Game 4: Scouting UMASS

[AnotherUMassFan]

Ya...it's the downside of being in the B1G. When the Illini are one of the weakest conference teams you play, wins are going to be hard to come by.

[CardHusker]

 

I think they have one user over there though that has a few misgivings about our program.

 

"One of the worst all time in NCAA history" or something to that effect.

 

I'll admit we've been underperforming for years and years, but all time worst?  Not by a mile, man...not by a mile.

Ya...sorry...that was me. Here's what I posted:

 

"LSU, Clemson and Georgia don't belong in the same sentence when talking about Nebraska and basketball. Nebraska is probably better this year than they have been in years but that really is not saying much. Nebraska has never actually won a game in the NCAA tournament. Nebraska is probably the all-time worst major conference basketball school. EVERY A10 school has a better history of basketball than does Nebraska."

 

I understand that it must come off as pretty nasty to Husker fans. I think it's important to consider that I use "major conference"  to mean B1G, ACC, Big12, Pac12, and SEC (the BE no longer deserving membership). It's also important to consider that I was talking about 100+ years of history. It's also true that Nebraska has probably been better than Northwestern so the statement is probably incorrect. 

 

In any case, there was some context. As some of you have noticed, UMass fans, as a group, have some amount of inferiority complex based on our conference affiliation and the resultant national press attention. While the A10 has always been a fairly strong basketball conference, all sports fans are well aware that the BCS conferences drive college athletics and garner the vast majority of media attention. New England is very different from the rest of the country with regards to college athletics - colleges sports will always be second fiddle to pro sports in terms of both attendance and media coverage. Massachusetts is worse, in this regard, than the rest of New England and even within Massachusetts the Boston press gives far less attention to UMass than they do to BC, BU, Harvard, etc.

 

I'm sure many of you are unhappy with the Cornhusker's move from the Big12 to the B1G (I would be) but in the world of college athletics you will remain in the driver seat because of this affiliation. For UMass, this upheaval in conference affiliation (which I believe will inevitably lead to a divorce from the NCAA by the member schools of the major conferences) is much scarier. UMass moved up to FBS football in a belated attempt to avoid being left out in the cold when the major conferences build their new organization. This move is bound to fail because UMass is unlikely to ever gain membership in one of the surviving conferences.

 

In any case, my post was not intended to besmirch Nebraska as it was to point out that Nebraska basketball represent a relatively normal challenge for UMass and not the same as would be faced if UMass was to play, for example, Michigan or Michigan State.

 

 

 

First, Nebraska has at least MADE the tournament unlike Northwestern so that is one team down. I would also argue that not every A10 school has a better history than we do. Just because a team has won a couple of games after getting there does not automatically make it better. I would argue that Nebraska is a better program than a school like Fordham for example. 

 

Another contention I will make as a basketball junkie is that you put the SEC above the Big East and the A10. I would consider SEC basketball to be below both of those leagues. Sure neither league has any one team as good as Kentucky but the overall quality of both leagues is well above that of the SEC. People forget that the Big East still has some very good basketball teams and some excellent tradition. 

[AnotherUMassFan]

CardHusker - from a basketball perspective, I agree. It's now become habit for me to think of conferences from a football perspective since I am resigned to a future of college athletics entirely dominate by football dollars.

 

Fordham - remember - I said history. Fordham's got a sweet 16 in 1971. That said, Nebraska's a better program now than Fordham and has been for 30 years.

[CardHusker]

I'll never understand the A10 taking on Fordham. I thought that was a mistake from day 1. Sure you get a team from NYC but what good is it if they suck every year? Same with Duquesne.

[PJJack]

I'll never understand the A10 taking on Fordham. I thought that was a mistake from day 1. Sure you get a team from NYC but what good is it if they suck every year? Same with Duquesne.

 

Recruiting and donors.!  Same reason the ACC took on Boston College.  College's in big (TV) markets that have alumns with deep pockets.  Recruiting and donor$.

[AnotherUMassFan]

In Fordham's case it was absolutely about the NYC market but that's obviously been a failure. Duquesne was a founding member from the Eastern Eight (Villanova, Duquesne, Penn State, West Virginia, George Washington, Massachusetts, Pittsburgh, and Rutgers) and was a decent program back then. Why the A10 ever let them back in after they left for a year in 92-93 is an enduring mystery but undoubtedly was about keeping a presence in Pittsburgh - it certainly wasn't for the quality of their basketball program.

[royalfan]

UMASS favored by 3.5.  New Mexico by 8, Davidson by 1 and Clemson by 2 in the others. 

[nuled2dance]

This is a neutral court early morning game. Who will create the energy and execute the best in the half court. Will we stay disciplined defensively or will we get sloppy. If we play the way we did to end the first half on Sunday we will get clobbered. Love to see tai and company attack the rim and have Gallegos bury the open shot if they collapse

[tcp]

This is a neutral court early morning game. Who will create the energy and execute the best in the half court. Will we stay disciplined defensively or will we get sloppy. If we play the way we did to end the first half on Sunday we will get clobbered. Love to see tai and company attack the rim and have Gallegos bury the open shot if they collapse

 

Gallegos and Smith are my wild cards for the game. If they do well in addition to our three guards, we have a good chance at taking this one. But needing almost 5 players to be "on" is asking for a lot.