Sergej Vucetic, Nathan Hawkins, and Tim Wagner Transfering

[hhcmatt]

a lot of people were quick to dismiss it.

 

I definitely did.  

Knowing what we know now and knowing what I know about twitter, i would still doubt it was about transferring unless Hawkins confirmed it.

[Norm Peterson]

I'd say this actually presents somewhat of an opportunity.  Let me explain why.

 

I felt like it was very shrewd of Miles to bring in the transfers he brought in.  And, it occurred to me that it's the kind of thing you can maybe get away with in your first year with a program at which people aren't expecting much.  Bring in some transfers who have to sit a year and you tie up that many scholarships that don't offer you any productivity for a year.

 

After that first year, though, and certainly we saw it here, but you have to start looking for guys who can help right now or guys who will be freshmen whom you'll develop over the next several year.  Looking at available spots for next year, I'd been thinking about finding guys who could help right away.  I wasn't thinking about guys who might have to sit a year.

 

But with Hawkins taking his leave and now Vooch officially taking his leave, this gives us the flexibility to bring in a couple of transfers who would have to sit like Petteway and Pitchford did.  Yeah, we still need to find another immediate contributor or two.  But we have those spots available.  We also, though, now have room for a transfer who would have to sit out a year.

 

I wasn't expecting Hawkins to leave but I had wondered whether he was really a legit B1G level player.  For a guard, he's not quite quick enough, not quite explosive enough, and not quite good enough of a perimeter shooter.  Now, let's go out and find a kid who is, let him sit a year as a transfer (because, face it, Hawkins probably wouldn't have seen a ton of minutes next year either) and let that guy be the junior Hawkins would have been in two years' time.

[49r]

Hawk hit his 3 against Indiana.  It was a big 'un too, critical part of the game.

 

But he never adjusted to the cold winter weather here, and he never was able to get over being away from his girlfriend.  (And for what it's worth, this was one of the worst winters I can recall for a long time, I can see how someone from Texas might think Nebraska is akin to Siberia if this was their first exposure to a Nebraska winter.)

 

I don't think it was so much that he wasn't given a chance at Nebraska as much as he never gave himself enough of a chance here. Que Sera, it's too bad he won't be a Husker anymore, and I wish him luck, but life goes on and so will we without Nathan.

 

Now we have plenty of room for the transfer from BYU.  I really hope coach is working that angle.

[Huskerpapa]

...and I am quite anxious to see how Mr. Fuller progressed since the last time we saw him on the court.

[Norm Peterson]

 

a lot of people were quick to dismiss it.

 

I definitely did.  

Knowing what we know now and knowing what I know about twitter, i would still doubt it was about transferring unless Hawkins confirmed it.

 

I understand what you're saying.  But I'm pointing out that Doc1394 said what he said well before the Hawkins news became public.  He's either very prescient or he knew something.  My guess is he knew something. 

 

Doc1394, did you know something?

[Silverbacked1]

Hawk hit his 3 against Indiana.  It was a big 'un too, critical part of the game.

 

But he never adjusted to the cold winter weather here, and he never was able to get over being away from his girlfriend.  (And for what it's worth, this was one of the worst winters I can recall for a long time, I can see how someone from Texas might think Nebraska is akin to Siberia if this was their first exposure to a Nebraska winter.)

 

I don't think it was so much that he wasn't given a chance at Nebraska as much as he never gave himself enough of a chance here. Que Sera, it's too bad he won't be a Husker anymore, and I wish him luck, but life goes on and so will we without Nathan.

 

Now we have plenty of room for the transfer from BYU.  I really hope coach is working that angle.

Mean while Fuller thought it was a very mild winter.

[Norm Peterson]

Here's Doc1394's post from back in December:

 

 

Posted 24 December 2013 - 06:54 PM

Take this for what you want, and I don't know that this is what that tweet is about, but I know that Natham told one of my good friends, who sits by him in Biology, that he was thinking about transferring to Texas A&M.

This was while he was still hurt, so he was probably a little frustrated and hopefully with the extra playing time he will have those thoughts leave his mind.

I haven't said anything earlier because I didn't want to bring up any drama, but just know that transferring is an option.

Hopefully we make it through Christmas break, and he doesn't transfer mid semester, or even better, he doesn't transfer at all.

[Nebrasketballer]

Hope Nebraska signs 2-3 grad transfers in this class. Nebraska seems to be in on multiple high caliber 2015 recruits. If Nebraska could get 2-3 with 1 year of eligibility, then Nebraska would be able to sign 4-5 in the 2015 class. And with the potential that Nebraska has to make some noise next season...it would be nice if they could strike while the iron is hot and sign 4-5 players in the 2015 class.

[lanigan123]

To me, this allows us to grab a non senior transfer along w a senior transfer. More options for 2015 now, too.

[doc1394]

 

 

a lot of people were quick to dismiss it.

 

I definitely did.  

Knowing what we know now and knowing what I know about twitter, i would still doubt it was about transferring unless Hawkins confirmed it.

 

I understand what you're saying.  But I'm pointing out that Doc1394 said what he said well before the Hawkins news became public.  He's either very prescient or he knew something.  My guess is he knew something. 

 

Doc1394, did you know something?

 

Haha, like I said, I just had a friend who was his lab partner in biology and a trainer on the basketball team, so they talked a lot about Nebrasketball. 

 

I'm certainly not an insider. 

 

However, the entire team (minus Hawkins, Fuller, and Shields - plus Biggs, Tyrance, Talley, Toney McCray) was at the the rec center a couple of days ago and played for a couple hours. Petteway almost dunked right over me. Thats about as insider as I can get. 

[Norm Peterson]

Again, like I said above, this extra attrition comes with a hidden advantage and that is that it affords us the luxury of having the room to bring in another transfer who could sit this year and not be expected to contribute until the year after next. 

 

It's not always a good time to bring in a guy who has to redshirt.  In Miles' case, year one carried low expectations.  He didn't have to win at all in year one so he could tie up spots with kids who had to sit out.  This year, he needs to find another piece or two to contribute right away so that year 3 can be better than year 2 was.   But when you look at the spots we had available, we didn't have enough room to bring in a traditional transfer a la the Iowa State route.

 

Now we have that room.

[Hooper]

The Hawkins news does surprise me, even though there were rumors of it earlier. I've seen a lot of freshmen come in and be homesick during their first year, talk about transferring, and then eventually adjust to life in Lincoln and have successful careers. I thought maybe Nate would make that adjustment and want to stay. I guess not.

 

The issue with Nate in terms of his skill set was that he might not have had the quickness to be a good enough man-to-man defender to ever see a starting role on this team.

 

His father's tweets and overall attitude were also the last thing he needed. The Hawkins family obviously has a delusional view of Nate's level of development and ability to compete at this level. I saw a player who showed flashes but who generally struggled badly and made a lot of mistakes. Oh well, best of luck to him. He seemed like a good kid, but this isn't a huge loss in my view.

 

It seems like dad thinks it's still high school ball.

 

I wonder how we'll use this scholarship. Will they go after a grad student or a high school player? Will it be a big or another guard to replace Hawk? I wonder if this opens up an opportunity for Vasilije Pusica. Not sure whether or not they're still interested in him, but he's a great outside shooter.

[Cazzie22]

Sorry to see Hawkins go but he might be better off at a smaller school.  

[berlinblackshirts]

Didn't see Nate leaving. but he didnt' Show much- Sergj leaving is obvious. Hope we have better prospects lined up and Fuller will help next year as a RS Fr

[Huskerpapa]

I think the natural urge in order to make us feel good about someone leaving the program, is to attempt to knock the player.  It somehow makes us feel better about the exit.  Nate indeed had some flaws to his game.  But he had a lot of upside as well.  I believe with the right coaching (and yes, we have that right coaching) he could have/would have developed into a good player for us. 

 

It is now all speculation.  I hope he lands with another team that we will never have to face, and I hope he graduates.  The marriage between our program and Nate seems to have been rocky throughout.  Perhaps not visually rocky, but the fit seemed a bit askew.  Hope it works out for young Mr. Newton...I wish him the best.

[HolyBobpilgrimage]

 

 

 

a lot of people were quick to dismiss it.

 

I definitely did.  

Knowing what we know now and knowing what I know about twitter, i would still doubt it was about transferring unless Hawkins confirmed it.

 

I understand what you're saying.  But I'm pointing out that Doc1394 said what he said well before the Hawkins news became public.  He's either very prescient or he knew something.  My guess is he knew something. 

 

Doc1394, did you know something?

 

Haha, like I said, I just had a friend who was his lab partner in biology and a trainer on the basketball team, so they talked a lot about Nebrasketball. 

 

I'm certainly not an insider. 

 

However, the entire team (minus Hawkins, Fuller, and Shields - plus Biggs, Tyrance, Talley, Toney McCray) was at the the rec center a couple of days ago and played for a couple hours. Petteway almost dunked right over me. Thats about as insider as I can get. 

 

doc, what time do you guys/those guys usually play pickup at the rec? I'd love to be in on that as a student Though getting dunked on my pettaway would be low on my list, LOL.

[doc1394]

doc, what time do you guys/those guys usually play pickup at the rec? I'd love to be in on that as a student Though getting dunked on my pettaway would be low on my list, LOL.

Around 4:30 or 5

[BenJammin63]

 

 

 

Hawkins' father (@CoachRobHawkins) tweeted during the NCAA game against Baylor a few remarks about Nate not playing and alluding to Nate being a good match up against the Baylor zone.  I wonder if playing time was an issue with Nate.

 

There was also a tweet Hawkins replied to eluding that he wasn't going to play vs Baylor

 

That would seem to indicate that the writing was on the wall several weeks ago.

 

 

P.S.  Anyone else think that the overheard story about WP was correct but instead of "Pitch" it was "Hawk"? 

 

Damn my dyslexia gets me again... 

[TheKamdyMan]

Im calling it now.  Will go to Rice or UH to still play D1 but be about 90 minutes from Yagirl Kelly.

[hhcmatt]

Im calling it now.  Will go to Rice or UH

 

INCOMING TEXT MESSAGE

Hey, this is Kelvin Sampson lol. Come 2 Houston?

[AuroranHusker]

Best wishes to Surge, Wags & Hawk... NU will need to develop nicknames for incoming players to replace this tremendous triumvarite trifecta!

[Jadler]

Best wishes to Surge, Wags & Hawk... NU will need to develop nicknames for incoming players to replace this tremendous triumvarite trifecta!

+1 for a tongue twister using triumvirate.

[hhcmatt]

Again, like I said above, this extra attrition comes with a hidden advantage and that is that it affords us the luxury of having the room to bring in another transfer who could sit this year and not be expected to contribute until the year after next. 

 

It's not always a good time to bring in a guy who has to redshirt.  In Miles' case, year one carried low expectations.  He didn't have to win at all in year one so he could tie up spots with kids who had to sit out.  This year, he needs to find another piece or two to contribute right away so that year 3 can be better than year 2 was.   But when you look at the spots we had available, we didn't have enough room to bring in a traditional transfer a la the Iowa State route.

 

Now we have that room.

 

This assumes we have a transfer in mind and he's better than the guy we're losing who would have been eligible to play this year.

[hhcmatt]

The issue with Nate in terms of his skill set was that he might not have had the quickness to be a good enough man-to-man defender to ever see a starting role on this team.

 

.........

 

 I saw a player who showed flashes but who generally struggled badly and made a lot of mistakes.

 

I thought you had some pretty good points.

 

DB was plenty quick enough to play defense for this team. How hard was Hawk working on defense? Certainly with his size and gaining experience he would have been able to make up for being a step slow.

 

The most disappointing part for me was that a kid noted to have a high basketball IQ and the ability to be the shooter we desperately needed would play his way off the court with mental mistakes.  I'd be shocked if he wasn't transferring somewhere in Texas or Oklahoma.

[Norm Peterson]

 

Again, like I said above, this extra attrition comes with a hidden advantage and that is that it affords us the luxury of having the room to bring in another transfer who could sit this year and not be expected to contribute until the year after next. 

 

It's not always a good time to bring in a guy who has to redshirt.  In Miles' case, year one carried low expectations.  He didn't have to win at all in year one so he could tie up spots with kids who had to sit out.  This year, he needs to find another piece or two to contribute right away so that year 3 can be better than year 2 was.   But when you look at the spots we had available, we didn't have enough room to bring in a traditional transfer a la the Iowa State route.

 

Now we have that room.

 

This assumes we have a transfer in mind and he's better than the guy we're losing who would have been eligible to play this year.

 

No, it doesn't assume that.  I'm simply saying it presents us with the opportunity to look for someone who's better than the guy we're losing or whatever available HS player we could find at this point.  We might not necessarily find that guy but we can at least be in the market.  That hasn't always been the case.