uneblinstu’s postgame chatter: vol 14; ed 14 - vs. Ohio State

[Dead Dog Alley]

I have been to the Great Wall of China. I have seen the Pyramids of Egypt. I've even witnessed a grown man satisfy a camel. But never in all my years... 

have I once seen a Division 1 men's basketball team with three people in the starting lineup weighing less than 180 pounds beat another major conference team.

[BjoeHusker]

Imagine all the things that needed to go wrong for us to blow a 5-point lead with 37 seconds left, at home. 

[kldm64]

3 hours ago, BjoeHusker said:

Imagine all the things that needed to go wrong for us to blow a 5-point lead with 37 seconds left, at home. 

 

That is so true and they all happened.

[Nebrasketball1979]

47 minutes ago, kldm64 said:

4 hours ago, BjoeHusker said:

Imagine all the things that needed to go wrong for us to blow a 5-point lead with 37 seconds left, at home. 

 

That is so true and they all happened.

 

The funny thing is that I really want to push back on this but then you play it back in your head and you start listing out all of the mistakes:

 

1)  Failing to get back in transition after the dunk which led to an uncontested 3

2)  Lat missing 2 free throws. Given his ineptitude as a ball handler, he really shouldn't have been in the game which has been discussed.

3)  Not securing a defensive rebound after a miss which led to 2 free throws to tie

4)  Terrible offensive set/design for final play.  Perhaps the play broke down as I haven't re-watched the ending but Webster's wild shot likely wasn't what was drawn up.  I also thought Walker was fouled on the put back but that is hardly ever called at the end of the game and even outright assault (i.e. NC State) is often ignored.

 

In any event, blowing a 5 point lead with 37 seconds left isn't unheard of and the mistakes above are the types of mistakes a team makes that isn't accustomed to winning - especially the first one.  Hopefully, we live and learn and close out the next one.  One can blindly hope!

[hhcmatt]

16 minutes ago, Nebrasketball1979 said:

4)  Terrible offensive set/design for final play.  Perhaps the play broke down as I haven't re-watched the ending but Webster's wild shot likely wasn't what was drawn up.  I also thought Walker was fouled on the put back but that is hardly ever called at the end of the game and even outright assault (i.e. NC State) is often ignored.

 

They drew up the play before the last FT was shot. It was supposed to be a play for Bryce but Kobe seemed to just take off with it and drive straight down the court.

[Huskerpapa]

23 hours ago, huskerbaseball13 said:

The good news is Lat can hit 86/100 from 3 on the practice court with nobody guarding him. 

That is exactly what I told my son after the game.  

[huskerbill85]

Fred won't last long if he can't get some guys who can rebound. Yeah those FT misses by Mayen were bad but that offensive rebound that led to a foul on the other end was just as bad if not worse. Gotta rebound in this league. 

[BannedAccount]

On 1/2/2022 at 9:54 PM, basketballjones said:

There was a dead ball to make an O/D sub. You get your starting point guard out there for gods sake  

Weird, the head coach saw the same thing.....

“I just thought at that time, Kobe was the one that had it going,” Hoiberg said. “Kobe made a couple shots, and that was the reason we went with him down the stretch.”

[GoBigRed]

2 minutes ago, coughunter said:

Weird, the head coach saw the same thing.....

“I just thought at that time, Kobe was the one that had it going,” Hoiberg said. “Kobe made a couple shots, and that was the reason we went with him down the stretch.”

I have no dog in this fight, but I think the argument is both Kobe and Verge should have been on the floor there.

 

but you know what, it doesn’t matter. No matter who is shooting those free throws, they would have been missed. It’s just who we are as a program. We don’t make those plays to win. Ohio State hits the 3 to make it 72-70. Ohio State gets an offensive rebound. Ohio State makes their free throws. Ohio State blocks our game-winning putback attempt. We’re a losing program with a losing mentality.

[brfrad]

I don't have the time to go through the box scores, but I would like to know how many times we have lost with a 6 point lead or less with a minute to go, in the last 10 years.  It seems like if the other team is within that amount, they win.  It might seem that way because one remembers the losses more than the wins.

[basketballjones]

10 hours ago, coughunter said:

Weird, the head coach saw the same thing.....

“I just thought at that time, Kobe was the one that had it going,” Hoiberg said. “Kobe made a couple shots, and that was the reason we went with him down the stretch.”

Put him in for Lat, the person I said to sub for. 
 

“Btw - before anyone says this is hindsight - I was SCREAMING at the TV to get Lat out on our two inbounds before OT. How do you not have your STARTING POINT GUARD in the game in at that time?”

 

What are you even arguing at this point?

Edited January 4, 2022 by basketballjones

[hhcmatt]

10 hours ago, GoBigFred said:

No matter who is shooting those free throws, they would have been missed. It’s just who we are as a program

 

This is pretty non-sensical. Of the 5 players on the court, Keisei, Kobe, or Bryce would have made at least one.

[BannedAccount]

7 minutes ago, hhcmatt said:

 

This is pretty non-sensical. Of the 5 players on the court, Keisei, Kobe, or Bryce would have made at least one.

You would have faith in a career 76% ft shooter too I would think.

[hhcmatt]

1 hour ago, coughunter said:

You would have faith in a career 76% ft shooter too I would think.

 

Well, no.  Wilcher is a career 72% FT shooter and I didn't list him either.  Of the 5 guys that were on the court, Wilcher and Lat would be my last choices to pick to go to the line because they don't shoot many FTs nor do they strike me as guys with the mentality to go to the line and win it. The first thing Nick Bahe brought up when Lat went to the line was the lack of FTs Lat had shot this year because he knows it's relevant in this situation. 

 

But once again, THE argument for Lat to not be on the court was ball handling ability, not FT shooting.  If the decision was solely based on a spreadsheet of FT%, ball-handling and 76% FT shooting Alonzo Verge was on the bench available to go in for anyone besides Kobe.

 

Honestly, how hard is it to concede or even fathom that people on this board can see in a moment when a coach who's won about 2 close games in 3 years is making a move they think is wrong?

[Nebrasketball1979]

12 minutes ago, hhcmatt said:

Honestly, how hard is it to concede or even fathom that people on this board can see in the moment when a coach who's won about 2 close games in 3 years is making the wrong move? 

 

Bingo...I will give Fred credit for having the team ready to play and playing much more inspired basketball.  However, it's still fair game to second guess the end of game situation with Lat.  And as others have said, I'm not really second guessing.  I didn't understand the personnel decisions as they were unfolding and wasn't surprised by the result.

 

Generally speaking, Fred put the team in position to succeed for most of the game.  He gets credit for that but also deserves criticism for not having an optimal lineup on the floor for the final 10 seconds.  And we had a timeout to think about it, which makes it worse!  Overall, I'd say we're trending in the right direction but I'd like to see back to back games where we show the same spirit and energy.

[GoBigRed]

2 hours ago, hhcmatt said:

 

This is pretty non-sensical. Of the 5 players on the court, Keisei, Kobe, or Bryce would have made at least one.

Perhaps you’re right. 
 

But Lat was 9/12. Keisei was 10-12 this year. Kobe was 13-18. If Bahe questioned Lat’s lack of free throws this year, then same would apply for Kesei and Kobe, no? 
 

Either way, I didn’t want Lat on the floor for ball handling. I didn’t want Lat on the floor for free throw shooting. I generally just don’t want lat on the floor period, in any circumstance. But I realize we don’t have many options so whatever. 

Edited January 4, 2022 by GoBigFred

[Swan88]

Here's a theory:

The cratering in Michigan, Auburn and Kansas St. games is the direct result of false rumors that distracted coaches and players--all of them.

The false rumors told of multiple rules violations, a terrible influence by a coach (who took a leave of absence), and the impending termination of the entire coaching staff.

Those rumors ultimately resulted in nothing on the publicity front:  no expose', a return to the bench of the maligned coach, and a partial return to normalcy. 

But the immediate effect of those rumors on the coaches and players and the performance of both was, undoubtedly, massive.  Imagine, each one of us, if we faced such malignity in our own workplace and home lives--we'd be devastated.  To expect less from public figures like these coaches and players is unrealistic.

Who knows what the rest of this season holds.  Hopefully, their expected potential (without Banton, without Trey for a while, without Wilhelm) can be reached.

But the failure of fans to acknowledge the reality and validity and effect on performance of malignant, malicious and vicious rumors perpetrated by foes and friends, alike, is disappointing.

 

[GoBigRed]

9 minutes ago, Swan88 said:

Here's a theory:

The cratering in Michigan, Auburn and Kansas St. games is the direct result of false rumors that distracted coaches and players--all of them.

The false rumors told of multiple rules violations, a terrible influence by a coach (who took a leave of absence), and the impending termination of the entire coaching staff.

Those rumors ultimately resulted in nothing on the publicity front:  no expose', a return to the bench of the maligned coach, and a partial return to normalcy. 

But the immediate effect of those rumors on the coaches and players and the performance of both was, undoubtedly, massive.  Imagine, each one of us, if we faced such malignity in our own workplace and home lives--we'd be devastated.  To expect less from public figures like these coaches and players is unrealistic.

Who knows what the rest of this season holds.  Hopefully, their expected potential (without Banton, without Trey for a while, without Wilhelm) can be reached.

But the failure of fans to acknowledge the reality and validity and effect on performance of malignant, malicious and vicious rumors perpetrated by foes and friends, alike, is disappointing.

 

 

I know for a fact what happened with that situation, and 100% of the blame lies on our coaching staff. Not the fans, not the media. Quit blaming others for the incompetence and negligence of something our staff did. 

[hhcscott]

1 hour ago, hhcmatt said:

Honestly, how hard is it to concede or even fathom that people on this board can see in a moment when a coach who's won about 2 close games in 3 years is making a move they think is wrong?

To be fair to Coach Hoiberg, Nebraska fans watching since 2000 have had two decades of training on what a wrong move at the end of a close game looks like be it coaching or players. I could start a poll for "worst play/decision by Nebraska basketball in the last minute of a game in this century and I'd max out the poll options before I got all of them listed.

 

What I don't understand is how with the turnover in players, coaches, administration, buildings, conferences etc. We remain constantly the same.

[hhcmatt]

48 minutes ago, Swan88 said:

Here's a theory:

The cratering in Michigan, Auburn and Kansas St. games is the direct result of false rumors that distracted coaches and players--all of them.

The false rumors told of multiple rules violations, a terrible influence by a coach (who took a leave of absence), and the impending termination of the entire coaching staff.

Those rumors ultimately resulted in nothing on the publicity front:  no expose', a return to the bench of the maligned coach, and a partial return to normalcy. 

But the immediate effect of those rumors on the coaches and players and the performance of both was, undoubtedly, massive.  Imagine, each one of us, if we faced such malignity in our own workplace and home lives--we'd be devastated.  To expect less from public figures like these coaches and players is unrealistic.

Who knows what the rest of this season holds.  Hopefully, their expected potential (without Banton, without Trey for a while, without Wilhelm) can be reached.

But the failure of fans to acknowledge the reality and validity and effect on performance of malignant, malicious and vicious rumors perpetrated by foes and friends, alike, is disappointing.

 

Greg McDermott got blasted off the face of the earth by a lot more than local coffee shop talk and those guys....went and made the Sweet 16.  Adversity is adversity on the court; it's also adversity off the court....'shit happens.'  The only thing Hoiberg talks about more than "making simple plays" is "overcoming adversity". If you think that the team tanked in a few games because of fabricated rumors then you have to consider there was no basis for overcoming adversity in the first place.

[aphilso1]

1 hour ago, hhcscott said:

To be fair to Coach Hoiberg, Nebraska fans watching since 2000 have had two decades of training on what a wrong move at the end of a close game looks like be it coaching or players. I could start a poll for "worst play/decision by Nebraska basketball in the last minute of a game in this century and I'd max out the poll options before I got all of them listed.

 

What I don't understand is how with the turnover in players, coaches, administration, buildings, conferences etc. We remain constantly the same.

 

I hereby nominate the last 3 seconds of the 2009 home game against Texas A&M.  That team overperformed with defense and moxie all year, but going under the screen in that situation still haunts me.  Darn you, Josh Carter!

[Navin R. Johnson]

2 hours ago, hhcmatt said:

 

Greg McDermott got blasted off the face of the earth by a lot more than local coffee shop talk and those guys....went and made the Sweet 16.  Adversity is adversity on the court; it's also adversity off the court....'shit happens.'  The only thing Hoiberg talks about more than "making simple plays" is "overcoming adversity". If you think that the team tanked in a few games because of fabricated rumors then you have to consider there was no basis for overcoming adversity in the first place.

 

Creighton did find a way to the Sweet 16 but to me they were not close to the team I watched for most of that season.  They probably should have been beaten if that last shot by UC Santa Barbara falls which looked like it was going to. They played okay the next round but caught a huge break when Ohio pulled off the first round upset and then got drilled by Gonzaga.  You could only think the negative publicity had something to do with it.

[BannedAccount]

9 hours ago, hhcmatt said:

 

Well, no.  Wilcher is a career 72% FT shooter and I didn't list him either.  Of the 5 guys that were on the court, Wilcher and Lat would be my last choices to pick to go to the line because they don't shoot many FTs nor do they strike me as guys with the mentality to go to the line and win it. The first thing Nick Bahe brought up when Lat went to the line was the lack of FTs Lat had shot this year because he knows it's relevant in this situation. 

 

But once again, THE argument for Lat to not be on the court was ball handling ability, not FT shooting.  If the decision was solely based on a spreadsheet of FT%, ball-handling and 76% FT shooting Alonzo Verge was on the bench available to go in for anyone besides Kobe.

 

Honestly, how hard is it to concede or even fathom that people on this board can see in a moment when a coach who's won about 2 close games in 3 years is making a move they think is wrong?

So i just concede cause others dont agree with my opinion?  Isn't that the whole purpose of this is to have opinions others dont agree with?  Fred trusts Lat starting or playing or being in that moment.  He wasnt the reason they lost.  Once again hindsight.  You dont have to agree with me all the time otherwise the forum is lame.  Go ahead and give me "down arrow."  Not going to hurt my feelings.

[jimmykc]

Rancik's Buzzer Beater Tops Huskers, 60-59 - Huskers.com - Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site - University of Nebraska

[Chuck Taylor]

57 minutes ago, jimmykc said:

Rancik's Buzzer Beater Tops Huskers, 60-59 - Huskers.com - Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site - University of Nebraska

I didn't remember that one, so need to add it back to the "Husker heartaches" lobe in my brain. Thanks, Jimmy, you're a real pal.