uneblinstu’s postgame chatter: vol 12; ed 1 - vs. UC Riverside

[HuskerFever]

Sorry, @uneblinstu, just had to get this up and running before HHC burned down.

 

The only thing I've got to say about this game/season:

 

 

Keep your heads up. Brush it off. And see you all next game.

[thrasher31]

One bright spot was Yvan and his energy. 

 

Cross in my opinion shot way too much. Killed flow of the offense I thought. 

 

Defense looked active at times I guess?

 

There was a lid on the basket. I'll be at the game on Saturday. Hopefully it's better

[hskr4life]

I still think this team *COULD* make the post season.  No I haven’t been drinking and yes I watched the game... I just think we’ll improve that much and Fred will get the O turned around.

[OmahaHusker]

7 minutes ago, HuskerFever said:

Sorry, @uneblinstu, just had to get this up and running before HHC burned down.

 

The only thing I've got to say about this game/season:

 

 

Keep your heads up. Brush it off. And see you all next game.

 

“We needed a coffin....haha needed a tree...”

[Nebrasketball1979]

4 minutes ago, hskr4life said:

I still think this team *COULD* make the post season.  No I haven’t been drinking and yes I watched the game... I just think we’ll improve that much and Fred will get the O turned around.

You are absolutely correct and I think I know where you were heading.  The CBI and CIT tournaments allow sub 500 teams to play as long as you write a check.  I don't believe there is any sort of minimum win requirement to get into these tournaments. 

Edited November 6, 2019 by Nebrasketball1979

[Dead Dog Alley]

Just remember, if this doesn’t work...nothing will.

[hhcmatt]

There is a lot of sentiment going around that this happens and things will be fine.  You could say the same thing about crapping yourself at work.  While this happens and things will be fine, you're still going to be known as the person who crapped themselves at work for a while.  We are going to be the team that crapped themselves at work this season.

 

 

[The Polish Rifle]

5 minutes ago, Dead Dog Alley said:

Just remember, if this doesn’t work...nothing will.

I don't need the pressure of simultaneous Hail Mary's in football and basketball with the future of the programs at stake. Don't put that evil on us.

[FredsSlacks]

FWIW there were a ton of shots that were in and out. i'm hoping this is the worst we play all year.

 

Yvan was the 1 bright spot tonight. he could be a beast in a couple years. (just 17 years old)

 

green and mack will get better. this was their first D1 game.

 

shamiel could really help us if he gets cleared. this team needs some more size.

 

dachon burke will have better games.

 

i'm very confused how thor played more minutes than samari curtis. 

 

kevin cross was ok but has a ways to go physically

 

kavas and cheatham will hopefully provide experience and scoring all year.

Edited November 6, 2019 by FredsSlacks

[lang]

Cross is right up there with the nicest stroke on the team.    I think we want him shooting when he's open.

[Fullbacksympathy]

I think we’re going to have to play Kavas at the 5 on occasion, own being small, and shoot the ball.  In fact, I’m a little shocked we didn’t make that move when Cross couldn’t make a shot.  At the very least we could’ve started trading 3s or 2s and opening up the lane a little.  I also thought Yvan earned a few more touches in the post in isolation.  
 

We really really miss Stevens.  Don’t forget we have him at some point.  I think he completes the lineup a lot better for Fred’s system.  He would’ve been a huge problem for their big.  Damn it.  
 

Not trying to defend the atrocity I watched tonight.  Just trying to understand it. 
 

Also, give Easley minutes.  

[Handy Johnson]

38 minutes ago, hhcmatt said:

There is a lot of sentiment going around that this happens and things will be fine.  You could say the same thing about crapping yourself at work.  While this happens and things will be fine, you're still going to be known as the person who crapped themselves at work for a while.  We are going to be the team that crapped themselves at work this season.

 

 

You say it like it’s a BAD thing... think of all the mileage you can get at Happy hour telling the story about the time you dropped a “soft serve” in your drawers at work.

[HuskerBB]

Hard to take anything good out of this one.   I agree Yvan did some good things - but his hands are a problem, fumbled a couple of passes that should have been easy buckets.  I actually liked a couple things Jervay did defensively - not so much in terms of effort which was lacking team wide - but he does show very quick hands knocking the ball loose and also quick jumping ability to block shots.  

 

Cross was a nightmare.  Someone needs to introduce him to his teammates and explain that they are on his side and he can actually pass the ball to them.   Plus when his shot wasn't there he played with zero energy or effort on defense.  One time clearly was in the best spot for a rebound but just stood and watch the UCR guy get the ball instead.

 

Most shocking thing to me was seeing Arop and Easley go in at the end.   I was assuming that Arop was going to redshirt for sure - and could not understand why we would blow his redshirt with less than two minutes less than this game.    I was also thinking maybe we were considering redshirting Easley because he had not played to that point.  I expected him to be getting minutes in the regular rotation - particularly on nightmare nights like this when no one else can make a shot and the team has lost its energy.   Easley is a kid that will always play hard and who can make a jump shot.   If you are going to play him why not do it earlier in this game when we still had a chance to regain momentum and come back to possibly save that disaster.  Not saying that necessarily would have happened - but certainly nothing else was working in the 2nd half.

 

In the end we just need to learn what we can from this embarrassing performance and then forget it and move forward.   It may be a very long season - hopefully there will still be a bright spot or two that we can use as we build for the future.  

[busticket]

We looked like a team with 12 new guys + Thor.  Sucks but a team like ours should look night and day different by conference play.

[hhcscott]

54 minutes ago, busticket said:

We looked like a team with 12 new guys + Thor.  Sucks but a team like ours should look night and day different by conference play.

Yeah,  but was this the night or the day?

Someone thought these 12 were better than what we had...I'm hopeful for improvement, what other choice is there, but  game one of the new era was easily as bad as the worst upsets of any of the last three regimes.

[HolyBobpilgrimage]

My notes: (once it started getting real ugly in the 2H, I slowed down) 

Alright start to FT performance, that exp they got with the lecture seems to have been good. Lots of work to be done. (Edit: shot around 50% 1H, has to be better)

Team looks crisp for so early in year, need to look to push because it's so successful. Team style is so much more exciting, it puts pressure on the opponent and we're capitalizing off the mistakes they make. 

Promising signs defensively with how active they are. Going to dip when we hit conf play because of size, but I'm fine with sacrificing some for speed and being able to switch on screens constantly. 

Need Kavas to start looking like a shooter and less like every other white guy stand around and pass player weve always had at NU. 

 

Maybe it's the size inside of Riverside or Hoiberg's presence, but it seems this team when behind takes a lot of desperate 3s and its killing me! Just find points. Defense keeps us in the game with hustle. Have to keep energy. 

 

As 2nd half wore on it got darker and darker as the perimeter D broke down and even on contests Riverside went GS WARRIORS ON OUR ASS. They couldn't miss, it's absolutely ridiculous. No hope for a comeback with a team nailing 3s like that on us. Feels like Creighton and I hate it. Have to find teachable moments and support these guys in games like this. 

[NWUhusker]

7 hours ago, hhcmatt said:

There is a lot of sentiment going around that this happens and things will be fine.  You could say the same thing about crapping yourself at work.  While this happens and things will be fine, you're still going to be known as the person who crapped themselves at work for a while.  We are going to be the team that crapped themselves at work this season.

 

 

Better to be known at least haha I’m in sunshine pumper mode today so I pulled the positive that Dicky V and Jay Bilas mentioned Nebraska during the broadcast with Fred Hoiberg as the coach. Would that have been mentioned with previous coaches? Maybe? And hey, at least you don’t have to poop anymore lol

[jayschool]

Dear Jesus, Allah, Vishnu, Krishna and John Wooden:

 

I'm pretty sure we're sufficiently humbled by now. You may lift the curse anytime.

 

Sincerely,

 

Nebrasketball Fans

[NUtball]

Oof.  That is all.

[demone]

35 minutes ago, jayschool said:

Dear Jesus, Allah, Vishnu, Krishna and John Wooden:

 

I'm pretty sure we're sufficiently humbled by now. You may lift the curse anytime.

 

Sincerely,

 

Nebrasketball Fans

 

Sincerely,

 

Nebraska Cornhusker Men's Athletic Program Fans

[hhcmatt]

Last night was Iowa-State-is-going-to-erase-Hoiberg-from-their-records bad

 

 

https://cyclones.com/sports/2015/3/2/GEN_2014010145.aspx

[jimmykc]

Huskerfever: Will you consider offering Mulligans on the HHC contest this year?

[hhcmatt]

[hhcmatt]

Maybe he's just not a names guy but one thing that struck me during Hoiberg's pregame interview with Kent is that he didn't really know anyone's name except for McRae. 

[hhcmatt]

Postgame Notes & Quotes: Nebraska vs. UC Riverside

 

 

NU Athletic Communications

Nebraska Post-Game Notes

• Tonight’s loss snapped Nebraska’s 18-game win streak in season openers. The Huskers last loss in a season opener was an 87-83 setback at Oral Roberts to begin the 2000 season, and the Huskers lost a season opener at home for the first time since a 62-59 overtime defeat to Wyoming to open the 1980-81 season.  Nebraska lost a non-conference home game for just the eighth time since Pinnacle Bank Arena opened in 2013 (39-8). It was Nebraska’s first home non-conference loss since a 73-32 last-second loss to No. 13 Kansas on Dec. 16, 2017.
• Nebraska outscored UC Riverside 14-3 in points off turnovers.
• All 47 points in tonight’s game were scored by players making their Husker debut. Ten of the 11 Huskers who saw the court tonight were playing their first game in a Nebraska uniform, with seven players scoring their first point as a Husker.
• Cam Mack narrowly missed a double-double in his Husker and Division I debut, finishing with 11 points and nine rebounds, both of which led Nebraska.
• Matej Kavas scored 10 points in his Nebraska debut and was the only other Husker in double figures.
• True freshman Yvan Ouedraogo hit 4-of-6 shots from the field, scoring nine points in his collegiate debut. His four field goals tied for the team lead.
• Tonight’s attendance was 15,745, marking the 100th crowd of 14,000 since Pinnacle Bank Arena opened in 2013.

Nebraska Coach Fred Hoiberg
On reactions to the game
“I thought early on we had a good burst out of the locker room. I thought our transition was excellent, I thought defensively, we were doing a good job of disrupting them and turning them over. Obviously, that changed, and the momentum shifted. I think we started out six for seven and finished the half off three for twenty. We missed some good looks and I thought that once the ball stopped going in the hoop, defense wasn’t as good. I thought we pressed to try and get that momentum back at once, but the ball movement wasn’t where it needed to be. Second half, obviously they came out hot and were confident. I give them credit for the way they came in here with their mentality. But it’s an opportunity now and we have to bounce back in a big way on Thursday and have two good days of preparation for this game on Saturday and find a way to get this one behind us. It’s a very disappointing loss, but you have to find a way in this business to get over it and put it behind you and get ready for the heck of the team we’re going to play on Saturday.”

On overcoming adversity
 “That is the thing that will ultimately tell you what kind of group you have, is when that adversity hits in a real game setting. You can use the excuse of ‘Well, we have so many new faces and new players.’ We’re not going to do that. We got outplayed today, and we’re going to find a way to bounce back with effort and preparation. We’re going to take every opportunity, whether we win or lose, to learn from it and grow from it. Adversity hit us in a huge way tonight, and you can talk to your guys about it until you get blue in the face. It’s going to hit you every time you step out on the floor. It will be how you handle it and we didn’t handle it well tonight.”

On team leadership
“That’s what we’ve talked about. It’s going to take situations like this to really figure out who we are and what we are and who’s going to lead through the tough times. I think Haanif [Cheatham] is as good as we have. He’s been through experiences like this, he’s played in the NCAA Tournament. He and Derrick [Walker] I think are the only two that have done that. We need to have that leadership in the huddles when the coaches are meeting and trying to go out there and make the adjustment. Those players need to find a way to stick together through that. Again, I’m confident we’ll do it. I like our group, I like our guys. We’re going to bounce back, I know that. They’re going to come in with a good attitude on Thursday and again, we’re going to need two good days of preparation.

Haanif Cheatham, Sr., Guard
On the team’s shooting struggles
“We all started the game very strong. We had the crowd hyped. It was very energetic. I think they went on their run and I think that their run caught us off guard and that being a new team caught us off guard. A little slap in the face. We just couldn’t pick it up from there.”

On Coach Hoiberg’s message after the game
“It starts in our practice. We’ve got to have high energy at all times. Just understanding one game [doesn’t] define us. Our season’s not over. We’ve still got practice, still got games and understand that it’s a marathon. We’ve still got 29 more games and we’ll be fine. Just got to work hard in practice and be ready for Saturday.”

On learning from tonight
This is our first time ever being tested and I think once we recognize what we need to do. Once we got a slap in the face, we got stagnant a little bit. We got a little bit stuck. I know we’re going to get better. We’re [going to] prepare the right way. We’re [going to] be ready for Saturday. We always talk about family in that locker room. We [are] always telling guys keep their head up. Our season’s not over, and we have got a long way to go.”

UC Riverside Coach David Patrick
On what this victory means for his program:
“After last year, we had a huge summer [and] a huge fall where we really took a look at where we could get better and all we talked about was defense and rebounding. For that to show up in Game 1, to out-rebound a Big Ten opponent, to be +20 on the glass, it’s a huge deal for our team. We [also] defended better. To hold [Nebraska] to under 30 percent from the field, that’s what we’ve been working on all summer. Last year, we were awful defensively.” 

On the Highlanders’ shooting success:
“It’s [a product of] good ball movement and good open shots. Last year, we ended up 28th in the country shooting the three [three-point percentage]. We could always shoot, but we couldn’t guard. I think [tonight] we did a better job of sharing the basketball, [and] making the extra pass--when we weren’t stepping out of bounds and turning it over. I think our guys definitely have a better understanding of [a] good shot versus [a] great shot. They really like each other and look for each other [on the court]. 

On how the Highlanders plan to build on this victory:
“[This win] proves we can win anywhere on the road, especially when we get into conference [play] in our league. We’re not going to come into an environment with this many people in the Big West, but this shows we can compete with anybody. We still have work to do. We have four guys sitting at home that aren’t with us that will join us over the next couple of weeks. Their addition with the group we have, I think good things are in store for this group.”