All-Time disappointing teams

[HuskerCager]

OK, I know some of you are going to groan when you see this title.  This isn't a bitch and moan session.  Just a forum for long-time Husker fans to reflect on.  Where does this team compare to other Husker BB teams that have not lived up to expectations?  What are your thoughts?

Here are mine:

Year (Total W-L, Conf W-L, tourney)

1) 1978-79  (14-13, 7-7, n/a)
This is a twin of this year's team.  Cip's 2nd to last squad was coming off a surprising 22-8, 2nd place Big 8 finish, and returned senior starters Brian Banks, Carl McPipe, Bobby Moore & Curt Hedburg.  Not to mention future Big 8 POTY Andre Smith, Mike Naderer and a freshman named Jack Moore.  Rated as preseason favorites along with KU.  A preseason top 20 team according to S.I.  In spite of the fact that usual rivals, KU, KSU and Mizzou all had sub-par seasons, the Huskers couldn't manage anything better than a .500 record in conference.  OU ended up winning their first conference title since 1950.  This team should have ended a 28-year regular season title drought, and is one of the reasons I still have yet to witness a regular season conference champion as a 45 year fan.
 

2) 2014-15 (13-18, 5-11, n/a)
We might have a different perspective of this year's performance a year from now.  Did this team under-perform,  or did last year's team over-perform?  I hope it is the former.  As disappointing season as it was, it doesn't rate as high (low) as 78-79 because we are in the same conference with 2 top ten teams.

3) 1995-96 (21-14. 5-9, NIT champs)
A team that could have been so much more.  3 future NBA players in Moore, Lue and Strickland, plus future Big XII POTY Venson Hamilton.  They had 2 of everything.  Avoids getting the dreaded #1 spot by finishing strong - winning 2 road games plus 2 NYC games in the NIT.

4) 1983-84 (18-12, 7-7, NIT 2nd round)
A pre-season Big 8 title pick, based on a 22-10 performance the year before with a team that returned Hoppen, Ponce and Cloudy.  Had a dandy freshman PG in Brian Carr.  This wasn't a team that under-performed in my view,  They just didn't adequately replace Claude Renfro's defense and rebounding from a year earlier.

5) 1989-90 (10-18, 3-11, n/a)
Danny Nee's 4th team.  Returned a lot of talent from a 17-16 NIT team the year before.  A lot of household names on this team - Reid, Scales, King, Owens, Hayes, Pete Manning, etc.  Had maybe an all-star lineup on the bench that was ineligible due to redshirts and transfers (Piatkowski, Chubick and Farmer).  Nevertheless, they had enough depth and talent to make a step up in the league.  Have to give the team a mulligan for playing in a league that featured OU, KU and MU, who took turns all season sharing the #1 national rating.

OK, who am I missing, and is this in the right order?

[Silverbacked1]

Good level headed thread. And I have lived through them all. That really does hurt some.

[bigred4]

I think Doc's last year could be honorable mention. NIT the year before and returned Diaz, Ubel, McCray, BRich and Caleb Walker plus added Bo Spencer and Dylan Talley who was pretty highly regarded out of junior college. Won at USC early but that was one of the few bright spots.

[brfrad]

I think it was a combination of over performing last year, and under performing this year.  We should have probably been an NIT team both years.  It's a funny thing, that confidence.  I think it had a lot to do with our winning streak last year, and the lack of it had a lot to do with our losing streak this year.

[HB]

I up-arrowed that just for the history.  Well-played.

[TZAHL]

The season was not disappointing, but the 90-91 team losing to Xavier as a 3 seed.  That one stung.

[Huskerpapa]

Lived through them all...hard to pick...I cam honestly say that until we start winning in the NCAA tournament, nearly every year has ended in disappointment for me...

[Jadler]

I think Doc's last year could be honorable mention. NIT the year before and returned Diaz, Ubel, McCray, BRich and Caleb Walker plus added Bo Spencer and Dylan Talley who was pretty highly regarded out of junior college. Won at USC early but that was one of the few bright spots.

Caleb Walker...dunking on Illi so hard they fired Bruce Weber and Meyers Leonard burst into tears.

[Handy Johnson]

A red-hot '94 squad coming off a Big 8 Tourney win then losing to a shi**y Penn team is STILL a punch in the balls.

[Ron Mexico]

Great list HC.

[jimmykc]

83-84 beat Creighton in the NIT first round in Omaha when they had Benoit Benjamin. This alone should keep them off the "disappointing" list.

[Handy Johnson]

And yes HC, thanks for the trip down memory lane. I hadn't thought about Claude Renfro in awhile...

[HuskerCager]

83-84 beat Creighton in the NIT first round in Omaha when they had Benoit Benjamin. This alone should keep them off the "disappointing" list.

Ah, yes.  If I remember correctly, Hoppen sunk 2 free throws right after Benjamin got a technical to ice the win.  I guess if nothing else, we are 2-0 against Creighton in NIT games played in Omaha, right?

[HuskerBB]

Great post.  Lived through them all and you definitely hit the nail on the head with some of those seasons.  Personally I would rate this past season below the other four you missed (meaning less disappointing to me).  I really thought a lot of the optimism this year was unfounded based on overperformance last year.  But obviously I did expect and certainly hoped for more this year  I think it feels worse too many that it really is because it is more recent.

 

The expectations for some of the teams you mention were legitimate.  That 78-79 team was one that really should have won the conference and the 95-96 team had Sweet 16 potential but had a February from hell.  One can legitimately argue that team had more talent than any other NU team, but they did not even make the NCAA.  The NIT championship run was fun - but really in the end just pointed out how they underperformed in conference play that year.

[hhcmatt]

Great post.  Lived through them all and you definitely hit the nail on the head with some of those seasons.  Personally I would rate this past season below the other four you missed (meaning less disappointing to me).  I really thought a lot of the optimism this year was unfounded based on overperformance last year.  But obviously I did expect and certainly hoped for more this year  I think it feels worse too many that it really is because it is more recent.

 

Agreed. Sadly this wasn't a top 5 year for me.