Bo Pelini talks to the Lincoln Journal Star!

Pelini talks about recruiting and when he is leaving to go coach for the LSU. He discusses his process in helping Marlon Lucky decide whether to go pro. Carl Pelini will probably be named defensive coordinator and Marvin Sanders will play a key role. He talks about the key elements that make a defensive team successful. He is anxious to review players on film and in spring workouts. He isn't interested on what went wrong with last year's defense. He is looking to the future. "We have had success where ever I have been and it isn't going to change. If you don't have defense, you don't have anything. I will know exactly what is going on on the offensive side of the ball. I will work closely with Shawn Watson. "

Lincoln Journal Star

The Kansas City Royals make some moves. First they sign Jason Smith, a .188 hitter from last year in 40 games. Second they sign back Brian Duckworth, an average reliever, who was 3-5 and a 4.63 ERA last year. Not two players who will change a franchise. Role players.

Fox Sports

The Nebraska basketball recruits are:
Nebraska Men's Basketball

Roburt Sallie

(G, 6-4, Sacramento, Calif./City College of San Francisco/Laurinburg Institute/Patterson School/Valley)

* Two-Time All-Metro selection at Sacramento Valley High School
* Delta League MVP in 2003
* Helped prep school teams to 74-3 record over two seasons, including prep school national title in 2005

Christopher Niemann (F/C, 6-11, Schelklingen , Germany /Erdgas Ehingen/Urspringschule)

* Averaging 5.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per game through six games in 2007-08
* Averaged 3.8 points and 2.8 rebounds per game last season

Roburt Sallie is the real deal and will make an immediate impact on the team. Niemann is a shot to find a big man as Maric will be gone. It may be difficult for him to qualify academically. Stats aren't impressive with 5PPG and 5 rebounds but he is 6'11". Why doesn't Matt Hill just transfer to Nebraska from Texas???????

Other fall signees:
Nebraska Volleyball

Sydney Anderson (S, 6-0, Salt Lake City, Utah/Alta/Utah)

* U.S. Women's A2 National Team (2007)
* AVCA West Regional Freshman of the Year at Utah (2006)
* Mountain West Conference Setter of the Year (2006)
* Utah Gatorade High School Player of the Year (2005)

Allison McNeal (MB, 6-2, Schulenburg , Texas /Schulenburg)

* No. 4 Senior in the Nation by PrepVolleyball.com (2007)
* U.S. Youth National Team (2007)
* Texas Class 2A State High Jump Champion (2007)

Kaitlynn James (OH, 5-11, Louisville , Ky. /Assumption)

* No. 13 Senior in the Nation by PrepVolleyball.com (2007)
* First-Team Mizuno/Volleyball Magazine All-America honors (2006)
* U.S. Junior National A2 Team (2007)

Jordan Haverly (OH, 6-1, Cherry Hill , Ill. / Rockford Keith Country Day)

* No. 20 Senior in the Nation by PrepVolleyball.com (2007)
* U.S. Junior National A2 Team (2007)
* Two-Time All-State Selection (2006, 2007)

Nebraska Women's Basketball

Harleen Sidhu (F, 6-1, Surrey , British Columbia , Canada / Fleetwood Park )

* Canadian National Elite Development Academy Invitee (2007)
* British Columbia Provincial Team member
* Averaged 31 points, 6 rebounds per game (2006-07)

Layne Reeves (G, 5-11, Lubbock, Texas/Trinity Christian)

* First-Team Texas All-State (2007)
* Led High School to Three Straight State Title Game Appearances
* Father, Ron Reeves, Four-Year Starting Quarterback at Texas Tech


Nebraska Baseball

Erik Anderson (RHP, 5-11, 185, R/R, Prairie Village, Kan./Barton County CC/Shawnee Mission East)

* 3-2 with seven saves and a 2.17 ERA over a school-record 27 appearances in 2007
* Second-Team All-Jayhawk League West, as he fanned 76 and walked 19 over 49.2 innings
* No. 9 nationally among junior college pitchers in saves and held foes to a .191 average

Cody Asche (INF/OF, 6-1, 185, L/R, O'Fallon, Mo./Ft. Zumwalt West)

* Second-Team All-Missouri infielder in 2007
* Hit .424 with three homers, three triples, nine doubles, 24 RBIs and 25 runs scored
* Third-Team All-Metro by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch; First-Team All-Gateway pick as a junior
* Among Top High School Prospects in Missouri for 2008 MLB Draft by Perfect Game USA

Cory Burleson (C/INF, 6-2, 195, S/R, Midland , Texas/Midland Christian)

* All-Texas as a junior, batting .396 with a .550 on-base percentage in helping his team to state semifinal bid
* Among Top High School Prospects in Texas for 2008 MLB Draft by Perfect Game USA
* Three-year starter at quarterback, setting school-record with 2,529 passing yards and 27 touchdowns as senior

Boomer Collins (UTL, 6-0, 185, R/R, Waxahachie , Texas /Waxahachie)

* Three-year starter as an outfielder, earning first-team all-district accolades all three campaigns
* District Newcomer of the Year (2005); District Sophomore of the Year (2006)
* Helped DBAT team to 2006 AABC Mickey Mantle World Series title
* Among Top High School Prospects in Texas for 2008 MLB Draft by Perfect Game USA
* Starting quarterback for high school team, throwing for 1,389 yards and 15 touchdowns as senior

Shane Dyer (RHP, 6-3, 180, R/R, Eaton , Colo. / South Mountain CC/New Mexico /Eaton)

* Among Top Junior College Prospects in Arizona for 2008 MLB Draft by Perfect Game USA
* 2-2 record and a 4.28 ERA in 30 innings at New Mexico in 2007
* First-Team All-Colorado in final two years at Eaton High School
* 27-3 mark in high school and was a 24th-round selection by the Colorado Rockies in the 2006 MLB Draft

Seth Hood (INF, 6-1, 200, R/R, Moline , Ill. / Moline )

* Two-Time All-Area and MVP of American Legion team in 2006
* Multi-sport standout who was also an All-Metro football player
* Academic All-Stater who was recruited as a football player by several Big Ten schools

Kash Kalkowski (RHP/INF, 6-1, 195, R/R, Grand Island , Neb. / Grand Island )

* Honorary Captain of Lincoln Journal Star Super-State team in 2007
* 6-2 with a 0.81 ERA, as he struck out 56 in 43 innings in 2007
* Led state with a .506 batting average along with five homers, 34 RBIs, 31 runs scored and 11 stolen bases as a shortstop, while leading Grand Island to a 22-5 record and a state tournament appearance as a junior
* No. 2 High School Prospect in Nebraska for 2008 MLB Draft by Perfect Game USA

Kale Kiser (INF, 5-10, 175, S/R, Plano , Texas /West)

* First-Team 95-A District and Honorable-Mention All-State as a junior
* Hit .452 with 40 runs scored, 19 stolen bases and 17 RBIs
* Led DBAT summer team with a .397 average with 45 runs scored in 2007
* Among Top High School Prospects in Texas for 2008 MLB Draft by Perfect Game USA
* Helped DBAT team to the 2006 AABC Mickey Mantle World Series title

Jake Kuebler (INF/RHP, 6-4, 195, R/R, Lincoln , Neb. /Southeast)

* Three-Year starter at Lincoln Southeast, earning All-City honors each of the last two seasons
* Second-Team Super-State by Lincoln Journal Star in 2007, hitting .429 with three homers and 25 RBIs, while also posting a 1.52 ERA with 29 strikeouts over 27.2 innings
* Cousin of 2005 National Player of the Year and current KC Royal Alex Gordon

Nick Ludemann (RHP, 6-5, 195, R/R, LaVista , Neb. /Creighton Prep)

* Top High School Senior in Nebraska for 2008 MLB Draft by Perfect Game USA
* Started on PI Midwest's Legion title team in 2007 and runner-up squad in 2006, earning the team's lone win in the 2006 regional with a complete-game four hitter
* Invited to Area Code Games in Long Beach , Calif. , a tryout with the U.S. Junior National Team in 2007

Curtis Petersen (RHP, 6-4, 180, R/R, Aubrey, Texas/Denton Ryan)

* District 5-4A Pitcher of the Year in 2007, going 9-1 with a 1.52 ERA
* All-State pitcher who led Dallas-Fort Worth area in wins and recorded 56 strikeouts
* No. 24 High School Prospect in Texas for 2008 MLB Draft by Perfect Game USA
* Chosen as alternate for USA Junior National Team in 2007

Colt Simon (LHP, 6-1, 205, R/L, Grand Prairie, Texas/Howard College/UT-Arlington/South)

* No. 1 starter at Howard College in 2007, and pitched at UT-Arlington in 2006
* 7-1 with a 0.77 ERA and 81 strikeouts over 58 innings Grand Prairie South High School in 2006
* Co-District 6-5A Pitcher of the Year with 2007 MLB First-Round pick Blake Beavan

Cade Thompson (1B/OF, 6-3, 200, L/L, Eatonville, Wash./Central Arizona College/Eatonville)

* Hit .356 with 31 RBIs and 43 runs scored to earn NJCAA All-Region 1 and All-Conference honors in 2007
* Selected to the Arizona Junior College Sophomore All-Star Game in fall of 2007
* All-Class, All-State honors as a senior at Eatonville High School in Washington



Nebraska Softball

Ashley Hagemann (RHP, Omaha , Neb. / Elkhorn )

* Three-Time First-Team All-Nebraska and Honorary Captain of Omaha World-Herald's team in 2006 and 2007
* Led Elkhorn to four straight Class B state titles, including a 30-1 record as a senior
* Class B career strikeout leader
* Went 25-1 with a 0.38 ERA as a senior, while hitting .536 with 10 doubles, six homers and 37 RBIs

Nikki Haget (INF/OF, Omaha , Neb. / Elkhorn )

* Two-Time First-Team All-Nebraska
* Led Elkhorn to four straight Class B state titles, including a 30-1 record as a senior
* Led Class B and ranked No. 2 in the state with a .550 batting average
* Led Class B with 55 hits and 43 runs scored

Kirby Wright (C, Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson)

* One of the top catchers in the state of New York and just the second NU softball recruit in history from the state
* Third-Team Class A All-State honors from the New York Sportswriters Association in 2006
* Hit .436 with 12 doubles, two homers, 38 RBIs and 23 runs scored in 28 games last season
* Led Hendrick Hudson to Class A section title and state semifinal appearance with 27-2 record



Nebraska Wrestling

Jon Burns (141 Pounds, Raleigh, N.C./Cardinal Gibbons)

* Ranked as the No. 9 junior in the nation across all classes last year
* 140-Pound Champion at National High School Coaches Association Junior National Wrestling Championships
* Went 65-0 and won the North Carolina state 140-pound title as a junior

Romero Cotton (184 Pounds, Hutchinson , Kan. /Hutchinson)

* One of the Nation's Top Recruits at 184 Pounds
* Three-Time Kansas High School State Champion (171, 2007; 160, 2006; 145, 2005)
* Running back for Three-Time Kansas State Champion Hutchinson High School
* Rushed for 1,398 yards as 22 touchdowns as a junior

Riley Essay (133 Pounds, Alliance , Neb. / Alliance )

* Third-Place at 125 pounds at Nebraska High School State Championships in 2007
* Fifth-Place at 112 pounds at Nebraska High School State Championships in 2006
* Fourth-Place at 103 pounds at Nebraska High School State Championships in 2005

Tyler Koehn (174 Pounds, Pittsburg , Kan. / Pittsburg )

* Freestyle All-American at USA Wrestling Nationals in 2007
* 152-Pound State Champion at Pittsburg High School in 2007
* 3.8 GPA

Josh Ihnen (197 Pounds, Sheldon , Iowa /Sheldon)

* Freestyle All-American at USA Wrestling Nationals in 2007
* Runner-up at 171 Pounds at Iowa High School State Championships in 2007
* 3.99 GPA