Nebraska (15-5) vs.Minnesota (12-8) Game Thread

[HB]

9 hours ago, whoopdeedoo said:

i really hate to say this, but, huskers staring at a 2-6 or 3-5 finish. feel so bad for sr's.

Especially the ones who got recruited before Shawn The Destructor did his thing.  

[All About the Corn]

We can not win with 22 turnovers. Plus no production from Cain. She should be close to a double/double most nights. I know Sam and Leigha force things but they need to when we have too many players standing around or not looking for their shot. We get stagnant on the offensive end way too much. On the defensive side we shot watch and do not block out. Look at the shot numbers. Outside of Sam with 14, the rest of the starters only took 16 shots, hence my comment about our offense. As far as the refs, well you should scout them as well. We just do not use them when we should. Doyle at Iowa does a good job of knowing them and using them. Go back to the game here. How many times did she force the contact knowing she was going to get the call? Plenty. I think Leigha does a little bit but she can get a little wild so they do not give her the call. We really needed to go 6-3 or 7-2 in the front half of the B1G to make the NCAA's. Looking a lot like a WNIT team at this point. 

[12dozen]

9 minutes ago, All About the Corn said:

We can not win with 22 turnovers. Plus no production from Cain. She should be close to a double/double most nights. I know Sam and Leigha force things but they need to when we have too many players standing around or not looking for their shot. We get stagnant on the offensive end way too much. On the defensive side we shot watch and do not block out. Look at the shot numbers. Outside of Sam with 14, the rest of the starters only took 16 shots, hence my comment about our offense. As far as the refs, well you should scout them as well. We just do not use them when we should. Doyle at Iowa does a good job of knowing them and using them. Go back to the game here. How many times did she force the contact knowing she was going to get the call? Plenty. I think Leigha does a little bit but she can get a little wild so they do not give her the call. We really needed to go 6-3 or 7-2 in the front half of the B1G to make the NCAA's. Looking a lot like a WNIT team at this point. 

Turned off the computer early last night. I didn't want to sound too critical, immediately after a tough loss.  I'm still bummed today. Sorry if this post seems negative.

 

Everything you mention, to me, originates with coaching.  I'm starting to wonder if we have a BIG level staff.  Handling pressure, rebounding, defense, stagnant offense, atrocious passing, and turnover issues, all are recurring nightmares.   Time for the coaches to up their game.

 

I think this group of players can win. These are quality players, and admirable students.  They need a little help.  

 

 

[huskerchode]

Is this the 4th year for this coaching staff? Honestly, I’ve lost track.  If so, I’m disappointed at the downturn this late in the season.  I think back to a post from when this coaching staff was hired about expectations we all listed each year and I don’t think we are headed in a positive direction right now.  There is still time to win some games this season and try to get in as a bubble team, so I want to see the players and coaching staff giving it everything they’ve got.

 

i was concerned early this season when I would see us go on long scoring droughts against teams that really aren’t that good.  I became even more concerned when this continued throughout the season.  I don’t have any hopes that this will get any better this season.  However, if we could work on rebounding and defending, it would sure help a lot.

 

I feel a coaching staff needs 6 years minimum to get things in place.  Things I feel are urgent:  1) We absolutely need a true PG, a genuine floor leader.  2) We absolutely have to improve rebounding.  3). We must improve defense.  4) we need athleticism.  How different would this team be if we had been able to keep Doyle and Cayton?  They were casualties of a coaching change, and those things happen.  But what I don’t understand is why we don’t have those types of players in the 4 years this coaching staff has been in place.  I am seriously worried about losing Nicea - our best defender on a team that plays poor D (except for Nicea).
 

As for now, since we play such poor defense, we need to have people in the game that can score.  I want to see Bourne, Brown, Haiby, and Nicea as starters.  We’ve got to be able to consistently score, or go on a run and get up a bit, then sub for a rest.  Crack the whip when it comes to turnovers.  I think those turnovers could be cut in half if we had a true PG.  if it’s a truly boneheaded TO (like throwing it right to someone on the other team), then you are on the bench.  
 

also, lack of hustle lands you on the bench.  
 

these are all things my daughter’s middle school club coach did, and things I have seen various successful college coaches do.  It’s nothing new.  

[All About the Corn]

This is their 4th year, and no staff changes.

[Cazzie22]

We are a middle of the pack conference team.  I hope we are not satisfied with that outcome.  I believe the players are doing their best but ball handling issues, poor defensive rebounding and lack of consistent scoring production from several players adds up to unnecessary defeats.  I would like Bourne to play more and Mershon usually blocks out.  They might be defensive liabilities but right now, who isn’t?  A shakeup in the starting lineup might wake some players up.  Seemed to work for Purdue.

[redsteve]

Just more observations.....may not be right...just observations about trash ball...street ball..what ever you want to call it... There are lots of other issues already talked about here.

 

In watching the game....we were on all cylinders in the first half. Pretty much everything was working reasonably well.

 

Watched a replay....

After the half...their coach went beast, street maul mode. I watched a replay and it sure looked like about 6-8 of their fouls around the basket were ignored. There were more uncalled fouls on our drives to the basket. .....The point is we missed  many shots because of fouling. Many were in the lane when we were shooting,..... many uncalled fouls were by their guards out front when they were on defense. Much of their fouling lead to many of our turnovers.

 

But....in any event.....  they hit shots late when we weren't at our best defensibly

 

So when the refs don't call lots of the fouls. ...it just gives MInny the go ahead to trash us...and it continued.  When that happened we kind of lost some focus on the task in front of ourselves. 

 

We currently don't play trash ball.   Maybe we should if the refs were to let them play? But just don't think it can be that way come tourney time. ,

Edited January 31, 2020 by redsteve

[All About the Corn]

Cazzie I agree a little lineup change could do wonders. Plus maybe limit Cain's minutes. She has been mostly 30+ here lately. Bourne and Mershon should have more court time. Plus this is the time your seniors should want the ball in their hands. Haiby had 6 TO's last night. 

[All About the Corn]

Part of why we need to know how to play with the refs during the game. I would think they would talk about the refs in the locker room. Also it should be noted when in the huddle when it looks like they are letting things play without a call we need to change as well. Plus maybe more fire from Williams. She seems like she does not want to get a "T". Maybe she should a little more often. Most refs do not like to give a second so you can work them a little more to get calls.

[swmckewon]

14 hours ago, whoopdeedoo said:

i really hate to say this, but, huskers staring at a 2-6 or 3-5 finish. feel so bad for sr's.

couple things. 

 

1. The Big Ten is much more closely bunched together than it seems. Nebraska will have every chance to beat OSU, Indiana and NW.

 

2. A 3-5 finish is 18-12, which is one game off where I figured they'd be, 19-11. A couple years ago, I thought maybe this would be a 25-win team, but that forecast got revised down and then, in non-league play this year, one had to be a little concerned how smaller, badly overmatched teams could hang around by extending the defense and creating steals. Like, Nebraska beat Morgan State by 23, but it wasn't a pretty 23. 

 

3. The seniors have agency in how the season turns out. You'd hope 2 4-year starters, final 10 Big Ten games of their career, play their best now. 

[swmckewon]

5 hours ago, HB said:

Especially the ones who got recruited before Shawn The Destructor did his thing.  

Why? They stuck with Nebraska eyes open and were given the chance, like Cayton and Doyle, to sign elsewhere. 

 

 

[swmckewon]

24 minutes ago, redsteve said:

After the half...their coach went beast, street maul mode. I watched a replay and it sure looked like about 6-8 of their fouls around the basket were ignored. There were more uncalled fouls on our drives to the basket. .....The point is we missed  many shots because of fouling. Many were in the lane when we were shooting,..... many uncalled fouls were by their guards out front when they were on defense. Much of their fouling lead to many of our turnovers.

It's exactly what happened. When a defense extends itself way beyond the 3-point line, sooner or later, it's like press coverage in football - you gotta beat them off the line, or, in the case of basketball, off the dribble. Nebraska tried, got to the hoop, got fouled, didn't get the fouls called, missed the shots. Because officiating in WBB is so...variable...you gotta make the shots, or get offensive rebounds, or force entry passes into the paint until it works. 

 

Multiple teams have done this to Nebraska, they know it works, and they hope the whistles aren't called. Nebraska just has to be tougher, more rugged and stop worrying about it. 

 

 

[All About the Corn]

Thanks for your comments Sam. Part of what happened last night when it got more physical is leading to a bigger change in WBB. If you have girls that are real good in both VB and BB many are choosing VB over BB because the physical play. There are numbers to back this up. Over on the VB board I post at and I can not remember the year it could have been 2018 or maybe 2017 but there was more girls playing VB than BB.

[Fastbreaker]

15 minutes ago, All About the Corn said:

Thanks for your comments Sam. Part of what happened last night when it got more physical is leading to a bigger change in WBB. If you have girls that are real good in both VB and BB many are choosing VB over BB because the physical play. There are numbers to back this up. Over on the VB board I post at and I can not remember the year it could have been 2018 or maybe 2017 but there was more girls playing VB than BB.

 

15 minutes ago, All About the Corn said:

Thanks for your comments Sam. Part of what happened last night when it got more physical is leading to a bigger change in WBB. If you have girls that are real good in both VB and BB many are choosing VB over BB because the physical play. There are numbers to back this up. Over on the VB board I post at and I can not remember the year it could have been 2018 or maybe 2017 but there was more girls playing VB than BB.

Is the VB over BB thing nationwide or just Nebraska.  I have a hard time believing there are more VB players than BB players nationwide.

[All About the Corn]

It was nationwide. Now inner city is more BB than VB but part of that is due to your neighborhood BB courts. Here is a ESPN article.

 

https://www.espn.com/espnw/sports/story/_/id/18659764/why-young-athletes-flocking-volleyball-not-basketball-record-numbers

[All About the Corn]

When I was growing up my top sport was BB. Now it is VB by quite a bit. I watch some of the pro leagues overseas, our NT matches, and of course NE. It really lets the girls showcase their skill and athleticism more than BB. Jordan Larson has been a top tier OH for a long time. Plus has made a lot of money playing the sport. She had made upper 6 to just over 7 figures for years. Barring injury will be in her 3rd Olympics. Part of why NE has some girls become naturalized in other countries because that is the only way they maybe able to play in the Olympics. USA BB is very political IMHO. 

[Red Don]

Please pardon my 'Negative-Nancy'-ism    but it's a good point about 'Scouting the Refs' @All About the Corn !   Let me add the thought that some 'Acting Lessons' might help as well. 

 

We all know what the other teams are doing to 'Make Us uncomfortable;' And it Works!   Why can't ''We' make other teams 'Uncomfortable' as well?  Where is the full-court press?  Where is the continuous Pressure?   If you allow yourself to continually get 'sucker-punched,'   just who is the sucker 

Edited January 31, 2020 by Red Don

[12dozen]

John Wooden made it known, he was a fan of women's basketball.  He mentioned a "purity" to the women's game.  Not sure he would appreciate the progression, to this type of physicality, in the ladies game.  

[whoopdeedoo]

RPI's for the huskers:

 

RealTimeRPI:   55th

Massey             39th

WarrenNolen    58th

 

[Cazzie22]

3 hours ago, All About the Corn said:

When I was growing up my top sport was BB. Now it is VB by quite a bit. I watch some of the pro leagues overseas, our NT matches, and of course NE. It really lets the girls showcase their skill and athleticism more than BB. Jordan Larson has been a top tier OH for a long time. Plus has made a lot of money playing the sport. She had made upper 6 to just over 7 figures for years. Barring injury will be in her 3rd Olympics. Part of why NE has some girls become naturalized in other countries because that is the only way they maybe able to play in the Olympics. USA BB is very political IMHO. 

I question whether or not VB requires more skill and athleticism.  Everyone has to handle the ball in BB, you have to pass and catch the ball, and underrated skill, and shoot.   I appreciate the skill and athleticism of VB.  Many girls just don’t like the contact in basketball and therefor VB appeals to them.  Some great VB players are not necessarily going to be great in BB, and vice versa.

[All About the Corn]

NE VB has the last few years been one of the best passing teams. This past year was there worst in quite sometime. Granted some players like a MB really do not need to dig ball or pass very much but your setter, OH, and libero really need most of the skills that volleyball uses. To watch some of the plays they make is a thing of beauty. Now that is not to say that WBB players need less skill really just different skills than VB. I could get into a comparison but that is for another time. Maybe the off season.  I hope we can make the turn and come around and finish strong and find our team is in the NCAA tourney.

[HB]

11 hours ago, swmckewon said:

Why? They stuck with Nebraska eyes open and were given the chance, like Cayton and Doyle, to sign elsewhere. 

 

 

Whatever, Sam.  You were wrong in 2016.   Basketball is not your sport.  

[hskr4life]

Starting to look like the Tim Miles era on the women’s side of things.  Bad first year, lightning in a bottle NCAA tournie team, another rough year, and now can’t get over the hump.  We’ll see how future years go.

[Fastbreaker]

13 hours ago, HB said:

Whatever, Sam.  You were wrong in 2016.   Basketball is not your sport.  

Whatever HB, Sam knows more basketball then you for sure.  Trying to chase away the only media friend WBB  has.

[12dozen]

22 minutes ago, Fastbreaker said:

Whatever HB, Sam knows more basketball then you for sure.  Trying to chase away the only media friend WBB  has.

Isn't that his job?  I'd like to see more coverage.  Seems most of the articles posted on this site, originate somewhere other than the OWH.  Thank you, to all on these pages, that share the articles you come across.