uneblinstu's Post Game Chatter: Vol 8, Issue 21 - vs. Michigan

[Crush78]

It's kind of weird how better our opponents shoot in PBA compared to how we shoot. When I saw their stats I was suprised they had missed as many shots as they did.

Refs weren't giving us any favors. Was it to pay us back for the calls we allegedly got in East Lansing? That flop on the missed 3 was a pretty crucial turning point. Two threes by Michigan should have been two point shots but they were not reviewed at time out.

It seemed like our guys were incredibly slow to react to the hi-lo pick and roll they were running all game. Was that not in the scouting report?

Finally, it seemed like the 2-2-1 press got us a lot of cheap buckets when we needed them. I'm guessing this is a new wrinkle and I hope it's something we continue with. Anything that disrupts good shooting teams from getting into their offense is a good thing. I can't think of any time we really got burned running it either.

The pick and roll baskets, IMO, were much more demoralizing than the 3 point shots. They shoot over 40% As a team from 3. You have to expect they are going to drain some 3's. Plus the law of averages had to turn in the opposing team's favor. Illinois and Minnesota were awful from 3. The thing about the pick and roll and the backdoor cuts was the fact that we weren't guarding the 3 point line. If we took away the 3's and they were getting lay-ups, we would have been alright. We weren't going to take both away, so we needed to take 1 away.

We actually have brought the press at times starting with the Rutgers game. To run it, we need to make shots. That will be the key. Michigan surprised me with their carelessness passing the ball in the press. We easily could have forced 3 or 4 more turnovers, as we deflected some balls, and nearly deflected others.

I was sitting next to a Michigan fan @ the game, and the moment he saw we were pressing, he said "crap, we are terrible at breaking the press."

[Crush78]

The missed two point/three point calls were obvious on tv. Is the review at time out requested by a coach or must the refs decide to do it themselves? Couldn't the crowd start a chant on a call that is obviously missed that affects the home team? I would guess the referees have forgotten it by the next time out if no one mentions it to them.

The officiating was terrible today. But they were terrible bUT they were terrible both ways. There were at least 10 completely head scratchingly bad calls, but I don't think they were unevenly bad

[49r]

...and the guy turned around and said shusshhhh.  I have a 7 year old here?????  I believe the guys name must have been Gene.

 

What the heck. 

 

 

Turn up, Gene!

[jdostal]

Ditto, CWG. Our section was not happy that they weren't in front of a TV sitting on their couch at home.

[49r]

[cozrulz]

 

Sort of an interesting reaction by the crowd when Barry Collier appeared on the big board today.  Kind of a polite applause...sort of.

I'm glad I didn't hear any boos.  I like seeing our past players and coaches taking interest in this program.  They are all part of this (sometimes sad) story we call Husker BB.

 

 

His tweet for the game was funny.

 

https://twitter.com/BUADCollier/status/690969353643122688

 

Maybe we can get a home and home with Butler?

[hhcmatt]

We're 0-4 against teams that have over 40% of their shots on the season from 3....it's a style we just haven't figured out and it's part of the reason we haven't beaten Creighton. 

 

Indiana and Northwestern are the two teams left on the schedule that meet that criteria

[HuskerCager]

 

Maybe we can get a home and home with Butler?

 

I like the idea.  And another road game in Big Ten territory where we recruit would be a good thing as well.

[AuroranHusker]

 

 

Maybe we can get a home and home with Butler?

 

I like the idea.  And another road game in Big Ten territory where we recruit would be a good thing as well.

 

 

Maybe Nebraska will draw a game at Butler in the Gavitt Games. That'd be a heck of a great road trip to Hinkle! GBR

[hhcmatt]

Box Score

[hhcmatt]

Miles Post game

http://www.huskers.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?id=4948700

 

Nebraska Postgame Notes
*-Tai Webster finished with a career-high five steals, topping his previous best of four set on two other occasions. It is the most steals by a Husker since Brandon Richardson had seven against Ohio State on Jan. 3, 2012. Webster also reached double figures for the third straight game with 12 points off the bench.
*-Nebraska put four players in double figures, marking the eighth time this year that NU had at least four players in double figures.
*-Freshman Glynn Watson Jr. finished with 15 points, his fourth straight game in double figures
*-Nebraska committed 10 turnovers, the third straight game NU has had 10 turnovers or less
*-Michigan snaps Nebraska’s four-game win streak with the win today. Michigan shot 56 percent which was a season-high against NU. It marked just the fifth time in the last 65 contests that an opponent shot over 50 percent against Nebraska.
*-Michigan has won the last eight meetings, including all six since Nebraska joined the Big Ten.

Nebraska Coach Tim Miles

On what led to the loss

“I would say the start of each half is what really hurt us. They go nine possessions to start the game and get 18 points. Now, just remember this, our goal is less than one point per possession. So, they’re at nine (points per possession), we need ten straight stops to get back under one point per possession. Second half, it’s nine possessions, 21 points. Now you need 13 straight stops. You’re not going to get 23 straight stops against Michigan. We even talked amongst ourselves as coaches at halftime about (switching) our matchups. We didn’t like them. If I have a regret, it’s that. We also talked about handling the middle screen-and-roll a little differently, which we did, and what you saw there at the end, is when we started trapping it with two people on the ball. (Michigan guard Derrick) Walton is so good still being able to deliver a pass. A lot of people can’t do that. But we don’t have the length we used to, either, and so he’d deliver the ball and our ‘help’ man wasn’t in enough. What happened was, our guy was in, and then we made a sub, and then our sub didn’t quite get in and gave up a couple, and you don’t have the timeouts you used to, so you’re screaming at them while everybody else is screaming at the refs, and you’re trying to get them on the line between the ball and the post defender. So your positioning is in, but you’re playing it out. Anytime they did that, (Michigan) turned it over. They had three turnovers, but I bet we had four or five layups, so the risks didn’t pay off and there was no reward. We lost on that end.”

 

On how Nebraska was able to get back in the game

“I think our kids showed a lot of heart. They fought back. Unfortunately, we’ve lost a lot of games at home this year and they hate that. They want to do well for our fans and they want to win games. I think they just absolutely played with a lot of heart, because it wasn’t our best night. We were a little flat early. We didn’t share the ball. We didn’t get our offensive space where it should be, and then defensively, you can’t give up everything. We gave up 11 3’s, and then their centers got 20 points and they got 40 percent of their missed shots. They got eight offensive rebounds on 22 misses. That’s losing basketball.”

 

On responding to Wednesday night’s victory

“Anytime you play a team with as much skill and ability to execute like Michigan, you’ve got a lot of fear that could come to fruition. We’d addressed it with them in a real ‘matter-of-fact’ way, but I also don’t believe in the old scare tactic of ‘you guys are going to lose,’ that trick. I don’t know if that works with this generation, but I think it’s a different position for our team to be in. Michigan understands that we’d tie them in the standings if they lose and this is the only time we play them. So this is like a must-win, and an experienced team knows that. We talked about it with our guys where they’d be in the standings if they’d win and where they’d be if they lost. Michigan played really well. I think you have to complement them on how well they shot the ball early in each half, too, because that really got you skittish.”

 

Nebraska Players Andrew White III and Glynn Watson Jr.

On Michigan’s offense:

White: They executed really well. We gave them some momentum in the first half. A few of those mistakes were mine and when you have a team like that that’s a rhythm offensive team you can’t let them get rolling and that was kind of our emphasis all week was to not let them have a hot start because that’s not the kind of team you want to play and try to dig yourself out of a hole. We were well aware of what we were getting into if we let them get going early and myself and some others didn’t do a good job of stopping that from happening.

 

Watson: I think it was mostly our defense execution. We let them get open shots, they had us in rotation a lot. Most of the things we worked on during the week we just didn’t execute right. Other than that, they made some good shots and a couple tough shots.

 

When you guys are down 18, how do you stay in the game?

White: We just fought, we knew we were better than what we were playing before and I think everybody just wanted to do their part to get us back into the game. I know that’s what I felt personally since I was kind of responsible for getting us into that hole. So, just myself and I’m sure everybody else just tried to dig in and get a little run going because when you're playing at home you're just a couple stops and a couple buckets away from getting the crowd going and getting your teammates and the bench going and you can't ever give up on the game regardless of what the score is. I think we did a good job of that, but like I said once you get into a hole it’s hard to dig yourself out.

 

Did you make an effort to be more aggressive in the 2nd half?

White: I think I played pretty much my normal game. I just kinda play off of guys, and I try not to force too many things. In the second half I just knew we needed something on both ends of the court so I just tried to tighten my game on not just offense but defense and rebounding also. On offense, my teammates did a good job of getting me the ball and putting me in a position to help us get going but like I said defense was really what we needed to do to get back in the game so I think that was more of a group effort more so than just the little run of points I had early in the second half.

 

Were nerves part of it?

Watson: I don’t think so, I think everybody is used to it by now, we’re in the Big 10 play, it should be normal. I think we just didn’t execute on defense, it wasn’t really about us being nervous.

 

How difficult is it as a team to be locked in?

White: When they would reverse it to our group they had guys that could play on the perimeter and they had guys who were hard rollers to the rim so I think they had good versatility just because they put pressure on the rim and to stop that you have to build your defense from the inside out. Being that they hit a couple shots early and spread our defense out a little bit it was kind of pick your poison because now the lane is open and guys are getting open shots so I think that was just them doing a good job executing their stuff and I think their perimeter game is what opened up their pick and roll and shots near the rim.

Michigan Head Coach John Beilein
Opening Statement
“It was going to take a really great effort and a lot of courage to come in here and win today. Fortunately, we got off to a really good start, and I think that really helped us a great deal. A couple of the away games we’ve lost we got off to a really bad start. It wears on you fighting back or you lose your confidence. I like that early confidence. What I love about it is we stood the charge at the end of the first half and a couple of charges in the second half. I’m really proud of the way these kids responded to it. This is a great college atmosphere at Nebraska. This is a great place to play and we’re really appreciative of the opportunity.”

On Duncan Robinson’s inside scoring
“What he’s realizing now is people are going to play him a certain way and his movement without the ball is going to be really important. He’s learning all the video and all the synergy. People are going to sit on different ways, and he’s got to do more than just stand and wait for people to get him open.” 

On how Nebraska stayed in the game
“If you’ve been watching college basketball for the shorter shot clock, the leads aren’t safe. It can go so quickly. 18 can get to 12 quickly then you answer with two more threes and it’s six. We also had a couple turnovers there that were very costly as well and we fouled guys in transition. It just happens. I know that when I’m watching a game on TV or my phone, I say ‘wow they’re up by 18, it’s over.’ You feel that as a spectator. You don’t feel that as a coach. The opponent that’s down probably feels that way but that’s not surprising. We really work on understanding runs in the game.”

[Norm Peterson]

I gave Collier a standing ovation when he was introduced. I was the only one in my section who stood but pretty much everyone around me applauded.

[HuskerCager]

I gave Collier a standing ovation when he was introduced. I was the only one in my section who stood but pretty much everyone around me applauded.

Norm, aren't you the only one standing in your section most of the time anyway?

[Norm Peterson]

 

I gave Collier a standing ovation when he was introduced. I was the only one in my section who stood but pretty much everyone around me applauded.

Norm, aren't you the only one standing in your section most of the time anyway?

 

I wouldn't exactly call it "standing" most of the time, unless you consider dancing an Irish Jig to be standing.  Of course, it probably looks a lot like standing the way I do it, so ...

[hal9000]

I gave Collier a standing ovation when he was introduced. I was the only one in my section who stood but pretty much everyone around me applauded.

Good on ya Norm.  I have a good view of the arena from where I am, and I saw lots of people standing throughout. 

[BjoeHusker]

Obviously, can't let a team shoot 68.2% in the second half (in your own arena). As poorly as Nebraska played, we were in it till the end. Just one of those games where the other team can't miss.

 

p.s. Glenn Watson Jr. is good.

[Dean Smith]

We got outcoached badly.  Michigan has one of the best though, so it happens.  Give them credit, they played a hell of a game.  We didn't.  Effort was there, just wasn't enough to overcome the coaching edge and more importantly the shooting edge they brought.  Have to buckle up and steal one on the road at Purdue to cancel it.  Unfortunately, cancelling is not good enough at this point. 

I'm certainly not the expert but I've seen a little basketball and I'm not sure what you saw to say we were badly out coached? I'm not saying we weren't but I'm curious to know what you saw that makes you say that. You can game plan for something but your scout team is not going to be able to duplicate what you see in the game at the speed it really happens. Sometimes there is a big gap between the gameplan and the player execution. Since I've not been to practice or meetings, I don't know enough to say one was more at fault than the other.We did seem to struggle adjusting to the post rim run throughout the game but I also think we made some good adjustments.  What did you see that made you feel things were tipped drastically Michigan's way? They don't really do a lot of stuff, they just seem to do what they do very well.

[a0t0w0]

 

We got outcoached badly.  Michigan has one of the best though, so it happens.  Give them credit, they played a hell of a game.  We didn't.  Effort was there, just wasn't enough to overcome the coaching edge and more importantly the shooting edge they brought.  Have to buckle up and steal one on the road at Purdue to cancel it.  Unfortunately, cancelling is not good enough at this point. 

I'm certainly not the expert but I've seen a little basketball and I'm not sure what you saw to say we were badly out coached? I'm not saying we weren't but I'm curious to know what you saw that makes you say that. You can game plan for something but your scout team is not going to be able to duplicate what you see in the game at the speed it really happens. Sometimes there is a big gap between the gameplan and the player execution. Since I've not been to practice or meetings, I don't know enough to say one was more at fault than the other.We did seem to struggle adjusting to the post rim run throughout the game but I also think we made some good adjustments.  What did you see that made you feel things were tipped drastically Michigan's way? They don't really do a lot of stuff, they just seem to do what they do very well.

 

 

I don't understand the outcoached line as it regards to this game either.  I'm an arm chair point guard, but damn it's hard to not give miles some credit in this one.  They didn't die when a more experienced team was hitting a much higher percentage with a much more experience coach.  Instead we cut it to 2 from 18.  Pretty much balls.  I like this Tim Miles kid.

[throwback]

 

We got outcoached badly.  Michigan has one of the best though, so it happens.  Give them credit, they played a hell of a game.  We didn't.  Effort was there, just wasn't enough to overcome the coaching edge and more importantly the shooting edge they brought.  Have to buckle up and steal one on the road at Purdue to cancel it.  Unfortunately, cancelling is not good enough at this point. 

I'm certainly not the expert but I've seen a little basketball and I'm not sure what you saw to say we were badly out coached? I'm not saying we weren't but I'm curious to know what you saw that makes you say that. You can game plan for something but your scout team is not going to be able to duplicate what you see in the game at the speed it really happens. Sometimes there is a big gap between the gameplan and the player execution. Since I've not been to practice or meetings, I don't know enough to say one was more at fault than the other.We did seem to struggle adjusting to the post rim run throughout the game but I also think we made some good adjustments.  What did you see that made you feel things were tipped drastically Michigan's way? They don't really do a lot of stuff, they just seem to do what they do very well.

 

This is a good point in that it may explain the slow starts to both halves - took us a bit to adjust to the speed of what they were doing perhaps. You cannot relax on the defensive end against that team, and you have to play proper technique with good communication through the entire shot clock, as they excelled at exploiting even the slightest mistakes.

 

Also I'm not making excuses, as every team has tough turnarounds during the season, but we couldn't have gotten back from MSU much before dawn Thursday. Not much time to implement a game plan before a Saturday afternoon game, especially against a precise offensive team like UM. At least not much time, should you choose to give the players some time to recover and sleep. 

 

We expended a lot of energy at MSU as well, had a couple of guys banged up and sick, so it would've been nice to have one extra day, maybe playing Sunday. Being out of gas could explain some of the missed FTs late. It takes a ton of energy to overcome big deficits, too, and we had to do that twice Saturday.

 

Again, not an excuse, as I'm sure we've had/will have B1G opponents who will go through the same thing. And UM has its share of injuries. So credit to UM for taking advantage on the road in a tough atmosphere with those quick starts.

[PimpMario]

I am not sure I buy the narrative that the refs screw us at home but not on the road.

[HB]

I am not sure I buy the narrative that the refs screw us at home but not on the road.

 

Me neither; they screw us everywhere, all the time.  

[Norm Peterson]

 

I am not sure I buy the narrative that the refs screw us at home but not on the road.

 

Me neither; they screw us everywhere, all the time.  

 

Apparently, all those guy who don't get any action from their old lady shoulda married a ref instead.

[hhcmatt]

 

I am not sure I buy the narrative that the refs screw us at home but not on the road.

 

Me neither; they screw us everywhere, all the time.  

 

 

Given that we've been towards the bottom the entire Miles era in terms of FTA/FGA this is a viable prejudice.

 

Michigan has defended well this year without fouling and the Huskers have not. Given we looked somewhat either tentative/tired for big portions of the game and we we're trying to come back at the end it's zero surprise to me to see that Michigan had 14 more FT attempts than we did.

[Norm Peterson]

 

 

I am not sure I buy the narrative that the refs screw us at home but not on the road.

 

Me neither; they screw us everywhere, all the time.  

 

 

Given that we've been towards the bottom the entire Miles era in terms of FTA/FGA this is a viable prejudice.

 

Michigan has defended well this year without fouling and the Huskers have not. Given we looked somewhat either tentative/tired for big portions of the game and we we're trying to come back at the end it's zero surprise to me to see that Michigan had 14 more FT attempts than we did.

 

We were driving hard to the rack, though, just like they were.

 

And there was a point in time in the middle of the 2nd half where we'd cut into their lead significantly but they still held a 12/15 to 6/8 FTM/FTA advantage.  Fouls were more or less even, but when they were getting calls, they were calling shooting fouls.

 

There was one replay, for instance, where they showed Tai Webster getting called for a foul where not only did he not touch the guy (swiped at, but clearly didn't make contact), but also, if that was a foul (it wasn't), it was NOT in the act of shooting.  But they called it a shooting foul anyway because the (untouched) Michigan player went on to shoot a layup.

 

It's like WTH?  It was a swipe at the ball while the Michigan player was in the act of driving, not while he was in the act of shooting.  Double bad call. 

 

Meanwhile, Shavon gets molested every time he tries to go inside and has to show he's bleeding in order to get a call.

 

 

 

For the record, I didn't think these particular refs were too bad.  I've seen much, much worse.  I thought our inability to stop that ball-screen action -- where we were hedging the screen and they were going over the top to their cutting big man -- was a much bigger problem.

[49r]

I don't know what you were watching Norm, but to me the refs were absolutely horrible.  Possibly the worst I've ever seen.

 

(Note: I'm not saying they were to blame for our loss or that they didn't call it equally as bad at both ends)

 

It was just terrible, terrible.

 

How a Michigan guy can take a shot where he was CLEARLY over the 3 point line, and everyone in the arena saw it, and the refs don't review it is beyond me.

 

Or, the time one of our guys (don't remember who) gets called for a charge when replay shows the Michigan defender was CLEARLY inside the restricted area, again is inexcusable at this level.

 

The over and back call/non-call/jump ball horseshit was also inexcusable.  Giving UM the possession to begin both halves was just awful, awful refereeing.