Expectations for this year (and Next)/State of the program

[nustudent]

8 hours ago, Hooper said:

I obviously understand why Nebraska is projected to finish in the bottom half of the league this year. What I don't understand is why everyone was so eager to rank us below teams like Minnesota and Illinois, both of which were beaten handily by the Huskers last year. 

Illinois had two proven Big 10 caliber players coming back off of injury.  Minnesota added some nice transfers.   We lost not only Shields but White at the last minute.   It's fair on paper

[Section_316]

TM just has to find a way to keep the core 7 (8 w/ Palmer) around until they expire there eligibility. We could grow the next two years into a dominant 2018-2019 B1G team if all the pieces stick around and develop.

 

Watson SR

Palmer SR

Roby JR 

Mcveigh SR

Morrow SR

__________

Jacobson SR

Horne JR

Tshmingia JR

Anatken SO

 

Thats a sweet 16 type of roster. 

 

 

[Fullbacksympathy]

If we're looking at how long it actually takes to transform the talent/mentality/ceiling of a bad program, Miles is right on track.  You can call this year's team a ho-hum squad like any other year, but they are more talented underclassmen than I ever remember seeing here as a whole, and anyone who knows the game can plainly see that. I believe Miles deserves to coach this sophomore class two more seasons after this one.  Their senior year should be his make or break because we will be able to look on a complete roster of his very best recruiting efforts.  If he can't take that squad to the tourney and get a win or two, he isn't the guy for the job.

 

I think he's the guy for the job though.  

[colhusker]

All I know is we now have 1 fewer loses than Duke!

[nustudent]

1 hour ago, LK1 said:

If we're looking at how long it actually takes to transform the talent/mentality/ceiling of a bad program, Miles is right on track.  You can call this year's team a ho-hum squad like any other year, but they are more talented underclassmen than I ever remember seeing here as a whole, and anyone who knows the game can plainly see that. I believe Miles deserves to coach this sophomore class two more seasons after this one.  Their senior year should be his make or break because we will be able to look on a complete roster of his very best recruiting efforts.  If he can't take that squad to the tourney and get a win or two, he isn't the guy for the job.

 

I think he's the guy for the job though.  

Miles doesn't 'deserve'  3 more seasons.   He 'deserves' to have a chance to prove himself to get there.   At some point in time we have to stop starting over and see growth in the young guys we have. 

[Fullbacksympathy]

Just now, nustudent said:

Miles doesn't 'deserve'  3 more seasons.   He 'deserves' to have a chance to prove himself to get there.   At some point in time we have to stop starting over and see growth in the young guys we have. 

 

We have a team full of sophomores and freshman--the most talented underclassmen I've ever seen here.  That's a big deal, and it takes a long time to establish that sort of talent in an upstart program.

 

There isn't a coach in the country who could've recruited better than Miles in this position.  I truly believe that.  What has yet to be determined is if he can coach up and develop players of this caliber.  The ceiling for these young players is higher than almost any team Nebraska has ever fielded, and it's on Miles and his staff to see them through to their potential.  So, yeah, he got them here with an extremely decisive plan and work ethic on the recruiting trail, not to mention a real standard of talent has now been established to suit up for Nebraska.  He deserves the chance to coach the fruits of his labor.  

[nustudent]

18 minutes ago, LK1 said:

 

We have a team full of sophomores and freshman--the most talented underclassmen I've ever seen here.  That's a big deal, and it takes a long time to establish that sort of talent in an upstart program.

 

There isn't a coach in the country who could've recruited better than Miles in this position.  I truly believe that.  What has yet to be determined is if he can coach up and develop players of this caliber.  The ceiling for these young players is higher than almost any team Nebraska has ever fielded, and it's on Miles and his staff to see them through to their potential.  So, yeah, he got them here with an extremely decisive plan and work ethic on the recruiting trail, not to mention a real standard of talent has now been established to suit up for Nebraska.  He deserves the chance to coach the fruits of his labor.  

 

He's done a good job....but to say he's the only coach in the country is a bit of a stretch.   But this is year 5, not year 2 or 3.  It's time for growth.  If he loses to Gardner-Webb and goes 5-13 in conference play...he doesn't deserve the next two years after that.   That being said, I don't believe that will happen.   But if it does, real questions need to be asked because that is another underwhelming performance and not justified by the talent and depth that we have.

[Fullbacksympathy]

1 minute ago, nustudent said:

 

He's done a good job....but to say he's the only coach in the country is a bit of a stretch.   But this is year 5, not year 2 or 3.  It's time for growth.  If he loses to Gardner-Webb and goes 5-13 in conference play...he doesn't deserve the next two years after that.   That being said, I don't believe that will happen.   But if it does, real questions need to be asked because that is another underwhelming performance and not justified by the talent and depth that we have.

 

Totally agree with most of what you said.  I truly can't think of a coach who could've recruited better.  Coached better?  Sure.  Miles is young.  The season after we made the tourney was a massive disappointment for me from a coaching perspective (control of the team), but that was the only season I felt this way.  Regardless, I think these young guys are all very high character from what I've seen, and that should translate to improvement moving forward.  

[atskooc]

You really don't think that if Coach K hitched his wagon and came to Nebraska that he wouldn't be able to recruit better than Miles has? 

 

Really?

 

Or Coach Cal? Self?

 

Heck, take a look at the top ten teams in the country right now.  You don't think any of those coaches would be able to recruit to the level Miles has?

[Ron Mexico]

18 minutes ago, atskooc said:

You really don't think that if Coach K hitched his wagon and came to Nebraska that he wouldn't be able to recruit better than Miles has? 

 

Really?

 

Or Coach Cal? Self?

 

Heck, take a look at the top ten teams in the country right now.  You don't think any of those coaches would be able to recruit to the level Miles has?

None of those guys are going to come here...ever. 

[colhusker]

2 minutes ago, Ron Mexico said:

None of those guys are going to come here...ever. 

This, IF we are going to play this game, we need to ask this question with a list of coaches who would come to Nebraska to coach.  Trying to get a top notch coach (those mentioned above) to come to Lincoln would be like trying to get Nick Saban to coach football at Kansas.

[atskooc]

2 minutes ago, Ron Mexico said:

None of those guys are going to come here...ever. 

I understand that, but when he said he couldn't think of a single coach in the nation who could recruit as well as Miles has here.  There are lots of coaches who can do that.

[Norm Peterson]

16 minutes ago, atskooc said:

You really don't think that if Coach K hitched his wagon and came to Nebraska that he wouldn't be able to recruit better than Miles has? 

 

Really?

 

Or Coach Cal? Self?

 

Heck, take a look at the top ten teams in the country right now.  You don't think any of those coaches would be able to recruit to the level Miles has?

 

I assumed he meant coaches that we realistically could have gone out and hired at the time we hired Miles. 

[Silverbacked1]

i want to keep the assistant coaches for the next fews years also.  We look very good running Lewis's offense so far this year.

[atskooc]

2 minutes ago, Norm Peterson said:

 

I assumed he meant coaches that we realistically could have gone out and hired at the time we hired Miles. 

He said, "There isn't a coach in the country who could've recruited better than Miles in this position."

 

That seems pretty cut and dry.

[HuskerFever]

13 minutes ago, colhusker said:

This, IF we are going to play this game, we need to ask this question with a list of coaches who would come to Nebraska to coach.  Trying to get a top notch coach (those mentioned above) to come to Lincoln would be like trying to get Nick Saban to coach football at Kansas.

 

I'm not ready for this discussion.

[Fullbacksympathy]

1 minute ago, atskooc said:

He said, "There isn't a coach in the country who could've recruited better than Miles in this position."

 

That seems pretty cut and dry.

 

I understand your reaction.  I was hoping the context was implied.  I could've been more clear.  I meant as far as available candidates at the time of TM's hire.  

[Hooper]

I see the arguments on both sides here. The reality is that it's very tough to get elite/NBA talent to Lincoln unless you're prepared to shell out a lot of cash or do an extraordinary job of evaluating underrated players. Quite honestly, Miles' recruiting was very poor in his first few years. Only over the past few years has it been outstanding. 

 

2012: Added Sergej Vucetic and Deverell Biggs and retained Doc's recruits

2013: Leslee Smith, Tai Webster, Nate Hawkins, Nick Fuller

2014: Tarin Smith, Jake Hammond

2015: Ed Morrow, Glynn Watson, Michael Jacobson, Jack McVeigh, Bakari Evelyn

2016: Isaiah Roby, Jeriah Horne, Jordy Tshimanga, Evan Taylor

2017: Nana Akenten, ???

 

The truth is that Jim Molinari has transformed this program through his stellar recruiting. Hunter and Harriman also contributed, but look at what Molinari has done in the past three years: Ed Morrow, Glynn Watson, Isaiah Roby, Jeriah Horne and Nana Akenten. If you ever see Coach Mo, buy the guy a beer. Hiring him has turned out to be the best decision Miles ever made in my opinion.

 

I don't know who would have done better, but I do know that Nebraska has recruited extremely well over the past few years given the program's historical stature.

Edited November 16, 2016 by Hooper

[atskooc]

49 minutes ago, Norm Peterson said:

 

I assumed he meant coaches that we realistically could have gone out and hired at the time we hired Miles. 

I obviously interpreted it incorrectly. 

 

I'm not sure I would know the names of the other coaches we could have pulled (other than Grobe), so I'm not sure I can even enter the discussion from that level. 

 

Hell, I didn't even know Tim Miles' name before we hired him.

 

Do we even have a list of coaches who applied or guys we contacted (other than Grobe)?

Edited November 16, 2016 by atskooc

[Ron Mexico]

@Norm Peterson that is what I was going with as well. We have enough of a body of work at Nebraska for hiring coaches to know with almost 99% certainty that we will never get a high or borderline high caliber coach to come here. Even if TM where to elevate our program to the point where we make the NCAA's every so often we still would not get a coach like that to come here.

[swmckewon]

31 minutes ago, Ron Mexico said:

@Norm Peterson that is what I was going with as well. We have enough of a body of work at Nebraska for hiring coaches to know with almost 99% certainty that we will never get a high or borderline high caliber coach to come here. Even if TM where to elevate our program to the point where we make the NCAA's every so often we still would not get a coach like that to come here.

Oh, if you wanna pay for it - $3 million and up - you'd open up some ears. I don't know that it's a sound investment - I actually lean toward "no," - but money can be a game-changer. 

 

When Miles got more money to pay for assistant coaches, that opened some doors. 

 

 

[Ron Mexico]

6 minutes ago, swmckewon said:

Oh, if you wanna pay for it - $3 million and up - you'd open up some ears. I don't know that it's a sound investment - I actually lean toward "no," - but money can be a game-changer. 

 

When Miles got more money to pay for assistant coaches, that opened some doors. 

 

 

That's true. Throw enough money out there then almost anything is possible. However, for the purpose of this discussion we are looking at realist chances. UNL is never going to pay that much for a basketball coach.

[Red Rum]

2 hours ago, Norm Peterson said:

 

I assumed he meant coaches that we realistically could have gone out and hired at the time we hired Miles. 

 

But you know what happens when you assume...

[Red Don]

3 hours ago, LK1 said:

 

Totally agree with most of what you said.  I truly can't think of a coach who could've recruited better.  Coached better?  Sure.  Miles is young.  The season after we made the tourney was a massive disappointment for me from a coaching perspective (control of the team), but that was the only season I felt this way.  Regardless, I think these young guys are all very high character from what I've seen, and that should translate to improvement moving forward.  

 

LK1 brings up an important point.  Over and above the obvious talent the coaching staff has been able to attract, I think equally impressive is the high character of the players recruited.  I.e. Not High Character; Not Recruited.  (with possible exception of AWIII, but I'm not so sure that is on him as much as 'helicopter' parents.)

[uneblinstu]

58 minutes ago, Ron Mexico said:

That's true. Throw enough money out there then almost anything is possible. However, for the purpose of this discussion we are looking at realist chances. UNL is never going to pay that much for a basketball coach.

Who knows. A change in AD's might bring a willingness to go that high (and I'm not remotely calling for a change or am expecting one any time soon, but SE won't be there forever). The future is a murky thing. There was a time when I didn't think it was realistic that NU would invest in facilities like they have and eventually they did. Never as an awfully big word.