Huskers Hope to Rebound from Tough 2001 Season

Lincoln -- After a young bunch of Huskers struggled through the 2000-01 season, the Nebraska women's basketball team hopes to enjoy the fruits of experience this season.

Although the Huskers failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in Coach Paul Sanderford's first four seasons at Nebraska, Sanderford remains optimistic about the future with 11 returning letterwinners, including four regular starters, and a trio of All-America-caliber newcomers planning to make a run at the 2002 NCAA Tournament.

Along with a mix of young and talented players, Sanderford and the Huskers plan to display a faster, exciting style of play.

"We want an athletic team that has the quickness to put pressure on the basketball and play the up-tempo style that I like to play. We also want to be as well-conditioned and as strong as any team in the country." -- Paul Sanderford

"We want an athletic team that has the quickness to put pressure on the basketball and play the up-tempo style that I like to play," Sanderford said. "We also want to be as well-conditioned and as strong as any team in the country."

Nebraska's top returning scorer, Shannon Howell, should be well-suited for Sanderford's faster attack this season.

The sophomore from Los Angeles, Calif., averaged 8.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and a team-leading 3.1 assists as Nebraska's point guard as a true freshman.

Howell continued to show improvement throughout the season and scored in double figures in each of the Huskers' final four games, including a 17-point, eight-rebound effort in Nebraska's season finale against Texas in the Big 12 Tournament.

Along with Howell's offensive skills, she is also one of the Huskers' top one-on-one defenders, which could help Nebraska's transition game this season. With 21 starts last season, Sanderford said the Huskers will rely on Howell's experience.

"Shannon is a smart player who understands what parts of her game need to get better. She also understands how to get things done," Sanderford said. "Nothing will replace the 28 games of experience she got last year. Maturity will be a huge factor because we are still going to be a young team. She definitely gained a lot of experience by playing under the burden of trying to run a struggling basketball team."

Much of Howell's leadership burden on the court last season could be lifted with a switch from point guard to shooting guard this season.

Sanderford hopes that Howell's move to the two-guard spot will be possible because of the emergence of junior transfer Keasha Cannon and true freshman Jina Johansen.

Cannon, a two-time NJCAA All-American at Penn Valley Community College, could find immediate playing time at point guard in Nebraska's lineup. The Kansas City, Kan., native ranked among the top 20 in NJCAA Division II in scoring, assists, field goal percentage and free throw percentage in each of her junior college seasons. Last season she guided Penn Valley to a 25-1 record and a No. 2 national ranking at the end of the regular season before advancing to the Elite Eight in the 2001 NJCAA Division II Tournament.

Along with averaging more than 20 points per game during her junior college career, Cannon averaged better than eight assists per contest, which could allow her to make all the players around her better.

"Keasha has a tremendous instinct for the game of basketball," Sanderford said. "She brings her passing game to the table. She has the ability to get the ball to people that maybe we have lacked the past few years. She is also an outstanding rebounder, which could allow her to be versatile enough to play the one-, two- or three-guard spots."

Like Cannon, Johansen is a talented distributor with electrifying passing skills. Although she lacks Cannon's experience, Johansen's ability to penetrate and shoot off the dribble could earn her playing time as a true freshman.

The Dannebrog, Neb., native finished sixth in Nebraska high school history with 2,064 career points after averaging 23.9 points, 8.5 assists, 6.5 steals and 5.0 rebounds per game at Centura High School. She was a two-time Omaha World-Herald All-Nebraska and Lincoln Journal Star Super-State selection and a two-time member of the Daubert-Pinnacle Bank Nebraska All-Star squad.

"Jina is a protypical point guard. She wants to get the ball to people. That's her No. 1 priority. She's a tremendous passer, and she understands the game," Sanderford said. "She could also create a shot and shoot off the dribble as well as any high school player in the country last year. She has the innate ability to make the four other players on the court with her better basketball players. She is also a gym rat, so I think it will be hard to keep her off the court."

Along with Cannon and Johansen battling for significant playing time at point guard, Nebraska's most-heralded newcomer could also see plenty of playing time as a true freshman.

Katie Robinette comes to the Husker program as the top recruit in school history. The 6-2 forward from high school powerhouse South Sioux City was honored as the Gatorade Circle of Champions Nebraska Player of the Year in both her junior and senior years, while being ranked as the No. 1 high school recruit in the nation as a junior in 1999.

Robinette was one of 20 players chosen to play in the 2001 Phoenix/WBCA High School All-America Game in Hartford, Conn., after closing her high school career with 1,944 points, 897 rebounds, 344 steals and 309 assists.

The four-time first-team All-Nebraska selection by the Omaha World-Herald was twice invited to Nike All-America Summer Camp and chose Nebraska over Connecticut, Notre Dame and Iowa State.

"Katie comes to our program with amazing credentials," Sanderford said. "She is going to be an impact player in our program because she can rebound, she runs well and she fits the mold of being interchangeable. She is also a strong defensive player, and coming from South Sioux City, she knows how to win basketball games."

With all three newcomers battling for immediate playing time, Nebraska's talented juniors and sophomores should benefit from the intense battles in practice during fall camp.

"The backcourt is going to be tremendously competitive, and I think we are going to develop some good depth because of that. Shahidrah Roberts and Margaret Richards both did some good things for us last year and gained some experience as starters as sophomores, which will help them, and K.C. Cowgill may have been our best offensive player as a true freshman until she got hurt. Candace Blackbird is one of our most experienced players and she will also be in the mix in the backcourt because of the leadership that she has shown during the off-season."

Roberts was Nebraska's second-leading scorer during Big 12 Conference play last season, averaging 8.1 points and 3.8 rebounds per game in league play. Her production was even better in the final seven regular-season games, when she averaged 10.4 points and 4.0 rebounds per contest, including five double-figure scoring performances.

"Shahidrah's quickness and athleticism allow her to put a lot of pressure on the ball," Sanderford said. "She is also a proven shooter, so she fits pretty well into the idea of an up-tempo, transition style of game."

"Our goals haven't changed. We want to finish in the top four in the Big 12, and we want to play in the NCAA Tournament. We have the talent and the ability to get back in the top 25. Our goal is to be there every year." -- Paul Sanderford

Richards showed glimpses of greatness in her first season in the Husker lineup. The 5-9, junior guard from Louisville, Ky., started Nebraska's first five games of the season and its first five Big 12 contests, but struggled with her consistency to average 5.3 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.

Sanderford said an increased emphasis on the transition game could help fit Richards' strengths.

"Margaret is much better in the open floor, Sanderford said. "Defensively, she has the quickness and athletic ability to make things happen."

Cowgill, a 5-8 sophomore guard from Grand Island, Neb., was Nebraska's second-leading scorer through the Huskers' first eight games a year ago. Cowgill averaged 10.1 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, while knocking down a team-leading 13 three-pointers during that span. At that pace, Cowgill would have connected on 49 three-pointers during the year, which would have been the third-highest single-season total in school history.

After scoring a career-high 23 points and pulling down a career-best eight rebounds against St. Peter's on Dec. 10, Cowgill missed the next 12 games with a stress reaction in her left foot. Although she returned to the court Jan. 31 against Kansas, Cowgill did not return to full speed until the last game of the year against Texas in the Big 12 Tournament.

If Cowgill returns to 100 percent this season, she could become a major long-range weapon in the Husker attack.

"Her work ethic is her biggest strength as a basketball player, and her ability to get back on the court and go to work and get her quickness and strength back will be a key for K.C.," Sanderford said. "If she is healthy, she will give us an added dimension with her excellent outside shooting ability."

Blackbird, who was a senior at South Sioux City High School during Robinette's freshman year, enters her fourth season with the Huskers and joins Amanda Cleveland as the only players with more than two years of experience at Nebraska.

The 6-0 swing player has started at least one game in both of her seasons on the court with the Huskers. She has shown flashes of her scoring and rebounding abilities at Nebraska, and Sanderford said Blackbird would also gain a great deal from the Huskers' shift to a more up-tempo style.

"The transition game really benefits Candace and her skills," Sanderford said. "I have been impressed with her work ethic, and she has really matured a lot during the past year. She has a chance to be a leader on our ballclub."

Along with a talented and deep backcourt, the Huskers should also benefit from an experienced front court, that includes returning part-time starters Stephanie Jones, Paige Sutton and Greichaly Cepero.

Despite missing most of Nebraska's non-conference season as a freshman last season, Greichaly Cepero made the second-most starts for the Huskers last season. Cepero's 16 starts trailed only Howell's 21 starts, while Cepero's 5.3 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game were the top numbers among returning Huskers. Her 6.1 points per game rank third among returning Huskers.

"Greichaly probably did more than anyone could possibly have expected considering her two-year absence from basketball and then to come in without any practice in December," Sanderford said. "To come in and end up starting the majority of our games was amazing."

Cepero, the 2000 AVCA National Volleyball Player of the Year, led the Huskers to a perfect 34-0 record and the NCAA title as a sophomore on the volleyball court. The 6-2 forward from Dorado, Puerto Rico, should benefit from a year of experience against Big 12 basketball competition.

"She is going to be so much better prepared for basketball, especially the physical part of the game, than she was last year," Sanderford said. "She is going to be a tremendous player for us."

Jones, a 6-2 forward from Omaha, Neb., continued to improve throughout the season after returning from an ACL injury as a freshman. Jones missed 24 games for the Huskers as a true freshman in 1999-2000 after suffering a season-ending knee injury in game seven.

Despite a relatively slow start as a sophomore, Jones enters her junior year as Nebraska's second-leading returning scorer and rebounder, averaging 6.4 points and 4.5 boards per game last season. In Nebraska's last seven games, Jones produced double figures on five occasions.

"Stephanie Jones was probably our most improved player during the year," Sanderford said. "Defensively, she has improved tremendously, and we are working hard to improve her ball-handling skills."

Jones continued to show improvement during the summer while traveling to Europe with the Big 12 Foreign All-Star team. During the five-game trip in August, Jones averaged 9.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, including a 19-point effort in the final game of the trip.

Sutton, a 6-2 forward/center from San Diego, Calif., developed into Nebraska's floor leader as the 2000-01 season progressed. Although she averaged just 3.2 points and 2.7 rebounds per game on the season, she showed her explosiveness by knocking down a career-high five three-pointers while scoring 15 points against Iowa State on Feb. 4. Sutton finished the season with 11 starts, including 10 starts in Big 12 play.

"Paige has very good leadership ability," Sanderford said. "She is going to be a big factor for us during the fall and into the season because we are such a young team."

Alexa Johnson will add depth inside while continuing her adjustment to Division I basketball. Last season as a true freshman, Johnson averaged 1.7 points and 0.7 rebounds per game in 20 appearances with one start.

"She's a good player," Sanderford said, "and I think she is going to develop into a quality basketball player for us in the future."

At center, the Huskers will rely on their only senior, Amanda Cleveland, and sophomore Katie Morse. Cleveland is in her fifth year with the Huskers, but is entering just her second full season on the court after missing her entire sophomore and junior seasons while recovering from aplastic anemia, a blood disorder that causes extreme fatigue.

Cleveland's return to the court was nothing short of a miracle last season after being bed-ridden by the potentially fatal disease for several months as a true freshman.

While struggling to regain her stamina, the 6-3 forward/center from Lancaster, Texas, managed 0.6 points and 0.6 rebounds per game in 22 appearances.

"She's by far the most athletic player on our team," Sanderford said. "We know she can play defense. If she can rebound and regain her stamina, then she is going to play a lot for us."

While Cleveland continues her miraculous comeback, Morse is working to earn a spot in the starting lineup. The 6-4 sophomore from Minden, Iowa, averaged 0.8 points and 1.2 rebounds per game as a true freshman last season, but impressed her coaches and teammates with her impressive work ethic.

"From October of last year to September of this year, Katie has made as much improvement as any player I've ever had in 25 years of coaching," Sanderford said. "If she continues to improve at that rate, she is going to be a strong inside player."

While Sanderford is enthused by the improvements that each of the young Huskers have shown, he also realizes the daunting task Nebraska must face to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament. For the Huskers to reach the Big Dance for the fourth time in Sanderford's five seasons in Lincoln, they must climb the ladder in a loaded Big 12 Conference schedule.

Oklahoma, Iowa State, Texas Tech, Colorado and Baylor all return with virtually unchanged lineups after advancing to the NCAA Tournament last season. Along with those five powerful teams, Texas, which was the youngest Big 12 team to advance to the NCAA Tournament last season, returns with preseason top-25 expectations, while Oklahoma State, Kansas State and Missouri should all factor into the hunt for NCAA bids.

Despite the strength in the conference, Sanderford said Nebraska's focus remains the same.

"Our goals haven't changed," Sanderford said. "We want to finish in the top four in the Big 12, and we want to play in the NCAA Tournament. We have the talent and the ability to get back in the top 25. Our goal is to be there every year."