It's Nebraska Monday

- A ton of ink on Nebraska to get through.


- The San Antonio paper looks at the 2007 team.

Football: Nebraska's top task - Replace lost starters

Web Posted: 08/11/2007 10:18 PM CDT

Tim Griffin
Express-News Staff Writer

Bill Callahan has learned that changing the culture of the Nebraska program isn't easy.
Even after leading the Cornhuskers to their first outright Big 12 North title since 1999 last season, questions continue to dog the Nebraska coach as he tries to return the program to its previous level as a national-title contender.

Nebraska has improved in victories in each of Callahan's three seasons as the head coach. But the Cornhuskers must replace 11 starters from last year — the most daunting rebuilding task in the North Division.

"I think we're right on schedule, right on track," Callahan said. "The challenge this year is to maintain and improve on that."

The Cornhuskers enter the season ranked No. 19 in the USA Today coaches' poll. It's the highest preseason ranking for Callahan's team, yet many don't expect the defending North Division champions to beat out Missouri for the title.

"We've been knocking on the door and hanging with the big dogs," linebacker Corey McKeon said. "This is the year for us to go out and start beating them."

The biggest initial question is at quarterback, where the Cornhuskers must replace record-setting starter Zac Taylor. Arizona State transfer Sam Keller and junior Joe Ganz are engaged in a tight battle that will play out through fall practices.

The Cornhuskers also must rebuild their defensive front, which lost all four starters from last season. They also must hope for an upgrade from smallish cornerbacks, who were susceptible to big plays from tall opposing receivers.

"I don't even read that garbage," defensive end Barry Turner said. "I haven't paid attention to any preseason rankings. I just play football."

The rest of his teammates will be challenged to follow him.

The Cornhuskers will face arguably the toughest schedule in the North Division. They host Southern California and travel to Missouri in the first month of the season. Both opponents have a week off before those games to prepare. Nebraska also travels to defending ACC champion Wake Forest in its second game and later will travel to Texas and Colorado.

"When you're facing as tough a schedule as we're going to be doing, our focus and concentration has to be spot on, week in and week out," Callahan said. "We can't have a lapse."

Callahan appeared to have the program pointed in the right direction late last season after claiming the division title. Nebraska finished strongly as it swept all five North rivals.

But the season ended on a sour note. The Cornhuskers struggled in a convincing Big 12 championship game loss to Oklahoma. And they outplayed Auburn for much of the AT&T Cotton Bowl before the game turned on a botched fake punt.

Two key contributors will be missing when the season begins. Top cornerback Zackary Bowman isn't expected to be ready for the Sept. 1 opener against Nevada as he recovers from offseason knee surgery. Top deep-receiving threat Maurice Purify also will miss the first game — he was suspended after a DWI charge.

While some media members are discounting Nebraska's hopes of a North Division repeat, Callahan is excited about that possibility.

"I love this football team, and I think it's capable of doing some great things," he said. "Now, we just need to go out and take care of it on the field."






Football: Keller eager to play on Saturdays again

Web Posted: 08/11/2007 10:21 PM CDT

Tim Griffin
Express-News Staff Writer

Sitting on the sidelines was more difficult than Sam Keller ever could have imagined.
The Nebraska quarterback sat out last year after transferring from Arizona State before the start of the season. As he worked with the Cornhuskers' scout team, unable to play on Saturdays, Keller realized how much he was missing.

"I just want to get into battle with my new teammates," Keller said. "That's what I'm hungry for. I just want to beat somebody. I can't wait. That's what my sense of urgency is."

Keller is battling with Joe Ganz in a tight race for the Cornhuskers' starting quarterback job. Coach Bill Callahan says he will name his starter the week before Nebraska's Sept. 1 opener against Nevada. Most believe it will be a shock if it's anybody but Keller, who was named by the Big 12 media as the conference's preseason newcomer of the year.

"The most important thing is that I have faith in the coaches," Keller said. "I trust them, and I think I can also say that Joe does, too. We're going to have a good team regardless. And they have to make the decision on which (quarterback) they think can take us the farthest."

Keller was expected to be a prime contributor at Arizona State, where he earned game MVP honors in the Sun Devils' 2004 Sun Bowl victory over Purdue. He passed for 2,165 yards and 20 touchdowns in seven games the next season before injuring his hand.

He was named Arizona State's starter in practice last summer, but lost the job two days later when former coach Dirk Koetter decided to go with Rudy Carpenter. After Koetter was fired last season, he said he made a mistake with the controversial benching.

But it was too late for Keller, who opted to leave the Sun Devils only a couple of days after Koetter's announcement. After nearly transferring to Oklahoma, Keller decided on Nebraska. The Cornhuskers had an opening at the position with the graduation of Zac Taylor.

"I didn't have time to sit around on my butt, mull things over and feel sorry for myself," Keller said. "I had to stay or go. I decided to go, and it ended up being the best decision I've ever made."





- More on Keller from the Washington Post.

After Transferring, Keller Wants to Be Big Red's No. 1

By Steve Yanda
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 13, 2007; Page E01

As he enters the final season of his collegiate football career, Nebraska quarterback Sam Keller finds his current situation very similar to the one he was in near the end of last summer: in a competition for the starter's job.

This time he is competing with junior Joe Ganz.

"We have two able-bodied guys who can get the job done," Keller said.

But the last thing Keller wants is a repeat of the way things unfolded last summer, when he was in the hunt for the starting job at Arizona State.

The race was down to Keller and then-sophomore Rudy Carpenter. Keller had completed 58 percent of his passes for 2,165 yards through the first seven games in 2005 before he injured his thumb and missed the rest of the season. Carpenter stepped in to lead the nation in passing efficiency (68 percent) and threw for 2,273 yards.

So when then-Arizona State coach Dirk Koetter made what he said was his final decision -- Keller would be the starter -- it was easy for him to say this: "We couldn't go wrong. I told you guys that all along. We couldn't make a bad decision."

As it turned out, he could go wrong, and he could make a bad decision. The day after he gave Keller the job, Koetter changed his mind and named Carpenter the starter. Less than a week later, Keller transferred. Koetter was fired at the end of the year.

"Some players were involved [at Arizona State] that backed Rudy, but it was a business decision," Keller said. Carpenter "had three years left to play, and I only had one. I was in the dark."

Keller still has only a year of eligibility remaining, and he still is fighting a younger player for the starting job.

"I'm no stranger to this; it's just something that comes with the quarterback position," he said. "But you can't lose when you become a Husker, and it feels good to be able to say that."

Challenging Keller this year is Ganz, who has three years of experience in Nebraska Coach Bill Callahan's West Coast offense. Ganz said he believes his knowledge of the playbook will be a big advantage but understands it does not guarantee him anything.

"There's always going to be competition at quarterback, and it's not in my nature to shy away from it," he said. "It's going to be a tough battle."

So tough that Callahan repeatedly has said he will not name a starter until the week before the season opener Sept. 1 against Nevada. Though Callahan declined to compare the two quarterbacks, Ganz did not mind at all. The junior said he is faster, more able to make something happen with his feet if a play breaks down. Keller, according to Ganz, is bigger and a more traditional pocket passer.

Also in the mix is sophomore Zac Lee, who transferred to Nebraska mid-year after playing the 2006 season at San Francisco City College. During spring practices, Lee was hobbled by a knee injury that he suffered in his final junior college game, but he has been cleared for full contact work.

Callahan did allow the crux of what eventually will separate the starter from the backup.

"We're looking for someone who can manage the system and maintain the profile of a great decision-maker," he said. "We want a leader who can put the team on his back and carry it."

Last season, those tasks fell to Zac Taylor, who led the Cornhuskers to a 9-5 record, a Big 12 North title and an invitation to the Cotton Bowl. But Taylor could not produce the one thing Callahan, in his fourth year at the helm, might need most: a signature win over a top 10 team. The Cornhuskers were 0-4 against such opponents in 2006.

Ganz said he and Keller are confident the starting nod will go toward them, which he believes raises the team's level of play. Keller could not agree more.

"I plan on playing, and I plan on leading this team to where it wants to go," Keller said. "I'm not going anywhere."





- Practice Report

Huskers Complete First Week of Fall Camp

Lincoln --- The Nebraska football team finished the first week of fall camp on Sunday with a 2 ½ hour afternoon practice, splitting time between Memorial Stadium and inside the Hawks Championship Center. The Huskers moved inside during a water break because of possible inclement weather entering the Lincoln area.

NU offensive coordinator Shawn Watson noted that the practice – Nebraska’s eighth of the fall -- gave the Huskers another solid day of work in preparation for the season opener on Sept. 1 against Nevada.

“I think we have had a really aggressive installation, and we’ve really pushed our kids mentally as well as physically and they have done an excellent job staying up with the installation and really executing at a high level,” Watson said. “Like every year or every time you go out (on the practice field), you have little things you have to make better; the little things, fundamentals, the little technical things, and we have to tie that stuff down. But overall the guys are having an excellent camp right now.”

With the first week under their belt, the Huskers look to move into the next phase of installations on both sides of the ball starting Monday.

“Starting next week we will have some situational stuff that we will continue to finish up with, and once we’re done with that then we will start to home in on our base plan and keep repeating and repeating,” Watson said. “We’ll work on the little things, the technique and the fundamental things. We have really been aggressive with the installation and when you’re that aggressive with installation, there are a lot of assignments and things buzzing in (the players’) heads. So we’ll just keep pounding it and go back over and over the same things.”

Nebraska returns for its ninth workout of the fall on Monday when the Huskers have a single practice from 3-5:30 p.m.



College football: Nebraska report

Web Posted: 08/11/2007 11:50 PM CDT

Tim Griffin
Express-News Staff Writer

Names you should know

Marlon Lucky

Specs: Running back — 6-foot, 210 pounds, Jr., North Hollywood, Calif.

Before: A top national recruit who played a critical role in the Cornhuskers' offense the past two seasons. Rushed for 728 yards and added 32 receptions for 383 yards as a multidimensional threat out of the backfield.

After:Should emerge as the Cornhuskers' featured back, as only he and junior Cody Glenn return from last season. If he remains healthy, Lucky should be one of the Big 12's most useful running and receiving threats.

Ndamukong Suh

Specs: Nose tackle — 6-foot-4, 305 pounds, So., Portland, Ore. (Grant)

Before: A precocious early developer who contributed 19 tackles (seven for losses) and 31/2 sacks last season as a freshman.

After: Nebraska coaches view him as their strongest inside defender and one who could evolve into an All-Big 12-caliber player this year with continued improvement.

2007 schedule

Date, Opponent, Time

Sept. 1, Nevada, 2:30 p.m.

Sept. 8, at Wake Forest, 11a.m.

Sept. 15, Southern Cal, 7 p.m.

Sept. 22, Ball State, TBA

Sept. 29, Iowa State, TBA

Oct. 6, at Missouri, TBA

Oct. 13, Oklahoma State, TBA

Oct. 20, Texas A&M, TBA

Oct. 27, at Texas, TBA

Nov. 3, at Kansas, TBA

Nov. 10, Kansas State, TBA

Nov. 23, at Colorado, 11 a.m.

2006 results (9-5, 6-2)

Date, Opponent, Score

Sept. 2, Louisiana Tech, W, 49-10

Sept. 9, Nicholls State, W, 56-7

Sept. 16, at Southern Cal, L, 10-28

Sept. 23, Troy, W, 56-0

Sept. 30, Kansas, W, 39-32 (OT)

Oct. 7, at Iowa State, W, 28-14

Oct. 14, at Kansas State, W, 21-3

Oct. 21, Texas, L, 20-22

Oct. 28, at Oklahoma St., L, 29-41

Nov. 4, Missouri, W, 34-20

Nov. 11, at Texas A&M, W, 28-27

Nov. 24, Colorado, W, 37-14

Dec. 2, Oklahoma *, L, 7-21

Jan. 1, Auburn +, L, 14-17

* Big 12 championship at Kansas City, Mo.

+ AT&T Cotton Bowl at Dallas


2007 analysis
The Cornhuskers aren't an overwhelming choice to repeat as North Division champions, mainly because of their unsettled quarterback situation. But if Sam Keller plays to his past level, the Cornhuskers could soar to unmatched levels in recent seasons. Look for them to struggle in early season games against Southern California and Missouri before closing strong.

2006 analysis

After a fitful start to coach Bill Callahan's tenure, the Cornhuskers returned to the Big 12 championship game for the first time since 1999. Quarterback Zac Taylor directed a 6-1 start. But the Cornhuskers' momentum was derailed by season-ending losses in the Big 12 title game and the AT&T Cotton Bowl that left some wondering whether Callahan ever will develop the consistent championship program of past Nebraska coaches.

Two-deep roster

* — Returning starter

OFFENSE

Pos., Name, Cl., Ht., Wt., Hometown (H.S. or college)

WR, * Terrence Nunn, Sr., 6-0, 190, Houston (Cypress Falls)

WR Frantz Hardy, Sr., 6-1, 190, Miami, Fla. (Butler Co. C.C.)

LT, Carl Nicks, Sr., 6-5, 330, Salinas, Calif. (New Mexico State)

LT, Mike Smith, RFr., 6-6, 285, Las Vegas, Nev. (Palo Verde)

LG, *Andy Christensen, Jr., 6-3, 300, Bennington, Neb.

LG, Keith Williams, RFr., 6-5, 310, Florissant, Mo. (McClure North)

C, *Brett Byford, Sr., 6-3, 300, Hartselle, Ala.

C, Victory Haines, Sr., 6-7, 290, Logan, Utah (Snow College)

RG, *Matt Slauson, Jr., 6-5, 335, Colorado Springs, Colo. (AF Prep)

RG, Mike Huff, So., 6-4, 300, Ralston, Neb.

RT, Lydon Murtha, Jr., 6-7, 335, Hutchinson, Minn.

RT, D.J. Jones, RFr., 6-5, 310, Omaha, Neb. (Central)

TE, *J.B. Phillips, Sr., 6-4, 245, Coffeyville (Heritage)

TE, Josh Mueller, Sr., 6-5 265, Columbus, Neb. (Lakeview)

WR, *Maurice Purify, Sr., 6-4, 220, Eureka, Calif. (San Fran. City Coll.)

WR, Nate Swift, Jr., 6-2, 200, Hutchinson, Minn.

QB, Sam Keller, Sr., 6-4, 230, Danville, Calif. (Arizona State)

QB, Joe Ganz, Jr., 6-1, 200, Palos Heights, Ill. (Stagg)

IB, Marlon Lucky, Jr., 6-0, 210, North Hollywood, Calif.

IB, Cody Glenn, Jr., 6-1, 230, Rusk

FB, Matt Senske, Sr., 6-3, 245, Bellevue, Neb. (East)

FB, Andy Sand, Sr., 6-2, 230, Lincoln, Neb. (Southeast)

DEFENSE

Pos., Name, Cl., Ht., Wt., Hometown (H.S. or college)

DE, Zach Potter, Jr., 6-7, 280, Omaha, Neb. (Creighton Prep)

DE, Pierre Allen, RFr., 6-5, 265, Denver, Colo. (Thomas Jefferson)

DT, Ty Steinkuhler, Jr., 6-3, 285, Lincoln, Neb. (Southwest)

DT, Kevin Dixon, Jr., 6-3, 295, Vero Beach, Fla. (Garden City C.C.)

NT, Ndamukong Suh, So., 6-4, 305, Portland, Ore. (Grant)

NT, Shukree Barfield, Jr., 6-4, 310, Camden, N.J. (Garden City C.C.)

DE, Barry Turner Jr., 6-3, 250, Antioch, Tenn. (Brentwood Acad.)

DE, Clayton Sievers, Jr., 6-4, 245, Elkhorn, Neb.

SLB, *Bo Ruud Sr., 6-3, 235, Lincoln, Neb. (Southeast)

SLB, Kyle Moore, RFr., 6-2, 225, Elkhorn, Neb.

MLB, *Corey McKeon, Sr., 6-1, 225, Naperville, Ill. (North)

MLB, Phillip Dillard, So., 6-1, 250, Tulsa, Okla. (Jenks)

WLB, Steve Octavien Sr., 6-0, 240, Naples, Fla. (W.R. Harper College)

WLB, Lance Brandenburgh, Sr., 6-1 230, Overland Park, Kan. (St. Thomas Aquinas)

CB, *Zackary Bowman, Sr., 6-2, 200, Anchorage, Alaska (N.M. Military)

CB, *Andre Jones, Sr., 6-0, 190, Fort Walton Beach, Fla. (Kentucky)

SS, Larry Asante, So., 6-1, 210, Alexandria, Va. (Coffeyville C.C.)

SS, Rickey Thenarse, So., 6-0, 190, Los Angeles, Calif. (Jordan)

FS, *Tierre Green, Sr., 6-1, 200, Omaha, Neb. (Benson)

FS, Bryan Wilson, Sr., 6-1, 205 Granada Hills, Calif. (Pierre Coll.)

SPECIALISTS

Pos., Name, Cl., Ht., Wt., Hometown (H.S. or college)

PK, Adi Kunalic, Fr., 6-0, 175, Fort Worth (North Crowley)

PK, Jake Wesch, Jr., 6-1, 200, North Bend, Neb.

P *Dan Titchener, Jr., 6-0, 200, Cheyenne, Wyo. (East)

No other punter on roster

COACHING STAFF

Head coach: Bill Callahan

Assistant coaches: Shawn Watson (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks), Kevin Cosgrove (defensive coordinator/linebackers), Bill Busch (safeties/special teams), Phil Elmassian (cornerbacks), Ted Gilmore (receivers/recruiting coordinator), Randy Jordan (running backs), Joe Rudolph (tight ends), Dennis Wagner (offensive line), Buddy Wyatt (defensive line)




- The NoTex Rant Top 25

#25 - Missouri
#24 - Hawaii
#23 - Oklahoma St.
#22 - Alabama
#21 - Texas Tech



#20 - South Carolina

Just imagine what Steve Spurrier could do at South Carolina if he had a slew of top-flight talent.
We'll all know in a few years, once his tremendous 2007 recruiting class matures, but for now the Ol' Ball Coach will have to keep cranking out ultra-competitive teams, despite being outgunned at most positions by the SEC heavyweights. Even with fans expecting to wait a little while longer for USC to make its big run, it might not take much for the Gamecocks to shock the world this season and represent the East in the SEC championship game for the first time.

The program has been agonizingly close to turning the corner before, but it hasn't been able to come up with a streak of wins to make it happen. Last year was the epitome of frustration, losing to Auburn, Tennessee, Arkansas, and most painfully, to Florida, by a touchdown or less. The hope is for a more mature, more experienced team to start finding more ways to win the tight games.

After stunning two of the SEC East's big three in 2005 (beating Florida and Tennessee and losing to Georgia by two), USC found out once again just how hard it is to be consistent in the toughest conference in the country. It didn't get the same big breaks and key plays of a year earlier, but this year's team should be good enough to make its own good fortune.

With the exception of corner Fred Bennett, all the key starters return to a defense that was better than the statistics might show, while the offense has a veteran backfield, decent tackles, and enough promise to expect better overall production.

And then, of course, there's Spurrier, who's been relegated, somewhat, to the back burner when it comes to attention (outside of having to fire out an Under Armour "Click, Clack" now and again), considering all the SEC's big coaching stories. He's still one of the elite college coaches, and now he has his guys in place. If he works his coaching magic, USC should be the SEC's big sleeper for the title.

What to watch for on offense: Blake Mitchell is in his third year in the Spurrier system, and if the end of 2006 was any indication, he should be ready to break out despite the loss of top target Sidney Rice. The recruiting class, led by JUCO transfer Larry Freeman, is loaded with ready-made receivers to help out Kenny McKinley, so if Mitchell can be remotely consistent and can make the newcomers better, the Gamecock offense should finally start funnin' 'n' gunnin'.

What to watch for on defense: The front seven. The offense will get all the attention from the fans and media, but the SEC coaches will worry more about Jasper Brinkley and the Gamecock defense that'll attack from game one. The D will give up yards, but it's stingy when it comes to giving up points. The secondary is full of unknowns that'll quickly get recognition as the season goes on..

The team will be far better if ... it gets more out of the return game. There's a razor-thin margin between a good season and a great one in the SEC. A team like South Carolina, which might not be quite as talented as teams like Florida, Georgia and Tennessee, must do all the little things right, including returns. After only averaging 7.74 yards on punt returns and 19.16 yards per kickoff return last year, the Gamecocks could reap great rewards from improvement here.

The Schedule: It would be nice if there were more tough games at home early, but the games against UL Lafayette, South Carolina State, Mississippi State and Kentucky should form a nice base of wins, if all goes according to plan. Florida and Clemson come to Columbia to close out the season, after a brutal two-game road run at Tennessee and Arkansas. The two early road games, at Georgia and LSU, certainly aren't easy, but a date at North Carolina should make up for it.

Best Offensive Player: Senior RB Cory Boyd. Mitchell might be the star of the offense this year, but Boyd is the best all-around player. After spending all of 2005 off the squad after violating team rules, Boyd got back in the mix early last season and finished as the team's leading rusher with 823 yards while finishing third on the team in receptions. He's a tough between-the-tackles runner who should be the workhorse of the ground game. If he can take advantage of defenses geared up to stop the Gamecock passing game, he should be a lock for 1,000 yards.

Best Defensive Player: Senior LB Jasper Brinkley. If he's not one of the three best linebackers in America, he's not far off. The former JUCO transfer had a tremendous first year with 107 tackles, often doing the job by himself. He's a hard-nosed hitter in the middle who's also an elite pass rusher when he gets an opening.

Key player to a successful season: Junior WR Kenny McKinley. Sidney Rice put up most of his big numbers against the dregs on the schedule, but he finished his career with a flourish and was the number one concern of every defensive coordinator. Now it'll be up to McKinley to be the number one target. He has the hands and the experience to shine in the Spurrier offense, but he's more likely to be a steady go-to guy than an explosive star.

The season will be a success if ... USC wins nine games. This team is going to be far better than it's been over the last several seasons, but forget about winning the East, given the brutal SEC road slate. Getting to the nine-win mark is possible, even though it might take a bowl win to do it, as long as there aren't any slip-ups against the mediocre and there's at least one major win over a team like Georgia, Tennessee, LSU or Florida.

Key game: Sept. 8 at Georgia. The Gamecocks have battled Georgia hard over the last several years, but have lost five straight in the series. With a nightmare at LSU coming up next on the SEC slate, USC has to pull off the win between the hedges to likely avoid an 0-2 start and show that the program has made the turnaround under Spurrier.

2006 Fun Stats:

South Carolina 1st quarter scoring: 59; 2nd quarter scoring: 125

Third down conversions: South Carolina 72-151 (48%); Opponents 60-163 (37%)

Third quarter scoring: South Carolina 75; Opponents 26



- What has happened to Eric Gagne? I hated to see him go, but man, he can't get anyone out in Boston. I guess they sold high on him.

The misadventures of Gagne
By Mark Simon, ESPN Research

When the Red Sox traded for Eric Gagne in the last possible moments of the trade deadline, no one thought the results would be as dreadful as they've been through the first half of August. For the second straight appearance, Gagne frittered away an eighth-inning advantage, and the Red Sox ever-dwindling lead in the AL East fell by another game.
The Boston bullpen, so good in the early part of the season, has struggled with Gagne these past two weeks. Those who wondered why the Red Sox would mess with a good thing by adding Gagne -- a closer with little to no experience in the set-up role -- are looking pretty smart right about now. So are the Yankees, who have a new, highly capable set-up man in rookie Joba Chamberlain and a closer who has been mistake-free (with no blown saves) for more than a month.

The momentum in the AL East race has shifted. For the Red Sox to get back on track, they need Gagne to live up to the translation of his name ("to win") in more ways than one.

GAGNE SINCE TRADE TO RED SOX
Five appearances, four innings pitched, seven earned runs, 10 hits, 15.75 ERA
Has blown eighth-inning leads in last two appearances, and the Red Sox lost both games.
Has allowed one fewer run in these five appearances than he did in 34 appearances (33 1/3 innings) for the Rangers this season.
Red Sox bullpen ERA entering August: 2.73
Red Sox bullpen ERA in August: 5.93
Red Sox bullpen ERA in August without Gagne: 4.44





- David Aldridge briefly examines the Mav's offseason

12. Dallas. Added: forwards Nick Fazekas and Reyshawn Terry. No significant losses.

The Mavericks have a relatively high rank because, after the shocking playoff loss to the Warriors, there was no fire sale. The Mavs re-signed Jerry Stackhouse, drafted solidly, and exhaled when Kevin Garnett went east. Now they'll pace themselves next season.





- A Dirk piece from NBA.com. Apparently went on some sabbatical in Australia.

Quality Time with the Shot Doctor
By Johannes Berendt
Posted Aug 10 2007 12:24PM

Dirk Nowitzki's quest to overcome one of the biggest disappointments of his life
We've got a question for you.
Which NBA player spent the summer backpacking in Australia searching for the meaning of life?

Back home, he is now having severe issues with his mother over his haircut.

"She desperately wants to send me to the barber," the beloved son moaned. "I am almost 30 but my mother treats me as if I was 12. I guess mothers have to be like this."

To make matters worse, someone nicknamed the Shot Doctor is currently torturing our friend in a small gym.

It is located in the tiny city of Wuerzburg, Germany.

Please meet the 2007 NBA MVP Dirk Nowitzki in his quest to overcome one of the biggest disappointments of his life — the first-round playoff exit against eighth-seeded Golden State.

"That was extremely disappointing, just as the Finals loss to Miami one year ago," Nowitzki revealed in an interview with German Sportbild magazine. "But that doesn't mean that everything we did in Dallas was bad."

Nowitzki would not be one of the best basketball players on the planet if he hadn't received some special tutoring from mentor Holger Geschwindner. And you could bet that the Shot Doctor would come up with a special holiday treatment.

"We toured five weeks through Australia, New Zealand and Tahiti. With a rucksack. That was about the only place in the world where nobody would recognize me and I could move somewhat freely," Nowitzki stated. "At Ayers Rock a few tourists noticed me but the trip was just right to clean my mind."

Down under, the Dallas Mavericks star was looking for answers.

"I have been exploring the sense of life. I haven't entirely found it yet but I will keep looking," he said with a smile.

He won't have too much time to answer philosophical questions in the next weeks as he is shaping up for that will be a busy summer. Germany are among the favorites to win the European Championships in Spain, and Nowitzki will join his fellow countrymen for their preparations on August 14. The Dirkster has set the bar high — he is eager to win qualification for next year's Olympic Games.

"For every athlete there is no bigger thing than the Olympics. For me that's right behind the NBA title," he said.

And to be in top shape, Nowitzki is currently undergoing gruelling drills from long-time coach and mentor Geschwindner. "It's very exhausting."

Still, Dirk is enjoying the summer. "Yes (I do), even though I am so exhausted after the workouts that I can barely move. But I happily accept the full-service treat from my mother. My training clothes easily fill a washing machine. I'm glad she takes care of that. She is even ironing my shirts."


- Picks O'the day

Weekend record - 2-2
YTD - 111-93

No picks today