From Mad Chatter today

[uneblinstu]

Two years of juco counts for something but it doesn't count for everything. I would point to the comments by Brandon Ubel at the start of fall practice when new guys were coming up to him asking for help and he had to tell them that he was just as lost as they were.

Without game time, Biggs' skills will begin to rust. Maybe only a little, but he won't pick up next fall as though he'd never been gone. He'll have to readjust to game speed. Meanwhile, Parker will be playing an ungodly amount of minutes learning what Miles wants a PG to do. I think that gives Parker a bit of a head start and I don't think it's a foregone conclusion that Biggs comes in and takes the job away from him.

That's true. It will be interesting to see what happens. We could really use Biggs' athleticism. We'll need both of them next year. Good problem to have.

[unl]

It will be crazy to look back at this thread next year and see how we predicted. It's obvious we will have new starters as we already have 3 seniors starting anyway. But it could be 5 new starters. It's going to be a crazy few years. Hopefully, this is the last season we truly have to say "well at least we have next year". Improvement is already here, I think if you polled 100 Husker fans over 90 would say we're doing better so far than they had expected. I do wonder, though, how many more players may be leaving. I'm not saying any will, but I wouldn't be terribly surprised if it happened.

[bobcat402]

Fuller and Shields still growing? If they end up that tall, that would be AWESOME!

Yeah, if you can't recruit some power forwards, just take a couple of guards and grow them up a bit. Couple inches here and there and you're golden. Seriously, though, Shields' game is a little bit power forward anyway. That first game he played he was going inside. If he were to grow another 2 inches (6'8"?) and add about 30-40 pounds, which his frame would easily hold, he might be a hell of a player. He might be a pretty good player anyway, but that would be seriously dangerous to have him at 6'8" and 240#.

i believe so norm, ik that shields was young for his class as is fuller so its entirely possible. i know that i grew 3 inches after i graduated high school to about 6'6 so its plausible. I do like miles philosphy on finding those late bloomers. i wish more teams would have that paitence, football and basketball.

[Swan88]

I care, and the reason I care is this:

We not only play them every year; we share similar geography; we often recruit the same players; and we certainly both try to get the Nebraska kids that are D1 quality.

I disagree with whoever said it's good for both program for them both to be good. I don't think that's true. The better they are, the tougher it will be for us to compete for the recruits we both want. I look ahead to the future of their team because I want to know that, in the not too distant future, the pendulum will swing back in our direction and that they'll be a little quieter group of fans and won't walk around the PBA acting like they own the place. We're not an island unto ourselves. Like it or not, what happens down the road in Omaha affects our program in real and tangible ways. We lost a PF recruit to them this year. You think that would happen if Creighton was just another decent Mo Valley program?

Hey, Norm, you've gotta lighten up a bit. It's a game! And it's obvious that Nebraska is on the rise, with a steep trajectory. Some year soon, we're gonna be fighting toe-to-toe with the biggest of the big boys. And Tim Miles & Crew will lead us there. Stop fretting so much and enjoy the ride!

[tcp]

I honestly don't see this as a zero sum issue as much as Norm does. I'm one of those people--seems like there used to be a lot more of us back in the day--that wants both programs to be relatively strong. One reason we don't have a lot of D1 players is that hoops isn't a big thing in the sporting culture of the state. But there was a time when volleyball wasn't, either. Or baseball. Two winning programs might help boost hoops participation at earlier ages, leading to the production of better homegrown players.

There are also enough differences between the circumstances of the two programs--conference membership and BCS status not the least of them--that probably preclude a total overlap of recruiting.

[hskr4life]

It will be crazy to look back at this thread next year and see how we predicted. It's obvious we will have new starters as we already have 3 seniors starting anyway. But it could be 5 new starters. It's going to be a crazy few years. Hopefully, this is the last season we truly have to say "well at least we have next year". Improvement is already here, I think if you polled 100 Husker fans over 90 would say we're doing better so far than they had expected. I do wonder, though, how many more players may be leaving. I'm not saying any will, but I wouldn't be terribly surprised if it happened.

I think it better be closer to 100... If husker fans thought we are about what they had expected so far or worse than, well God bless their optimism, but they probaby had higher expectations than they should have to began with.

[nebrasketball10]

I think it better be closer to 100... If husker fans thought we are about what they had expected so far or worse than, well God bless their optimism, but they probaby had higher expectations than they should have to began with.

Disagree. We're right where I thought we'd be - a very shallow and below average team. We beat two BCS conference teams that are having terribly disappointing years. I'm not gonna suggest I saw us at 6-2 at this point, but that's because I expected Wake and USC to be better than they are.

I am very impressed with how hard we play and how Miles has us competing. I still see us finishing bottom 2 or 3 in the B1G.

[hskr4life]

Disagree. We're right where I thought we'd be - a very shallow and below average team. We beat two BCS conference teams that are having terribly disappointing years. I'm not gonna suggest I saw us at 6-2 at this point, but that's because I expected Wake and USC to be better than they are.

I am very impressed with how hard we play and how Miles has us competing. I still see us finishing bottom 2 or 3 in the B1G.

See I guess it's all what you go by. By records, no one saw us at 6-2. I also do not think we are a "below average team." We are an average team. Wake and USC are "below average" USC has had a pretty tough schedule, but they just cannot get over the hump. We are better than I expected us to be IMO.

[nebrasketball10]

Wake is a terrible team with a coach on the hot seat. USC is just playing terrible. I LOVE the way Miles has us playing but we're still a below average team IMO.

I think we're going to have a REALLY tough go in conference play (duh). Not only cause the conference is tough, but because I fear we'll wear down a lot. Our top players are going to have to play 35 min a game. And one of them is an overweight big guy with knee problems.

Further, Ray has been a pleasant surprise, but all he can do is spot shoot. Teams will start taking that away, ESPECIALLY since at any given time we have 2-3 players on the floor that are simply non-factors on offense. We need Shileds or Rivers or Parker to become a scoring threat. And we need Peltz to actually look to shoot occasionally.

[hskr4life]

Wake is a terrible team with a coach on the hot seat. USC is just playing terrible. I LOVE the way Miles has us playing but we're still a below average team IMO.

I think we're going to have a REALLY tough go in conference play (duh). Not only cause the conference is tough, but because I fear we'll wear down a lot. Our top players are going to have to play 35 min a game. And one of them is an overweight big guy with knee problems.

Further, Ray has been a pleasant surprise, but all he can do is spot shoot. Teams will start taking that away, ESPECIALLY since at any given time we have 2-3 players on the floor that are simply non-factors on offense. We need Shileds or Rivers or Parker to become a scoring threat. And we need Peltz to actually look to shoot occasionally.

Then we agree...... and agree to disagree on some things.

[Kimani's Ffriend]

Parker will find playing time and might be starting at the start of the year. He plays good defense (locked down Chatman on Thursday) and can get us into our offense without making mistakes. He can score too, but needs to look for his shot more. He'll keep getting better this year and during the summer too.

[basketballjones]

Just gonna throw this out there -- but I don't think some of you realize how competitive Deverell Biggs is. He will be right there to start at point. And this is coming from someone who is not a big fan of Biggs as a person.

[HuskerBB]

I honestly don't see this as a zero sum issue as much as Norm does. I'm one of those people--seems like there used to be a lot more of us back in the day--that wants both programs to be relatively strong. One reason we don't have a lot of D1 players is that hoops isn't a big thing in the sporting culture of the state. But there was a time when volleyball wasn't, either. Or baseball. Two winning programs might help boost hoops participation at earlier ages, leading to the production of better homegrown players.

There are also enough differences between the circumstances of the two programs--conference membership and BCS status not the least of them--that probably preclude a total overlap of recruiting.

Exactly. If our program gets to the place it should be then we don't need to worry about how good Creighton is. 15-20 years ago we never competed with Creighton for recruits - we got the kids we wanted. Five years from now hopefully we will be back in that position.

[HuskerFever]

Wake is a terrible team with a coach on the hot seat. USC is just playing terrible. I LOVE the way Miles has us playing but we're still a below average team IMO.

If you go by the Pomeroy standard, we are 194 of 347 (55.9%). Ergo, if 50% is average then we're doing above average. But I get what you're saying.

[HuskerFever]

...And this is coming from someone who is not a big fan of Biggs as a person.

Just curious, what is that supposed to mean?

[hhcmatt]

" And if it were up to me, they’d play home-and-home every year."

no....no.....no....

From further down the line, tells you about all you need to know

Was that the last sellout crowd for basketball at the Devaney Center? The Huskers still host Ohio State and Michigan State in conference play, but by then they’ll be about 2-7 in Big Ten play. So Thursday night, I think, was the last time we’ll see people in the nosebleeds. It’s fun to mock Devaney and the Huskers’ meager history, but I will miss the place.

[NeeandMe]

This year has been great thus far and Miles appears to be an excellent coach, but we might want to be careful about getting too carried away. Let's remember that while Fuller and Hawkins appear to be great pick ups, they will still be coming in as true freshmen and they didn't exactly have top tier schools beating down their doors. I'm thrilled with where we are and where Miles has us going, but Nebrasketball won't be fixed in one year. Miles is doing such a great job exceeding expectations this year that I'm afraid next year will feel like a let down year even if it actually isn't.

[HuskerFever]

This year has been great thus far and Miles appears to be an excellent coach, but we might want to be careful about getting too carried away. Let's remember that while Fuller and Hawkins appear to be great pick ups, they will still be coming in as true freshmen and they didn't exactly have top tier schools beating down their doors. I'm thrilled with where we are and where Miles has us going, but Nebrasketball won't be fixed in one year. Miles is doing such a great job exceeding expectations this year that I'm afraid next year will feel like a let down year even if it actually isn't.

[bball23]

This year has been great thus far and Miles appears to be an excellent coach, but we might want to be careful about getting too carried away. Let's remember that while Fuller and Hawkins appear to be great pick ups, they will still be coming in as true freshmen and they didn't exactly have top tier schools beating down their doors. I'm thrilled with where we are and where Miles has us going, but Nebrasketball won't be fixed in one year. Miles is doing such a great job exceeding expectations this year that I'm afraid next year will feel like a let down year even if it actually isn't.

You forgot to mention Webster, Biggs, Pitchford and Petteway. We will still be inexperienced, but I like some of the pieces being put in place. I still hope we sign Attewe to give us 1 more big man. Throw in Parker a year older, Shields a year older and Gallegos who seems to be getting better and better and I have to believe we will be much better next season.

[NeeandMe]

You forgot to mention Webster, Biggs, Pitchford and Petteway. We will still be inexperienced, but I like some of the pieces being put in place. I still hope we sign Attewe to give us 1 more big man. Throw in Parker a year older, Shields a year older and Gallegos who seems to be getting better and better and I have to believe we will be much better next season.

They'll be much better next year without question. But to read most of these posts, you'd think they'll have a shot at contending for a top 2 finish in conference and win a couple games in March. That won't be the case. We've never seen Biggs play against Division I talent and Pitchford and Petteway certainly weren't difference makers at Florida and Tech.

[Jugular]

Pettaway will be starting next year...he's our best player.

[jimmykc]

Nice likeness, Husker Fever, now what the hell is your point.

[Huskerpapa]

Pettaway will be starting next year...he's our best player.

Really? I am wondering where that is coming from, is it from someone within the team or program? I am a little surprised because I had heard that, although a good player, he has struggled at times in practice. It would certainly be good news if Pettaway becomes that best player. I am also hoping that Biggs improves his game as well. We do need both of those players to step up next year.

[Norm Peterson]

Pettaway will be starting next year...he's our best player.

According to whom? I don't want to step on anyone's toes but I've heard different.

[bball23]

I'm not saying a top 2 team by any stretch of the imagination. But we SHOULD be better next year (now, that may not be saying much obviously). But we will at least have much, much, much more depth on the floor. Plus it will be most guys 2nd season in the system which will help. We just need Fuller, Hawkins and Webster to be able to come in and help as well.