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UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Monday, December 11, 1967
Experience, youth pace Cornhuskers
This is the sixth in a series of articles analyzing each of the Big Eight teams.
By Mike Jones Kansan Staff Reporter
Two high scoring sophomores and a pair of hot-shooting seniors give Nebraska a good chance to challenge for the Big Eight title this season.
Sophomore Bob Gratepp, 6-4, averaged 19.5 points for the Huskers in his first two games, and guard Tom Scantlebury averaged 17.5.
Senior guard Stuart Lantz, an All-Big Eight selection last season, is scoring at a 13.5 point clip; 6-5 Tom Baack is averaging 16 points per game.
In their first two games, the Huskers have averaged a towering 102.5 points a game. Thus far they have beaten California State 111-74 and South Dakota 94-61.
The Nebraska squad toured Mexico this summer playing exhibition games. "We are ahead of last year because of our summer drills," Coach Joe Cipriano said. "The players are really working hard and showing a great deal of hustle and pride. We have improved on individual defense, and we are improving on team defense.
Also slated to see plenty of action for the Huskers this year are guard Jim Damm, forward Rodger Leitner and guard Fred Hare.
Hare is a 6-2 letterman from Omaha. He sat out last season with a knee injury but has worked hard and it now battling for a starting berth.
"Fred is in the thick of the fight for a guard spot," Cipriano said. "In fact, he certainly could become a starter. He's playing much better now than he ever did as a sophomore or a junior."
"We know he can shoot and his rebounding has always been great, so with defensive improvement Fred is becoming a complete player," Cipriano said.
Damm, a 6-3 senior, started for the Huskers last season and plays very good defense, but lacks a scoring punch. Leitner is a 6-6 junior who saw action in 18 games last year, but averaged only two points a contest. He has improved this season and has averaged 10 points a game through the first two contests.
Cipriano feels that the strongest part of his team will be forward position.
Kansan sports staff prediction for Nebraska: Third.
PERFECTION ON THE PARALLEL BARS
A KU gymnast goes through his routine on the parallel bars in Friday's dual meet against Western Illinois. The Jayhawks swept the first three places in the still rings, long horse, parallel bars, high bar and all-around, en route to a 168.05-155.85 victory.
Lockwood impressed with gymnast's debut
KU gymnastics coach Bob Lockwood was impressed with KU's 168.05-155.85 victory over Western Illinois Friday night.
"We are much stronger than we were last year," Lockwood said. "We only scored 170 points three times last year and we almost made it to 170 in our first meet of this season."
Lockwood said he was particularly pleased with the performance of junior Robert Pierson.
"Pierson is doing a great job for
us," Lockwood said. "He is in great shape for this early in the season."
Pierson won the all-around division, capturing first in the floor exercise, parallel bars and the long horse.
Lockwood said he was also happy with the performance of junior Steve Pyle. Pyle won the still rings with a score of 9.10.
Lockwood said he felt that the team would improve.
MVP award given to KU quarterback
Junior quarterback Bob Douglass was named the outstanding Jayhawk player of 1967 Friday at the annual football banquet.
The Ormand Beach Award, named in honor of the great Kansas fullback of the 1930's, went to Douglass, who led the team in scoring, passing and total offense, broke four school records and missed by eight yards, the all-time Big Eight total offense record.
The Mike Getto Award for the outstanding lineman was given to John Zook, junior defensive end, who repeatedly harassed quarterbacks and broke up end sweeps in the Jayhawk's rise from the cellar.
The Don Pierce Award, given to the player making the most tackles, went to Mickey Doyle. The junior linebacker amassed 114 tackles this year in beating out all-conference linebacker Mike Sweatman. Doyle led the team in four games and established a one-game high of 19 against Missouri.
The Art Weaver Scholarship Award winner was senior quarterback Dave Bouda, who has compiled a 2.33 grade average, has been on the Dean's Honor Roll three times and was recently admitted to the KU med school.
Three new awards were given this year: The Jayhawk Trophy to the most spirited and inspirational player went to John Jackson, the Coaches Trophy for the outstanding senior was given to Mike Sweatman and the Freshman Captain's Award voted by team went to Dale Holt.