Nebraska...not feeling Frosty anymore

[entropy]

forgot the first part of that fact. Average distance for Nebraska recruits: 964 miles away.

Looking at the Class of 2013 recruiting poster I recieved today.... in the order on the poster..

Lincoln, Ne
Metairie, La
kansas City, Mo
Baldwin, La
Crete, Il
sioux Falls, SD
Akron, Ohio
Fishers, Ind
KC, Mo
Dayton, ohio
Pearland, Texas
Weston, Fl
Brantford, ontario
Carrollton, Tx
Youngstown, ohio
Laguan Beach, Ca
orlando, Fl
Mishawaka, Ind
Mesquite, Tx
Milton, Wis
North Potamac, Md
West Hills, Ca
Jersey City, NJ
Ranco Santa Margarita, Ca
Tampa, Fl
Katy, Tx


Usually, there is a kid or 2 more from Nebraska, but this spread is pretty typical

[entropy]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNuioYzyX7Y"]Oregon Coach Greg Austin - YouTube[/ame]

[entropy]

Nebraska stuck with Tyronn Lue, so Tyronn Lue stuck with Nebraska.

That, in essence, is why Lue decided to play college basketball in Lincoln, where he became one of the top players in program history.

Next Saturday night, during halftime of the Nebraska-Michigan State basketball game, Nebraska will induct Lue, now an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics, into the Nebraska Basketball Hall of Fame.

He's the only inductee in the 2013 class.

?It?s a great honor,? Lue said in a phone interview. ?It shows that all the hard work you put in over the years, it all paid off.?

Lue was recruited by several schools when he was a senior at Raytown (Mo.) High School, but when he didn?t pass his ACT on his first try, many of those schools backed off.

Nebraska, meanwhile, told Lue it would take him as a partial qualifier ? which then was within the rules ? if he didn?t pass his ACT the second time.

?They continued to call, they continued to check on me and see how I was doing,? Lue said. ?All the other teams stopped checking on me.

?When I passed the test, all the schools came back to recruit me and were like, ?We knew you would pass,? and all that. But I stuck with Nebraska, because they stuck with me.?

Lue spent three seasons at Nebraska, from 1996-98, and led the Huskers to 59 wins and three postseason appearances, including the 1998 NCAA Tournament, before becoming a first-round draft pick of the Denver Nuggets in 1998.

He still ranks among Nebraska?s career leaders in 10 categories, including assists (432, fourth), scoring average (15.9, seventh), steals (154, seventh), points scored (1,577, eighth), three-pointers (145, eighth) and free-throw percentage (.788, eighth).

Lue said he?s looking forward to meeting first-year Nebraska coach Tim Miles, while also getting a firsthand look at the Hendricks Training Facility, which Celtics coach Doc Rivers visited last fall.

?He said it?s the best he?s ever seen,? said Lue, who?s in his fourth season under Rivers.

Lue?s goal is to become a head coach in the NBA.

?When I was player, and played for Doc Rivers in Orlando, he just said I?d be a great coach one day, and when I was done playing, I could come and coach for him,? Lue said.

?I called him up when I was done playing, and he had a job for me three days later. He?s a man of his word.?

Lue said he?s considered college coaching, but prefers being able to focus entirely on basketball at the professional level.

?I have my degree now, so I can go either way,? he said. ?I just have to weigh my options when the time presents itself.?

Lue said he?s also looking forward to seeing former football coach and athletic director Tom Osborne, who tried persuading Lue to play football, as a cornerback, when Lue was a freshman.

?I gave it a long thought, but my love was basketball the whole time,? Lue said. ?But it was a great honor, to have him call me and ask me to play on the team, when he just won a national championship.?

The Nebraska athletic department will honor Lue, along with special award winners Dave Hoppen and Osborne, during a ceremony at 6 p.m. Friday at Lincoln Station. Tickets are $35 apiece with discounts for group tables, and are available by contacting Chris Anderson at 402-472-7771, or canderson@huskers.com by Monday.





Post Extras:

[entropy]

Former Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne, left, visits David Humm on Jan. 28. Humm was a quarterback for Nebraska and was drafted in 1975 by the Oakland Raiders.

The powerful left arm that once rocketed footballs 60 yards downfield now has trouble with the smallest tasks. The legs that carried him into sold-out stadiums betrayed him long ago. But if you're thinking this was going to be one of those sentimental sob stories about a former college and professional ballplayer who laments his fate as he pines for the roar of the crowd and weeps over his yellowed press clippings, then you don't know David Humm.

I can think of no better time than Super Bowl Sunday to make the introduction. Between all the media hype and Madison Avenue marketing, it's easy to lose your perspective this time of year. On the day Americans gather in a great and gaudy congregation to worship in the Church of Football, a reality check is in order.

Humm provides that for me. At 60, his body wracked by multiple sclerosis, he really means it when he says he wouldn't trade his life with anyone. Listen to him for even a few minutes and you'll start to believe that wheelchair he uses and the increasing medical care he requires are mere inconveniences.

There was a time no one could have imagined he'd need the help. The native Las Vegan was a born All-American. A gifted athlete, he didn't play a down of football until his freshman year at Bishop Gorman High. Once he spun his first spiral, though, "I just fell in love with it." He's been in love with the game ever since. But football played at the highest level can be a demanding and even devastating mistress.

He couldn't have known that at Nebraska, where he made the game look easy. Humm helped lead the Cornhuskers to major bowl games and a national championship. Drafted in 1975 by the Oakland Raiders, he landed in the middle of one of the most colorful and successful franchises. In two stints with the Raiders, with stops in Buffalo and Baltimore in between, Humm adjusted to his role as a backup quarterback and holder on field goals and extra points, where the only time a player is noticed is when the snap is fumbled.

Between the endless practices and all those games, Humm's body took a beating. He suffered numerous concussions. "I don't know how many," he says. "There are the little ones. And there are the ones where you see the stars and the floaters, and there's the ringing and screaming of sirens in your ears. I might have had eight or 10 of those, but back then nobody counted them. "You'd get hit and they'd say, 'What day is it? Who are we playing?' You'd answer, and they'd say, 'That's close enough. Go back in.' And you did. It was just part of the game, but nobody thought it would lead to anything."

Humm left the sidelines for the broadcast booth after the 1983-84 season not knowing he was about to experience the biggest hit of his life. He was diagnosed with MS in 1988 at age 36. Talk about a blindside blitz. The disease has pursued him more relentlessly than any linebacker. Menacing defensive end Richard Dent once knocked out four of Humm's teeth, but that was a kiss on the cheek compared to battling the chronic disease that attacks the central nervous system.

If you're waiting for him to complain about his lot in life, you'll wait a long, long time. The man would rather talk about his daughter, Courtney, or his family and friends. Or just about any major high school, college, or professional game you can name. The truth is, it would take Humm half the morning just to list all the body parts that no longer function properly. But when I ask him to elaborate, he politely tells me to get stuffed. The disease hasn't damaged his candor, courage, or sense of humor.

"My MS started in 1988," he says. "I'm 25 years with it. It's work. It hurts. It's a job in itself. But, I mean, look at my life. I'm still with the Raiders (as a pre- and post-game radio broadcaster.) We live in Las Vegas. We have 40 million people visiting Las Vegas each year, and there are times I'd swear I know 20 million of them."

His estimate might be low. A never-ending parade of former college and NFL greats come to his front door, and thanks to a home studio he still contributes to Raiders broadcasts after nearly 30 years.

He lost the use of his legs in 1997, and increasingly relies on nursing assistance. Last year, he spent two months in the hospital battling the ravages of the disease - and was ticked off because he missed his Raiders broadcasts. "How do we put this in terms you'll understand? This disease can kiss my (expletive deleted) running. This disease doesn't slow me down in any way. I've got a chair on wheels. I've been to every one of my daughter's sports events."

Humm doesn't bother to count what's been lost. He's too busy adding up all his life's blessings. He has a daughter he adores, the love of a big family, and a stadium full of friends. And he still has the game that has helped define his life. "How do you like the picture I'm painting so far?" he asks. "So would you like any part of it? I played in my first Super Bowl in my second year in the league. How many players have gone a whole career and never played in one? Not only did I have a great time, but I've never been out of the game. And my family got to be involved in all the games, all the parties, all the parades. "I am blessed over and over. Some guys are bitter and some are sad, but look how lucky I've been. ... Life is very good."

With that, David Humm excuses himself. He has friends at the door, a game coming on, and a very good life, indeed.


John L. Smith's column appears Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Email him at Smith@reviewjournal.com or call 702-383-0295. He also blogs at lvrj.com/blogs/Smith.

[entropy]

By Randy York

On Saturday afternoon, Tim Miles was walking down the steps at the Hendricks Training Complex when he ?saw this line of dozens of people ? all in grey shirts ? and then I looked at one of those shirts and it said Doland on it,? Miles said. ?I got chills. Honest to God, I got chills, and I get chills again just talking about it. I had no idea they were coming.?

?They? were 56 Doland residents stepping inside a bus and heading to Lincoln, where they would surprise, even stun, their hometown hero. ?What was funny is I was sitting with my dad in the hospital, and he was telling me how Doland was bringing a bus down to Lincoln for our last home game (March 6 against Minnesota),? Miles said. ?They were calling it a field trip, so they could bring as many kids as possible to visit the campus and see what Nebraska is all about.?

That trip is still planned, but another one preceded it because nearly a third of Doland?s 180 residents didn?t want to wait.

So they chartered a bus to see Miles? team take the floor as a favorite to beat Penn State a second time before the Huskers take on 1 Indiana on the road Wednesday night and then host No. 8 Michigan State Saturday night.

?It was great, just great,? Miles said. ?I knew everybody because I coached their children ? their boys in Little League baseball and their girls in softball.?

This Fan Remembers Learning How to Spit

Angelia Hiles, 32, will never forget playing softball for Miles as a fifth-grader. ?He was a very good coach. He could motivate anyone,? she said. ?He had to teach everything because we didn?t know anything. I still remember him teaching all of us how to spit.?

Miles laughs when we ask him about the experience. ?I taught the girls how to spit correctly and rated them individually,? he recalled. ?That way, we could be productive while we were waiting for their moms to pick ?em up after practice.?

Hiles verifies the rating system. ?We all thought it was a very cool thing to learn,? she said. ?How can you not love Tim Miles? He has charisma, and he?s always smiling. We all got on that bus Saturday morning and came home in the snow Sunday morning because he has personality-plus. I?m a team-jumper and a coach-jumper. Wherever Tim goes, I go because he?s so down-to-earth. For all of us who came to Lincoln, he?s still a small-town boy and our hometown hero because whatever he accomplishes never goes to his head.?

Prep Coach Praises Miles? Aggressiveness

We ask two more bus-riding fans for their take on a fellow Doland native in his first year as Nebraska?s head coach.

?I coached Tim when he was a senior in high school,? said Larry Rahm, a Doland-area farmer who served as an assistant to fulfill an internship. ?Tim was one of the most aggressive basketball players I?ve ever seen. He?s very intelligent, very smart. Everything he?s done, he?s done well. And he?ll do good things at Nebraska, too.?

The best thing about Miles ?is his smile and his personality,? Raum said. ?If you?re around him, you?re going to like him. I?ve been to a couple of football games in Lincoln, but this was my first basketball game. We loved every minute of it. We?re excited to see a small-town kid make it big. I can?t imagine anything much harder than being a head basketball coach in the Big Ten, but he can do it.?

Tough challenges require inspired leaders. ?I predict Nebraska will make the NCAA Tournament in the next three or four years,? Rahm said, ?and I predict that they will win a game or two in that tournament. I can even see Tim getting Nebraska somewhere in the Final Top 25 rankings. If anyone can take Nebraska to the promised land, Tim can.?

Local Store Manager: Miles Smiles 24/7

Count Lori Remily, the manager of Doland?s local convenience store, among Miles? most inspired followers. ?Tim has a smile on his face 24/7,? she said. ?He was a great kid, really laid-back, but would do anything for you. He likes to get things done the way he wants them done, and he appreciates everyone who supports him ? from the top to the bottom.?

Saturday was Remily?s first trip in Lincoln. ?It was great!? she said. ?I mean, we support our hometown hero. They didn?t know we were coming, but they still put us up there on that big TV screen for everyone to see. We were all glad they did that because we?re proud of Tim. He?s always been a great coach, and he?s always been a great recruiter. And he?s doing well and will continue to do a great job at Nebraska.?

The bus that left Doland at 8 a.m. Saturday re-boarded Sunday at 6 a.m. and headed back to South Dakota. Inclement weather on the way back reduced driving speed to 40 miles-per-hour from Sioux Falls on home, making the ride about 2? hours longer than normal.

This Fan Sees ESPN in Tim Miles? Future

A few extra hours left the Tim Miles Fan Club undeterred. ?I?ve never seen any Division I game before, let alone one in Lincoln,? Hiles said. ?It was great. It was a good show. It was amazing. I think Tim?s found his dream destination, and I think he?s going to do amazing things for the Huskers. He?ll do the best he can to get everything out of that program that?s possible ? ever.?

Ever is a long time, so I ask Hiles, an operations administrator, if her hometown hero would ever leave Lincoln.

?I think someday we?ll all see a little more of Tim than we see now,? she said. ?Someday he?ll retire from coaching, and when he does, I think we?ll be watching him or listening to him on ESPN. Wouldn?t he be great doing something like that??

Miles indeed would fit the profile of an entertaining psychoanalyst for basketball ? at any level. But let?s watch this motivation machine and his tight-knit staff as they create some memories of their own before putting their leader in a studio to discuss someone else?s.

link (for a nice picture and Doland visitor comments):

http://huskernsider.tumblr.com/post/42864519841/doland-fans-surprise-their-hometown-hero?ATCLID=206327880&SPSID=597347&SPID=76795&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=100

"Don't pray when it rains, if you don't pray when the sun shines." Leroy "Satchel" Paige

Post Extras:

[entropy]

Big Ten Network sets NU baseball broadcasts

The Lincoln Journal Star


The Big Ten Conference and the Big Ten Network have announced their TV and BTN.com schedules for the 2013 baseball season. Nebraska is slated to make four nationally-televised appearances on BTN, with another nine games streamed live on BTN.com (subscription required).

Four of the BTN.com streams will also be shown live across the state of Nebraska on NET.

Overall, all 21 Husker home games will be either on TV or streamed on the internet, as HuskersNSide will stream 14 games that weren’t picked up by BTN or BTN.com.

Every Big Ten Conference series opener will be shown on either BTN or NET/BTN.com, while Nebraska’s game with preseason No. 1 Arkansas at Hawks Field on April 16 at 6:35 p.m. will also be shown nationally on the BTN. The Huskers’ April 9 meeting with Creighton at Hawks Field is also scheduled to be shown on NET/BTN.com.

Nebraska’s first road appearance on BTN will come on Friday, April 19, when the Huskers pay a visit to defending Big Ten champion Purdue. Games two and three of the weekend series will each be streamed on BTN.com.

Also on the road, Nebraska’s entire three-game series at Minnesota is scheduled to be streamed on BTN.com. The trip to Minnesota is the NU’s final regular-season road trip of the season.

BTN will offer its most extensive baseball and softball coverage ever, with over 220 events airing on BTN, BTN2Go and BTN.com for the 2013 season. BTN will air at least 84 conference matchups, including the entire Big Ten Baseball Tournament, which will take place at Target Field in Minneapolis.

Highlights and coverage of Big Ten baseball and softball will be featured on the Diamond Report, which airs Sunday nights during the season beginning in April. Hosts Rick Pizzo, Mike Hall and various analysts will discuss Big Ten matchups and breakout performances from the weekend’s games.

2013 BTN Schedule

Friday, March 29 – Northwestern

Tuesday, April 16 – Arkansas

Friday, April 19 – at Purdue

Saturday, May 4 – Indiana

2013 NET & BTN.com Schedule

Tuesday, April 9 – Creighton (NET/BTN.com)

Friday, April 12 – Ohio State (NET/BTN.com)

Saturday, April 20 – at Purdue (BTN.com)

Sunday, April 21 – at Purdue (BTN.com)

Sunday, May 5 – Indiana (NET/BTN.com)

Friday, May 10 – at Minnesota (BTN.com)

Saturday, May 11 - at Minnesota (BTN.com)

Sunday, May 12 - at Minnesota (BTN.com)

Thursday, May 16 – Michigan (NET/BTN.com)

[entropy]

http://sports.omaha.com/2013/02/12/ad-shawn-eichorst-talks-big-ten-meetings-recruiting-new-arena/

AD Shawn Eichorst talks Big Ten meetings, recruiting, new arena

[entropy]

http://ev9.evenue.net/evenue/linkID=huskers/images/maps/FB_Waitlist_2013_121212.pdf

does michigan have this high of donation levels??? or do they price it into the ticket?

[Jeff Buchanan]

The approach the M athletic department uses seems more complicated than it needs to be but go to these links and you'll see what it costs.

http://www.mgoblue.com/genrel/121012aaa.html

http://www.michiganstadiumproject.com/east_second_club_level.php

[entropy]

http://dataomaha.com/documents/husker-recruiting-changes-shrink-nus-sphere-of-influence

Interesting stats on states and shrinking div 1 players

[Jeff Buchanan]

That IS interesting. I bet every Big Ten School could compile stat sheets like that. I still think, and only from what I read from posters who follow recruiting much Moore closely than I do, that there are still high school recruiting hot spots in the mid-west that M and osu tap successfully and where they get talent that pans out. But the demographics are, in general, a negative for the prospects of the B10 going forward.

The bottom line is that the B10 will continue to play football in its tradtional mold - power behind a predominantly conservative, defense based strategy. Players who succeed in the B10 will fit that mold. While speedy skill players on offense and LBs and DBs with speed will greatly enhance the chances of national success for teams that can rercruit them in the BIG, those kinds of players ar more likely to go south and play in the SEC. Advantage SEC ...... And what's new about that.

[entropy]

Ken Clark suffered a heart attack this weekend... Sad. Great IB for UNL and from everything I know, a great person

http://youtu.be/qofc01CgdRk

1988 vs Barry Sanders..

[entropy]

Jeff... I think UNL's old offense would make a difference. But the BIG needs to take more chances on athletes and make them football players. Also, the north needs to do more to help develop these kids. Spring football would be a start.

[Wild Hoss]

Culture plays a role too. IMO more athletes that might be multi-sport "tweeners" in the south will choose football. That decent point guard plays CB. That good wrestler plays LB. in B1G country a higher percentage will give basketball or wrestling a shot. Plus there's lacross and gymnastics to swipe a few athletes.

I also wonder how many of that larger number of kids in the south are simple washouts...either overrated to begin with due to bias for southern kids, or "reaches" that southern teams take because they have zero compunction in cutting their bag in two years. There is a large difference between signing and playing which isn't represented in those numbers.

[entropy]

hoss.. agree. I think there is a definate southern bias in recruiting and rankings.

But I also know kids in the south play more football.. and therefore, are more prepared coming out of HS.