Deep run in the dance?

[PimpMario]

Is there any reason this team can't make it to the sweet 16 or beyond?
 
I know we last to Kansas, @CU and @OSU but we held our own against them all and had a chance to win.
 
We didn't look so hot against Purdue or MSU but if we can avoid a bad matchup we could be the first team in the state to go to the modern sweet 16.
 
I am tired of having a losing mentality.

[uneblinstu]

Who are you and what have you done with Pimp?

[PimpMario]

Who are you and what have you done with Pimp?

I am just tired of waiting for the other shoe to drop. At some point we have to start having confidence and expecting more.

[uneblinstu]

[jayschool]

[Norm Peterson]

I've been thinking it's possible for awhile now, just didn't want to jinx anything.

 

We're good enough to win on the road at Wisconsin and Minnesota in back-to-back games.  We beat Michigan by 20.  It took a last-second three by Kansas to steal that one from us.

 

We stubbed our toe a couple of times early, but we're a tough out these days, I don't care who you are.

 

11-seed play-in game might not be a bad thing for us.  We'll have been off a week plus by that point and having a warm-up win (snicker, chortle, snort) against a *real* 11 seed before we take on a 6 seed my be a nice tune-up for us.  Then we go medieval on some poor 6 seed before facing a 3 seed.  Or possibly a 14 seed.  How'd you like to play a 14 seed for a spot in the Sweet 16?

 

Bottom line, this team can score and it can defend.  We have a lot of players who are capable of putting points on the board in a lot of different ways.  Not like you can just take away Terran Petteway and everyone else isn't good enough to beat you.  This time, we're deep with talent.

[HuskerFever]

First of all, be careful. Jayskers frequent this board. You might have to explain to them (and our fans) what "Sweet 16" means.

 

Secondly, this year's team seems very different than the 2013-2014 squad. I'm much more confident in this team to be competitive if they make it to the tournament and not just rely on getting hot at the end of the season. We've seen it over and over again this season where our team has defied our predispositions about how prior teams have played (fighting through scoring droughts, overcoming large deficits, winning on the road, minimizing losing streaks, covering their teammates when they aren't scoring, etc.). This team is bought in.

[uneblinstu]

2 minutes ago, Norm Peterson said:

I've been thinking it's possible for awhile now, just didn't want to jinx anything.

 

We're good enough to win on the road at Wisconsin and Minnesota in back-to-back games.  We beat Michigan by 20.  It took a last-second three by Kansas to steal that one from us.

 

We stubbed our toe a couple of times early, but we're a tough out these days, I don't care who you are.

 

11-seed play-in game might not be a bad thing for us.  We'll have been off a week plus by that point and having a warm-up win (snicker, chortle, snort) against a *real* 11 seed before we take on a 6 seed my be a nice tune-up for us.  Then we go medieval on some poor 6 seed before facing a 3 seed.  Or possibly a 14 seed.  How'd you like to play a 14 seed for a spot in the Sweet 16?

 

Bottom line, this team can score and it can defend.  We have a lot of players who are capable of putting points on the board in a lot of different ways.  Not like you can just take away Terran Petteway and everyone else isn't good enough to beat you.  This time, we're deep with talent.

This is actually where I'm at, too.

[Shawn Eichorst's Toupee]

Ideal situation: Huskers win out, pull an upset at MSG and walk away as tournament champs. Get assigned to the Wichita site and have 2 more home games because Husker fans travel. End up playing Creighton in the Round of 32 and beat them to go to the Sweet 16.

Edited February 7, 2018 by Shawn Eichorst's Toupee

[HuskerFever]

11 minutes ago, Norm Peterson said:

How'd you like to play a 14 seed for a spot in the Sweet 16?

 

Xavier's 1991 team would favor that.

[uneblinstu]

1 minute ago, Shawn Eichorst's Toupee said:

Ideal situation: Huskers win out, pull an upset at MSG and walk away as tournament champs. Get assigned to the Wichita site and have 2 more home games because Husker fans travel. End up playing Creighton in the Round of 32 and beat them to go to the Sweet 16.

I've got family in Dallas. I'm pulling for that one. You'd get a lot of Husker fans there, too.

[hskr4life]

All these analysts, sports writers, other coaches... They aren’t just saying we’re a tough out for no good reason.  We are a freaking tough out for anyone.  We can play multiple styles (run and gun, grind it out, offensive show, defensive show), and still find ways to win.  I think that’s why we’re so successful right now.  We barely scored 60 to beat a Rutgers team on the road and then put up 80+ last night against Minny on the road.

 

I can almost guarantee you one thing.  Coaches of 4-5-6-7 seed teams want us losing right now.  No one will want to see our name pop up as an 10-11-12 seed on Selection Sunday.  Because our team is more of a 7-8-9 seed and we play like it as well.

[B-town hoopsfan]

It’s not as crazy as it sounds. Over the last month we have been getting solid to great play from the posts, guards are doing there part and it seems to all be coming together at the right time. 

 

Watson didn’t have a great stat line last night but the eyeball test showed he played much better to me atleast. That could be the key to really getting this cranked up.

 

miles had mentioned they put in some new plays over the break. Do you guys think the new plays were finally using the roll guy on the pick in roll? ( the roll guy has been there all year they just have never made the passes until last night in my opinion ) 

 

finally i believe this is the 3rd or 4th game in a row we have broke even on the boards or won them. It seems as though the defense has really trailed off however. Is this a case of a good offensive team in Iowa and mason playing out his mind or a more concentrated effort to pack the lane to get boards n not guarding out to the three point line as well? 

[atskooc]

46 minutes ago, PimpMario said:

Is there any reason this team can't make it to the sweet 16 or beyond?
 

Well, they might not make the tournament, which would make this pretty difficult.

[RedEyedFanatic]

35 minutes ago, Norm Peterson said:

I've been thinking it's possible for awhile now, just didn't want to jinx anything.

 

We're good enough to win on the road at Wisconsin and Minnesota in back-to-back games.  We beat Michigan by 20.  It took a last-second three by Kansas to steal that one from us.

 

We stubbed our toe a couple of times early, but we're a tough out these days, I don't care who you are.

 

11-seed play-in game might not be a bad thing for us.  We'll have been off a week plus by that point and having a warm-up win (snicker, chortle, snort) against a *real* 11 seed before we take on a 6 seed my be a nice tune-up for us.  Then we go medieval on some poor 6 seed before facing a 3 seed.  Or possibly a 14 seed.  How'd you like to play a 14 seed for a spot in the Sweet 16?

 

Bottom line, this team can score and it can defend.  We have a lot of players who are capable of putting points on the board in a lot of different ways.  Not like you can just take away Terran Petteway and everyone else isn't good enough to beat you.  This time, we're deep with talent.

[RedEyedFanatic]

17 minutes ago, B-town hoopsfan said:

It’s not as crazy as it sounds. Over the last month we have been getting solid to great play from the posts, guards are doing there part and it seems to all be coming together at the right time. 

 

Watson didn’t have a great stat line last night but the eyeball test showed he played much better to me atleast. That could be the key to really getting this cranked up.

 

miles had mentioned they put in some new plays over the break. Do you guys think the new plays were finally using the roll guy on the pick in roll? ( the roll guy has been there all year they just have never made the passes until last night in my opinion ) 

 

finally i believe this is the 3rd or 4th game in a row we have broke even on the boards or won them. It seems as though the defense has really trailed off however. Is this a case of a good offensive team in Iowa and mason playing out his mind or a more concentrated effort to pack the lane to get boards n not guarding out to the three point line as well? 

Definitely think it's the part in bold.  Iowa can score on anyone, they just can't defend a high school team.  And Mason killed us, but when a guy can drive to the hoop like we knew he could and then shoots the way he did last night, I don't know what a defender is supposed to do against that.  I also think we played a little hesitant last night on D to try and avoid fouls after everyone almost fouled out against wiscy.

[Tallbaby21]

Counterpoint: We are feasting on the horrible bottom 3/4 of the Big Ten and have one good win this year. I think we're good, but it's all eye test at this point. I feel like unless we go 5-0 the rest of the way we're going to have to win the Friday game in the Big Ten Tourney. If we make the tourney though, we're dangerous. 

[hhcmatt]

1 hour ago, uneblinstu said:

Who are you and what have you done with Pimp?

 

This is a pretty typical what have you done for me lately end of the season post. We just happen to be winning.

[HuskerFever]

27 minutes ago, uneblinstu said:

I've got family in Dallas. I'm pulling for that one. You'd get a lot of Husker fans there, too.

 

They could have the game on the moon and I'd still find a way to be there.

[Tallbaby21]

PS I had a dream the other night that I was having dinner with Larry Bird and we were trying to schedule an RPI boosting game in the week after the Big Ten tournament. 

[hhcmatt]

I have to say I googled the tourney locations after we won at Wisconsin

[RedEyedFanatic]

1 minute ago, Tallbaby21 said:

Counterpoint: We are feasting on the horrible bottom 3/4 of the Big Ten and have one good win this year. I think we're good, but it's all eye test at this point. I feel like unless we go 5-0 the rest of the way we're going to have to win the Friday game in the Big Ten Tourney. If we make the tourney though, we're dangerous. 

I know the computers hate the big 10, but I just don't think this conference is bad.  The top might not be the best top of a league, but I don't think there are any doormats in this conference.  I think the bottom 6 teams are way better than the bottom 6 in just about any other league, and half the teams in that bottom six are there because of injuries.

[uneblinstu]

1 minute ago, hhcdimes said:

I have to say I googled the tourney locations after we won at Wisconsin

What took you so long? I do this every summer, just in case. Or maybe out of boredom.

[HuskerFever]

8 minutes ago, RedEyedFanatic said:

I know the computers hate the big 10, but I just don't think this conference is bad.  The top might not be the best top of a league, but I don't think there are any doormats in this conference.  I think the bottom 6 teams are way better than the bottom 6 in just about any other league, and half the teams in that bottom six are there because of injuries.

 

I sense that the Big Ten is either rightfully ranked or slightly under respected and the SEC is overrated (although likely one of their best years top-to-bottom).

[huskerbaseball13]

The tournament is all dependent on matchups.  IF, and it appears we are still on the outside looking in...IF we get in anything is possible .  Baylor was just a bad bad draw for us.