Tall Husker preparing to help fill Maric's post
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BY BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star
It’s quite possible Alex Chapman will be the tallest player on Nebraska’s 2008-09 basketball roster.
Now, there are a few problems with that. For starters, Chapman is 6-foot-9 — hardly a giant by Big 12 standards — and the Huskers’ only 6-9 player, at that.
Chapman also doesn’t normally play the position where most teams’ tallest player plays. And that position, center, just happens to be the only vacancy on Nebraska’s team.
“It’s weird,” Chapman said, “because you think about it, even though I’m tall, I’m not really used to playing the 5.”
To top things, Chapman’s pending title as tallest Husker would mean incoming 6-foot-10 freshman Christopher Niemann isn’t eligible to play for one season. His status won’t officially be known until the fall semester begins — perhaps later.
In the meantime, Chapman, one of four players who redshirted last season, is preparing to help in any way possible.
“I don’t know. We’ll see what happens,” said Chapman, a sophomore from Canby, Ore. “We’re going to be different this year without Aleks (Maric). We’re probably going to feel things out during the summer.
“I’d like to play power forward, but if I have to play a little bit of the 5, or all 5, I’m comfortable in both spots.”
Alonzo Edwards, who redshirted last season as a freshman, and junior Chris Balham will also figure into coach Doc Sadler’s plan to replace Maric, a two-year full-time starter at center.
How much time Chapman sees inside probably depends partly on the health of the 6-8 Balham, who’s had chronic knee problems. Balham had knee surgery after last season, when he averaged only 7.9 minutes off the bench.
“His knee’s doing a lot better,” Chapman said. “He’s been playing with us, getting stronger. He’s getting stronger pretty quick. Things have been doing good.”
Chapman, the first player to commit in Sadler’s initial recruiting class, played a season at Sheridan (Wyo.) College. Upon his arrival in Lincoln last fall, Chapman had knee surgery and missed a good deal of preseason conditioning.
“The first day back, everybody’s flying up and down the court, and I’m slow,” Chapman said. “I thought I could just jump in and do what I’ve always done. I knew after the first practice that wasn’t going to be the case.”
That led to a redshirt for Chapman, who also missed a few weeks of practice in December while getting his academics in order.
He’s remained in Lincoln for both summer class sessions while also working out and lifting weights. He’s up to 235 pounds — about 10 pounds heavier than when he arrived — and said he’s working on his overall strength and lateral quickness.
One area that’s not rusty, teammates say, is Chapman’s shooting.
“He likes to pick-and-pop, off screens,” Toney McCray said. “Him being (almost) 6-10, not many 6-10s are able to shoot the ball like Alex can.
“It helps us a lot, as far as opening it up and spreading the floor out. It’s not like you can just play off of him. He’s going to shoot the ball. He can make open shots.”
But can he provide some quality minutes down low?
“I’ve been working on my post game, too,” Chapman said, “because I know I’m not going to be able to just stand outside and shoot threes the whole time.”
Chapman, whose brother, Clint, plays at Texas, said he’d like to model his game after Texas’ Connor Atchley.
“I didn’t picture myself having to fill Aleks’ role,” Chapman said, “and me and Alonzo and Balham are probably going to have to share some of that load, because Aleks was such a good player.”
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.
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