Next seasons players

[Nebrasketball1979]

[Bugeaters1]

6 minutes ago, Nebrasketball1979 said:

 

[jimmykc]

Upon reading my earlier post in this thread implying we might meet Illinois in the first round of the Big Ten tourney, I shall revise my wish to recognize the scenario in which we meet the fifth seed in the opening round. This makes us more likely to meet Wisconsin, Rutgers or Iowa. Therefore my preferred upset choice would be Iowa, again based upon the cut of the coach's jib. Thanks for not pointing out how the tourney works with the first day byes. I'll chalk that up to post vaccine confusion.

[jimmykc]

Anyone with some pandemic time to kill between games might like to check out this book unless you happen to be a Yankee fan.                             Review: Lee book is many great stories | Book Reviews and News | journalstar.com                           

[hhcmatt]

1 hour ago, jimmykc said:

Anyone with some pandemic time to kill between games might like to check out this book unless you happen to be a Yankee fan.                             Review: Lee book is many great stories | Book Reviews and News | journalstar.com                           

 

On a side note, I'm also a Red Sox fan.

[skerbball]

This is pretty cool. Big 10 tournament seeding generator:

 

 http://bball.notnothing.net/bracket.php?conf=big10m

 

 

 

 

[jimmykc]

Crap, with this projection I have no basis for a "cut of the jib" choice. Too bad Pat Chambers was booted from Penn State. As far as I can tell, Ferry was chosen from among the group of cardboard fans in the seats. 

Edited February 14, 2021 by jimmykc

[HuskerFever]

9 minutes ago, skerbball said:

This is pretty cool. Big 10 tournament seeding generator:

 

 http://bball.notnothing.net/bracket.php?conf=big10m

 

Still on track to get the #10 seed at 7-9!

[ConkTrifecta3]

Are we slated for 16 games then?  Or are we going to try to jam in 20?

 

[HuskerFever]

4 minutes ago, ConkTrifecta3 said:

Are we slated for 16 games then?  Or are we going to try to jam in 20?

 

I would imagine we'd be able to cram in 1-2 more games. Getting to 20 would require some rescheduling of other teams as well.

 

The easiest add would be a double header with Purdue, similar to what we're doing with Maryland, as both teams have a gap in scheduling.

[ConkTrifecta3]

Well and between Rutgers and NW there is a week.  Might there as well.

[HuskerFever]

32 minutes ago, ConkTrifecta3 said:

Well and between Rutgers and NW there is a week.  Might there as well.

 

Our postponed games were Purdue, Maryland, Minnesota, Iowa, and Penn State. We've rescheduled Maryland already, and Purdue double header just makes sense of you're trying to get back to 20 games.

 

I'm not sure what other teams have left to reschedule, but if you introduce Rutgers or Northwestern to the mix, that leaves them with more than conference games, while others haven't been able to play 20.

[Huskerpapa]

18 hours ago, HB said:

I’m just saying that for a team that has lost 26 straight conference games, with some putrid non-conference losses,  the criticism hasn’t been that sharp.   Certainly not by message board standards, although this one has always been better than most.  So when there is a well though-out post, respectfully articulated like Diehards, I’m going to defend him.  Ok for people to disagree with him, or me, or someone who even thinks Banton will play in the NBA.   But people should be able to post like that without recrimination.  Yes, we’re only in the second year.  On the other hand, the performance has been the worst of my long lifetime, by far.  To suggest that we might want to tweak a few things already in the face of that shouldn’t subject one to attack.  My guess is any other coach we would have brought in wouldn’t have such a hands off standard.  But Fred is the Mayor.  

I know we had a hill to climb; but isn't Michigan in its second year under Howard.  And yes, I am aware of the apples to oranges comparison. 

When you have been waiting decades and decades for just one simple win in the dance, you sort of have the right to tastefully vent amongst friends. 

[jimmykc]

We're all disappointed. But remember Pat Chambers had a "ten year plan" which eventually worked out (sort of) before his "sweet dreams and flying machines were pieces on the ground". And I don't think anyone will dispute the fact that the last two years have been unusual ones in which to build a new program. I see no reason not to be glass-half-full for another couple of years since there is no evidence anyone else available would be a better choice (although Chambers is now on the list).

[Handy Johnson]

Here’s the $100 dollar question: will we surpass last years TWO win total in Conference play...?

[cornfed24-7]

10 minutes ago, Handy Johnson said:

Here’s the $100 dollar question: will we surpass last years TWO win total in Conference play...?

That's a solid no from me Johnny

[Norm Peterson]

On 2/12/2021 at 10:02 AM, NUdiehard said:

The B1G is a grind.  So many top level teams.  What we are all learning is that to compete in the B1G, you can't have a roster full of one-dimensional players.  We have some players that our good/great athletes, but not great shooters (Banton, Trey, Shamiel).  We have others that our good shooters, but not good athletes (Webster, Lakes).  And then we have a guy like Lat who is a decent shooter and a decent athletes (but not great by any means), but otherwise lacks all basic basketball skills.  And Teddy, well, he is just Teddy (not a great athlete and really struggles with the mental game).

 

I really hoped a guy like Lakes could add that shooting dimension, but the B1G is proving you have to have a certain level of athleticism or you become unplayable.  Without that athleticism, Lakes can't defend sufficient, and can't even get open long enough to get his shot off.  Kobe is similar, he is just outmatched athletically in this league.  He is not a B1G caliber player. This is not to knock him, I like his grit and effort, but he is not legit B1G talent (too small, not quick enough, not a good passer, not a great shooter, etc). 

 

Shamiel is a wrecking ball and is actually pretty good finishing at the rim.  But any shot more than 3 feet from the hoop is an abomination, not sure I've ever seen a wing with less touch from the outside.   Other teams know this.  Watch them, they don't guard him at all when he is on the perimeter.  And every time Shamiel  catches it, he pump fakes (to no one), and then shuffles his feet (called for traveling half the time) and bulls his way into the crowded paint area.  Rinse and repeat.  This is the one-dimensional play that won't work.  Can't have a guy who simply cannot and will not shoot on the perimeter, the defense will simply ignore him. 

 

Yvonne.  Seems like a great kid, works incredibly hard.  But he looks like a kid who never, and I mean never, played any sport of any kind growing up.  At least not with his hands.  Maybe he played soccer, i don't know.  But he has absolutely no feel and touch with this fingertips.  We all know he shoots from his palm, he passes from his palm, he shotputs his shots.  He is shooting 2-16 on free throws in conference!  2-16!!!!  What baffles me is I watched 5 minutes of his highlight film when he was recruited and this was painfully obvious.  How does someone like Hoiberg watch his film and not see this.  This lack of feel with the hands/fingers is simply not something that can be changed/improved very often, and it does not appear Yvonne has even tried.  Due to misses like this, it does make one start to question this staff's ability to evaluate talent.

 

Banton is a skilled player for his size, but he can't shoot.  He hit a few early in the season, but now is shooting 24% from 3 overall and just 19% in conference.  He is a good player and a solid core piece, but I don't think we have to worry about him going to the NBA anytime soon.  He also isn't a PG.  This team desperately needs a true PG who can distribute and shoot.

 

I love Trey, love his grit, hustle, effort, and even his gamesmanship (drawing fouls, etc).  Great athlete, but unfortunately, he is just not a naturally skilled basketball player.  He is an athlete playing basketball.  He can get incrementally better, and he definitely is a keeper, but he mostly is what he is--an inefficient grinder who will never be a great passer or shooter.  Although his 3-point percentage is good, it is on low volume, especially in conference where he has shot only 13 threes in 8 games, and you can see he is hesitant to pull the trigger, resulting in him constantly driving the lane.  So many people say all we have to do is "love the rim".  Well, I think we all saw what can happen when a bunch of players who can't shoot just "love the rim" all game.  It wasn't pretty.

 

Andre.  Although he hasn't done much this year, I really like Andre. He is a definite bright spot in my book.  He already has much better feel, touch and skill than either Yvonne or Walker.  And he hasn't even been playing the game that long.  Great length and very good athleticism.  Good timing.  He could eventually be the big man we need, but he needs to put on weight.  That will be the determining factor, can he bulk up enough.

 

As to next year, Bryce McGowens is exactly the type of player we need.  A three dimensional player, a three level scorer, passer defender.  He has the whole package.  But, he is slender and will just be a freshman. I don't think it is fair to expect him to come in as a skinny freshman and tear up the B1G. 

 

I hope upon hope I am wrong, but I don't see much contribution next year coming from either Keisei or Breidenbach.  I have already posted my thoughts about Breidenbach, and his lack of size and athleticism, so I won't repeat here other than to say this goes back to my initial point.  He appears to me to be a one-dimensional player--very skilled, but poor athlete.  I just don't see it working in the B1G, especially not his first couple of years (and who knows if he will last all 4 years, does anyone?).  Keisie is the same things--very skilled shooter, but lacks athleticism and size.  Yet another one-dimensional player.  I don't think he will be able to get his shot off consistently in the B1G, and he will get destroyed on the defensive end.  I recently checked his juco stats and they have only played a couple games but his numbers were very pedestrian and he didn't even start at least one of the games. 

 

Fred made a mistake in thinking he could bring in 2 coaches that only coach and don't recruit.  He has relied almost exclusively on Matt A. to do all the recruiting.  This simply isn't working.  Fred is going to have to make some tough decisions in the offseason and most likely have to bring in 1 or 2 more ace recruiters to up the talent.  It is that simple.  Nebraska has a talent problem.  Upgrade the talent, and upgrade the wins.  With that said, it is so disappointing seeing his complete inability to recruit the talent right here in our own state.  As someone who watched Danny Nee lock up the state at a time of great Nebraska talent, it is a shame to see player after player in our home state go to other schools when if they simply all cam together here at NU, along with Bryce, Banton, Andre and Trey, could have a great, and I mean great, team.  Danny did it.  Why can't Fred?

 

 

Lincoln and Hell have something in common today: They have both frozen over.

 

I agree with NUdiehard here. Hey, it happens.

 

I often disagree with NUdiehard but it's usually me that's wrong. So, the fact I agree with him here could be a good sign or a bad one.

 

I think our biggest problem is talent and, as I've told some people privately, it's just an odd combination of players that this staff has assembled. NUdiehard calls them one-dimensional. I'd say it's actually more troublesome than that. It's not just an issue of being one-dimensional. It's that, while each player might be decent to good at one skill, they're truly bad at something else that is an essential part of the skillset required for players in their position.

 

Let's talk about the difference between competence and proficiency. I would propose this distinction between the two, which I found on google: "There is a value difference between competent and proficient: While both refer to knowing a skill, competency can refer to the bare minimum required for acceptability. Proficiency carries with it a level of mastery that is above the minimum."

 

So, let's assess shooting and establish some parameters. To have the bare minimum skill required for acceptability in perimeter shooting, I would suggest someone needs to be at least 33% accurate to be competent. To be proficient, I would suggest you would need to be at least 36% accurate. And to be truly skilled at perimeter shooting, I would suggest you need to be at least 39% accurate.

 

If you're only, say, 30% accurate, I'd say you're marginal. And if you're less than 27% accurate from beyond the arc, you are inept.

 

Perimeter shooting is a fundamental skill for a guard or wing in basketball. Of the six guards/wings in the regular rotation, HALF of them are INEPT at this fundamental skill. One of our 3 bigs is INEPT at scoring inside. If the border line for marginal competence at free-throw shooting is 65%, a fundamental skill for ALL positions, then more than half of our roster is INEPT at free-throw shooting.

 

You can sometimes get by with a PG who isn't a great perimeter shooter, but then your other guys have to be able to make up for that, and our other guys can't.

 

The ESPN guys who rate transfers were not high on our transfers when we signed them. And that's supposed to be the strength of the dedicated recruiting assistant on the staff. He's not a basketball guy. He's not going to be able to help scout the next opponent. He gives you nothing in the film room. His job is to recruit and, by reputation, he's supposed to be able to land transfers. Not only has he failed to land top-shelf transfers, but the transfers he has landed have had deficiencies in their games that aren't compatible with the offense we're trying to run. And you can work around one guard/wing who can't shoot (provided he can do something else really well) but we've assembled a whole roster of guys who can't shoot a lick. Like WT actual F?

 

I'll be honest: I'm not impressed with the results produced so far by the highest paid basketball assistant in Husker hoops history.

 

I think Lat Mayen is really coming around and I like what I'm seeing there. To me, he's a keeper. But he should be our third or 4th option from outside. He should be the guy who catches the defense sleeping and nails a dagger three because they're so busy trying chase our other snipers off the 3-point line. Problem is we don't have those other snipers.

 

So, maybe Keisei comes in and can be one of those other snipers (the Lakes experiment makes me worry whether just being a good shooter will get him on the floor). Let's say Bryce McGowens will be that other sniper. I'm sorry, but you cannot have both Dalano Banton and Teddy Allen in the lineup together. If you're going to have Dalano below the Mendoza line for 3-point accuracy, then you need to have other guards/wings who can produce close to 40% from three. If you have Teddy in there, then you need a PG who can shoot the damn ball.

 

But you CANNOT fill the starting lineup with guys who are barely ept at 3-point shooting in an offense designed around getting 3-point shots.

 

I like Eduardo. I think Mayen has made major strides. I think Walker has earned his keep. Yvan is a great kid with a great attitude, a big-time body, and a very good rebounder. But he's a liability with the ball in his hands and that hasn't changed in 2 seasons.

 

Thor is inept at one of the most important skills a shooting guard needs to be proficient at and, while he does a lot of other things well, he's a liability from beyond the arc, and you need the player in his spot to be at least proficient.

 

Shamiel has done a lot of dumb things. He probably leads the team in charges. His fouls and turnovers probably match up closely for that reason. But he actually brings some good things to the table that are useful, and I'm willing, I think, to allow for his 2 years off to explain some of the bad decisions he's made on the floor. I certainly thinks he's smart enough to learn from them and improve. If I'm Shamiel, I work my ass off this off-season to try to retool that jump shot so that he gets back to the level of proficiency he displayed as a freshman at Pitt. The fact he's done it before gives me some hope he could do it again. And, if he does, he's certainly worth keeping.

 

I'm not sure what to make of Dalano and Teddy, other than the fact that if one of them is a bad perimeter shooter, the other needs to be a really good one. Something has to give there. If Dalano could be a 33% shooter, then so could Teddy, but if one of them is bad, the other has to be great, or we're still going to have problems.

 

Anyway, not trying to match the length of NUdiehard's post, but long posts is maybe the one thing he and I have in common.

Edited February 14, 2021 by Norm Peterson

[Norm Peterson]

On 2/12/2021 at 5:08 PM, Art Vandalay said:

I specifically said trashing “the staff” and you have called for him to replace guys twice. I never said anyone was calling for Fred to be fired, so don’t try to change the narrative. I stand by that. Not even two years in and the 4th rank class in the Big Ten coming in. If that class flops I’ll listen but I think Fred has earned the benefit and these are the guys he wants on staff.

 

"Trashing" to me means mean-spirited and personal attacks. Suggesting that some changes need to be made is not trashing. I agree completely with HB on this: some changes need to be made in the off-season. I think Fred probably knows talent, but I think he's relying on a schmoozer who isn't really a hoops guy to do that initial screening for him. That ain't no way to find diamonds in the rough like Miles was able to uncover.

 

Abdelmassih might have his place and might be able to fill a role. But Fred needs another recruiting guy. And my best recommendation is to go find someone who can deliver a couple of top-shelf 2022 kids.

[HB]

2 hours ago, jimmykc said:I see no reason not to be glass-half-full for another couple of years since there is no evidence anyone else available would be a better choice (although Chambers is now on the list).

Jimmy, half-full isn’t allowed.  That’s against the rules.  You have to be completely full, until after 3 years.  You must not have gotten the memo.  

[hskr4life]

19 minutes ago, Norm Peterson said:

 

"Trashing" to me means mean-spirited and personal attacks. Suggesting that some changes need to be made is not trashing. I agree completely with HB on this: some changes need to be made in the off-season. I think Fred probably knows talent, but I think he's relying on a schmoozer who isn't really a hoops guy to do that initial screening for him. That ain't no way to find diamonds in the rough like Miles was able to uncover.

 

Abdelmassih might have his place and might be able to fill a role. But Fred needs another recruiting guy. And my best recommendation is to go find someone who can deliver a couple of top-shelf 2022 kids.

 

There is a huge difference between trashing and criticizing.  I think it's completely fair to criticize where we are at right now.  Even if you consider last year "year 0" and this year "year 1."  Why?  We haven't won a Big 10 game since last January.  We haven't competed in a lot of Big 10 games.  I actually think we have seen progress the last few games and Friday was certainly encouraging.  Looking forward to seeing what we do today against PSU!  However, I have a feeling if the coach we had hired wasn't named Fred, there would be a lot more criticism right now with where we are at.  No one should have expected post season this year... but I think it was fair to ask us to be competitive, to see better offensive flow, and to see a group that drastically increased level of play from November until now.  We just haven't really seen that so far.

 

I haven't seen anyone call for someone to get fired-- nor should they.  This was a rebuild.  But, asking the question "what do we need to do better because what we are doing hasn't worked so far" I think is a fair question right now.

[ConkTrifecta3]

1 hour ago, Norm Peterson said:

 

Lincoln and Hell have something in common today: They have both frozen over.

 

I agree with NUdiehard here. Hey, it happens.

 

I often disagree with NUdiehard but it's usually me that's wrong. So, the fact I agree with him here could be a good sign or a bad one.

 

I think our biggest problem is talent and, as I've told some people privately, it's just an odd combination of players that this staff has assembled. NUdiehard calls them one-dimensional. I'd say it's actually more troublesome than that. It's not just an issue of being one-dimensional. It's that, while each player might be decent to good at one skill, they're truly bad at something else that is an essential part of the skillset required for players in their position.

 

Let's talk about the difference between competence and proficiency. I would propose this distinction between the two, which I found on google: "There is a value difference between competent and proficient: While both refer to knowing a skill, competency can refer to the bare minimum required for acceptability. Proficiency carries with it a level of mastery that is above the minimum."

 

So, let's assess shooting and establish some parameters. To have the bare minimum skill required for acceptability in perimeter shooting, I would suggest someone needs to be at least 33% accurate to be competent. To be proficient, I would suggest you would need to be at least 36% accurate. And to be truly skilled at perimeter shooting, I would suggest you need to be at least 39% accurate.

 

If you're only, say, 30% accurate, I'd say you're marginal. And if you're less than 27% accurate from beyond the arc, you are inept.

 

Perimeter shooting is a fundamental skill for a guard or wing in basketball. Of the six guards/wings in the regular rotation, HALF of them are INEPT at this fundamental skill. One of our 3 bigs is INEPT at scoring inside. If the border line for marginal competence at free-throw shooting is 65%, a fundamental skill for ALL positions, then more than half of our roster is INEPT at free-throw shooting.

 

You can sometimes get by with a PG who isn't a great perimeter shooter, but then your other guys have to be able to make up for that, and our other guys can't.

 

The ESPN guys who rate transfers were not high on our transfers when we signed them. And that's supposed to be the strength of the dedicated recruiting assistant on the staff. He's not a basketball guy. He's not going to be able to help scout the next opponent. He gives you nothing in the film room. His job is to recruit and, by reputation, he's supposed to be able to land transfers. Not only has he failed to land top-shelf transfers, but the transfers he has landed have had deficiencies in their games that aren't compatible with the offense we're trying to run. And you can work around one guard/wing who can't shoot (provided he can do something else really well) but we've assembled a whole roster of guys who can't shoot a lick. Like WT actual F?

 

I'll be honest: I'm not impressed with the results produced so far by the highest paid basketball assistant in Husker hoops history.

 

I think Lat Mayen is really coming around and I like what I'm seeing there. To me, he's a keeper. But he should be our third or 4th option from outside. He should be the guy who catches the defense sleeping and nails a dagger three because they're so busy trying chase our other snipers off the 3-point line. Problem is we don't have those other snipers.

 

So, maybe Keisei comes in and can be one of those other snipers (the Lakes experiment makes me worry whether just being a good shooter will get him on the floor). Let's say Bryce McGowens will be that other sniper. I'm sorry, but you cannot have both Dalano Banton and Teddy Allen in the lineup together. If you're going to have Dalano below the Mendoza line for 3-point accuracy, then you need to have other guards/wings who can produce close to 40% from three. If you have Teddy in there, then you need a PG who can shoot the damn ball.

 

But you CANNOT fill the starting lineup with guys who are barely ept at 3-point shooting in an offense designed around getting 3-point shots.

 

I like Eduardo. I think Mayen has made major strides. I think Walker has earned his keep. Yvan is a great kid with a great attitude, a big-time body, and a very good rebounder. But he's a liability with the ball in his hands and that hasn't changed in 2 seasons.

 

Thor is inept at one of the most important skills a shooting guard needs to be proficient at and, while he does a lot of other things well, he's a liability from beyond the arc, and you need the player in his spot to be at least proficient.

 

Shamiel has done a lot of dumb things. He probably leads the team in charges. His fouls and turnovers probably match up closely for that reason. But he actually brings some good things to the table that are useful, and I'm willing, I think, to allow for his 2 years off to explain some of the bad decisions he's made on the floor. I certainly thinks he's smart enough to learn from them and improve. If I'm Shamiel, I work my ass off this off-season to try to retool that jump shot so that he gets back to the level of proficiency he displayed as a freshman at Pitt. The fact he's done it before gives me some hope he could do it again. And, if he does, he's certainly worth keeping.

 

I'm not sure what to make of Dalano and Teddy, other than the fact that if one of them is a bad perimeter shooter, the other needs to be a really good one. Something has to give there. If Dalano could be a 33% shooter, then so could Teddy, but if one of them is bad, the other has to be great, or we're still going to have problems.

 

Anyway, not trying to match the length of NUdiehard's post, but long posts is maybe the one thing he and I have in common.

The disconnect I have is with jumping the gun on this staff's first full recruiting class, with a pandemic, with stopping for 30 days.. not having Walker for almost all year.. and we are supposed to be doing what???  On top of that against the league that is on its way according to Pomeroy as the most difficult EVER.  Can we maybe wait until at least next year to place judgement on these guys?  Please?  I mean dont you think thats just a little bit reasonable?

Edited February 14, 2021 by ConkTrifecta3

[HuskerFever]

[Cazzie22]

2 hours ago, Handy Johnson said:

Here’s the $100 dollar question: will we surpass last years TWO win total in Conference play...?

Doubtful

[Art Vandalay]

1 hour ago, Norm Peterson said:

 

"Trashing" to me means mean-spirited and personal attacks. Suggesting that some changes need to be made is not trashing. I agree completely with HB on this: some changes need to be made in the off-season. I think Fred probably knows talent, but I think he's relying on a schmoozer who isn't really a hoops guy to do that initial screening for him. That ain't no way to find diamonds in the rough like Miles was able to uncover.

 

Abdelmassih might have his place and might be able to fill a role. But Fred needs another recruiting guy. And my best recommendation is to go find someone who can deliver a couple of top-shelf 2022 kids.

I’m sorry but calling for someone to lose their job is personal as it gets. I will never agree that is not trashing someone. I bet you’d feel the same if someone said you sucked at your job and should be fired. Would you take that personal?

 

Are you not happy with the 2021 class? At least on paper? I agree if they don’t pan out and 2022 class is underwhelming we need to look at doing something different.

 

hskr4life, just look in this thread alone they have called for Fred to fire some assistant coaches.

 

Some folks on here think it is cool to criticize things but if others try to defend said criticisms (even when there are good supporting facts) they are labeled sunshine pumping fools. It’s not to hard to look at both sides and have an adult conversation.

Edited February 14, 2021 by Art Vandalay

[HuskerFever]

4 hours ago, Handy Johnson said:

Here’s the $100 dollar question: will we surpass last years TWO win total in Conference play...?

 

Technically, we only won 1 conference game in the 2020 calendar year. So we're on pace!