Nebraska (10-2) vs. UCLA (12-0) Game Thread

[Cazzie22]

The Bruins are far superior in every phase.  We are intimidated by their size and quickness.  The third quarter is what I feared would happen.  

[Bugeaters1]

Should that have been over and back?

 

[arliepro]

40 minutes ago, redsteve said:

Our own turnovers are really hurting us

We don't take care of the ball nearly well enough.

[Cazzie22]

We simply aren’t in the same league as UCLA.  91-54 and it could have been worse.  Our lack of quickness at all positions clearly showed today.  We were destroyed on the boards 48-18 and our shooting was atrocious.  We were throwing the ball because we were so worried about getting it blocked.  Probably the same result against USC on New Year’s.  Hopefully we return home without our confidence shattered.  Hargrove was having a nice run and goes to the bench, something I will never understand.  We weren’t playing the SWAC today.

Edited December 30, 2024 by Cazzie22
Addition

[redsteve]

This type of game is where playing all those weak teams begins to show. 

[All About the Corn]

Well I was hoping for a closer game but I am not surprised by the final score. UCLA is very deep, has great length, quicker, and we can see why they beat South Carolina. I agree we may see the same result against USC. I agree on keeping in the hot hand but this is not Amy's MO. It never will be. UCLA also has at least 4 portal players. Many of them very good players. In this age of the portal/transfers this is something we need find a way to take advantage as it is not enough to just bring talent from the HS ranks. On to USC.

[Bugeaters1]

https://huskers.com/documents/8962762b-af85-45b5-bbae-9a90dbf31423.pdf

[AuroranHusker]

Yikes on the 2nd half shooting numbers for NU. Guess they will need to regroup for next time and make sure to not lose faith in the process.

[AuroranHusker]

And UCLA shot 19 for 26 from the field in the 2nd half, to NU's 8 for 34, which makes for a difficult second half for the Big Red. At least NU made it tough for the 1st half. It could have been much, much worse.

 

[Huskerpapa]

Welp...

[Redhac]

UCLA has 7 players that are 6'2" and taller, while USC has 6 players that are 6'2" and taller.  NE has 4 players listed at 6'2" (excluding Potts) and 2 at 6'3".   Amy needs to do a much better job at recruiting 6'3" or taller players.  She only got Bozan by luck just before the season.  Also need a better offense with some picks and our players being better catch and shoot players.  The game was unwatchable in the 4th quarter! 

[KarlHessEatMy....]

I really was hoping to watch AM in the WNBA but I just dont see it happening. She just has no moves what so ever. 

 

Why on earth does she never have her feet in a position to make a move on the catch of a ball? Its always catch the ball and then think about what move am I going to make and by that time usually its just too late by then. Disappointed for sure. 

 

Was hoping Prince would have a little more confidence to want to call her number more often than she does. I think she needs to be a 15pt avg per game if we are going to make any kind of run this year. 

 

I didnt watch the 4th qtr but I was happy to watch Hake. I feel like she has def been the most improved on the team. I think she got better. About the only person I felt can make a play for herself if need be. Or at least try to make a play. 

[Cazzie22]

Alexis is a battler but she was overwhelmed by the Bruins size and quickness.  Her one FG was an excellent quick left handed move to the basket.  Bozan faced the same issue and threw up several sloppy shots.  USC has the Stanford transfer at post who will present a big challenge.  I think Alexis will bounce back against SC but we just don’t have the talent to match the Trojans.

[All About the Corn]

Not sure what is going on with Alexis this year. She spends too much time thinking about what to do and then is so off balance. With Hake really our best player on the court most games she does not come close to having the most minutes on the court. That would be Prince which I am fine with but she needs to call her own number more. Hake had 19:37 minutes yesterday. We need more from her. 

[Gamafn]

4 hours ago, Redhac said:

UCLA has 7 players that are 6'2" and taller, while USC has 6 players that are 6'2" and taller.  NE has 4 players listed at 6'2" (excluding Potts) and 2 at 6'3".   Amy needs to do a much better job at recruiting 6'3" or taller players.  She only got Bozan by luck just before the season.  Also need a better offense with some picks and our players being better catch and shoot players.  The game was unwatchable in the 4th quarter! 

Agree recruiting bigger and quicker players is a must, but here are two other factors: hoops IQ and development.  This current team doesn’t pass, anticipate or move their feet well.  Not sure how much of that is coaching vs innate hoops IQ and lack of quickness, but it’s substandard.

Betts from UCLA is 6’7”, but she wasn’t anything special as a 1st year player (6 pts and 3.5 rb).  Her trajectory, i.e. development, has been remarkable.  Compare that to AM, or for that matter to her predecessor Kate Cain, two 4-year center starters for Amy who have basically flatlined.  That’s 8 years of minimal development in our posts.

[Cazzie22]

I like our team but we could use that athletic, good ball handling wing/guard who can beat the defender one on one. Those are hard to find.  I noticed our screens weren’t effective because the defense was prepared and quick enough to get through the screen attempt.  Britt may soon realize she is going to need the weight room to get stronger.  I think the girls will give USC a good battle.

[HuskerWmn]

23 hours ago, redsteve said:

 

Man, they are protecting Betts...no calls on her walking (and fouls), and everything even near her is a foul on us.

 

We have got to move on offense. 

 

Betts gave Petrie a real hard elbow to her chest and blew her to the floor. But no foal.

They are really protecting her. She also threw a hip into Bozan to push her out of the way on the inside pass.

[Tom Jones]

On 12/30/2024 at 12:22 PM, Gamafn said:

Agree recruiting bigger and quicker players is a must, but here are two other factors: hoops IQ and development.  This current team doesn’t pass, anticipate or move their feet well.  Not sure how much of that is coaching vs innate hoops IQ and lack of quickness, but it’s substandard.

Betts from UCLA is 6’7”, but she wasn’t anything special as a 1st year player (6 pts and 3.5 rb).  Her trajectory, i.e. development, has been remarkable.  Compare that to AM, or for that matter to her predecessor Kate Cain, two 4-year center starters for Amy who have basically flatlined.  That’s 8 years of minimal development in our posts.

Agree 100% re Betts.  And there is another example - Addison O'Grady at Iowa.  Three and two years ago she was "tall and that's all".  She was less effective on offense than was Kate Cain. Footwork did not put her in good shooting position and she seemed to lack "touch".   Seeing her now ... looks like a different woman.  Last game I saw for her she was something like 8 for 8 from the field and moved like a Gustafson.  

 

Just noticed ... O'Grady leads the conference in FG % at 67%!

Edited December 31, 2024 by Tom Jones
omitted something

[Cazzie22]

30 minutes ago, Tom Jones said:

Agree 100% re Betts.  And there is another example - Addison O'Grady at Iowa.  Three and two years ago she was "tall and that's all".  She was less effective on offense than was Kate Cain. Footwork did not put her in good shooting position and she seemed to lack "touch".   Seeing her now ... looks like a different woman.  Last game I saw for her she was something like 8 for 8 from the field and moved like a Gustafson.  

The Iowa staff clearly develops post players and/or identifies potential in their recruiting.

[whoopdeedoo]

17 hours ago, Cazzie22 said:

I like our team but we could use that athletic, good ball handling wing/guard who can beat the defender one on one. Those are hard to find.  I noticed our screens weren’t effective because the defense was prepared and quick enough to get through the screen attempt.  Britt may soon realize she is going to need the weight room to get stronger.  I think the girls will give USC a good battle.

i will throw out my opinion on this remark, and i might get scathed for it by some..........they are out there, it's just very difficult to get one to come to nebraska. they tend to lean towards the squads that consistently finish in top 15, maybe 20....and/or have potential to make a deep run in the ncaa's.

[Tom Jones]

4 hours ago, whoopdeedoo said:

i will throw out my opinion on this remark, and i might get scathed for it by some..........they are out there, it's just very difficult to get one to come to nebraska. they tend to lean towards the squads that consistently finish in top 15, maybe 20....and/or have potential to make a deep run in the ncaa's.

yep, that's the conundrum... you have to have one or two to get to the point that you can attract the next ones.  Similar to the old "you have to have experience  to play and playing is how you get experience"..   This is why losing Potts was so devastating - she came close to being that player - to being a Leigha Brown type.  With her, I think we would could have finished in the conference top four, gone maybe even three rounds in the tournament, and gained the nat'l attention needed to further upgrade recruitment.  Hopefully, we will have her next year, but, failing a portal acquisition, then we will not have the post player to go with her.  AM, IMO, would be much more effective (less double teaming) with Potts a threat to drive along the baseline or to stay put and hit the 3.  Sigh.  

[All About the Corn]

You could say we lost our best player (Potts) to injury. I will say we are making progress. Before Potts was lost for the season we had finally got to a point where we could be a consistent team in the 20-30 range, ranked or receiving votes. With that and a run in the B1G season/tourney and maybe a sweet16 and we could have found us in that next range and getting better portal players taking a harder look at Nebraska along with more 4-5 star players giving us a harder look. Now we maybe a couple of years out again even with a healthy Potts back next year. 

[Tom Jones]

YES!  Our starting lineup could have included two sophomores (Potts & Nisley), and two freshmen (Prince and Hargrove*) plus a graduating senior center.  That might have looked really attractive to a big looking to transfer - think a Raegan Beers type - who might think "hmmm two sophs and two freshmen - all productive players - looking for someone to play in the middle ... I might fit in really well there".     *Hargrove might have been #6 not a starter.  That's a pleasant dream but I know I gotta accept the loss of Potts and move on. 

[Cazzie22]

As much as I love Potts as a great player and competitor, we would have still been torched by UCLA.

[Nails]

If you want to get better, you have to recruit better and develop players better. Let’s slow down on the talk about how far our program is behind UCLA. They may be very good this year, but they don’t really have any history either. I don’t think they have ever won a conference championship and I haven’t seen them in the Final Four. Maybe this is the year that changes, but they haven’t shown they can do it in the postseason yet.