The Central region kicks of the season with an unusual Sunday tournament hosted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The Cornhusker Clash is a long-running meeting usually between close rivals UNL and UWP, but this year, Iowa joins the fun. Their participation in this event is a welcomed break in tradition, and it gives all three teams a great start to the season. Let’s take a look at each team going.
UNL
From their social media posts, UNL has kicked off their season with a bang. With only two graduating players, the team is still packed with experience and determination that will help build up their rookies. This home tournament is especially important for UNL as they are less likely to attend events outside of those in the central region, so it gives them the chance to bring as many players as possible, and it gives them the upper hand being on home turf. This year, they are bringing a team of seventeen with familiar faces like Malakai Horne, Collin Glover, and Tre Sumrall who rejoins the team as a player! Their leadership will surly lend them the upper hand in this event, and I can’t imagine Tre going any softer on his teammates even as he transitions back into a player. UNL hopes to use this event to kick off their undefeated streak, so let’s see if they can make it happen.
UWP
The Cornhusker Clash is a staple season-starter for UWP as it is usually their first event each year. It is an invaluable opportunity for their rookies to quickly get a feel for what future, larger tournaments will be like. It also helps the players get to know each other a little better on the way there–being trapped in cars for over six hours, and all. Seventeen players will be making the trip down with a squad of seven rookies and ten vets. This event will test the team’s ability to quickly bring their rookies up to speed on strategy, knowledge and confidence on the court. It’s also going to test the veterans by forcing them to put trust in these new players and letting them make the mistakes it takes to learn. UWP has characteristically not done the best in their tournaments when it comes to winning, but hopefully this year’s rookie class can change things around for their veterans this season.
IOWA
It is very exciting to have Iowa join in the fun of the Cornhusker Clash, and these players can check off another city in their travel lists. This tournament will be immensely beneficial to the young team as it will give their newer members a chance to practice refereeing, and there is nothing more valuable than learning by watching. This event will see thirteen players on their roster, most of which have less than a year’s worth of experience, and this will be the first official event where Andrew Heim is their acting coach! This tournament will be a great start to both the season and Andrew’s role as coach, and it will be exciting to see how the Hawkeyes kick off their second season in the NCDA.
Check out the UW-Platteville YouTube channel and the NCDA’s YouTube channel for the live streaming of the games and other tournaments this weekend. Check out other articles on the central region here, and check out each team’s social medias for updates about the event!