I can't shake the year 1 vibes I get from this team...

[uneblinstu]

If I'd never watched Nebraska basketball before this year and you told me this was the first year of the Fred Hoiberg Era, I'd be really encouraged. It has everything I'd hope a year 1 team would have. A few experienced veterans transfer in to set a good cultural foundation, with a few quality role players and young guys, perhaps one or two of them redshirt, to build up towards a year two or three breakthrough. There would be a few bright spots that give the fans hope that the concept will work but it's not put together enough to win at a really high level. 

 

That's what this year feels like to me. It's what year one should have been. But we can't just wipe away the disaster the first three years were. Part of me wonders if Trev essentially wipe the slate clean, assuming things didn't completely fall off the rails, and treated this year as year 1 between the two of them. The way Trev talks about the team, the way Fred built the team, it all seems to me like there's some sort of agreement like that. That doesn't mean he'd get as long of a leash as if this was his true year one, but it kind of feels like there's been enough there to give Fred another year 2. And, if you squint hard and turn your head just right, turn it upside down, a 5 kind of looks like a 2...

 

I've heard conflicting info about the state of Trev and Fred's relationship, so perhaps in a few weeks we'll find out his is all hog-wash, it's just the sense I've been getting as the year's gone on. 

[HuskerFever]

I'd be fine if this was even a Year 2 team. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case. One thing that's for sure, I don't think this staff can afford another "Year 1".

[Handy Johnson]

Year One reminds me of my autographed Cam Mack hat I found at Goodwill for 3 dollars. 

[AuroranHusker]

10 minutes ago, Handy Johnson said:

Year One reminds me of my autographed Cam Mack hat I found at Goodwill for 3 dollars. 

 

What a deal, a triple double lid. 

 

 

[FredsSlacks]

i'm fairly certain half the member on this board could have coached us to a 34-77 record.

 

what exactly is the argument to bring back fred for year 5?

[HuskerFever]

5 hours ago, FredsSlacks said:

i'm fairly certain half the member on this board could have coached us to a 34-77 record.

 

what exactly is the argument to bring back fred for year 5?

 

I heard part of the problem is that Fred slacks.

[Handy Johnson]

8 hours ago, uneblinstu said:

If I'd never watched Nebraska basketball before this year and you told me this was the first year of the Fred Hoiberg Era, I'd be really encouraged. It has everything I'd hope a year 1 team would have. A few experienced veterans transfer in to set a good cultural foundation, with a few quality role players and young guys, perhaps one or two of them redshirt, to build up towards a year two or three breakthrough. There would be a few bright spots that give the fans hope that the concept will work but it's not put together enough to win at a really high level. 

 

That's what this year feels like to me. It's what year one should have been. But we can't just wipe away the disaster the first three years were. Part of me wonders if Trev essentially wipe the slate clean, assuming things didn't completely fall off the rails, and treated this year as year 1 between the two of them. The way Trev talks about the team, the way Fred built the team, it all seems to me like there's some sort of agreement like that. That doesn't mean he'd get as long of a leash as if this was his true year one, but it kind of feels like there's been enough there to give Fred another year 2. And, if you squint hard and turn your head just right, turn it upside down, a 5 kind of looks like a 2...

 

I've heard conflicting info about the state of Trev and Fred's relationship, so perhaps in a few weeks we'll find out his is all hog-wash, it's just the sense I've been getting as the year's gone on. 

You raise some valid points UNL, & looking at the program objectively you can say we’ve made incremental progress. In totality it’s hard to defend though, BUT since we just hired a Football Coach & that is the prism which everything else filters, I’d be shocked if Fred isn’t back next year. 

[Norm Peterson]

7 hours ago, FredsSlacks said:

i'm fairly certain half the member on this board could have coached us to a 34-77 record.

 

what exactly is the argument to bring back fred for year 5?

 

The argument for getting rid of him is fairly obvious.

 

The argument for not getting rid of him is:

 

1. Oh, man, not again, we just did this in football.

2. If you can look past the injuries, it does appear there is some momentum building. It's probably worth seeing what he can do with another trip to the portal.

3. Swapping name plates on the basketball head coach's office is a strategy that hasn't panned out so maybe ride this horse a little bit and see what happens.

4. Oh, would you look at the time. I have another meeting with the committee deciding how wide to make the seats in the east stadium. Gotta go.

[Huskerpapa]

Sort of a tough one.  I cannot recall being so totally disappointed with the product on our court.  Perhaps I was during some of the Collier years; but I don't think so.  I remember being part of the Moe must go, dig up Joe chants; but in retrospect, those were pretty decent years...dare I say good years.

That said, this year brings me hope.  If we can maintain the effort, unselfishness and defensive intensity, while plugging players that can shoot, then perhaps there is reason to put my rose colored glasses back on.  But crap, haven't we been there and done that...forever.

[The Polish Rifle]

As if being a Nebrasketball fan isn’t hopeless enough - the Fred decision really feels like a damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation. 

[hhcmatt]

The feeling of year 1 that people get is in part to this being the first year there is any sort of positive culture built and the first season that Fred has a standard coaching staff. 

It seems like this could have been a bubble team with Keyonte Johnson not simply because he's a great player but because there is a core here where it would work. To me it seems like getting that type of player out of the transfer portal seems possible.

 

At the end of the day do we have an identity of sort, is it a style where we can win in this conference, and can we add enough talent to fuel it? If you can't see this path then Fred isn't our guy. If you can see it, then maybe he gets another roll of the dice.

[uneblinstu]

1 hour ago, Norm Peterson said:

2. If you can look past the injuries, it does appear there is some momentum building. It's probably worth seeing what he can do with another trip to the portal.

3. Swapping name plates on the basketball head coach's office is a strategy that hasn't panned out so maybe ride this horse a little bit and see what happens.

These feel like the most likely argument people will make. He doesn't have someone like McGowens on the hook that would compel you to keep him for that reason, but I think there are real pieces that can play in the Big Ten on the roster and coming in that can compete and would love to see them develop as a group. That won't happen if Fred leaves, at least not with this group and that process just gets delayed by at least a year. 

 

Also, Fred completely shifting course with some success shows me he can still coach. I think there's a conversation to be had that says let's see if he can develop these guys and take another step next year.

[uneblinstu]

4 minutes ago, hhcmatt said:

The feeling of year 1 that people get is in part to this being the first year there is any sort of positive culture built and the first season that Fred has a standard coaching staff. 

It seems like this could have been a bubble team with Keyonte Johnson not simply because he's a great player but because there is a core here where it would work. To me it seems like getting that type of player out of the transfer portal seems possible.

I think this is right, too. This is what it *should* have looked like in 2019. The last three years have felt like a group of mercenaries. This is the first time where it feels like we know some players on the team, we like them and want to see them succeed. That hasn't really been the case the past three years. 

[Norm Peterson]

As of right now, I am firmly in the "let's give Fred another year and see what he can do" camp. I don't care how the rest of the season goes. We've lost, to season-ending injuries, 40% of our starters and 37% of the minutes from the team that beat Iowa. I thought that team could reach the bubble. I defy you to find a D1 bench outside maybe the top 25 that could absorb that kind of sudden demand.

 

Let's not even engage in any coaching change talk. Let's just not even do it. If a coaching change happens, fine. But I see no good reason to hash and rehash that with every inevitable loss throughout the rest of the season. Based on this year's resume through the point of Juwan Gary's injury, I'm willing to give this another go and see where it takes us.

[Norm Peterson]

27 minutes ago, uneblinstu said:

These feel like the most likely argument people will make. He doesn't have someone like McGowens on the hook that would compel you to keep him for that reason, but I think there are real pieces that can play in the Big Ten on the roster and coming in that can compete and would love to see them develop as a group. That won't happen if Fred leaves, at least not with this group and that process just gets delayed by at least a year. 

 

Also, Fred completely shifting course with some success shows me he can still coach. I think there's a conversation to be had that says let's see if he can develop these guys and take another step next year.

 

This year, we are outrebounding our opponents by an average of 1.1 boards per game. Last year, we were outrebounded by our opponents by an average of 7 rebounds per game.

 

That's an 8.1 rebounds per game swing last year to this year. And when you watch the product on the floor, it's like you finally see what this thing is supposed to look like.  And it's like, yeah, I can see how this thing could work if you upgraded the talent just a bit.

 

So, see what we can snag out of the portal and cross your fingers that it's what we need. Chances seem to be as good there as whatever coach is behind door #3.

[HuskerFever]

1 hour ago, Huskerpapa said:

Sort of a tough one.  I cannot recall being so totally disappointed with the product on our court.  Perhaps I was during some of the Collier years; but I don't think so.  I remember being part of the Moe must go, dig up Joe chants; but in retrospect, those were pretty decent years...dare I say good years.

 

Along a similar vein, and even with more recent teams, I remember thinking "When I look at our guys, then compare them across the league, do I really have a strong feeling that shot is going in?" And if my memory serves me right, it wasn't all that strong of confidence.

 

In hindsight, I sure wish we had some of those guys to provide some consistency in shooting for this team.

[cornfed24-7]

Uhg. I wish we would have cut bait last year. Sure he has this team playing better. I still don't think he gets it done. And I believe the more like senario is he comes close to having the worst 5 year record of a power 5 coach than a winning record next year. 

[hskr4life]

I am so torn.  I've stated multiple times that it was post season or bust for me this year.  The injury thing though has me reconsidering that just a little bit.  But at what point do we finally say "this is it and this is what you have to do"?  Obviously those are decisions none of us will be making.  At this point in time, I am torn.  I could go either way.  What do I still want to see the rest of this year?  I don't know. 

 

All I know is this has been the worst 4 year stretch I can remember watching and that's saying something being a Nebrasketball fan.  This year has been different in terms of likability, but in terms of W's/L's that has yet to be seen.  I'm sure we will win at least one more, so I guess you could say that's an improvement over previous years, but it shouldn't be hard to win 34 games to this point in time... KU Basketball won 34 games last year alone.

[Fullbacksympathy]

This is as well coached of a Nebraska team as any I can remember.  
 

I don’t really care what year it is.  I just wanted to see great coaching from a guy who has massively underperformed, and I see it every game now.  There’s effort on both ends, unselfishness, and consistency in execution (outside of shooting).  
 

Losing our two best defenders will likely screw the W/L Fred and staff deserve for the job they’ve done this year.   
 

I also like the youngsters—

Lloyd (Fr.)

Dawson (Fr.)

Lawrence (Fr.)

Oleg (Fr.)

Mcpherson (Fr.)

Keita (So.)

WB (So.)

Wilcher (So.)

and returning:

Gary and Keisei (Jr.)

 

I don’t think there’s any reason we can’t see another transfer influx of talent at PG/SG.  This is the first season Fred has had a reliable PG.  Maybe Lloyd has been shadowing Sam.   

 

I’d bring Fred back to see if he can properly recruit to this new system and identity.  The philosophy seems to be sound for once.  Maybe we can NIL our way to some decent talent.   

[uneblinstu]

...sigh...

 

 

[royalfan]

It took Fred far longer than it should have to figure out the right way to compete in this league.  There probably us no debate over that.  
 

There should be a debate over what should happen next.  They clearly have the staff in place to coach excellent defense and I think Hoiberg can coach offense just fine.  Leaves me thinking we are better off staying with him and looking essentially sort of wash away the first years.  The first year pry shouldn’t count in any case give the complete disaster Miles left behind.  

 

I feel as long as the trajectory doesn’t take a step back from this season it might be best to proceed.  Tough situation for sure.  

Edited January 24, 2023 by royalfan

[royalfan]

28 minutes ago, uneblinstu said:

...sigh...

 

 

At one point shortly before the injuries, that lineup was among the top 20 best five man lineups in the country per kenpom if memory serves. 

[basketballjones]

Everyone's talking about this style that Fred has created...

 

1. He hired in the defensive scheme. Which, I mean, credit to him I guess for making the change and farming it out. But... 

2. The two players who make what we're doing offensively work are highly specific, special players, and gone next year. 

He's definitely going to get another year. I just do not see Alberts chopping down with the axe this year. But is he going to get an extension? Or is he just a dead man walking next year? 

[tcp]

3 hours ago, hhcmatt said:

The feeling of year 1 that people get is in part to this being the first year there is any sort of positive culture built and the first season that Fred has a standard coaching staff. 

It seems like this could have been a bubble team with Keyonte Johnson not simply because he's a great player but because there is a core here where it would work. To me it seems like getting that type of player out of the transfer portal seems possible.

 

At the end of the day do we have an identity of sort, is it a style where we can win in this conference, and can we add enough talent to fuel it? If you can't see this path then Fred isn't our guy. If you can see it, then maybe he gets another roll of the dice.

 

I'm half asleep reading this, which is good because then sophistry doesn't interfere with my reception. I think this expresses my recent thoughts perfectly. and as much as it pains me to say this I'm already leaning towards giving him one more shot. like many, i'm tired of playing coach roulette and it seems like a switch flipped on with hoiberg. i'm curious to see if that bulb can burn a little bit longer. i'm inclined to think it's worth a year to find out. 

[Cazzie22]

I don’t see a change in coaching NUBB.  Fred is a good representative for the University and the State.  His changes have shown promise though it’s been derailed by devastating injuries.  

 

If I knew we could hire someone new who could wave a magic wand and bring instant winning to Nebraska then I would be for it.  I just don’t see it but I might lack the “vision” thing.