Identity

[Norm Peterson]

It's been talked about off and on over the last 4 1/2 seasons. Concerns expressed about our team not having an identity. What sets us apart? What makes us stand out? What do we want to become known for?

 

I think we're finally getting an answer to that question.

 

And the answer is this: We play tough f*cking defense.

 

We're going to force you baseline. We're going to double or even triple the post. We're going to harass your big man on every post-entry pass. We're going to challenge him to pass out and find an open shooter. And we're going to *sprint* on closeouts. And sometimes you'll burn us. More often, you won't.

 

And when you play Nebraska, you better be ready for 40 minutes of physically demanding basketball.

 

THAT is our identity.

[basketballjones]

Well, when we're playing well that's what it is anyways. 

But to add, our identity is "Team." When we're good, it's 5 guys working as one Offensively and Defensively. Even the wild KT shots come in rhythm, off of KT action. 

[hskr4life]

We’re also going to beat you with different pieces.  We’re NOT a one man show.  In any given night, we have probably 3-4 guys that could be “the guy” if needed.

 

We also have a bench that will harass you MORE than the starters. So when the starters go out, you don’t get a break.  You almost get the opposite of that.

[throwback]

Been giving this a lot of thought this season - we all remember the plethora of offensive scoring droughts we've had over many years, many coaches, and many rosters. This year, though, it's NU creating the scoring droughts for other teams. That's where you win games -- the 13-0 run to close the half won the game last night, I thought. It's all fueled by defense.

 

And it seems like a lot of our big runs / forced scoring droughts come at the end of half and game situations. Shows determination and paying the price in the offseason with conditioning, as well as staying out of foul trouble for the most part.

• Purdue - No FGs for first 5:44 of game (8-2 NU run) / No FGs for final 5:54 to close first half & start second half (13-0 NU run) / 1 FG for final 4:28 of game (9-2 NU run)
• Wisconsin - No 4+ min scoring droughts
• Indiana - 1 FG for 7:14 middle 2nd half (20-8 NU run)
• S Carolina St - 1 FG for first 10:26 of game (23-3 NU run) / 1 FG for 7:50 to close first half & start second half (19-2 NU run)
• North Dakota - No FGs for 5:52 early 2nd half (14-2 NU run) / no FGs for 4:40 middle 2nd half (14-2 NU run) / no FGs for 3:57 late in 2nd half (11-2 NU run)
• Kansas St - No FGs for 4:18 to close first half & start second half (10-3 NU run) / no FGs for 9:39 middle second half (17-1 NU run) / no FGs for final 5:06 of game  
• Michigan St - 1 FG for 5:09 to close first half & start second half (11-2 NU run) / no FGs for final 3:11 of game (15-5 NU run)

You get the idea. Our offense is really good -- 10 80+ point scoring games in 16 contests shows that. But being able to shut down the other team for several minutes, often more than once a game, is what is winning games right now.

[Norm Peterson]

I think you can forgive the occasional bad performance on the road. Wisconsin, 2nd half against Minnesota, don't kill our season.

 

But are we far enough along in the season -- is the sample size large enough -- that we can say that the squad we see the most of is good enough to get their ticket punched?

[49r]

1 minute ago, Norm Peterson said:

I think you can forgive the occasional bad performance on the road. Wisconsin, 2nd half against Minnesota, don't kill our season.

 

But are we far enough along in the season -- is the sample size large enough -- that we can say that the squad we see the most of is good enough to get their ticket punched?

 

It is if they continue to perform the way they have been.  We've all been through enough Jan/Feb collapses over the last 25 years though to not feel totally comfortable about where we're headed just yet.  But the trend is encouraging.

[hhcmatt]

Give a ton of credit to Nate Loenser for forming our identity 

[Norm Peterson]

7 minutes ago, hhcmatt said:

Give a ton of credit to Nate Loenser for forming our identity 

 

100% agree.

[Norm Peterson]

4 minutes ago, 49r said:

It is if they continue to perform the way they have been.  We've all been through enough Jan/Feb collapses over the last 25 years though to not feel totally comfortable about where we're headed just yet.  But the trend is encouraging.

 

I get that. And there've been years where we feasted on cupcakes in the off-season and then got exposed in conference play.

 

But we beat Michigan St, Purdue and Indiana in our first 3 conference home games.

 

I grant we need to figure out how to win on the road. But we won AT Kansas State already so it's not exactly like there's no precedence for it.

 

These next 5 games, we have to hold serve at home and beat Northwestern and Ohio St. And we basically need to find just one road win among Rutgers, Iowa and Maryland, all of whom are ranked below us on Kenpom. So it's not like facing murderer's row on the road. It's realistic to hope we can find one road win among those three.

 

The five games after that, we have a revenge home game against Wisconsin and host Michigan and Penn State, where, again, we have to hold serve at home. And then we probably get throttled at Illinois but maybe have a road win chance at Northwestern. Historically, they don't get big crowds. It's not an intimidating environment there. A win at Northwestern is within the realm of doable. Three wins in that five is doable.

 

And, final 5 games, we have winnable home games against Minnesota and Rutgers before finishing out the regular season at Michigan. Where we've never won. And I've had my eye on that game all season long. We're going to go in there with something to play for and we're going to beat those guys.

 

I think 11 conference wins is in play. And beating Purdue last night just put 12 conference wins in play.

[AuroranHusker]

15 minutes ago, hhcmatt said:

Give a ton of credit to Nate Loenser for forming our identity 

 

And credit to recruiting the right 'fit' on the roster instead of simply star-gazing by prior NU recruitment practices.

 

[AuroranHusker]

8 minutes ago, Norm Peterson said:

 

I get that. And there've been years where we feasted on cupcakes in the off-season and then got exposed in conference play.

 

But we beat Michigan St, Purdue and Indiana in our first 3 conference home games.

 

I grant we need to figure out how to win on the road. But we won AT Kansas State already so it's not exactly like there's no precedence for it.

 

These next 5 games, we have to hold serve at home and beat Northwestern and Ohio St. And we basically need to find just one road win among Rutgers, Iowa and Maryland, all of whom are ranked below us on Kenpom. So it's not like facing murderer's row on the road. It's realistic to hope we can find one road win among those three.

 

The five games after that, we have a revenge home game against Wisconsin and host Michigan and Penn State, where, again, we have to hold serve at home. And then we probably get throttled at Illinois but maybe have a road win chance at Northwestern. Historically, they don't get big crowds. It's not an intimidating environment there. A win at Northwestern is within the realm of doable. Three wins in that five is doable.

 

And, final 5 games, we have winnable home games against Minnesota and Rutgers before finishing out the regular season at Michigan. Where we've never won. And I've had my eye on that game all season long. We're going to go in there with something to play for and we're going to beat those guys.

 

I think 11 conference wins is in play. And beating Purdue last night just put 12 conference wins in play.

 

 

I think this team is capable of anything as the trajectory seems to be quite positive going forward. I just want that NEXT win to be at Iowa. GBR

 

 

[Ron Mexico]

28 minutes ago, Norm Peterson said:

I think you can forgive the occasional bad performance on the road. Wisconsin, 2nd half against Minnesota, don't kill our season.

 

But are we far enough along in the season -- is the sample size large enough -- that we can say that the squad we see the most of is good enough to get their ticket punched?

I wish I could think that far enough ahead, but I can't. We have a lot of work to do yet and it can easily slip away if we don't remain focused on the next game.

If we had lost this game we would have been sitting at 2-3 and in 9th place. Each game matters. Lose our next one and we are .500 and will drop to 6th or 7th.

It's important to not get ahead of ourselves. 

We can enjoy this game for a day and then it's time to move on. The only impact this game has is that it gave us a guaranteed Q1 win and improved our net to 46. The larger impact won't be known until the end of the season. 

[Silverbacked1]

I like how it is tough hard nose d not the “40 minutes of Hell” where it is trying to be all hurry you up and run you to death. We are lock down work your ass off d for 40 minutes. 
Fits the Nebraska “life style”

[4huskers]

2 hours ago, 49r said:

 

It is if they continue to perform the way they have been.  We've all been through enough Jan/Feb collapses over the last 25 years though to not feel totally comfortable about where we're headed just yet.  But the trend is encouraging.

this 100% or more

[hskr4life]

2 hours ago, 49r said:

 

It is if they continue to perform the way they have been.  We've all been through enough Jan/Feb collapses over the last 25 years though to not feel totally comfortable about where we're headed just yet.  But the trend is encouraging.

 

I don't know about anyone else, but this team has given me different feels since that MSU game.  We could have totally let the season derail after what had happened earlier in that week and we didn't.  Then the KSU game, how we played vs Indiana, not losing the UND game, and then last night.  I was almost more shocked at how that Wisco game turned out than I was with the IU or KSU wins.

 

I just have a different feeling with this team.  Maybe it's because they are more confident that I'm more confident in them.  This is no "flash in the pan to Dance" team.  This is actually a team that's deserving and SHOULD Dance.

 

[colhusker]

tough f*cking defense.

 

New basketball term Norm?

[colhusker]

This team has me seriously believing I will be able to change my Avatar this year. It's been a long long long long wait, but I am really starting to believe we get the NCAA monkey off our back.