The Huskers are who we thought they were...

[Handy Johnson]

With all due respect to Denny Green,THIS is the Husker team I'm afraid we'll see the remainder of the season.We've had squads in the past that were unable to make shots, but I don't recall a team so unwilling to TAKE shots. Granted, Ray had an "off" night, and Shields didn't play. But if we continue to get nothing from Benny and Andre we have 0 chance. The whole second half my mind wandered to the Big 10 schedule that lies ahead...

[Huskerpapa]

We cannot afford "off nights" from any of our players this year. Against Kent State, two...perhaps three players met expectations,. When that happens, the results will be what we saw against the Flashes.

[cipsucks]

I think most fans have been pretty realistic with expectations for this season. This year is for laying the foundation of what the program will become under Tim Miles. There will be times, maybe for a half, maybe an entire game, when we will be really excited for what the future holds for Nebraska Basketball.

There will also be times, like last night, when we will be reminded that the cupboard is pretty bare right now.

I just hope everyone will remember that it isn't the players fault the program is where it is at present. I try not to bag on college kids. Now, that doesn't mean I'm beyond throwing out the occassional overweight joke now and then.

[b section]

With all due respect to Denny Green,THIS is the Husker team I'm afraid we'll see the remainder of the season.We've had squads in the past that were unable to make shots, but I don't recall a team so unwilling to TAKE shots. Granted, Ray had an "off" night, and Shields didn't play. But if we continue to get nothing from Benny and Andre we have 0 chance. The whole second half my mind wandered to the Big 10 schedule that lies ahead...

This is the first time this year that I haven't felt conmfortable with the coaching....to be continued in the next 2 weeks.

[uneblinstu]

Just as it probably wasn't fair to race to judgment after this team picked up a couple of wins they weren't expected to win, so is not fair to say this team will be as terrible as we watched yesterday. We'll have a little bit of everything this year. We'll have games like this again, I'm sure. But we'll have games where Andre and Ray play well too. Or perhaps it will be Parker or Shields. We will see games where they play well and games there they don't.

[uneblinstu]

We cannot afford "off nights" from any of our players this year. Against Kent State, two...perhaps three players met expectations,. When that happens, the results will be what we saw against the Flashes.

Off nights are going to happen. It's part of the deal, especially on offense. So far, Talley and Ubel have been fairly steady, and I expect that to continue. If we have three players per game show up like they did yesterday, we'll be in most games vs. non-elite teams, especially at home. And it doesn't have to be the same player every game. It can be Parker one day, Andre the next and Shields or Gallegos. It doesn't matter, it just needs to be one of them. If not, we'll see more of what we saw last night. We can win without everybody being "on", we just need more than what we had last night.

[Dean Smith]

Without trying to poke someone with a stick, this is what I meant by some people being too results orientated. Nebraska did not shoot well as a team and the other guys did. There was no real difference in the offense or the defense from the Kent State game to any other game they have played this year and just happened to win. It is going to be a long season and unlike most years, success will not be determined by wins and losses.

Personally, I think the defense needs to tighten up by sagging off to make up for the athletic difference they are going to see most nights, but I don't claim to have all the answers. (or any for that matter)

[Norm Peterson]

Bottom line, IMO, if we want to be in most of the games we play this year (not win, necessarily, just not get blown out and be in a position to at least challenge) then we need to have Ray figure out a way to score when the perimeter shots aren't dropping. Defense should be fairly consistent over time. Sometimes the other team will get hot but that's not necessarily a reflection of your own defensive effort. But when your own shots aren't dropping, you still have to score somehow. And attacking the rim and drawing fouls and going to the free throw line often helps shooters get back into a groove if they've been missing. So, you have a kid who has the athletic ability that few people could match in terms of explosiveness and, instead of trying to penetrate or pull up for the short to mid-range jumper, he's trying to live or die on the 3-pt line. And Saturday night, he died there.

[Handy Johnson]

Almeida, Parker and Peltz shot 2, 3 and 2 shots respectively. That's 3 more than me and I wasn't even playing.

[Norm Peterson]

This is the first time this year that I haven't felt conmfortable with the coaching....to be continued in the next 2 weeks.

Thanks for the warning.

[Silverbacked1]

I saw that Creighton played mostly 2-3 zone the other night on TV.

That could really make it tough for us to score, and we have trouble scoring now, so...

[kldm64]

Our biggest problem is obviously depth. Tough shooting nights will happen to every team but stil have to find ways to be competitive. We basically only have 3 guys that can score so makes it easy to defend. You see it all the time with our pick and roll towards end of shot clock. Both defenders are just going with Talley and the person who sets the pick is wide open but he isn't a threat to get a pass and shoot. Unless we have kids that step and and at least appear to be a scoring threat, it's going to be harder and harder for our main 3 guys to get good looks. Here is my quick evaluation of what I expected from each player to how I think they have preformed.

Almeida = playing worse than expected

Gallegos = playing better then expected

Menke = about what I expected

Parker = playing at little better than I expected

Peltz = about what I expected

Rivers = playing worse than expected

Shields = need him to play better than expected

Talley = better than expected

Ubel = better than expected

Vucetic = must be worse than expected due to playing time

[Handy Johnson]

Norm makes a great point, Ray needs to find ways to score when his jumpers' not falling. He's too valuable. And I've heard that David Rivers won TWO state titles down in Georgia. Those were for playing basketball, right?

[Norm Peterson]

Norm makes a great point

Thank you. Every once in awhile, the blind squirrel finds an acorn.

[Tony]

I saw that Creighton played mostly 2-3 zone the other night on TV.

That could really make it tough for us to score, and we have trouble scoring now, so...

They played it a little but they predominantly played man-to-man. So, you won't have to worry.

[uneblinstu]

Norm makes a great point, Ray needs to find ways to score when his jumpers' not falling. He's too valuable. And I've heard that David Rivers won TWO state titles down in Georgia. Those were for playing basketball, right?

Nope. He won 3 and it was in Arkansas. He was a top 150 player coming out of high school, too.

[tcp]

They played it a little but they predominantly played man-to-man. So, you won't have to worry.

I watched the Wisconsin game, and honestly, it doesn't matter what they play on D. We should be worried regardless. They have nice team. And they should pretty much obliterate us, unless they get bored. That was a pretty good Wiscy team they beat.