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Nebraska aims for back-to-back national titles, it’s worth repeating how coach John Cook described his feelings heading into this year’s NCAA Tournament.
“I feel as relaxed as I’ve ever felt going into a tournament,” he said.
That’s big news, considering that a year ago, not even a half-hour on the massage table could loosen up a Nebraska team burdened with trying to make it back to Omaha for the NCAA final four.
This year, the Huskers have worn the target of national champions from day one, and took some hits when beaten at Texas and pushed to five games by Missouri and Kansas State.
But as the team eyes first- and second-round matches at the NU Coliseum and a stout Madison (Wis.) Regional, Cook said the experience of winning last year’s title might be the best thing the Huskers have going for them.
“We know we’re going to have some really tough, close matches, but I think we’ve really prepared well mentally, physically and tactically,” he said. “We did a great job of managing this fall, of dealing with the expectations and taking everybody’s best shots. We sputtered there for a while, but our team, I think, has continued to get better and play well.
“I don’t know what else we could have possibly done.”
Only five programs have ever repeated as national champion, and none since USC in 2002-03.
There were few, if any, surprises for Nebraska in Sunday’s announcement of the 64-team tournament bracket. The Huskers were literally assured of playing at home this weekend once South Dakota State — Friday’s opening-round opponent at 7 p.m. — clinched a berth as champion of The Summit League.
Geographical considerations are factored into the bracket and contributed to five of this year’s top 16 seeds being sent on the road.
South Dakota State’s roster includes only one Nebraskan, freshman Ashley Kathol of Omaha Skutt, and facing the second-ranked Huskers promises to be quite a NCAA Tournament debut for the team.
All season, the Jackrabbits played just one team whose program has the backing of a football team in a Bowl Championship Series conference. In that match, they were swept by a Washington State team that finished 1-17 in the Pac-10 this season.
Western Kentucky and 22nd-ranked Wichita State, two programs that, combined, have one all-time NCAA Tournament win, complete this weekend’s field in Lincoln.
“I’ll remind our team of last year, when we went four games with American,” Cook cautioned.
Down the road, the Madison Regional could be “Old Home Week” for Cook, who coached host Wisconsin for seven seasons prior to leaving for Nebraska. Kentucky, coached by former NU and Wisconsin assistant Craig Skinner, is a potential opponent for the Huskers in the regional semifinals.
And there are other ties. First-year assistant Lizzy Stemke was an All-American as a player at Wisconsin, and fellow assistant Lee Maes came to Nebraska from California, another potential opponent on the “Road to Sacramento.”
“It’s been so long since I coached there,” Cook said, downplaying the nostalgia factor. “I just know it’s a fun place to play, they’ll have a great crowd and it’s going to be very competitive.
“And it’s going to be closer to home for us.”
After being the nation’s No. 1 overall seed the past three years, the Huskers are No. 2 this time around.
Stanford, despite being ranked No. 3 in the coaches’ poll, earned the top seed after clinching the Pac-10 championship.
The Cardinal, like top-ranked and No. 3 seed Penn State, won’t have to leave home prior to the final four. The Nittany Lions should face sixth-ranked Washington in the finals of the University Park Regional.
Texas, the No. 4 seed overall, is the highest seed in the Gainesville Regional. The Longhorns likely will meet host Florida in the regional semifinals, with the winner expected to match up against fifth-ranked USC.
Although NU had to win its final eight regular-season matches to share the Big 12 title with Texas, Cook said that there’s been little to excite and energize his team until now. Given the history of the program, the players understand that their legacy will be determined by how they do in the tournament.
“This is the time where you really get to show what you’re made of,” senior middle blocker Tracy Stalls said Sunday. “Are you a championship team?”
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“I feel as relaxed as I’ve ever felt going into a tournament,” he said.
That’s big news, considering that a year ago, not even a half-hour on the massage table could loosen up a Nebraska team burdened with trying to make it back to Omaha for the NCAA final four.
This year, the Huskers have worn the target of national champions from day one, and took some hits when beaten at Texas and pushed to five games by Missouri and Kansas State.
But as the team eyes first- and second-round matches at the NU Coliseum and a stout Madison (Wis.) Regional, Cook said the experience of winning last year’s title might be the best thing the Huskers have going for them.
“We know we’re going to have some really tough, close matches, but I think we’ve really prepared well mentally, physically and tactically,” he said. “We did a great job of managing this fall, of dealing with the expectations and taking everybody’s best shots. We sputtered there for a while, but our team, I think, has continued to get better and play well.
“I don’t know what else we could have possibly done.”
Only five programs have ever repeated as national champion, and none since USC in 2002-03.
There were few, if any, surprises for Nebraska in Sunday’s announcement of the 64-team tournament bracket. The Huskers were literally assured of playing at home this weekend once South Dakota State — Friday’s opening-round opponent at 7 p.m. — clinched a berth as champion of The Summit League.
Geographical considerations are factored into the bracket and contributed to five of this year’s top 16 seeds being sent on the road.
South Dakota State’s roster includes only one Nebraskan, freshman Ashley Kathol of Omaha Skutt, and facing the second-ranked Huskers promises to be quite a NCAA Tournament debut for the team.
All season, the Jackrabbits played just one team whose program has the backing of a football team in a Bowl Championship Series conference. In that match, they were swept by a Washington State team that finished 1-17 in the Pac-10 this season.
Western Kentucky and 22nd-ranked Wichita State, two programs that, combined, have one all-time NCAA Tournament win, complete this weekend’s field in Lincoln.
“I’ll remind our team of last year, when we went four games with American,” Cook cautioned.
Down the road, the Madison Regional could be “Old Home Week” for Cook, who coached host Wisconsin for seven seasons prior to leaving for Nebraska. Kentucky, coached by former NU and Wisconsin assistant Craig Skinner, is a potential opponent for the Huskers in the regional semifinals.
And there are other ties. First-year assistant Lizzy Stemke was an All-American as a player at Wisconsin, and fellow assistant Lee Maes came to Nebraska from California, another potential opponent on the “Road to Sacramento.”
“It’s been so long since I coached there,” Cook said, downplaying the nostalgia factor. “I just know it’s a fun place to play, they’ll have a great crowd and it’s going to be very competitive.
“And it’s going to be closer to home for us.”
After being the nation’s No. 1 overall seed the past three years, the Huskers are No. 2 this time around.
Stanford, despite being ranked No. 3 in the coaches’ poll, earned the top seed after clinching the Pac-10 championship.
The Cardinal, like top-ranked and No. 3 seed Penn State, won’t have to leave home prior to the final four. The Nittany Lions should face sixth-ranked Washington in the finals of the University Park Regional.
Texas, the No. 4 seed overall, is the highest seed in the Gainesville Regional. The Longhorns likely will meet host Florida in the regional semifinals, with the winner expected to match up against fifth-ranked USC.
Although NU had to win its final eight regular-season matches to share the Big 12 title with Texas, Cook said that there’s been little to excite and energize his team until now. Given the history of the program, the players understand that their legacy will be determined by how they do in the tournament.
“This is the time where you really get to show what you’re made of,” senior middle blocker Tracy Stalls said Sunday. “Are you a championship team?”
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