Success Begets Success

[Norm Peterson]

Two years ago, we were coming off the worst three-year run in the modern history of the program. Maybe ever, but I'm not going to go back to the beginning to verify. Twenty-four wins combined in his first three seasons here and I'm of the understanding Fred thought he was done, which was why he didn't schedule a youth basketball camp that summer after his third season.

 

The only thing that probably saved his job was a potential need to keep our powder dry in order to fire Scott Frost at the helm of the flagship football program.

 

That spring, we picked up a portal commit from a Lincoln kid who wanted to come home and play his last season of college basketball in front of the hometown crowd. Turns out, that pickup was transformational, as Fred recently acknowledged in comments about Sam coming back to watch our game against Penn State. Sam Griesel, according to Fred, changed the culture of the team. It was unselfish ball, and it allowed people (including potential recruits) to see what the finished product was supposed to look like when we ran our system instead of running hero-ball.

 

There was another Summit League standout who was looking for a new home that same spring. A kid who grew up just west of here. We tried to get him to Lincoln. And he was gracious in turning us down. He observed that, while we're starting to build a culture here at Nebraska (which was a nice way of saying we didn't have one), another team just east of us already had one established. Hard to hold that against him. After three of the worst years in program history, it would have been a tall ask to get anyone to believe we were on the cusp of turning things around. You could get a local Lincoln kid to spend his last season of college ball here because it's literally his home. But drawing a kid with more extended eligibility was obviously not as easy.

 

Last season, though, we, as fans, could get a better glimpse of how the pieces fit together when the system was run the way it was intended. And so could recruits. Big men and backcourt players alike could watch our film and envision what their role would be in a Husker uniform. We have a system. We have a culture. We finally have an identity.

 

So, a little more than a year ago, I suggested the following:

 

 

Fred has said the way things played out last year and the success on the floor that we had at the end put us in position to land guys like Rienk Mast and Brice Williams. And, frankly, Ahron Ulis, but that's a different matter. We got everything from the portal that we needed -- a skilled post to replace Walker, a solid point guard to replace Griesel, and an athletic wing to provide some scoring punch -- we just didn't plan on the extracurriculars that would keep Ulis from participating this year.

 

And now, this year, it's hard to argue the trajectory of the program. And, again, potential recruits can watch our film and -- IMPORTANTLY -- they can easily see how they would fit within our system. I think that's huge when it comes to recruiting. It's like sales. You want the buyer to envision driving that car or drinking that beer. And I think kids will be able to imagine how they would fit in our program and how they could contribute.

 

And the doors we're unlocking with the way this season is playing out ... the NET might not factor in the story lines, but kids hitting the portal sure will.

 

All of this is just to say I think we'll enjoy our portal experience this spring. We have a FAR better chance of landing the kinds of players we were just missing out on a year or two ago.

[AuroranHusker]

I think your prose about Baylor Scheierman is pretty accurate, if he was even 1 year later, I think he's wearing RED. Alas, it wasn't meant to be.  But, Sam Griesel, oh yeah, it worked marvelously along with Manny Bando & ol' head Derrick Walker, that trio with the "Wan & Only" Juwan Gary as a perfect complement. The trajectory is better, amazing how great leadership at the top of the athletic department will do wonders for all of the Big Red. I think Fred's turned a corner, now finish this year out in style & get Keisei & Co. to the Promised Land, and they'll deliver the goods. The fruition of recruitment will continue to rise, even in an 18-team Big Ten. GBR Always.

 

[Huskerpapa]

Interesting conundrum though.   We may have missed a few players we wanted; but we secured players we have, and those players helped changed the trajectory of our program.

The actually number of misses in the portal the past two off-seasons can be counted on the cloven hoof of a cow.  The successes are significant. 

We now will live in a world where we land those players that we target.  

Norm, you are spot on.  

Edited February 22 by Huskerpapa

[HuskerBB]

Great post Norm.    I would say though - and not to take anything away from Sam - but that culture change also doesn't happen without Emmanuel Bandoumel and Juwan Gary coming in with the play hard team first attitudes they exhibited.   Also FWIW probably not without a leader like Derrick Walker coming back for another year when he easiliy could have left.

 

[Norm Peterson]

9 minutes ago, HuskerBB said:

Great post Norm.    I would say though - and not to take anything away from Sam - but that culture change also doesn't happen without Emmanuel Bandoumel and Juwan Gary coming in with the play hard team first attitudes they exhibited.   Also FWIW probably not without a leader like Derrick Walker coming back for another year when he easiliy could have left.

 

I think this is also true.

[Handy Johnson]

As someone mentioned the other day getting Wilcher/Gary/Mast BACK on Campus next year is Priority One. That being said, I fully expecting one of them to move on for whatever reason. 

[KZRider]

It is a bit of a head scratcher whether we can cite just a single player as the pivot point to possible success. I would be content to credit Sam G as the soul of the transformation but Derrick Walker as the heart of it. If we had just one of the two, last year would have been VERY different and FH would be gone IMO.

[Swan88]

I’ve always thought it odd when Nebraska high school players go elsewhere.  They have a chance to play for the University that represents the entire state and that regularly fills large arenas, even in bad times—but reject that chance.  They have a chance to be a home-state hero—but prefer something else.  And some go elsewhere with an equivalent of middle fingers flying.  
To each his/her own, I guess.  But I’d take the in-state legacy left, for example, by Sam Griesel and the Allick twins over whatever else is offered.

Edited February 22 by Swan88

[Norm Peterson]

Regardless of exactly how the rest of the season plays out or how deep of a run we make, if we reach the dance and the following players return, we should expect to be ranked at the beginning of next year:

 

1. Rienk Mast

2. Juwan Gary

3. Brice Williams

4. CJ Wilcher

5. Jamarques Lawrence

6. Sam Hoiberg

[Navin R. Johnson]

6 minutes ago, Swan88 said:

I’ve always thought it odd when Nebraska high school players go elsewhere.  They have a chance to play for the University that represents the entire state and that regularly fills large arenas, even in bad times—but reject that chance.  They have a chance to be a home-state hero—but prefer something else.  And some go elsewhere with an equivalent of middle fingers flying.  
To each his/her own, I guess.  But I’d take the in-state legacy left, for example, by Sam Griesel and the Allick twins over whatever else is offered.

 

There is a stigma associated with Nebraska basketball that just never goes away in the minds of many Nebraskans.  Granted, we have not been a great basketball program over the years, but we are not as bad as many think.  I still hear people say how bad Nebraska is or make a joke about Nebraska basketball and everyone joins in and laughs like it is something you are suppose to do in Nebraska.  Some of these people are even kind of fans but have no idea how the team is really playing or the schedule we are up against and so on.  All of this filters down to the kids and they develop the same feelings toward NU hoops.  It is a vicious cycle that never seems to end. Hopefully we can keep the program going in the right direction and things slowly start to change.

[Swan88]

2 minutes ago, Navin R. Johnson said:

I still hear people say how bad Nebraska is or make a joke about Nebraska basketball and everyone joins in and laughs like it is something you are suppose to do in Nebraska. 

I’ve been around Omaha a long time, and I’m quite certain that the vast majority of the folks who say such things are fans of other teams.

Also, history shows that, when Nebrasketball is even halfway good, Nebraskans jump on that bandwagon in a big hurry.

[Norm Peterson]

11 minutes ago, Swan88 said:

I’ve been around Omaha a long time, and I’m quite certain that the vast majority of the folks who say such things are fans of other teams.

Also, history shows that, when Nebrasketball is even halfway good, Nebraskans jump on that bandwagon in a big hurry.

 

As is demonstrated by the fact that, suddenly, all of our remaining home games are sold out.

[AuroranHusker]

15 minutes ago, Swan88 said:

I’ve been around Omaha a long time, and I’m quite certain that the vast majority of the folks who say such things are fans of other teams.

Also, history shows that, when Nebrasketball is even halfway good, Nebraskans jump on that bandwagon in a big hurry.

 

Yes, there is no question that a lot of ppl will be 'on board' the Nebrasketball train in four weeks. GBR Always.

 

[Navin R. Johnson]

19 minutes ago, Swan88 said:

I’ve been around Omaha a long time, and I’m quite certain that the vast majority of the folks who say such things are fans of other teams.

Also, history shows that, when Nebrasketball is even halfway good, Nebraskans jump on that bandwagon in a big hurry.

 

The people I'm talking about are Husker fans, at least in football and volleyball, and are not Creighton fans.  I'm not grouping all Nebraskans in this category and you are right, we do sell out PBA when we are playing well.  My experience comes from outside of Omaha or Lincoln.  I will stand by my statement that many in our state see NU basketball as a failure and a joke and probably will until we are consistently a threat to be a final 4 team.

[hskr4life]

49 minutes ago, Norm Peterson said:

 

As is demonstrated by the fact that, suddenly, all of our remaining home games are sold out.

Glad I bought my Minny tickets early.  That one went from “easy to get” to “game with implications for both teams” real fast.

[Art Vandalay]

34 minutes ago, Navin R. Johnson said:

 

The people I'm talking about are Husker fans, at least in football and volleyball, and are not Creighton fans.  I'm not grouping all Nebraskans in this category and you are right, we do sell out PBA when we are playing well.  My experience comes from outside of Omaha or Lincoln.  I will stand by my statement that many in our state see NU basketball as a failure and a joke and probably will until we are consistently a threat to be a final 4 team.

I call them the casual NU hoop fan. They also don’t watch a lot of college basketball period so they have unrealistic expectations. I agree they are very annoying.

[Huskerpapa]

1 hour ago, Norm Peterson said:

Regardless of exactly how the rest of the season plays out or how deep of a run we make, if we reach the dance and the following players return, we should expect to be ranked at the beginning of next year:

 

1. Rienk Mast

2. Juwan Gary

3. Brice Williams

4. CJ Wilcher

5. Jamarques Lawrence

6. Sam Hoiberg

...and in addition we will likely have Blaise, Eli, Diop and Ahron Ulis.

Edited February 22 by Huskerpapa

[Swan88]

30 minutes ago, Navin R. Johnson said:

I will stand by my statement that many in our state see NU basketball as a failure and a joke and probably will until we are consistently a threat to be a final 4 team.

I’ve also been around the entire State of Nebraska my entire life.  And I’ve rarely seen such statements or attitudes from people who care about Husker sports in general.  There may be expressions of disappointment from time to time, when things are particularly bad—but those expressions change, immediately and joyfully, when things start looking up.

[Navin R. Johnson]

18 minutes ago, Art Vandalay said:

I call them the casual NU hoop fan. They also don’t watch a lot of college basketball period so they have unrealistic expectations. I agree they are very annoying.

 

That's the group I'm talking about.  It's like a stereotype for some people.

[AuroranHusker]

1 hour ago, Navin R. Johnson said:

 

The people I'm talking about are Husker fans, at least in football and volleyball, and are not Creighton fans.  I'm not grouping all Nebraskans in this category and you are right, we do sell out PBA when we are playing well.  My experience comes from outside of Omaha or Lincoln.  I will stand by my statement that many in our state see NU basketball as a failure and a joke and probably will until we are consistently a threat to be a final 4 team.

 

I've heard that exact expression from some in my hometown. And it hurts, tbh. But I can't really argue that it's been an abject failure from a tournament perspective. That's what a lot of folks look to, and they can't see it any other way, unfortunately.

 

[49r]

55 minutes ago, Navin R. Johnson said:

 

That's the group I'm talking about.  It's like a stereotype for some people.

 

Someone on r/Huskers the other day (a Husker fan nonetheless) made a comment about the Skers being the "worst P5 men's hoops program of all time" and it sent me into an apoplectic rage.  I had to correct him and point out that our overall winning percentage put us ahead of about a dozen other P5 programs.  It's just the "never won in the tournament" narrative that so many folks cling to that gives them that impression.

 

Like, I think people are genuinely surprised to learn that we have a better win % (and more wins overall) than Iowa State even though we've gone through 25 years of pretty pathetic records and Iowa State has been elite for 40 years now.

[kldm64]

3 hours ago, Swan88 said:

I’ve always thought it odd when Nebraska high school players go elsewhere.  They have a chance to play for the University that represents the entire state and that regularly fills large arenas, even in bad times—but reject that chance.  They have a chance to be a home-state hero—but prefer something else.  And some go elsewhere with an equivalent of middle fingers flying.  
To each his/her own, I guess.  But I’d take the in-state legacy left, for example, by Sam Griesel and the Allick twins over whatever else is offered.

 

Sad to say but the days of kids wanting to stay home and represent their state are gone.  It does happen occasionally but now, kids just go where they can get the most money.

[HB]

Good post Norm.   Another example of success begets success should be NIL fundraising.  And I expect that to be quite helpful in portal talent acquisition.  

[cipsucks]

1 hour ago, Swan88 said:

I’ve also been around the entire State of Nebraska my entire life.  And I’ve rarely seen such statements or attitudes from people who care about Husker sports in general.  There may be expressions of disappointment from time to time, when things are particularly bad—but those expressions change, immediately and joyfully, when things start looking up.

 

This.  I've never met a true Husker fan west, north or south of the metro area that has ever badmouthed the basketball program.  They always hope for the best.  I remember back in the early 70's, people were disappointed Devaney didn't get rid of Cipriano.  The narrative was he wouldn't because they were drinking buddies.  However, no one ever said the basketball program sucked.  It didn't.  And, it hasn't.  We've had some bad stretches over the years.  Had some bad luck.  This year, and next, are all about a reckoning.  We win game(s) in the NCAA Tourney this season, and next year, we win our first outright regular season conference championship in well over a hundred years!  I'm thinking it would be 112...

[HuskerFever]

People who equate Nebraska basketball to utter failure often just listen to the click bait of "never won an NCAA tournament game" and overlook the fact that before 1985 we had great teams better than others in the tournament but Kansas won the bids to the tournament.

 

By modern day standards, we've been to the tournament 7 times...which isn't great. But it's not in the realm of failure. There are 185 teams (even counting years before 1985) who have made it to the tournament at or below what Nebraska has.

 

That doesn't even factor in fan support where we are in the top 15 of in-person support across the nation. But I digress.