LINCOLN — It's a landmark day for Nebraska women's basketball, a moment so special that the outcome of this afternoon's game might someday be rendered irrelevant.

Don't tell that to coach Connie Yori and her team, though. The 20th-ranked Huskers' focus is on extending their program-best unbeaten streak to 11 by beating No. 5 LSU, a monster win that would thrust Nebraska into the national discussion.

But there is also a big-picture reality. Yori might argue that her rebuilding project, which began eight years ago, is far from finished. And that it won't be complete until games like today's are commonplace.

Still, she doesn't deny Sunday signals unprecedented progress.

“Not very often do you have a chance to have two top 20 teams playing in the Devaney Center, particularly in December,” Yori said. “So this is a great opportunity for us.”

Actually, it has never happened.

The Devaney Center has never welcomed in two ranked women's basketball teams during Nebraska's nonconference season. Not once in the building's 33-year history.

It's not that the Huskers haven't played highly thought of opponents. But what seems to happen historically, is that Nebraska, when deserving, doesn't earn respect on a national level until the season's midpoint. By then, the demanding conference schedule takes its toll, inevitably delivering a few unexpected body blows to the NU résumé.

The highest national ranking the program's ever held was No. 12, a dozen years ago.

But this season's Nebraska team seems to be talented enough to rewrite history. No squad's ever been 10-0. The Huskers are beating opponents by an average of 25.6 points, the best margin of victory to start a season.

A win today over LSU (9-0) would be a step in the right direction, senior Cory Montgomery said.

“I think it would be huge for our program, just from the standpoint of showing how much we've (progressed),” Montgomery said. “To come away with a win would be a great thing for our program.”

Just by playing the top-25 showdown today, though, conveys program development.

Yori recorded just eight wins in her first year, ending that 2002-03 season with a turbulent stretch of failure. The team lost 18 of its last 19 games. Just five of those loses were by single digits.

Some players got injured. Some quit. Yori's roster had just five on scholarship at one point.

But as former NU standout Jina Johansen remembers, there was never a sense that the struggles would last. Johansen, a sophomore when Yori was hired, said her new coach just needed time.

“You have to have a little faith that we were going to turn things around,” said Johansen, a three-year starter who holds the program's single-season assists record. “There wasn't a time where I was like, ‘Whoa, I don't think we'll (recover).'”

Yori had to sacrifice a few personal coaching philosophies to make it happen, though.

Her preferred style of attack — an up-tempo approach to the motion offense and a full-court pressuring, in-your-face version of man-to-man defense — wasn't necessarily applicable. Her early Nebraska teams lacked depth, the most fundamental requirement for fatigue warfare.

But she adapted well, former NU assistant coach Cindy Fisher said. Yori has one of the best “X's and O's” minds that Fisher's been around.

“She can get the most out of her teams,” said Fisher, now the head coach at San Diego. “Connie's very good at knowing personnel, what she can do with certain players.”

Now, eight years into the position, Yori finds herself with the kinds of players she likes. They're versatile veterans who know how to meet her demands for hard work.

This season's success centers around senior Kelsey Griffin, who is finally playing injury-free. As a 6-foot-2 scorer, she's dangerous inside and out. And on defense, she's the pivotal piece when Nebraska presses from end-line to end-line.

But around her, players have elevated their performances too.

Montgomery's the consistent No. 2 post behind Griffin. Junior Dominique Kelley, always the aggressor on defense, has morphed into a fearless offensive talent. Senior Yvonne Turner's shooting better than ever. The Huskers are getting timely bench contributions.

And as a team, the NU players might be playing better defense than any of Yori's squads ever have.

“In a lot of ways, we're better at every position than we were last year,” Yori said. “It's not just about Kelsey.”

But how does this continue? How does Yori perform next year, without six influential seniors? How does she build off this?

Those are the questions college coaches deal with regularly.

Marquee games like Sunday's, though, are indications that Yori's establishing more stability. The down years shouldn't ever be so miserable.

And the good ones? Well, Yori's preparing for the best — starting with this season.

“You're always going to have cycles where you have upperclassmen who have been through it and get it and who are more ready to help you to play at a higher level,” Yori said. “This happens to be a cycle where we've got a lot of upperclassmen who are pretty good players.”

And many in the state will know just how good come this afternoon.

Contact the writer:

402-473-9585, jon.nyatawa@owh.com

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