uneblinstu's post game chatter: ed 3, vol 13 - Nicholls St.

[uneblinstu]

- Seemed to get stagnant offensively a fair bit today. There was a lot of standing around at times.

- Before they hit ten straight down the stretch, they were 10-21 from the line. That's not gonna cut it. That was more than they've gotten to the line in other games, which is good, but they've got to convert more of those. Ubel went 10-11 which was good.

- Did a nice job not turning the ball over, only 7, but they only were able to create 10 off of Nicholls St.

- This was another game where Almedia probably could have named his stat line if they hadn't limited his minutes, which was probably wise heading into conference play.

- Four players in double figures is good.

- Will need 10-15 points per game from the Rivers, Shields and Parker trio. They've been getting it recently, need it to continue.

- Interesting that Tyrance has been getting some non-mop up time.

- Disappointing defensive effort as the game wore down to let Nicholls St. back into the game. This never should have been a four point game. Got to figure out how to land knock-out blows.

- Rather impressive crowd today. Didn't expect 8k there, and it was a legit 8k. I'm assuming they gave a lot of tickets away. They weren't very loud or into the game from what I could tell, but they were there. Helps the weather was decent.

That's all I've got time for for now.

This post has been promoted to an article

[cipsucks]

Placeholder

Dave Humm made quite the NFL career with it.

[hhcmatt]

- There were over 8000 fans there today with all the families and Boy Scouts but the Bob was about as dead as I've ever seen for that size crowd.

- We just can't put anyone away

- Free Throws cost the crowd Runzas tonight and came close to costing the Huskers the game

[Huskerpapa]

- This was an UGLY win against a horrible team...HORRIBLE.

- I watched Knuckles State shooting prior to the game, and I use the word shooting with great trepidation....they were clanging them all over the place. And when the game began, I was questioning whether or not they would even score.

- I swear, the Husker team knew that all they had to do was show up, and we would win...we played like we were going through the motions - and guess what, we were still able to win.

- Shavon looked bad/hurt/disinterested today.

- Rivers played pretty well. He still appears like he is growing into his body, he looks a bit uncoordinated at times. But he got the job done tonight.

- Brandon did okay today, but missed his fair share of bunnies.

- Andre did fine at the beginning. At one point he was shaking his hand, I wonder if he received a slight injury.

- Dylan, Dylan, Dylan. You are missing a bit of your mojo. We need you bad, I mean good, and we need you immediately.

- Ray had a good five minute stretch. Dude, we need you for 40 minutes.

- Benny was okay. He made one move that caused his defender to go looking for his jock. Yet Benny also missed some passes that he should have made and also sent passes to the wrong player a couple of times...one would have resulted in a slam.

- Tyrance and Peltz had some spot minutes, and Peltz actually looked pretty good a couple of times.

Overall, this was a badly played game. We should have beat this team by a minimum of 25 points. Perhaps we were looking forward to Big Ten play...but we had darn well pick up our play, or it could be extremely ugly.

[uneblinstu]

- Ubel used to be money at the FT line...hope he gets back to that confident stroke.

Huh? Ubel went 10-11 from the line...

[Huskerpapa]

- Ubel used to be money at the FT line...hope he gets back to that confident stroke.

Huh? Ubel went 10-11 from the line...

I blew that observation huh...I would have sworn that he missed more, but I must have had my head buried from watching a couple others bricking theirs.

[hhcdave]

CWG, I tend to agree completely with your observations. Which is why I graded them so poorly overall. Was I too harsh on my "F" overall grade and criticism of their preparation/intensity/focus/confidence? I respect HB as much as anyone on here and I feel like I was fair, but I'm wondering what you (and others) think.

[hhcmatt]

CWG, I tend to agree completely with your observations. Which is why I graded them so poorly overall. Was I too harsh on my "F" overall grade and criticism of their preparation/intensity/focus/confidence? I respect HB as much as anyone on here and I feel like I was fair, but I'm wondering what you (and others) think.

To me, an F should only be reserved for losing to an inferior team.

As far as the NCAA tournament is concerned, a close loss to a good team is still a loss and a narrow victory against a bad team is still a win.

[tbowman]

I am probably of the mind the lowest you can get is a D- if you win the game. But I have no problems with an F.

[Huskerpapa]

CWG, I tend to agree completely with your observations. Which is why I graded them so poorly overall. Was I too harsh on my "F" overall grade and criticism of their preparation/intensity/focus/confidence? I respect HB as much as anyone on here and I feel like I was fair, but I'm wondering what you (and others) think.

Was the game UGLY - Yes

Was your scorecard harsh - Yes

Was your scorecard correct - Yes (sorry for those who disagree)

- I said this early on, this may be a brutal year. But I have always been Mr. Optimistic. I am still optimistic that there will be some successes this year. But I am also realistic enough to know that there will be some crappy moments. Today's game got under my skin a bit. Perhaps more than a bit. This is a game that we should have stuck it to this team. They were bad. Very bad. I was upset because of the mistakes that we made. Were mistakes made because we were focused on Wednesday night...perhaps. But we missed bunnies, we broke down on defense, we made poor passes, we simply looked like we were going through the motions. Is that harsh, yup. But it is also reasonable for fans to expect more from this team. Fair or unfair.

I swear at one point in the game, I was upset with Coach Miles. I really have a hard time explaining why, but I was. I know, I know, we all acknowledge this was going to be a tough year, but I still want us to play smart and play hard. I am not sure we got that effort today.

[uneblinstu]

- Ubel used to be money at the FT line...hope he gets back to that confident stroke.

Huh? Ubel went 10-11 from the line...

I blew that observation huh...I would have sworn that he missed more, but I must have had my head buried from watching a couple others bricking theirs.

Well, the rest of the team went 10-22 and only David Rivers shot better than 50% going 4-6. Everyone that got to the line today were guys who conventional wisdom would indicate they should be good FT shooters. It was a bad day. Got in their heads a bit, I think, before Ubel snapped them out of it. Rivers almost airballed one.

[hhcdave]

This is the exact way I felt and what I was trying to convey in the report card. Apparently I haven't been doing a good job at that this year.

I'll probably finish out this year and let someone else take over the reigns next year. It seems that the last couple of years, there aren't too many Dave fans around anymore. Not that its all about me or my ego but I also don't want to not be the voice of Husker fans, as in being inaccurate to what the majority of the diehard fans feel and want said. That was the point of this site - was to give Husker Hoops fans a voice and to create passion. I feel as if maybe I'm slipping.

Anyway, look forward to finishing out this year and like you, expect more than just excuses, even if it is year one. I said at the beginning of the year I would grade accordingly based on lack of depth and perhaps, even talent. However, the problems I see, as I tried to convey, aren't physical or for lack of talent. Clanking free throws, losing focus, breaking down mentally on defense, not having confidence or killer instinct... sure, collectively, those things all equal better talent and good basketball. However, even "subpar" players or depth should be able to overcome at least a few of those. We shouldn't be clinging to wins against the teams we have and surely need to figure out a way to finish games and pull away. Regardless of what year this is in the maturation process, there's enough guys (as in 2/3 of next years roster) being directly affected this year, in that discpline and expectations can be set. That forms habits. That changes the culture. That stuff HAS to start this year. We've been down trodden too long. It will take time to overcome it. But settling for it and making excuses for it and not holding our current team accountable doesn't help us down the road, nor is it fair to the kids we have in the program now, who are playing and expecting to win and compete for NCAA Tournament appearances this year (Ubel's words, not mine).

Perhaps I have become jaded and a bit of a dick without realizing it. I feel like I'm mostly the same now as I've always been.

Either way, I will turn the reigns over after this year and step back and enjoy things more as a distant fan again.

I hope my sentiments and explanations of why I write what I write make sense, and I hope people always know I have poured my heart and soul into this site and program for many, many years. I want nothing but the best for them. That's the bottom line.

[Huskerpapa]

This is the exact way I felt and what I was trying to convey in the report card. Apparently I haven't been doing a good job at that this year.

I'll probably finish out this year and let someone else take over the reigns next year. It seems that the last couple of years, there aren't too many Dave fans around anymore. Not that its all about me or my ego but I also don't want to not be the voice of Husker fans, as in being inaccurate to what the majority of the diehard fans feel and want said. That was the point of this site - was to give Husker Hoops fans a voice and to create passion. I feel as if maybe I'm slipping.

Anyway, look forward to finishing out this year and like you, expect more than just excuses, even if it is year one. I said at the beginning of the year I would grade accordingly based on lack of depth and perhaps, even talent. However, the problems I see, as I tried to convey, aren't physical or for lack of talent. Clanking free throws, losing focus, breaking down mentally on defense, not having confidence or killer instinct... sure, collectively, those things all equal better talent and good basketball. However, even "subpar" players or depth should be able to overcome at least a few of those. We shouldn't be clinging to wins against the teams we have and surely need to figure out a way to finish games and pull away. Regardless of what year this is in the maturation process, there's enough guys (as in 2/3 of next years roster) being directly affected this year, in that discpline and expectations can be set. That forms habits. That changes the culture. That stuff HAS to start this year. We've been down trodden too long. It will take time to overcome it. But settling for it and making excuses for it and not holding our current team accountable doesn't help us down the road, nor is it fair to the kids we have in the program now, who are playing and expecting to win and compete for NCAA Tournament appearances this year (Ubel's words, not mine).

Perhaps I have become jaded and a bit of a dick without realizing it. I feel like I'm mostly the same now as I've always been.

Either way, I will turn the reigns over after this year and step back and enjoy things more as a distant fan again.

I hope my sentiments and explanations of why I write what I write make sense, and I hope people always know I have poured my heart and soul into this site and program for many, many years. I want nothing but the best for them. That's the bottom line.

I am a fan, don't give it up. We need you in the dungeon and we need your report cards. Hey, at times we all have to agree to disagree, that is what makes the world go around.

[hhcmatt]

This is the exact way I felt and what I was trying to convey in the report card. Apparently I haven't been doing a good job at that this year.

Other than the final grade I felt you were spot on in your assessment.

It was a horrible effort and close against an inferior opponent.

That report card ends in a C or D and you probably don't get a single reply.

[uneblinstu]

Nah, dude, keep doing your thing.

One thing on the free throws. We did attempt 33 of them. That's a massive improvement over where we were earlier in the season. I know 10 of them came in the last minute of the game while Nicholls St. was trying to extend the game, but take those away, thats 23 trips to the line. There were games where we didn't have 10.

It's impossible to say where this team is mentally. It's going to be ups and downs all year. Part of that is due to talent, part is due to learning the new system, part is do to experience. We've got half of our roster playing at this level for the first time and when those players aren't all americans, that's going to lend to major swings in mentality and execution. It's impossible to make judgments on this stuff after year one.

[tcp]

As much as I disagreed with your JSU card I agreed with this one Dave. I had no problem with it. It's not like it's going on anyones transcripts or anything...

This is a hard year to be a fan, and for us, it seems we've had a few over the last few years. Frustration is understandable.

Let's think of all this as training to be Cubs fans!

[Huskerpapa]

Hey, I am a Cubs fan! I having been living without World Series Championships and NCAA futility my entire life...

[boomer1]

Keep doing the report cards Dave. I very much look forward to them each week. I may not always agree with them (I think I do agree 95% of the time though)....the world would be a boring place if there wasn't a little to disagree about.

[Silverbacked1]

I haven't read the report card yet but I always think you are fair Dave.

As a teacher I know that grading is not an easy thing to do.

What I saw today was a team that has hit a bit of a wall.

Call it a Christmas hangover, no offense to Biggs, but we look tired and kind of lost

Just think in the last 2 weeks: 1)they have finished finals.

2)Gotten on a plane and got stuck in Denver.

3) Got into El Paso at 1:30 in the morning (danced)

4) Played back to back games. One good and well... the other one was....

5) Got back to Lincoln and some got to go home for a day or two to see family, Some most Likely didn't.

6) traveled back to Lincoln and had what 2 practices before today?

So for them to lay an egg is somewhat understandable. However it does mean that they also will need to get into some routine in the days to come.

School starting back up will help the most.

Now I'm going to read the other threads then get back to my routine of getting to bed.

[tcp]

Hey, I am a Cubs fan! I having been living without World Series Championships and NCAA futility my entire life...

then you can explain to the rest of us what epic futility is all about! it'll be perfect!

[Norm Peterson]

That report card ends in a C or D and you probably don't get a single reply.

I think Dave may have become "the Russian judge."

[HB]

CWG, I tend to agree completely with your observations. Which is why I graded them so poorly overall. Was I too harsh on my "F" overall grade and criticism of their preparation/intensity/focus/confidence? I respect HB as much as anyone on here and I feel like I was fair, but I'm wondering what you (and others) think.

Dave, I was over the top in my "report card on your report card". I should have expressed my disagreement with the coaching grade differently. I'll explain further on the Report Card thread. Maybe hearing the "F" thing brings back too many memories of my school days. I appreciate the respect, and you certainly have mine in return and always have. Keep those report cards coming.