Sipple nailing it! Great article

[jason2486]

My question is what does NCAA or bust mean? Like bust as in Miles is fired at the end of next season if we don't make the tournament? Seems quite a bit ridiculous even though I also expect (really want) for us to make tourney next year.

I'll ask the question I asked a few posts ago again. If we win 18, 19, or 20 games next year but miss the NCAA tournament what good reason do we have to get rid of Miles? Without sounding too apologetic, yes there have been flaws, but if we continue to see progression, get another solid recruiting class, but just miss out on being selected, there is no reason to freak out. And firing Miles next year would be freaking out. Next year will be Miles' first with all of his own recruits.

I fully expect to make the tournament next year, it's just what I anticipate happening based on what I've seen with my eyes this year. If more questions arise and year 5 resembles year 3 then by all means the seat is warm. I just have a hard time with NCAA or bust next season. Especially if in busting we show more progression, see promise in the Roby, Horne, plus whoever else class rolling in behind this year's freshman and sign up another good class behind those guys.

I'm in agreement with this sentiment. The standard has been raised by Miles himself--certainly not by his 2.5 predecessors. He's become the victim of his own success because he did a miracle job recruiting and developing talent right away.

If you look at next year's contributing lineup:

Seniors: White, Webster, ?

Juniors: Hammond, Gill, Fuller

Sophomores: Watson, McVeigh, Jacobson, Morrow, Evelyn

Freshmen: Roby, Horne, ?

We're going to win more games. There's no doubt. If Miles ends up getting a center as a graduate transfer or freshman, I don't know how anyone could look at this group (with, what, 6 highly touted recruits and 2 more who were just as good and under the radar?) and not see a foundation being completely changed in the program. Miles hasn't gone with the quick fix. He's gone with investments that will pay dividends.

I don't think Nebraska fans have the luxury of measuring our coach by an NCAA tournament standard until Miles and these awesome recruits raise that bar for us again. How can we? We haven't had that standard in 20+ years. Instead, we should probably be going with empirical evidence that Miles is the guy and Nebraskans are patient people. We also have actual proof that he can make the tournament because he did that already, so I really don't get the doubters regarding the big picture. He's already answered all of my questions (coaching/recruiting). The puzzle just has to tighten up a little more.

I love this post!

Since we are die hard fans on this board, I feel comfortable saying this:

We know how frustrating it has been at times to be a Husker basketball fan for all of these years. One could argue that we have one of the worst basketball traditions in the power five conferences. Having said that, Miles deserves at least seven to 10 years. It's not like he took over one of the Blue Bloods. Very few, if any coaches, could have Nebraska completely turned around in three to four years. I wholeheartedly believe that coach Miles will be the guy that goes down as a great coach in our program's history with multiple appearances and wins in the NCAA tournament.

[bigred4]

My question is what does NCAA or bust mean? Like bust as in Miles is fired at the end of next season if we don't make the tournament? Seems quite a bit ridiculous even though I also expect (really want) for us to make tourney next year.

I'll ask the question I asked a few posts ago again. If we win 18, 19, or 20 games next year but miss the NCAA tournament what good reason do we have to get rid of Miles? Without sounding too apologetic, yes there have been flaws, but if we continue to see progression, get another solid recruiting class, but just miss out on being selected, there is no reason to freak out. And firing Miles next year would be freaking out. Next year will be Miles' first with all of his own recruits.

I fully expect to make the tournament next year, it's just what I anticipate happening based on what I've seen with my eyes this year. If more questions arise and year 5 resembles year 3 then by all means the seat is warm. I just have a hard time with NCAA or bust next season. Especially if in busting we show more progression, see promise in the Roby, Horne, plus whoever else class rolling in behind this year's freshman and sign up another good class behind those guys.

 

I don't think he would get fired if he doesn't make the NCAA Tourney next year, but season 6 would be NCAA Tourney or he would get his walking papers.  The freshmen class would be Jr's and 3 year players along with a Sr. in Gill.

 

I think next year we should be good enough to play in the NCAA Tourney, but the non-conference schedule could be pretty tough, depending on who we play in CA, and a road game vs an ACC team and a potential road game at Kansas.

 

It would be a disappointment in we don't make it next year, however, because then you start to wonder if Year 2 was just a flash in the pan, where Terran, Walter, and Shavon got so hot they just carried the team for 3 weeks.

[Huskerone]

I did a little calculation.  This is based on minutes played per class, and weighted by class (Sr. x 4, Jr. x 3, Soph x 2).  It doesn't take into account Minutes played previously.  For example, White barely played in his 2 years at KU.  If I had more time, and my excel file worked, I would try to calculate based on that.  For now, here are the results.

 

Iowa 3.096 (Most experienced team)

Michigan State 2.765

Maryland 2.758

Indiana 2.739

Penn State 2.622

Northwestern 2.605

Purdue 2.520

Illinois 2.469

Michigan 2.445

Nebraska 2.407

Rutgers 2.394

Wisconsin 2.328

Minnesota 2.266

Ohio State 1.808 (Least experienced team)

 

Notes:  Nebraska's freshmen have played 38.2% of the available minutes.  Most in the conference.  2nd is Minnesota at 35.3% and 3rd is Ohio State at 35.2%.  Iowa is far and away the most Senior laden team, with their Seniors playing 57% of the available minutes.  Wisconsin's Juniors play 62.8% of the time.  They will be a tough team next year, if everyone stays.  Michigan is leading the sophomores playing 52.8% of the minutes.

This is why I love HHC.  Kudos for the research brfrad!

[Huskerone]

I'd suspect that the "NIT at best" this year and the "NCAA Tourney or bust" feeling is held by the majority here.

I think at some point its okay to raise our expectations.  I would guess if you asked Miles and the team at the start of next year they would say the same thing.  Our goal is the NCAA tourney.  Miles doesn't want to be the little engine that could program remember?  Then that comes with expectations.

[hskr4life]

I'd suspect that the "NIT at best" this year and the "NCAA Tourney or bust" feeling is held by the majority here.

I think at some point its okay to raise our expectations.  I would guess if you asked Miles and the team at the start of next year they would say the same thing.  Our goal is the NCAA tourney.  Miles doesn't want to be the little engine that could program remember?  Then that comes with expectations.

I would guess if you asked the team and Miles right now... They would say their goal is NCAA

[hhcmatt]

My question is what does NCAA or bust mean? Like bust as in Miles is fired at the end of next season if we don't make the tournament? Seems quite a bit ridiculous even though I also expect (really want) for us to make tourney next year.

 

I should have just said "NCAA tournament" for next year.

 

Miles would have to do something well beyond not making the tournament next year to be in danger of getting fired. It's very obvious if you look at this program from a past, present, and future view that he's building this program year by year in a way that hasn't been done since the 90s.

[bball23]

Anybody that thinks Miles isn't doing a good job (in my opinion) has no clue what they are talking about.  I understand that our record may not be where we want it to be.  But we are a couple bounces away from wins over Miami, Maryland, Ohio State.  Then all of a sudden we are sitting 17-11 with some very winnable games left.  Heck, we had NW down 12 2nd half and let that slip away.  College basketball games, especially in conference tend to be very, very close.  You look at a team like Maryland and how many close games they have won.  Say they lose 2-3 of those and their record all of a sudden take a good dip as well.

 

The other thing that I think a lot of people forget is that NU for the first time in a LONG, LONG time lost 2 guys to the draft.  Whether or not they should have left is another topic.  But when Miles was putting together his classes I'm guessing he didn't plan on TP and Pitch to jump ship.  That lead us to have to play freshman a lot of minutes that they maybe wouldn't have had too.  You throw in Tarin transferring as well and it put a loop in the classes.  Then we lose a couple of assistants as well and here we are. 

 

Then you lose Shavon for the past 4 games as well as a dinged up Morrow.  Now, I understand these things happen to a lot of teams. But a team like NU without a ton of history has a hard time making up for all of that.  I know it sounds a lot like I'm making excuses for Miles, but these are just the facts.  Losing TP and WP put us a year further behind.  Had TP stayed this year, I have to think we would have had a DAMN good team.  You have three scorers in TP, SS and AWIII with Watson running the show....that's pretty damn good.

[tcp]

this squad is already pretty close to having made the postseason, and they still have an outside chance to do so.

But things are looking decent for the next few years. This is Miles' career class at NU--the one that makes or breaks him (similar to Doc's 3rd year class that, well, broke him). If they're where they should be in two years, then you're probably looking at the NU hoops coach for a very long time.

I've long thought NU was a 7 year gig, not the traditional 5. I think Miles should get every one of them.

[Handy Johnson]

My favorite thing about Miles is the fact that he hasn't bought into the whole "little engine that could mentality". Every new Coach comes in with BIG talk and BIG ideas then slowly sinks down into this woe is me attitude. That ain't happenin' any more!

[PimpMario]

Miles has been building well. He has been recruiting well (sans big men).

I am worried about his in game ( especially ) late game management.

But he doesn't deserve 7 to 10 years if we cant make the tournament and be on the bubble by years 5 and 6.

[AuroranHusker]

Nebraska had no business getting the Miami or the Ohio State games into OT with the horrid shooting. Miles is the one who got the team prepared & composed to compete with these teams. Players follow Miles' lead.

 

This is the 1st year in nearly a lifetime that Nebraska is on pace to not have a 20-point conference loss (at least, so far, it is true). Now, yes, I know, that's hardly a "good" assessment but it's also not a 'bad' one either. Compete, compete, compete is the basketball mantra comparable to real estate's location, location, location.

[bball23]

Nebraska had no business getting the Miami or the Ohio State games into OT with the horrid shooting. Miles is the one who got the team prepared & composed to compete with these teams. Players follow Miles' lead.

 

This is the 1st year in nearly a lifetime that Nebraska is on pace to not have a 20-point conference loss (at least, so far, it is true). Now, yes, I know, that's hardly a "good" assessment but it's also not a 'bad' one either. Compete, compete, compete is the basketball mantra comparable to real estate's location, location, location.

This.  The thing about the year we made the dance was that we won a lot of the close games.  This year, we have not.  We would all be singing a different tune had we pulled out the 3-4 games we felt we let "slip away"  That's how close we seem to be.  Even last years group got their butts kicked and quit on numerous occasions.  This years group has not.  And that is a credit to the players and coaches.  And for them to do so with 3 freshman starting is a good sign for the future (I hope!).  I do wish Morrow was healthy.  You hate seeing him miss so much valuable game time that he would have gotten, especially with Shields being out. 

 

This team lost their 4 year starter on court and off court leader for the last 4 games and we have played well enough to win 3 of the 4 games he has missed.  Unfortunately, we have only won 1.  But I hope that this learning experience for our young guys will make them hungry for next season.

 

The other thing I really like with this group is they don't seem to back down from anything.  Watson is going to be a stud for NU.  McVeigh is showing signs of being damn good and Jacobson is getting better and better each time out.  I think they all have extremely high basketball IQ's as well. 

 

Then you throw in the leadership of White, Gill coming in and add Roby and we could have something brewing in Lincoln. 

 

With all that said, I'm still excited to see these guys play out this year.  For the first time in a long time I go into almost every game thinking we have a shot to win.  Hopefully we can end the year strong and make some kind of postseason play.

[49r]

It seems like this is the time of year where teams who are out of tourney contention (or those who are sliding to, and then off, the bubble) have message boards who invariably gravitate towards "State of the Program" threads.  It's kind of hilarious and depressing all at the same time.

 

But there was something interesting I found over at IllinoisLoyalty this afternoon perusing their "State of the Program" thread (note this is from the "ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia" published in 2009.):

 

http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2009/1004/cbe1.pdf

 

You may want to pay special attention not so much to where Nebraska is on this list, but more to who are within 5-10 spots of Nebraska, and also who is below us.

 

I don't really know what all of this means, or just what Sagarin is trying to say here, but, I thought it was interesting nonetheless.

 

 

 

 

 

(and, dimes, if you can embed that file, be my guest)

[ajb5856]

It seems like this is the time of year where teams who are out of tourney contention (or those who are sliding to, and then off, the bubble) have message boards who invariably gravitate towards "State of the Program" threads. It's kind of hilarious and depressing all at the same time.

But there was something interesting I found over at IllinoisLoyalty this afternoon perusing their "State of the Program" thread (note this is from the "ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia" published in 2009.):

http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2009/1004/cbe1.pdf

You may want to pay special attention not so much to where Nebraska is on this list, but more to who are within 5-10 spots of Nebraska, and also who is below us.

I don't really know what all of this means, or just what Sagarin is trying to say here, but, I thought it was interesting nonetheless.

(and, dimes, if you can embed that file, be my guest)

Wow. Wow. Wow. For as historically bad as we have been, for never winning a tournament game, how are we #57 all-time?

[hskr4life]

It seems like this is the time of year where teams who are out of tourney contention (or those who are sliding to, and then off, the bubble) have message boards who invariably gravitate towards "State of the Program" threads. It's kind of hilarious and depressing all at the same time.

But there was something interesting I found over at IllinoisLoyalty this afternoon perusing their "State of the Program" thread (note this is from the "ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia" published in 2009.):http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2009/1004/cbe1.pdf

You may want to pay special attention not so much to where Nebraska is on this list, but more to who are within 5-10 spots of Nebraska, and also who is below us.

I don't really know what all of this means, or just what Sagarin is trying to say here, but, I thought it was interesting nonetheless.

(and, dimes, if you can embed that file, be my guest)

Wow. Wow. Wow. For as historically bad as we have been, for never winning a tournament game, how are we #57 all-time?

Shows how unlucky we really are huh?

[49r]

 

It seems like this is the time of year where teams who are out of tourney contention (or those who are sliding to, and then off, the bubble) have message boards who invariably gravitate towards "State of the Program" threads. It's kind of hilarious and depressing all at the same time.

But there was something interesting I found over at IllinoisLoyalty this afternoon perusing their "State of the Program" thread (note this is from the "ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia" published in 2009.):

http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2009/1004/cbe1.pdf

You may want to pay special attention not so much to where Nebraska is on this list, but more to who are within 5-10 spots of Nebraska, and also who is below us.

I don't really know what all of this means, or just what Sagarin is trying to say here, but, I thought it was interesting nonetheless.

(and, dimes, if you can embed that file, be my guest)

Wow. Wow. Wow. For as historically bad as we have been, for never winning a tournament game, how are we #57 all-time?

 

 

Because we've never been really really bad, like 2-28 bad.  At least not for extended periods.

 

We've just always been kinda mediocre.  

[jimmykc]

I think I am more surprised by Butler's rating although if the list were updated today, I would guess they would now be higher. And where is Gonzaga  which is not even mentioned in the top 108?

[Norm Peterson]

I think I am more surprised by Butler's rating although if the list were updated today, I would guess they would now be higher. And where is Gonzaga  which is not even mentioned in the top 108?

Gonzaga is at #127.

[hhcmatt]

We've just always been kinda mediocre.  

 

We had a few historically good teams as well where they only took the top team in the conference. THANKS KANSAS.

[Cazzie22]

My dream is to make the NCAA Tournament and at least win a game there!  It is a tough league to keep up with from year to year. We may return quite a few players next year but that is no guarantee of a vastly improved record.  I am hopeful that NU can be in the top quartile of the conference which should earn an NCAA bid.  

[Handy Johnson]

Phi Slamma Jamma? The Runnin' Rebels? Hell, according to that list we could school the Globetrotters...