uneblinstu's postgame chatter: vol 14; ed 1 - Western Illinois

[HolyBobpilgrimage]

3 hours ago, huskerbaseball13 said:

Bryce/Trey’s podcast just lost 50% of their listeners. 

 

For a team that had/has NCAA hopes that’s going to look really ugly on the ole resume. 

For everyone talking about their podcast and how they have to stop that and get focused, maybe listen to the pod or something first, because they announced after the last pod before the games started that they'd slow the pod pace down and only do it once a month or so whenever they can fit it in. Calm down.

[HolyBobpilgrimage]

A couple Positives and a Lotta Negatives on this night.

Still glad I was there, maybe I'm a glutton for punishment, maybe I'm conditioned to it. It now feels comfortable and normal to me to lose like this (which is bad... And shows how long you've been a nebrask(etball) fan, by how unsurprised you are when these Heartbreakers happen)

Positives:

+ we know we have scorers on the team as a fact, and that Bryce is natural at it too. Need that to come at the end of 6-10 other passes, not from hero ball. That pissed me off.

+ our very own Japanese wunderkind

+ LOTS of game tape for fred on how NOT to play team basketball.

 

Negatives:

- rebounding. But with Fred's style I kind of expect this deficit every night, and Imo it's a calucated loss,  not a huge deal if you can run an offense

- without trey and Zo playing pure point and not giving a sh** about scoring, we're toast. We need distribution. Dedicated point gawd.

- as I mentioned, 90% of the problem tonight was no passing and instead playing hero ball. It's disgusting. It's the opposite of what Fred builds and preaches, space and pace and passing.

- we failed the gut check,  the "how do you respond to adversity" when you get smacked in the mouth Test. Teams ain't gonna just lay down for you,  guys. Grow a pair and pull together. It was clear as day from a mile away, they weren't working together. I can't question effort, but they weren't going with a game plan,  that's for sure. They were going with improv, just trying things.

Fix a few things and I still have a lot of hope for these guys. Still love the team and hope they improve,  GBR.

[Faux Mike Peltz]

accidentally posted this in the game thread: 
Had some time to gather my thoughts.

long drive back up to Omaha. I’ve seen that movie before. As soon as we missed the second free throw, I said “we’re going to lose…”

 

Im a diehard and dedicated fan who makes the commute from Omaha. I get permission to leave work early so I can make the 6pm tipoffs. 
I’m going to have a hard time sitting through 17 or however many home games are remaining if that’s what I’ll see.  No fire or passion. Very little energy. Very little effort on the boards. Didn’t see too many guys box out. I taught my upward first graders how to box out. It can be taught.  But a player has to want to do it.

Verge and Bryce playing hero ball- yes they both got 25 - but took plenty of attempts to do so.

We need Exhibition Verge, not ASU Verge.

Wish Hoiberg would’ve called a TO after the 5th or 6th example and adjusted the offensive attack. Way too stagnant by the other guys.

 

My son had the quote of the night “I wish you could put Trey’s motor in Bryce’s body”

 

And finally: Simon Says, Make your free throws down the stretch!!!

[Faux Mike Peltz]

1 hour ago, busticket said:

Not much to add that anyone else hasn’t said already but my concerns about our PG has has not been alleviated after watching this horrible display of team offense.  This was the Verge I was afraid we would see.  I hope that this is a major teaching moment Fred can use to get the kids to buy in to his system.

 

Conversely, Creighton broke in a freshmen PG tonight and he took 10 shots and had 10 assists.  Kind of what PG production should look like.  I really thought this was the year we beat Creighton….we have a lot to get corrected in the next week if that is going to happen.

If we play remotely like this CU will run us out of the gym…

[jimmychitwood]

This falls solely at the feet of the Athletic Department for continuing to schedule teams from Illinois for the opener. I’m not wasting my time in Ireland next August.

 

 

[HolyBobpilgrimage]

1 hour ago, Faux Mike Peltz said:

I’ve seen that movie before. As soon as we missed the second free throw, I said “we’re going to lose…”

 

Thank you for being a good fan, sir.

 

When I also saw that missed FT, I thought of worst case scenario too, "ah, the huskers are gonna lose to a desperate heave 3 now, aren't they" 

Worst way it could've gone.

But also my motto is, don't put yourself in a situation where that can happen in the first place(shouldn't be that close in the final 5) - - whether that bad thing is crooked Refs or in this case, miracle rainbow threes by 300lb 7 footers.

Edited November 10, 2021 by HolyBobpilgrimage

[Nighthawk]

7 hours ago, millerhusker said:

Nebraska deserved to lose. A winner's mentality is not celebrating like you won a championship after every flashy play. Honestly seems like our guys care more about looking good than making simple, winning plays. 

I still don't get the logic of not fowling at the end and forcing them to earn the win via free throws.  Their shooting percentage on shots made at the line was low. Granted...it should not have come to that.  No way in hell those guys are better than Colorado. 

[REDitus]

Bad Basketball.

[brfrad]

1 hour ago, Nighthawk said:

I still don't get the logic of not fowling at the end and forcing them to earn the win via free throws.  Their shooting percentage on shots made at the line was low. Granted...it should not have come to that.  No way in hell those guys are better than Colorado. 

I thought the same thing, but then remembered we would have to rebound the miss.   What was the lowest percentage?  Them making 2 free throws, them missing the second and getting a rebound,  or a 7 footer making a 25 foot 3?   

[uneblinstu]

9 hours ago, Nebrasketballer said:

I couldn't disagree more with the first two bullet points. Bryce looked like Teddy Allen and Verge forgot how to be a PG. Too much iso ball from both of those guys didn't allow any other shooters to get into a rhythm. Terrible ball movement.

That's fair. Like I said, I didn't get to watch the game, just picked up some things off twitter...

[jimmykc]

Great night to not have a radio since the Big Ten Network barely mentioned the game (probably a good decision) and I checked out of HHC early. Bright note: Starting out at rock bottom means there is no place to go but up. That's all I got.

[demone]

All of the points have been made that I saw as well, although I think Bryce was as big a problem as Verge for most of the game, especially in the 1st half. When the game starts and the pattern is set that Bryce is just going iso, the rest of the team disengages. That leads to lack of effort on other things, like rebounding. Obviously my opinion, but that's why we got beat - it started in the first couple of minutes and the team disengaged.

 

I think the kid can play but I also think he got bailed out by a few pretty generous foul calls on drives to the rim - unlikely to get those calls in conference play. He has a long way to go and needs to let the game come to him. I'm still in shock that after he pulled that iso crap 3 or 4 times early, he didn't sit for a good long while. Same with Verge.

 

Right or wrong, the expectation had been set - a talented team that was coming together and could start to move the program forward. This hero ball B.S. will drive me completely away from watching the game at all. I'm still as pissed off this morning as I was last night.

[BjoeHusker]

Thought we lacked energy the majority of the game. Lack of hustle. Western Illinois looked like they wanted it more.

 

Thought we played selfish basketball the first half. Too much 1-on-1. 1 assist in the first half won't get it done.

 

Rebounding, rebounding, rebounding. Giving up 23 offensive rebounds is sickening. 

 

Absolutely zero effort to get it inside offensively.

 

3 points from the bench won't get it done.

 

Not sure why Eduardo Andre did not play. Sure could have used his size down low.

 

Love Verge's energy but felt he forced it a few too many times.

 

Odd to see B. McGowens basically disappear the last 6+ minutes of the game.

 

Breidenbach looked lost out there. I know he is only a freshman.

 

Love the energy CJ Wilcher brings. 

[HB]

10 hours ago, millerhusker said:

Nebraska deserved to lose. A winner's mentality is not celebrating like you won a championship after every flashy play. Honestly seems like our guys care more about looking good than making simple, winning plays. 

That issue has been going on the past 2 years.  Part of our culture, unfortunately. 

[Blindcheck]

my thoughts on last nights game.

1. I haven't seen it mentioned much yet, but the three point shots we took were in most cases absolute horrible looks.  Too many shots off of a dribble instead of inside out 3 pointers....5-20 from 3 kind of illustrates that.
2. I liked the aggressiveness of Verge and Bryce in penetrating the lane, but like many have said they forced too many contested shots at the rim...they need to realize that when driving to the rim, this is where we can get the open three pointers when help collapses on them.  
3. 23-7 in offensive rebounds...that is the equivalend of 16 extra possessions.
4. If you have guys that drive the lane like Verge and Bryce, as an offensive rebounder, you have to know that you need to be a secondary driver and kind of follow them if you are not a spot of shooter...it is a great way to pick up garbage buckets as the lane opens up behind them and you can be in great position to get a miss. (you can't do it too early or you bring your defender with you, but timed right, it is  a great way to grab a offensive board....too much watching these guys drive)
5. This team is dripping with athleticism, but if you don't rebound the ball, you will consistently get beat by less talented teams...

 

 

[PimpMario]

10 hours ago, hhcdave said:

Very odd that Bryce McGowens took over the game for awhile and then essentially never got the ball in the last few minutes. I would have much preferred he get some looks over Verge.

Verge didn't pass

[Silverbacked1]

I…

Well if…

That one time…

uhhh…

 

SIGH

[Nebrasketballer]

Bryce played 39 minutes last night and had the ball in his hands all night, but I'm pretty sure he didn't have a single assist.

[hhcmatt]

I'd have to assume that after a combination of getting killed on the boards and foul trouble that rolling out Lakes and not Andre is an indication that Andre is either not practicing well and/or perhaps just pouting about his role.  Seems like a guy that needs to learn to be a star in his role and that he's not buying into what the staff is telling him is that role.

 

I get the frustration with Verge and it's deserved. I will however point out that he put in enough effort to grab 13 rebounds.  The last I checked he clocks in at 6'3" 165 or so.  But really all the size in the world doesn't matter when guys are just watching the ball.

[hhcmatt]

The worst part of this game was that McGowens dunk should have ended it.  It's possible we lost this game because we let off the gas after it.

 

[49r]

6 minutes ago, hhcmatt said:

The worst part of this game was that McGowens dunk should have ended it.  It's possible we lost this game because we let off the gas after it.

 

 

I was actually thinking about the win probability chart during the last minute of the game and just how improbable it would be for us to lose, especially after that blonde dude with the big teeth fouled out.

[hhcmatt]

1 minute ago, 49r said:

 

I was actually thinking about the win probability chart during the last minute of the game and just how improbable it would be for us to lose, especially after that blonde dude with the big teeth fouled out.

 

Yeah, Massner was a dude during his first couple of years at NW St. When he fouled out I couldn't tell if he was mad that no one else committed the foul or if he for some reason didn't know he had 4.

[millerhusker]

2 hours ago, HB said:

That issue has been going on the past 2 years.  Part of our culture, unfortunately. 

Update: the players are all posting their flashy highlights repeatedly on social media. I just don't get that mentality. They should be pissed and embarrassed. I don't buy that it's just a generational thing either. There are plenty of players today who care about winning. Last night, Jaden Ivey (Purdue) had a freaking in-game windmill dunk. Then he sprinted back on defense and acted like it's just what's supposed to happen. 

[millerhusker]

Need to commend Western Illinois on how they defended our pick n roll. The easy buckets at the rim for Verge and Walker out of our pick n roll in the two exhibition games was really what opened things up for the shooters to get going. Rob Jeter (he was kinda on our list after Doc was fired, right?) had his guys just sit back in the paint and simultaneously take away the roll man and Verge's path to the rim. They dared Verge and Bryce to take mid-range jumpers, as I'm sure Jeter knows that's what Hoiberg wants to avoid. Verge and Bryce were a combined 4-15 on "far 2's". Guessing Fred is upset about that, since he'd prefer to take zero far 2's. This is a game we could've really used a pick n pop threat, but Lat was hurt and Wilhelm really struggled. 

[Coaches kid]

12 hours ago, PimpMario said:

our 2 volume scorers are absolute black holes right now.  

 

terrible ball movement, very little assists.

 

it was a terrible game and I couldn't tell this was a Hoiberg team.

For all of the difficulty we have had in the last two years, one thing has been constant - Fred's offensive sets have gotten us good shots - we just haven't had guys who could knock them down or could finish at the rim. One of the things that bothered me most about last night is that we didn't get our 3 point shooters good looks and we didn't get many easy shots at the rim. We kept going to that high screen and roll in the middle of the floor and we hardly ever changed it up. I was very disappointed in the lack of ingenuity in our offensive sets. No moving the ball from one side to the other.  We didn't force most of the defenders to move off of their spots. They slow played the screen and roll and we allowed the other defenders to just stand there on the perimeter because we didn't have any offensive movement. Just really disappointed.