What happened yesterday and why

[NUdiehard]

21 hours ago, Huskerpapa said:

Going through the motions...at best.  That said, there was more effort by a couple of the bigs.  Oleg and DW looked like they were trying to improve their game.  Others seemed to be robotically going through their drills.  Does that make sense? Meaning, they were doing what they were supposed to do, but with no extraneous effort.

Then...when they come out and go through pre game warmups...please.

They simply lob passes to themselves and try various dunks.  I for one am not impressed.  I guess certain students may ohhh and ahhh.  But are they mentally game ready??  Based upon results, no they are not.  

And then, they wait through two anthems and the pregame hype and we are so game ready...not!

 

Honest question.  Do you watch the opposing team warm up?   I haven't paid real close attention, but from what I see most games the opposing team's are just as loose and carefree as what I see from Nebraska.  Maybe not the constant "alley-oop" tosses, but pretty close.  I'm curious if you have seen differently.

 

[Norm Peterson]

10 minutes ago, NUdiehard said:

 

Honest question.  Do you watch the opposing team warm up?   I haven't paid real close attention, but from what I see most games the opposing team's are just as loose and carefree as what I see from Nebraska.  Maybe not the constant "alley-oop" tosses, but pretty close.  I'm curious if you have seen differently.

 

 

Yes, and it's not remotely the same. Our warmups are routinely disorganized and players cutting up. Opposing teams are nearly always more disciplined, structured and organized in their warmups.

 

The biggest difference was the Iowa game when our guys came out of halftime a little early and ran some defensive drills.

 

Otherwise, the differences are readily apparent. It's embarrassing sometimes. OK, most of the time.

[49r]

34 minutes ago, NUdiehard said:

 

There is no doubt losing Trey completely set this team back.  Not only did he miss all those games, but even after he came back he clearly was not the same until maybe last game.  This means we have essentially played this entire season without peak performance from our team leader, best defender and instrumental offensive player.  Not to mention Wilhelm who would probably be getting a lot of Lat's minutes by this point (and maybe some of Andre's).

 

This post kind of reminds me that we took OSU to overtime at home without Trey.  Make what you will of that.

[Huskerpapa]

57 minutes ago, NUdiehard said:

 

Honest question.  Do you watch the opposing team warm up?   I haven't paid real close attention, but from what I see most games the opposing team's are just as loose and carefree as what I see from Nebraska.  Maybe not the constant "alley-oop" tosses, but pretty close.  I'm curious if you have seen differently.

 

Yes I do.  There were a couple teams that were close, but no, most teams were more focused and or disciplined.  A good example was Iowa.  They were almost systematic in going through pregame.  

Hey, the game should be fun...after all it is a game.  But when you get to this level, you have to be physically, mentally and emotionally ready to ball.  I may be in the minority, but I cannot believe we were ready to play most of our games...either the beginning or coming back at half.

[Swan88]

Here's a theory:

1.  The dust-up around Matt A., right before the Michigan and Auburn debacles, set the team back in a big way.

2.  Things finally turned back, once Trev Alberts received a plan of action from Fred Hoiberg and gave his blessing for implementing that plan through another year. 

[HuscurAdam]

16 hours ago, uneblinstu said:

What yesterday showed me is that they have the ability to defend, run an offense and rebound for nearly 40 minutes. No, they won't be able to shoot that well most nights. Those other things should be portable, though. That's the next step. Do those things regardless of whether or not the shots fall. If they do, they'll be in games that haven't been in because they couldn't keep their mental wits about them with the shots didn't fall or just simply had a bad possession. 

 

This is all 100% true, but there is still one big open question.  They have been right there in a bunch of games this season right up until the last few minutes. In those critical minutes, it seems like everyone wants to be "the guy" and everyone stops running the offense.  Even in games where the ball movement has been pretty good, they revert to hero ball in the closing minutes and, predictably games go off the rails. The blowout vs PSU didn't tell us anything about whether any progress has been made in that area.

[Huskerpapa]

Just now, Swan88 said:

Here's a theory:

1.  The dust-up around Matt A., right before the Michigan and Auburn debacles, set the team back in a big way.

2.  Things finally turned back, once Trev Alberts received a plan of action from Fred Hoiberg and gave his blessing for implementing that plan through another year. 

What was the referenced dust up?  I was aware of some missed games, but not of a dust up?  Just a fyi, I personally define a dust up as a fight...

[uneblinstu]

8 minutes ago, HuscurAdam said:

 

This is all 100% true, but there is still one big open question.  They have been right there in a bunch of games this season right up until the last few minutes. In those critical minutes, it seems like everyone wants to be "the guy" and everyone stops running the offense.  Even in games where the ball movement has been pretty good, they revert to hero ball in the closing minutes and, predictably games go off the rails. The blowout vs PSU didn't tell us anything about whether any progress has been made in that area.

That's ok. You're not usually going to get answers or fixes to all the issues at once. There are a few pieces in the locke room that I think need to move on that will help in that area. So will experience and growth from some of the young players. Some of it is immaturity, some of it is discipline, some of it is selfishness. I hope we'll see those kinds of things get fixed, too, as time goes on. For now, I'll take the good 36-38 minutes of effort and build off of that.

[nustudent]

There's definitely more to it than this...but IMO.. arguably our two best games of the year were vs. Ohio St and Penn St.   I don't think it's a coincidence that those games might also be the two best games Lat has played this year. (ironically his missed free throws cost us vs OSU).   Penn St was his season high in points and he helped do a very good job defensively on Liddell while adding 8 & 7 as well vs OSU.  

 

It's not his fault he plays.  That's on Fred.   But it also shows how much easier life can be when you have a competent 4 man in this league.   We haven't had that.

Edited March 1, 2022 by nustudent

[HB]

1 hour ago, NUdiehard said:

 

Honest question.  Do you watch the opposing team warm up?   I haven't paid real close attention, but from what I see most games the opposing team's are just as loose and carefree as what I see from Nebraska.  Maybe not the constant "alley-oop" tosses, but pretty close.  I'm curious if you have seen differently.

 

 

Watch Rutgers.

[Norm Peterson]

1 hour ago, Huskerpapa said:

What was the referenced dust up?  I was aware of some missed games, but not of a dust up?  Just a fyi, I personally define a dust up as a fight...

 

Matt A took a 2-week leave of absence in December to deal with "health issues" that had nothing to do with his health. About that time, it was rumored that USA Today was doing an expose on Nebraska basketball. We were lead to believe the two things -- Matt A's sudden health issue and the USA Today article -- were related. I'm not sure that's the case. 

[thrasher31]

2 hours ago, nustudent said:

There's definitely more to it than this...but IMO.. arguably our two best games of the year were vs. Ohio St and Penn St.   I don't think it's a coincidence that those games might also be the two best games Lat has played this year. (ironically his missed free throws cost us vs OSU).   Penn St was his season high in points and he helped do a very good job defensively on Liddell while adding 8 & 7 as well vs OSU.  

 

It's not his fault he plays.  That's on Fred.   But it also shows how much easier life can be when you have a competent 4 man in this league.   We haven't had that.

Him and Kobe have both taken pretty big steps back in production this year. Lat is obviously the more important piece as him doing what he did at PSU "unlocks" the offense. Also helps when shots go in and ball moves. 

[nustudent]

6 minutes ago, thrasher31 said:

Him and Kobe have both taken pretty big steps back in production this year. Lat is obviously the more important piece as him doing what he did at PSU "unlocks" the offense. Also helps when shots go in and ball moves. 

I don't think Fred and Co have managed Kobe well.   Especially when Trey went down...we needed an experienced guy on the floor.  I get trying to have a guy in a backup role but Webster should've been playing more early and with the starters.   He and Verge can/could've played more together.   Especially when the offense was struggling to move the ball.

 

Not blaming Lat, again, but I think we expected Lat to be that stretch 4 (Niang, White) that Fred had at Iowa St.   He's obviously been a huge let down and I think that plays a major part in our struggles.   Having Wilhelm, who was starting to slowly come on, get hurt only compounded that.

 

Fred needs Wilhelm to be that guy we thought he was.  And/or he needs to turn Edwards into it or find another guy in the portal.

[thrasher31]

1 minute ago, nustudent said:

.

 

Fred needs Wilhelm to be that guy we thought he was.  And/or he needs to turn Edwards into it or find another guy in the portal.

Agreed on the Kobe piece. If I remember correctly from last year, him, Banton, and Trey played together throughout the year at the same time. Kobe and Verge have a bit, but not as often. 

 

Wanted to highlight that last portion. That Wilhelm piece is very important to next year. He's probably going to be starting at the 4 or getting a lot of minutes between the 2 post spots. He needs to be a positive impact guy. In the case he isn't, and given his knee injury that might be a high chance, go identify a new "4" next year via portal as insurance. Whether it be for a year as a baindaid or a more long term piece.

 

They're sitting at 1 scholly after the expected guys leave (lat, Bryce, Trey) and if Walker comes back one of Andre or Oleg probably does the same and leaves (my money is on Andre). So 2 schollys with a massive hole at PG, and a question mark on the wing and 4. 

[nustudent]

1 hour ago, thrasher31 said:

Agreed on the Kobe piece. If I remember correctly from last year, him, Banton, and Trey played together throughout the year at the same time. Kobe and Verge have a bit, but not as often. 

 

Wanted to highlight that last portion. That Wilhelm piece is very important to next year. He's probably going to be starting at the 4 or getting a lot of minutes between the 2 post spots. He needs to be a positive impact guy. In the case he isn't, and given his knee injury that might be a high chance, go identify a new "4" next year via portal as insurance. Whether it be for a year as a baindaid or a more long term piece.

 

They're sitting at 1 scholly after the expected guys leave (lat, Bryce, Trey) and if Walker comes back one of Andre or Oleg probably does the same and leaves (my money is on Andre). So 2 schollys with a massive hole at PG, and a question mark on the wing and 4. 

 

I think/hope one of Tominaga/Edwards leave as well.  I wouldn't mind keeping Edwards.  The length and athletism is worth investing in.   Tominaga...not so much.   He's small, below average athletically, doesn't take good shots and while he's shown he can get hot...isn't the shooter he was billed as to offset everything else.  Assuming one of Walker/Andre/Oleg goes as well...that gives us 3 spots.

 

In a perfect world...I'd love to see us add a pure PG...not a pure scorer, a guy like Griesell or Schiereman (if we can back channel our way in to get them to transfer home) and another 4 to fill out the roster.  Of course...a guy like McPherson is a huge variable in all of this.   If he can play point at a high level, we can get by without one.

Edited March 1, 2022 by nustudent

[thrasher31]

4 minutes ago, nustudent said:

 

I think/hope one of Tominaga/Edwards leave as well.  I wouldn't mind keeping Edwards.  The length and athletism is worth investing in.   Tominaga...not so much.   He's small, below average athletically, doesn't take good shots and while he's shown he can get hot...isn't the shooter he was billed as to offset everything else.  Assuming one of Walker/Andre/Oleg goes as well...that gives us 3 spots.

 

In a perfect world...I'd love to see us add a pure PG...not a pure scorer, a guy like Griesell or Schiereman (if we can back channel our way in to get them to transfer home) and another 4 to fill out the roster.  Of course...a guy like McPherson is a huge variable in all of this.   If we can play point at a high level, we can get by without one.

Keisei I wouldn't be opposed to staying or going. His shot has fallen off and he's fallen out of the rotation as of late, so that could be indicative of what could happen. Great kid by all accounts, but bumping down a level problably helps. For Keon, he might need a redshirt year since he enrolled at depaul early, but if he transfers, he has to sit. 

 

Getting a pure PG has been something I've preached here for a while and have not changed my stance on it. If McPherson can AT MINIMUM provide POA defense, then that's something we didn't have this year. He needs to be able to run the offense in order to get minutes as a backup PG though. Overall, agree on everything. 

[nustudent]

Just now, thrasher31 said:

Keisei I wouldn't be opposed to staying or going. His shot has fallen off and he's fallen out of the rotation as of late, so that could be indicative of what could happen. Great kid by all accounts, but bumping down a level problably helps. For Keon, he might need a redshirt year since he enrolled at depaul early, but if he transfers, he has to sit. 

 

Getting a pure PG has been something I've preached here for a while and have not changed my stance on it. If McPherson can AT MINIMUM provide POA defense, then that's something we didn't have this year. He needs to be able to run the offense in order to get minutes as a backup PG though. Overall, agree on everything. 

 

Generally...I'd be okay with Tominaga staying for some of the reasons you mentioned.  But we're kind of in do or die time and he's just not shown anything to indicate that he'd be a consistent Big Ten player.

 

I'm probably putting the cart before the horse too when I mention guys like Griesell and Schiereman but both have shown the ability to make open shots and contribute in multiple ways on teams that would likely beat us and ideally one or both would have a more than casual interest in seeing us succeed due to being local.

 

Even if McPherson can slide into that Webster role as back-up guard who can play both on and off the ball while adding a defensive presence...that'd go a long way.   It's probably a stretch to assume that we will get big roles from each of Lawrence, Dawson and Lloyd...but we need one to essentially play starter's minutes unless we do a very good job in the portal.  Another will likely need to be in the top 8.

 

PG:   Transfer PG/McPherson

SG:   Wilcher/Lloyd

SF:    Griesell or Schiereman/Dawson

PF:    Wilhelm/Transfer PF

C-    Walker/Keita

 

Leaving Lawrence, Oleg (assuming Andre goes) and Edwards off the bench.   That's not an Elite 8 team.  But I bet it wins more than 10 games.

[thrasher31]

4 minutes ago, nustudent said:

 But I bet it wins more than 10 games.

This is honestly all I care about. Whatever roster construction it takes to get there, cool.