Portal Players: So, you're thinking of switching schools?

[Norm Peterson]

Why come to Nebraska? We have no history of NCAA tournament success. We've been on a bad skid with the current coach, the same guy who is recruiting you and for whom you'd probably be playing if you did choose to come here. So, why on earth?

 

Well ...

 

1. Chances are really good you'll start. KU can't say that. Kentucky can't say that. Hell, Iowa can't even say that.

2. You'll play in a great conference.

3. Facilities are among the best anywhere.

4. Fan support is ridiculous for what they've had to cheer for.

5. We can put together a damn good NIL deal that would rival anyone, anywhere.

6. You've seen coaches turn beet-red and go all foaming-at-the-mouth ballistic during games? Can you imagine what they're like in practice? OMG. If you like getting berated and belittled on the daily, go there. But, if you want someone who's going to calmly walk you through things, have you seen Fred's sideline demeanor?

7. Don't judge us by last year's W/L record. We had season-ending injuries to a couple of key players. Watch the game film, see how even a short-handed team was giving them hell and trying to hang in there, and try to imagine how you might contribute. We're close. We're only missing the elements you possess. YOU are the missing ingredient.

8. If we do get it turned around, you will absolutely be a part of history. This would be the Cinderella story that all major sports media would focus on. You could be a part of it. You'd be a hero to this community. You might not ever have to buy yourself a drink in the City of Lincoln for the rest of your life. Ask Jamal Mashburn if the people in Lexington, Kentucky even recognize him and remember his name.

9. If you want to walk out of here with a degree, we have the academic support to make sure it happens.

 

Is that enough to swing any good players our way? Is that enough to sell the kinds of portal players we'd need in order to make it happen next year? Or is our history of futility and our recent woes too much of a hurdle to overcome?

 

Thoughts?

[Norm Peterson]

Does the above pitch sell?

 

Well, legend has it Ernest Shackleton posted the following want-ad for a south pole expedition that ultimately failed. It's said he was inundated with 5,000 applicants. The idea of being important and being part of something significant motivates people.

 

[49r]

Fred has shown an ability to get guys to the league, so that's not nothing.

[thrasher31]

I will say, filling 3 starting roles is going to attract some players. And based on the portal additions this past year, the new assistants have a type on who they target. Preferably a player or two more oriented to scoring the ball, but still have a type.

 

How they prioritize the 3 by position is what I'm interested in honestly. I'd say PG, C, then wing, but all are going to be needed. PG is by far the biggest for me though. 

[Handy Johnson]

I’d say it’s easier to get 3 Starters/Impact Players from the portal with Fred here, than scrapping everything with a New Hire. 

[Cazzie22]

I am almost buying the idea that Nebraska Basketball is cursed.  Your points to attract transfers are logical but I don’t anticipate game changers to flock to Lincoln.  Maybe, a star player from a smaller D-1 program might seek the opportunity.  At my age, I am fantasizing about a winning season and an NCAA berth before I sign off.

[cipsucks]

Spot on, Norm. The only things I might add to point 8, not just drinks in Lincoln, but free meals across the entire state. If the NBA doesn't work out, you and your entire family have job/money opportunities for the rest of your lives.  

[roscoe]

Only negative is DJ Carstenesen, Larry Scirotto, Lamont Simpson, Teddy Valentine, Chris Beaver, Kelly Pfeiefer, Bo Borowski, Don Daley, Mike & Tom Eades, Kipp Kissinger, Steve McJunkins, Brooks Wells, Scott Thornley, Terry Wymer & others preventing you from getting fair shake. I know blaming refs is "sour grapes" but the inconsistency that the guys mentioned along with others I have missed is truly remarkable. When a ref gets booed when making a call against a visiting team at PBA he really needs to re-evaluate how good of job he is doing. 

[hskr4life]

I haven’t seen Kelly Pfiefer like all year.

[Chuck Taylor]

11 hours ago, roscoe said:

Only negative is DJ Carstenesen, Larry Scirotto, Lamont Simpson, Teddy Valentine, Chris Beaver, Kelly Pfeiefer, Bo Borowski, Don Daley, Mike & Tom Eades, Kipp Kissinger, Steve McJunkins, Brooks Wells, Scott Thornley, Terry Wymer & others preventing you from getting fair shake. I know blaming refs is "sour grapes" but the inconsistency that the guys mentioned along with others I have missed is truly remarkable. When a ref gets booed when making a call against a visiting team at PBA he really needs to re-evaluate how good of job he is doing. 

10. Fans so devoted they turn a recruiting pitch into a bitch about refs.

[FredsSlacks]

14 hours ago, Handy Johnson said:

I’d say it’s easier to get 3 Starters/Impact Players from the portal with Fred here, than scrapping everything with a New Hire. 

well that really depends who the next hire would be... there are better recruiters than fred out there who would have a better chance of getting high profile transfers.

[Norm Peterson]

55 minutes ago, FredsSlacks said:

well that really depends who the next hire would be... there are better recruiters than fred out there who would have a better chance of getting high profile transfers.

 

It's easy peasy. Just get a better recruiter. Better than Fred, obviously. Which, of course, that person was NOT Doc Sadler and NOT Barry Collier. Clearly, they were not the kind of "better recruiter" we'd need. Arguably, Tim Miles was a better recruiter, but that's only arguably, because many on here say Tim's recruiting shtick wore out and that's why the cupboard was bare when Fred got here. And others on here say that Fred's brought in *great* recruits. That for whatever reason those great recruits haven't coalesced into a great team.

 

So, it sounds like the answer is pretty simple: We just need a coach who can recruit better than any other coach we've had this century AND who can also coach up his great recruits once they get here.

 

I'm down. Let's go! Let's do it! I'm in! Where do we start?

 

[The Polish Rifle]

24 minutes ago, Norm Peterson said:

 

It's easy peasy. Just get a better recruiter. Better than Fred, obviously. Which, of course, that person was NOT Doc Sadler and NOT Barry Collier. Clearly, they were not the kind of "better recruiter" we'd need. Arguably, Tim Miles was a better recruiter, but that's only arguably, because many on here say Tim's recruiting shtick wore out and that's why the cupboard was bare when Fred got here. And others on here say that Fred's brought in *great* recruits. That for whatever reason those great recruits haven't coalesced into a great team.

 

So, it sounds like the answer is pretty simple: We just need a coach who can recruit better than any other coach we've had this century AND who can also coach up his great recruits once they get here.

 

I'm down. Let's go! Let's do it! I'm in! Where do we start?

 

Create a list and start interviewin’

[Norm Peterson]

2 minutes ago, The Polish Rifle said:

Create a list and start interviewin’

 

First call I'm making ...

 

[hhcmatt]

Getting guys out of the portal is easy; there are approximately 1000 or so per year. 

Before that though do we currently have a blueprint for the type of team we want to be and the type of players we need to be that team? Seemed like we had that sort of plan recruiting guys this year as opposed to trying to find the guys who had the most stars out of HS. Is that still the plan? Defense went pretty well. How much does it need to be tweaked for offense?

 

 

[The Polish Rifle]

6 minutes ago, Norm Peterson said:

 

First call I'm making ...

 

You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take!!!

[The Polish Rifle]

2 minutes ago, hhcmatt said:

Getting guys out of the portal is easy; there are approximately 1000 or so per year. 

Before that though do we currently have a blueprint for the type of team we want to be and the type of players we need to be that team? Seemed like we had that sort of plan recruiting guys this year as opposed to trying to find the guys who had the most stars out of HS. Is that still the plan? Defense went pretty well. How much does it need to be tweaked for offense?

 

 

I was just thinking this same thing. It reminds me of Moneyball. We don’t  need to star chase, we can’t beat the big boys at that anyways. How do you get the right mix of guys that will be effective offensively and defensively. Guys like Gary and Bando were undervalued in the portal but lead to a top 50 defense. Like you said they knocked it out of the park defensively. 

[basketballjones]

I feel like 75-80% of that list has been the same for a long time and yet we still can't catch the big fish. 

[Norm Peterson]

28 minutes ago, hhcmatt said:

Getting guys out of the portal is easy; there are approximately 1000 or so per year. 

Before that though do we currently have a blueprint for the type of team we want to be and the type of players we need to be that team? Seemed like we had that sort of plan recruiting guys this year as opposed to trying to find the guys who had the most stars out of HS. Is that still the plan? Defense went pretty well. How much does it need to be tweaked for offense?

 

 

 

I think we kinda decided we need a PG, a Big and a wing in that order. My question in this thread was whatta we gotta do to sell the kids we want to get?

 

 

[Handy Johnson]

2 hours ago, FredsSlacks said:

well that really depends who the next hire would be... there are better recruiters than fred out there who would have a better chance of getting high profile transfers.

If only it were that simple. The grass is always Greener is easier in Theory than Practice. Minnesota was sick of Richard Pitino & thought they could/should do BETTER. Now look where they’re at… I’m still willing, his awful record aside, to Ride with Fred one more time. 

[HuskerFever]

5 hours ago, Norm Peterson said:

 

First call I'm making ...

 

 

His wife wouldn't let him go to Lincoln. So start with divorce papers and maybe we have a chance 

[uneblinstu]

20 hours ago, Norm Peterson said:

 

First call I'm making ...

 

Kurtis Townsend? Not the worst idea.

[colhusker]

On 2/2/2023 at 11:00 AM, Norm Peterson said:

 

It's easy peasy. Just get a better recruiter. Better than Fred, obviously. Which, of course, that person was NOT Doc Sadler and NOT Barry Collier. Clearly, they were not the kind of "better recruiter" we'd need. Arguably, Tim Miles was a better recruiter, but that's only arguably, because many on here say Tim's recruiting shtick wore out and that's why the cupboard was bare when Fred got here. And others on here say that Fred's brought in *great* recruits. That for whatever reason those great recruits haven't coalesced into a great team.

 

So, it sounds like the answer is pretty simple: We just need a coach who can recruit better than any other coach we've had this century AND who can also coach up his great recruits once they get here.

 

I'm down. Let's go! Let's do it! I'm in! Where do we start?

 

Resurrecting Joe Cip?

 

[huskerbill85]

On 2/1/2023 at 4:32 PM, Norm Peterson said:

Why come to Nebraska? We have no history of NCAA tournament success. We've been on a bad skid with the current coach, the same guy who is recruiting you and for whom you'd probably be playing if you did choose to come here. So, why on earth?

 

Well ...

 

1. Chances are really good you'll start. KU can't say that. Kentucky can't say that. Hell, Iowa can't even say that.

2. You'll play in a great conference.

3. Facilities are among the best anywhere.

4. Fan support is ridiculous for what they've had to cheer for.

5. We can put together a damn good NIL deal that would rival anyone, anywhere.

6. You've seen coaches turn beet-red and go all foaming-at-the-mouth ballistic during games? Can you imagine what they're like in practice? OMG. If you like getting berated and belittled on the daily, go there. But, if you want someone who's going to calmly walk you through things, have you seen Fred's sideline demeanor?

7. Don't judge us by last year's W/L record. We had season-ending injuries to a couple of key players. Watch the game film, see how even a short-handed team was giving them hell and trying to hang in there, and try to imagine how you might contribute. We're close. We're only missing the elements you possess. YOU are the missing ingredient.

8. If we do get it turned around, you will absolutely be a part of history. This would be the Cinderella story that all major sports media would focus on. You could be a part of it. You'd be a hero to this community. You might not ever have to buy yourself a drink in the City of Lincoln for the rest of your life. Ask Jamal Mashburn if the people in Lexington, Kentucky even recognize him and remember his name.

9. If you want to walk out of here with a degree, we have the academic support to make sure it happens.

 

Is that enough to swing any good players our way? Is that enough to sell the kinds of portal players we'd need in order to make it happen next year? Or is our history of futility and our recent woes too much of a hurdle to overcome?

 

Thoughts?

Had all that going into this year and talented players went to other schools. Let's be honest with a coach winning 10 games a year going into year 5 the program needs an enema.