If this team has a surprise star, who's it going to be?

[HuskerFever]

Sam Hoiberg wasn't even on the ballot. My, how have things changed.

[tcp]

there's a definite Hoosiers feel to Sam's rise from hoops obscurity  to Daddy's Little Surprise. 

 

Happy as a pig in poop for both the Hoibergs. Even if midnight strikes eventually, this is one of the best Husker stories in recent years. And it can still get better. 

[Norm Peterson]

Juwan Gary and Emmanuel Bandoumel were solid pre-season picks, and they led the balloting for everyone except "We don't have that guy," but Keisei and Derrick COMBINED got fewer votes than Sam Griesel, who came in third.

 

It just tells me maybe we, as fans, don't know as much as we think we know. Because only 1 out of 55 voters thought Derrick would be the emerging star that he clearly turned out to be.

[49r]

2 minutes ago, Norm Peterson said:

Juwan Gary and Emmanuel Bandoumel were solid pre-season picks, and they led the balloting for everyone except "We don't have that guy," but Keisei and Derrick COMBINED got fewer votes than Sam Griesel, who came in third.

 

It just tells me maybe we, as fans, don't know as much as we think we know. Because only 1 out of 55 voters thought Derrick would be the emerging star that he clearly turned out to be.

 

To be fair, I don't think anybody would have considered Derrick to be a "surprise" star on this team.  We kind of all knew what we were going to be getting there.

[HB]

9 minutes ago, 49r said:

 

To be fair, I don't think anybody would have considered Derrick to be a "surprise" star on this team.  We kind of all knew what we were going to be getting there.

 

I liked Derrick a lot last year, but no way I thought he would be as good as he's been, or be an absolute total difference-maker, playing at an all conference lever.   I doubt  we all kind of knew just how much we'd be getting there, and all the roles he would play (e.g. bringing the ball up, superb passer).    

[Norm Peterson]

27 minutes ago, 49r said:

 

To be fair, I don't think anybody would have considered Derrick to be a "surprise" star on this team.  We kind of all knew what we were going to be getting there.

 

Imma have to disagree with this a little bit. Last year, he put up quiet numbers. Verge would feed him on the pick and roll, but he wasn't really creating his own shots.

 

This year, he's creating his own shots, but he's also dishing to others (often Keisei.) His assist numbers have nearly tripled over last year. His scoring numbers have increased by roughly 50%. His rebounding numbers have improved. We're running the offense THROUGH him. He often brings the ball up the floor. Nobody saw that stuff coming.

[Norm Peterson]

16 minutes ago, HB said:

 

I liked Derrick a lot last year, but no way I thought he would be as good as he's been, or be an absolute total difference-maker, playing at an all conference lever.   I doubt  we all kind of knew just how much we'd be getting there, and all the roles he would play (e.g. bringing the ball up, superb passer).    

 

Exactly.

[Swan88]

What's surprising to me this year is a combination of many players achieving unexpected things:

  --Keisei moving without the ball and cutting to the basket for 2 is a huge surprise--but it only works when others (primarily Derrick) get him the ball at the right time

   --Derrick handling the ball, a lot, and both scoring and assisting at a high level without outlandish turnovers is a huge surprise

   --Blaise's presence at critical times (e.g., when down significantly in the second half) with his energy and rebounding is a huge surprise 

   --Sam Hoiberg's emergence within the needs of the team is . . . well . . . still unbelievable

   --Sam Griesel's game is effective . . . but not a surprise, except for how well he and Derrick and others feed off each other

   --etc.

[HB]

1 hour ago, Swan88 said:

What's surprising to me this year is a combination of many players achieving unexpected things:

  --Keisei moving without the ball and cutting to the basket for 2 is a huge surprise--but it only works when others (primarily Derrick) get him the ball at the right time

   --Derrick handling the ball, a lot, and both scoring and assisting at a high level without outlandish turnovers is a huge surprise

   --Blaise's presence at critical times (e.g., when down significantly in the second half) with his energy and rebounding is a huge surprise 

   --Sam Hoiberg's emergence within the needs of the team is . . . well . . . still unbelievable

   --Sam Griesel's game is effective . . . but not a surprise, except for how well he and Derrick and others feed off each other

   --etc.

 

Agree for the most part, expect Blaise.   The poll was taken in October.  Many on here had him starting, and most overestimated his contributions.   He had some DNP coach's decisions.   He was overhyped on here (common with guys who haven't yet played), based on the #1 Juco recruit, etc.  But regardless if his contributions  in league play were a "huge surprise", they have undoubtedly helped us.  Sounds like he'll be really limited Saturday, if available  at all, and that will hurt against a team like Minny. 

[49r]

4 hours ago, HB said:

 

I liked Derrick a lot last year, but no way I thought he would be as good as he's been, or be an absolute total difference-maker, playing at an all conference lever.   I doubt  we all kind of knew just how much we'd be getting there, and all the roles he would play (e.g. bringing the ball up, superb passer).    

 

4 hours ago, Norm Peterson said:

 

Imma have to disagree with this a little bit. Last year, he put up quiet numbers. Verge would feed him on the pick and roll, but he wasn't really creating his own shots.

 

This year, he's creating his own shots, but he's also dishing to others (often Keisei.) His assist numbers have nearly tripled over last year. His scoring numbers have increased by roughly 50%. His rebounding numbers have improved. We're running the offense THROUGH him. He often brings the ball up the floor. Nobody saw that stuff coming.

 

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills then because I remember thinking just how solid Derrick was (incredibly efficient scorer, distributing from the post, etc.) last year!  The only major difference is this year he's been bringing the ball up the floor and initiating the offense more.

 

But at any event I think that having so many guys be "surprise stars" for us this year speaks pretty highly of the player development going on in the program.  Which has me encouraged.

[Huskerpapa]

On 10/26/2022 at 7:35 PM, Huskerpapa said:

My perspective hasn't changed yet.  We have a lot of proving to do yet.

I can be hopeful, and I sure the heck will be supportive...but this is a question to be answered at the end of the year, not before the first tip.

Yeah...

[hhcmatt]

1 hour ago, 49r said:

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills then because I remember thinking just how solid Derrick was (incredibly efficient scorer, distributing from the post, etc.) last year!  The only major difference is this year he's been bringing the ball up the floor and initiating the offense more.

 

But at any event I think that having so many guys be "surprise stars" for us this year speaks pretty highly of the player development going on in the program.  Which has me encouraged.

 

Last season he was a bucket but he was a secondary scorer behind Verge and Bryce.

This season our entire offense runs through him. He has 240 shots while missing 5 games....that's over 40% of the shots he's taken in his entire college career.

 

I would buy a Tall Boy Trucker hat either way.