Huskers Hope for More Momentum in 2007

Momentum.

Every program wants it. From pulling away down the stretch in a big game, to riding a long winning streak, teams scrap, fight and battle to build momentum.

Once that momentum gets rolling in the right direction, it can take a team for a ride all the way to the top.

In Coach Connie Yori's first four seasons at Nebraska, the Huskers have worked to build momentum.

It wasn't easy.

It never is.

Yori was faced with a roster that had only five scholarship players and a program that had suffered through back-to-back losing seasons.

Now the Huskers are coming off three consecutive trips to the postseason and have shown the work ethic and determination to overcome major challenges.

Not only have the Huskers advanced to postseason play, they have won there, marching to the third round of the 2006 Women's National Invitational Tournament.

Last season, the Huskers built momentum by winning every rematch with their Big 12 North Division counterparts.

Nebraska's momentum continues into the 2006-07 season, as the Huskers return their most talented and experienced roster in Yori's career at NU.

"This year I think we finally have the kind of players on our roster that will allow us to play the kind of basketball my teams have traditionally played," Yori said. "We think we can be an up-tempo team that applies a lot of defensive pressure. We also think we can be physical enough to match the power teams in the Big 12."

Hardy, Seniors Set the Tone
Nebraska's roster features preseason All-American and two-time first-team All-Big 12 guard Kiera Hardy.

Hardy's growth in the Husker lineup has mirrored the rise of the Nebraska program.

A lightly recruited and somewhat undersized high school player at O'Hara High School in Kansas City, Mo., Hardy came to Nebraska because she loved the Huskers and believed she could help a once-proud program achieve success again.

In Hardy's freshman season in 2003-04, she came off the bench and made increasing contributions throughout the season. By the end of the season, Hardy had been a major player in the Huskers' first postseason trip under Yori.

But that was just the beginning. As a sophomore, Hardy established herself as one of the most exciting players in the Big 12 Conference, averaging nearly 21 points per game during league play and tying a school record with 85 three-pointers.

Although she earned first-team All-Big 12 honors as a sophomore, she continued her growth in Nebraska's system. As a junior, she focused on getting her teammates more involved, dishing out 34 more assists on the season while committing 24 fewer turnovers and taking nearly two fewer shots per game.

She also increased her steals total for the third straight season, demonstrating her desire to become a more complete all-around player.

Hardy's hard work was rewarded with a repeat first-team All-Big 12 award, and entering this season she was named an honorable-mention All-American by Street & Smith's.

"Kiera has worked hard to make herself a better basketball player during her career," Yori said. "From the start of her career to the end, she has made some of the most dramatic improvements of any player I have ever coached. We hope that continues this season."

As does Hardy, who would like nothing more than to lead the Huskers to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2000.

Although Hardy is the headliner for the Huskers, Nebraska has an abundance of senior leadership in 2006-07.

Forward Chelsea Aubry might be the most experienced player on Nebraska's roster. A three-year captain, Aubry is a member of the Canadian Senior National Team and helped her country qualify for the World Championships in 2006.

Aubry spent an extended summer spanning the globe competing against the best players in the world.

She hopes her experiences will translate into her best season as a Husker.

Aubry enters the season primed to return to her natural power forward position after being forced into action on the wing last year.

"Chelsea gained some great international experience this summer at the World Championships, so that should help her," Yori said. "We also think that moving back to the four-spot is going to give her a chance to have her best season at Nebraska."

Aubry's return to power forward is made possible primarily by the return of 2005 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year Jelena Spiric to the Nebraska lineup.

Spiric missed all of the 2005-06 season after suffering a knee injury in fall practice on Oct. 18. It was Spiric's second major knee injury in a 19-month span, and it left the six-foot Serbian considering an end to her collegiate career.

Despite earning her bachelor's degree from Nebraska in biochemistry and having a potential professional career waiting for her in Europe, Spiric chose to return to the Huskers for a memorable senior season.

One of the most versatile players in the Big 12, Spiric has the ability to play all three backcourt positions and can score on the block with her back to the basket. She is also a solid long-range shooter who can wreak havoc on opposing defenses.

"Jelena made the most of her year away from competition," Yori said. "She worked hard in her rehabilitation and she is in the best shape of her career. We hope she can have a great senior season."

Nebraska's fourth senior is point guard Ashley Ford. The Lincoln native provided a solid option in the backcourt last season and has made major improvements during the offseason.

Ford will contend for a starting job while providing leadership to a young and talented group of backcourt players.

Griffin Gives Huskers Inside Presence
While the senior trio of Hardy, Aubry and Spiric will give the Huskers three battle-tested veterans in the Big 12, sophomore Kelsey Griffin may provide the Huskers with their toughest competitor inside.

As a true freshman a year ago, Griffin took the Big 12 by storm, earning a spot on the league's five-player All-Freshman Team while also claiming the title of Big 12 Freshman of the Year from the Dallas Morning News.

An achievement made even more impressive by Oklahoma freshman sensation Courtney Paris, who earned first-team All-America honors with one of the most dominant freshman campaigns in NCAA history.

Griffin averaged 13.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game despite being limited significantly through Nebraska's final nine games by illness.

The first Husker from the state of Alaska, Griffin produced two of the best performances by a freshman in school history with 31 points and 14 rebounds against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and 28 points and 12 rebounds at Kansas State later in the season.

"Kelsey has an outstanding work ethic and she knows how to play hard when she's out on the court," Yori said. "Her illness really limited one of the strengths of her game last season, which was her ability to go all out for long periods of time.

"If she is fully healthy, her energy level and aggressiveness on the court are tough to stop. She has also continued to develop her skills away from the basket, which should make her even tougher to defend."

Fellow sophomore TK LaFleur made major strides as the 2005-06 season progressed. The 5-8 guard from Houston, Texas, picked up much of the scoring slack left by Griffin's illness.

LaFleur was a major player in the Huskers' 7-3 record in the final 10 games. Over the final seven games, LaFleur averaged 7.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per game, significant increases from her season averages of 5.4 points and 1.9 boards per contest.

A speedy guard with outstanding defensive abilities, LaFleur could play an even larger role in Nebraska's fortunes this season.

"TK has tremendous talents and has continued to improve as a player," Yori said. "She has grown in all facets of her game and in being a student-athlete in her first full year in our program. We expect her to have a great season."

Page Working to Return from Injury
Nebraska's lone junior, 6-2 forward Danielle Page has provided the Huskers with a dominant defensive presence and some offensive punch in her first two seasons.

Page, who ranks seventh on Nebraska's career blocked shot list, enters the 2006-07 season on the mend after suffering a knee injury that required surgery in May.

Page is expected to miss Nebraska's non-conference season, but has been doing well in her rehabilitation over the past five months.

Along with her knee injury, Page was challenged with a breathing condition throughout last season that limited her playing time and conditioning level. Page's ability to overcome these challenges and contribute for the Huskers during the Big 12 season could provide a major storyline to NU's success.

"Danielle has some physical problems she has to overcome in order to help us on the court this season," Yori said. "She is keeping a positive attitude and has been working hard to get back on the court and reach her potential as a player. We need Danielle back healthy."

Five Freshmen Ready to Contribute
In addition to her most experienced roster, Yori will be able to blend in her most talented freshman class at Nebraska this season.

The new crop of Cornhuskers includes WBCA High School All-American Yvonne Turner from Omaha, Iowa Female Athlete of the Year Kala Kuhlmann, All-Arizona guard Nicole Neals, All-Minnesota forward Cory Montgomery and All-Nebraska center Nikki Bober.

Turner, the first Nebraskan selected to play in the WBCA High School All-America game since 2001, headlines the group but has been slowed by a stress fracture in her foot. She will spend eight weeks in a walking boot, which could limit her contributions for the Huskers early in the season.

If Turner is able to return to health, Yori said she could make an immediate impact at both ends of the court for the Huskers.

"She enjoys playing tenacious defense and is extremely good with the ball in the open court," Yori said. "Our style of play fits hand-in-hand with Vonnie's strengths."

Although Turner was an All-American, three other Husker freshmen actually enjoyed more scoring success than Turner during their prep careers.

Kuhlmann, Neals and Montgomery all put up staggering scoring numbers against high school competition, and are hoping to continue their success at the collegiate level.

Kuhlmann, a 5-8 guard from Charter Oak, Iowa, closed her career as the fourth-leading scorer in the history of the state of Iowa. She scored 2,337 points, despite being limited her junior year by a knee injury.

Neals, a 5-6 guard from Chandler, Ariz., was not far behind. Like Kuhlmann, Neals finished as her high school's career scoring leader with 2,298 points.

Unlike Kuhlmann, who played at one of the smallest schools in Iowa, Neals played for one of the most dominant high school teams in the country, St. Mary's of Phoenix. Neals' senior class featured NCAA Division I recruits Dymond Simon and Kayli Murphy (Arizona State) and Taylor Schneider (Texas-Pan American).

Montgomery, a 6-2 forward from Cannon Falls, Minn., rounds out the group of 2,000-point scorers. She also set her school scoring mark, pouring in 2,238 points as a five-year varsity starter. She also set school records in rebounds (1,240), blocked shots (387) and assists (261) during her prep career.

While all the Husker freshmen bring impressive credentials to the court, Bober brings some noticeable size. The tallest player on Nebraska's roster, Bober gives the Huskers their first true center since Katie Morse in 2003-04.

Super Schedule
With the potential of putting its best team of the new millennium on the floor, the Huskers will also face their toughest schedule this decade.

Nebraska's non-conference schedule could include seven games against 2006 NCAA Tournament teams, with six of those games coming on the road.

Add those numbers to a conference schedule that features 11 of 16 games against 2006 postseason qualifiers, and the Huskers will play in a postseason atmosphere every night.

The Huskers hope to make their fourth straight postseason trip with a bid to the Big Dance. It won't be easy. It never is. If they succeed, they will continue to gain momentum.