Cornhusker Clash

Cornhusker Clash (841 N 14th St, Lincoln, NE 68508)

This week kicks off the first tournament of the year for teams of Nebraska, DePaul, and Platteville. The Cornhusker Clash should be a blast and should provide some quality games for the teams participating. The last time that Nebraska held a tournament was two years ago and Platteville and DePaul attended. These teams all have experience which makes this a much different tournament than two years ago.

Let’s take a look at the teams at the Cornhusker Clash. 

Nebraska (15 players)

While talking to Harrison McMinn, this was what he was able to tell me about their club this year. This will definitely be a different squad than normally for the fact that there will be a lot of players with experience playing on this squad. In total they have 9 returning starters. The players to look out for are New President, Tanner, Fourth year player, Jake Sanchez, and second year returner, VJ. They are looking forward to competing again and bringing the intensity. They are most looking forward to playing UWP in the hopes to get their first win against Platteville. After watching them play last year they really impressed me on how well they played with not having any real experience. With so many players returning with it should make for a tough matchup between the two. They are also looking to beat/compete with DePaul and in the hopes mirror some of their growth as a club. For this game I believe it will be a close match with it possible going back and forth for the entire time.

DePaul (13 players)

After talking to Alec Scott this is what he had to say about their club. DePaul looks forward to another great year in the NCDA. Only losing two seniors from last year will allow DePaul to keep a strong connection between fellow players and encourage new ones to play alongside. DePaul will be playing UNL this upcoming weekend and hope this team will become a bigger part of the NCDA. UWP will also be present at the tournament giving DePaul a chance to play another seasoned team. Through the year DePaul hopes to make their way to Ohio and play anyone will to step on the court. Returning Brian Hymel and Tyler Hamilton look to have a good combination of catching and throwing. Alec Scott looks to throw the ball as hard as he possibly can. Ricky Gonzalez comes out of the shadows to bring some heat with his throws. Ryan Atz, Joseph Walker, and Karin Gumbinner bring their own set of skills to the court along with so many other players of all grades. DePaul is coming to play and you best believe we will stay undefeated. With this much experience returning I believe this should make for an interesting team and should provide some quality games that will be close for their opponents.

Platteville (10 Players)

It will either be a long day or a good day for Platteville, it just depends on what squad decides to show up. Platteville has many returners this year with experience, if the team I know plays like they did against Grand Valley at Nationals they will do fine, if they play like the other squad it may be a rough day. Here are some of the key players to look out for at this tournament. President, Nick Harding, who has a great arm and sees the court well. Other players to watch are Captain, Brain Hargrove, who also has a good arm, and Sophomore Sensation (former Freshman Sensation), Will Martin, who plays smart on the court and loves a good catch. As a team we look forward to playing Nebraska the most to see how much they have improved since last season.

Predictions

These are my predictions for the day. Platteville 2-0, if we play like I know we can we should be able to pull out two wins against our opponents. Nebraska 1-1, I give them the advantage over DePaul because of home court advantage. DePaul 0-2, I give them this score because I feel both Platteville and Nebraska will be tough to beat, they will however play both of these opponents close. One thing is for sure the Cornhusker Clash should be exciting and the games should be competitive for all.

Zig’s Gonzalez Preview

Nebraska was the alma mater of this system’s namesake, Matt Gonzalez. He might be pleased to know that thanks to a home court boost (+3), UNL is top seed going into the event. Platteville and DePaul follow closely and all competitors are within 4.5 of each other’s rating. The exchanges tell us all these games will be close and competitive, with good stakes for each competitor. UNL/UWP is the closest match of the day with only a 1.447 difference in ratings, so whoever wins will be taking home a solid win and boost to their Gonzalez rating. DePaul’s pulled a small technical upset when they played UNL at UWP last year, so really, each match is a toss up… too close to reliably predict.