Gym Cracks By Jim February 26, 2003 ZINGERLAND NU men's hoops team, Nebraska in general, taking hits from Big 12 media By Jim (Babe) Berryman MissingNebraska.com Western Nebraska The Collegiate Basketball News Co. has Oklahoma in first place and Texas in second place in their Men's RPI Ratings. With Oklahoma State in ninth, Kansas in 14th, and Missouri in the 23rd position, one could argue the Big 12 is the strongest overall conference in the nation this year. Oklahoma State's Monday night loss to Texas Tech will undoubtedly hurt their ranking. Nebraska is ranked in the 127th position. That may change a bit after the Huskers defeated Kansas State Tuesday night. The Omaha World-Herald's Lee Barfknecht has the Husker's men team ranked last. His ranking is as follows: Oklahoma, Texas, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Missouri, Colorado, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas State and the Huskers in that order. Coach Barry Collier and his players are receiving barbs usually reserved for the football team. Big 12 writers have been among the most critical of the Huskers. A Topeka, Kan., columnist said Texas Tech Coach Bob Knight's 800th career win should carry an asterisk because it came against Nebraska. A Lawrence, Kan., columnist, after observing Collier's stoic nature following the Huskers' worse home loss in Devaney Center history, described him as a “human dial tone”. And it get worse. A Dallas sportswriter said allowing NU to play men's basketball was a sign of gender equity. Even our friends to the north--way north--took a shot at the Huskers. A writer covering the Alaska-Fairbanks team said after watching UAF defeat the Huskers in December, "Nebraska has eight players on its roster who are 6-7 or taller. UAF has three. Nebraska has five players weighing at least 230 pounds. UAF has one. What UAF figured out early, however, was the Cornhuskers were corn-fed slow. By the time Nebraska figured out it was in jeopardy, it was too late." Why do so many people like to take shots at the Huskers and Nebraska in general? Feedback Previous Gym Cracks: 02-19-03: Cuss The Bus Gym Cracks By Jim 02-09-03: Ratings And Recruiting Gym Cracks By Jim 01-31-03: Hoops Elite Gym Cracks By Jim 01-24-03: Nebraska's Super Connection Gym Cracks By Jim 01-15-03: Hometown Hits Big Time Gym Cracks By Jim 12-30-02: Count The Numbers Gym Cracks By Jim 12-18-02: Cream Of Coaching Crop Gym Cracks By Jim 11-28-02: The Big Picture Gym Cracks By Jim 11-18-02: 2 For 2 Gym Cracks By Jim 10-25-02: Sweet On Switzer Gym Cracks By Jim 10-17-02: Best Time Year Gym Cracks By Jim 10-11-02: Odds And Ends Gym Cracks By Jim 10-04-02: The Rating Game Gym Cracks By Jim 09-22-02: Fans Panned Gym Cracks By Jim 09-12-02: World Herald Calling Gym Cracks 09-05-02: Bit By Baseball Bug Gym Cracks 08-29-02: Caring Coaches Gym Cracks 08-22-02: Nebraska "Storm" Hits Colorado Gym Cracks 08-15-02: Cubs Win, Wallet Drained Gym Cracks 08-08-02: To Coors For Cubs Gym Cracks 07-25-02: Major League Madness Gym Cracks 07-18-02: Nebraskans In The Majors Gym Cracks 07-11-02: Kile Death Sheds Light Gym Cracks 07-04-02: Couch Potato Parking Gym Cracks 06-23-02: Top 10 Nebraska High School Nicknames Gym Cracks 06-06-02: Better In The 50s Gym Cracks 05-30-02: Dangerfield of Nebraska Gym Cracks 05-16-02: Baseball Sneak Aways Gym Cracks