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    Pitchford not playing next year....

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      Good luck Walt. Thanks for the role you played.

    Lincoln – University of Nebraska forward Walter Pitchford announced Monday that he is giving up his final season of eligibility with the Husker basketball program. Pitchford will remain at the University of Nebraska and finish his undergraduate degree in ethnic studies.

    “I thank Coach Miles for giving me the opportunity when I transferred from Florida,” Pitchford said. “I have learned a lot about myself in the three years I’ve been at Nebraska and it is not an easy decision to give up playing basketball. I believe it is in the best interest of both the team and myself that I devote my time to completing my degree at Nebraska and eventually go into a career in business.

    “I appreciate all the support I have received from the coaching staff, my teammates and the fans during my time at Nebraska and it has become home for me,” Pitchford said. “I know my teammates support me on this difficult decision, and I will be there to support them.”

    “I completely support Walter in his decision,” Nebraska basketball coach Tim Miles said. “It shows a great deal of courage for a young man to see his career path and pursue it. I know leaving behind basketball is not easy for Walter or his family, but I also believe this is the best thing for Walt because it targets what he wants to do.”

    As a junior, he played in 30 games, including 26 starts, and averaged 7.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per game to rank third on the team in both scoring and rebounding. Pitchford reached double figures nine times in 2014-15, including a career-high 19 points against Tennessee-Martin and at No. 16 Maryland.

    He averaged 9.3 points and 4.7 rebounds as a sophomore in 2013-14, helping the Huskers to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1998. That season, he ranked among the Big Ten leaders in both field goal percentage (.473, 10th) and 3-point percentage (.410, seventh).

    Pitchford began his career at the University of Florida in 2011-12, helping the Gators to an appearance in the Elite Eight.

    In the classroom, Pitchford is a two-time Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll member.




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    Bummed to see how far he fell this year. He just didnt ever seem that interested in it.

     

    I am happy he realizes this and is moving on as to not hurt the team.

     

     

    I also think this bodes well for Petteway being back. I dont think him and pitch were on good terms.

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    Any idea how this affects APR?

     

    It doesn't as long as he graduates which he plans to.

     

     

    Can't say I'm surprised.  He looked disinterested most of the year.

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    I think you should have stopped after wishing him luck in his future.

     

    Good luck Walt.  Thanks for the role you played.

    Well, I, for one, am a little pissed.  The best thing that can be said about this is that he makes his decision in time that we can still try to pick up someone on the transfer market.

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    I think you should have stopped after wishing him luck in his future.

     

    Good luck Walt.  Thanks for the role you played.

     

    I agree.  For better or worse, he gave three years to the program and he will always be a Husker.  Good luck Walt.

     

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    It will be okay Norm.  He wasn't making any progress and didn't seem to have the intestinal fortitude required to make it happen this year.  I have met the guy and even had a couple of beverages with him.  Likeable kid.  He was a very confident young man back then(little over a year ago).  Wish it worked out much differently, but he seemed to lose that swagger.  Tough deal, but at this point I don't think it will hurt our basketball team very much.  

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    It will be okay Norm.  He wasn't making any progress and didn't seem to have the intestinal fortitude required to make it happen this year.  I have met the guy and even had a couple of beverages with him.  Likeable kid.  He was a very confident young man back then(little over a year ago).  Wish it worked out much differently, but he seemed to lose that swagger.  Tough deal, but at this point I don't think it will hurt our basketball team very much.  

    This is a fair and balanced analysis IMO, Royal.  We'll see if it's true we "won't miss him".

    I would have liked Walt to have been a tougher player physically and mentally.  We all would.  I think some here have interpreted that lack of toughness as being lazy and disinterested.  Sorry, I don't buy that in the least.  There's a difference between toughness and work ethic.  You'd like all your players to have both.  But just because you aren't tough, doesn't make you lazy.

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    Im interested to see who we get to replace him.

     

    For as bad as he was this year, I struggle to definitively say we are better without him.   But I can also see how if we find a guy who can play in the post and knows his role, that we would be much better off.

     

    I'm leery of our post situation next year.   While I'm not writing Hammond off, it's awefully tough to feel good about him next year.   Everyone else is a true frosh who is going to be lacking some size at this point.

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    I hope we can pick up a JC player who can rebound and play some D with intensity. Also he needs to be able to catch passes in the post for the kick out on three's.

    If he can pass and score a little it will be a bonus.

    As for Pitchford I really do not have patience for anyone who has gifts and does not use them but I sincerely wish him well and thank him for opening up space for someone else.

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    He has gifts and he used them. He also has some other gifts and now he plans to use them. Good for him and good luck to him. The recruiting class of this year came in part from our Pitchford and Petteway transfers and their success last year. If they both move on then we say thank you and keep building.

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    I wonder if there is more to this story that we will never know?

    Anyways, I wish Pitch the best in all his future endevours. He was a lot fun to watch from behind the arc when he was hot! Good luck to you Walter P.....

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    As mentioned before. I have heard we are in on 2 bigs and 2 players were leaving. Pitchford is one, I sill expect one more. Will be interesting who the coaches supposedly have lined up to fill the spots.

    Best of luck to Walt!

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    I thought he flashed some great potential but couldn't find that consistency for whatever reason. It's interesting that we did play our best game (Mich St) without him.

    Best of luck to him, he will always be a Husker!

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    Well this was news I wasn't expecting to sit down to this eventing.  As of right now I'd have to say this pretty much sucks for us.  I was optimistic that Walt was going to regain his touch next season and even develop more of an inside game.  Let's see what Tim and crew can do.  Hopefully this will work out in the long run. 

     

    I wish him nothing but the best, and I commend him for making what must have been a hard decision.  If you heart is not in it, and there's no shame in admitting that, then you do what is best for yourself and the team. 

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    I am sad as well. Walt has talent I was excited to see him harness again next season. He gets bashed on here quite a bit and his play wasn't what this years team needed, but he has two things that Nebrasketball lacks recently, height and experience. I really liked Walt as a person. He was good with the kids while signing after the scrimmage and one other occasion. I wish him the nothing but the best.

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    Best Wishes for your future success Walt! nod.gif Thank you for taking a chance by transferring to Nebraska under a new Coaching staff and helping to make our NCAA tournament run a reality last year! thumbsup.gif

     

     

    Edit:  I didn't realize that Walter had made the Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (for the second year running) mfclap.gif so in that light his decision may make a little more sense.

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