another quarterback. I think they’re going to be the best in the Big Ten again and come to Pasadena for another Rose Bowl.” We have one more gem from our conversation with Dr. Stiehm. Even though he did not know Wooden well, the Bruin legend was responsible for keeping him on UCLA’s medical staff. “Ohio State offered me a job with higher pay, and my chairman said if you stay, I’ll call Coach Wooden, and he’ll get you better basketball tickets.” Dr. Stiehm said, adding: “He got me better tickets, and I didn’t go to Ohio State.”



Nebraska Head Coach, 1911-15
Nebraska Record: 35-2-3 (.913)

The first year-round full-time coach in Nebraska history, Ewald O. "Jumbo" Stiehm owns the highest winning percentage (.913) of any football coach in school history.

During Stiehm's five seasons, Nebraska won or shared the Missouri Valley Conference title each season. His "Stiehm Rollers" cruised to a school-record 34-game unbeaten streak on the gridiron. He coached the team for the first 29 games of the streak, before ending his career as the only coach in Big Eight Conference history to win football and basketball titles in the same academic year.

Although his nickname was Jumbo, Stiehm actually preferred smaller, quicker athletes that weighed an average of just 160 pountds. His style of play featured fake passes and hand-offs, precision timing and intricately choreographed plays.

In his first season in 1911, Stiehm's club shared the Missouri Valley Conference title with a 5-1-2 overall record and a 2-0-1 league mark. NU's only loss came at the hands of a powerful Minnesota club in Minneapolis, while the Cornhuskers added a 6-6 tie to Michigan on Nov. 25, 1911, in the first Homecoming game in school history.

In 1912, the Huskers claimed the Missouri Valley title with a 7-1-0 overall record that included a 2-0 conference mark. Nebraska's only loss came with a 13-0 setback to the Golden Gophers in Minneapolis on Oct. 19. The next week, Nebraska rebounded with a 41-0 pounding of Adrian to start its 34-game unbeaten streak.

The Huskers closed the 1912 season with the first Homecoming victory in school history with a 14-3 win over Kansas on Nov. 16, before adding a 13-9 win over Oklahoma at old Nebraska Field.

In 1913, Stiehm led the Huskers to their first perfect season since 1903 by rolling to an 8-0-0 mark that included a 3-0 Missouri Valley record to share the conference crown. NU's perfect season included a 7-0 Homecoming victory over Minnesota on Oct. 18, and a 12-0 win over Iowa in the season finale in Lincoln on Nov. 22 to stretch the Huskers' overall winning streak to 13 games. On the season, NU outscored the opposition, 138-28, including four shutouts.

Stiehm's 1914 club may have been even better but a 0-0 tie with South Dakota in the season's second game ended Nebraska's 14-game winning streak and spoiled a second straight perfect season. The 1914 club posted four shutouts, including a 31-0 win over Kansas State in Manhattan, a 24-0 win over Michigan State in Lincoln and a 35-0 Homecoming victory over Kansas State. The Huskers outscored the opposition, 174-28, and stretched their unbeaten streak to 21 games with a 16-7 road win over Iowa on Nov. 21.

The 1914 Huskers featured a pair of All-Americans with Vic Halligan earning Nebraska's first-ever All-America award as a tackle. Halligan was joined by Nebraska Wesleyan transfer Guy "The Champ" Chamberlin, who went on to earn All-America honors as an end in 1915. Chamberlin later became the first Husker to be inducted to both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame.

Chamberlin led the Huskers to a perfect 8-0 season in 1915, as Stiehm's team dominated nearly every opponent. Nebraska was challenged only by the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame, as the Huskers posted a 20-19 victory in Lincoln on Oct. 23. Notre Dame was the only squad to play Nebraska within three touchdowns during the entire season, as the Huskers outscored their foes, 282-39 on the year, while posting five shutouts.

Stiehm capped his run of success at Nebraska with a 52-7 pounding of Iowa on Homecoming in Lincoln on Nov. 20.

Stiehm's amazing success may have contributed to the end of his career as Nebraska's head coach. The Cornhuskers were considered to play in the Rose Bowl game after the 1915 season, but the University's Athletic Board voted to turn down the invitation because of the costs related to traveling to Pasadena, Calif. The University also refused Stiehm's request for a $750 salary increase after making $4,250 in 1915. He resigned to take the head coaching job at Indiana for $4,500.

Although he remained successful at Indiana, the Hoosiers never achieved at the same level as Stiehm's Nebraska teams. In six seasons as the head coach in Bloomington, Stiehm's clubs posted a 20-18-1 overall record. However, he still owns the distinction of being the last head football coach to leave Indiana with a winning record. He also coached the Hoosier basketball team during the 1920 season and posted a 13-8 record.

A 1909 Wisconsin graduate, Stiehm was the first Badger in history to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors, claiming the award as a center in 1906. Stiehm got his first coaching job at Ripon College in Wisconsin, leading the Red Hawks to a 4-3 record in 1910, before coming to Nebraska.

[entropy]

UNL baseball crushes Indiana 12-2 today. GBR

[entropy]

from ESPN:

High three-star defensive tackle Christian Lacouture (College Station, Texas/A&M Consolidated) had Nebraska, LSU and Michigan on his final list of schools. During his weekend visit to Lincoln, Neb., Lacouture decided that playing for the shot at being a Blackshirt was the way to go.

Lacouture committed to Nebraska and became the Cornhuskers’ sixth commitment of the 2013 recruiting class. The 6-foot-5, 260-pound tackle visited the Nebraska campus for the second time in as many months.

“I’d been looking at it for a while, and when I came up here [Saturday], I had a good intention I was going to commit,” Lacouture said. “With everything going on -- the tradition and how everything is shaping up -- it was a good time for me to commit to Nebraska.

Recruited by both defensive line coach Rick Kaczenski and defensive coordinator John Papuchis, Lacouture recorded 51 tackles and six sacks during the 2011 season. He was a first-team all-district selection and has been a consistent contributor for A&M Consolidated since moving from west Texas power Odessa Permian his sophomore season.

Lacouture is ranked No. 30 among defensive tackles nationally. He is ranked No. 54 among players in Texas. Last month, Lacouture earned an invitation to participate in The Opening, a four-day training and development series at the Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Ore.

Lacouture had nine offers, including LSU and Michigan. Oklahoma State, Missouri and Texas A&M -- which is located literally blocks away from his home -- also offered. He committed to the Aggies in January 2011 but decommitted to explore other options in March. Additionally, Texas and Oklahoma had entered the picture by showing recent interest.

“I love the coaches [at Nebraska]. We all have great relationships,” Lacouture said. “I felt it was right, and I didn’t want to waste any more time, so I pulled the trigger.”

Lacouture also said he’s been getting along with his fellow 2013 recruits. He’s been in contact with linebacker Josh Banderas (Lincoln, Neb./Southwest) -- the son of former Cornhusker tight end Tom Banderas -- and both players are committed to serving as player recruiters for other potential commits.

“We’re looking to get this recruiting class going,” Lacouture said. Me and Josh have been talking about it for a little bit, and [Saturday], we really hit it off. We’re looking to win a national championship while we’re here. This is a special time for us. Nebraska’s on the rise.”

[*JD*]

Looks like you got a hooper too.

7-foot center commits to Nebraska
Friday, 04 May 2012
Husker Extra: Those 7-footers don't just walk into your gym every day.
When one does, you take a good look.

That's what Nebraska basketball coaches did this week, gaining a commitment in the process from 7-foot-1, 235-pound Sergej Vucetic, according to Rivals.com.

A native of Serbia, Vucetic could play immediately this year for new Husker coach Tim Miles. That's no small detail for a roster that could use some help inside, particularly after the offseason departure of the 6-11 Jorge Brian Diaz.

Vucetic committed after visiting Lincoln on Wednesday. Currently playing for Aim Prep in Michigan, Vucetic was receiving interest from Georgia Tech, Illinois, Marquette, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Providence and Rhode Island.

Rivals doesn't give him any stars but he's 7'1".

[*JD*]

Just a workout but you can at least see what he looks like:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0j8I-lsFoN8"]2011/12 Basketball - Class of 2012 - Sergej Vu?eti? (PF/C 7'1 1992) - workout - YouTube[/ame]