uneblinstu’s postgame chatter: vol 14; ed 14 - vs. Ohio State

2 minutes ago, coughunter said:

I was talking end of regulation.

Sorry Coug, I didn’t read your post, I was just thinking out loud…

3 minutes ago, coughunter said:

He is a career 75% ft shooter.  Who would you like on the floor instead in that situation? 17 combined points from Liddell and Key.  Pick your poison after the fact I guess.

There was a dead ball to make an O/D sub. You get your starting point guard out there for gods sake  

As far as the lat debate right now. He's bad and I've said it since he tried to win the Nevada game with a live dribble and turned it over. Issue is, he's the only option with Wilhelm down right now. Lakes got some ticks, but he would've been ABUSED by EJ. Same can be said for CJ and Keon. I didn't think he played horrid today, but the last 3 or so minutes was a case study on why Wilhelm is an upgrade over him next year. Hit the side of the backboard on a 3, missed 2 FTs, and missed one more 3. 

Against MSU, HOPEFULLY we see more a mix of different guys, they play Hauser, Hall, and at times marble. But those two primarily. Hopefully we see more CJ in that spot with Keisei, Verge (or Kobe), and Bryce on the perimeter. Much better matchup for that lineup

4 minutes ago, basketballjones said:

There was a dead ball to make an O/D sub. You get your starting point guard out there for gods sake  

There's something more to that. He was benched for a good 10 or so minutes straight. There's a reason he didn't check in imo. Especially against Sotos. 

18 minutes ago, coughunter said:

Hindsight.  After he dunked it you were feeling really good.  He's a 75% ft shooter.  He hits one or two and NE wins and this isnt even a thought.

No - I was screaming it at the time.   Not because I was worried about him missing FT's but because he is by far our worst ball-handler.   We really got bailed out when they called the foul on that play as he was turning it over.    And FWIW I thought overall Lat played pretty well tonight.   He does at least try to play defense - and did well at it tonight.   But you HAVE to have Verge in the game.   Cost us a TO to because with Verge in the game we get the ball inbounded the first time.

This just in OSU hasn't played since December 11th

Did you know OSU hasn't played since December 11th?

Just in case you were wondering OSU hasn't played since December 11th.

Nebraska last played on December 22nd.

Yeah Verge not playing at all down the stretch needs an explanation. Unless he is hurt, it made no sense to not have in during the in bounds before end of regulation. The offense got pretty stagnant at times down the stretch, and I think he would have helped to close it out. 

Lakes seemed outmatched defensively the short time he was in, but I still would have liked to have seen him give some time in the 2nd half.

12 minutes ago, basketballjones said:

There was a dead ball to make an O/D sub. You get your starting point guard out there for gods sake  

The starting pg who has been ripped on this board?  Me included.  The starting pg who already missed 2 key fts and shot poorly.  The starting pg who when on the bench the team played better?

16 minutes ago, thrasher31 said:

There's something more to that. He was benched for a good 10 or so minutes straight. There's a reason he didn't check in imo. Especially against Sotos. 

The team was playing better without him.  I think it was just a feel ti stick with what was working.

From UNL

Nebraska Postgame Notes
*-Nebraska’s 79 points is the most that Ohio State has allowed all season (76 vs. Seton Hall)
*-Derrick Walker posted his third double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Walker, who has now been in double figures eight times, also had a career-high four steals in the loss. 
*-Bryce McGowens reached double figures for the ninth time this season with 18 points.
*-Nebraska’s eight turnovers was its lowest total since having eight against Idaho State on Nov. 19
*-Nebraska falls to 0-2 in overtime this season (also at NC State)
*-Nebraska falls to 0-2 against ranked teams (also vs. Auburn)
*-Nebraska held Ohio State’s E.J. Liddell to just 10 points on 2-of-14 shooting
*-Nebraska had a pair of 10-0 runs in the first half, and now has had at least one double-figures run in six games this season
*-Lat Mayen matched his season high with seven rebounds

Nebraska Coach Fred Hoiberg

Opening Statement

“I am really proud of the guys for how they went out and battled. The biggest thing when you play Ohio State is their physicality and that is what concerns you the most. and our team did an unbelievable job of matching that especially early. You look at the stats and we outscored that team by 10 in the paint and shot nine more free throws then them so a lot of positives that we can build on. Too many second-chance offensive rebounds for them and then obviously threes that they hit early. We still had obviously great chances to win that game. We aren’t about moral victories and it still is extremely disappointing locker room but that shows what we are capable of. If we play that type of physicality every night we step on the floor in this league, we are going to have a chance. The effort was there and we are a much different team than we were a few weeks ago, and again a lot of things we can build on in this one.”

On the balance of not settling for moral victories but also acknowledging the positives

“I told the guys if we play with that type of energy and that kind of intensity we are going to have a chance to win a lot of games in this league. Now we go on the road and play a team that is as hot as anybody. We have a tough stretch coming up here so we just have to hang with in and hang tough. We have to start putting a game plan together tomorrow and get past this one, but again learn from mistakes that were made and build off the positives.”

On the play of Bryce (McGowens) and Kobe (Webster)
“We used Bryce a lot of with the ball in his hands and in playmaking situations, and I thought he attacked better tonight. He got downhill on a couple of occasions. I had the confidence in him tonight. I thought Kobe gave us really solid minutes off the bench and C.J. (Wilcher) obviously was terrific for us all night on both ends. It might be different guys on different nights and that’s what it was tonight.”

Nebraska Guard C.J. Wilcher

On the resiliency the team showed in this game

“I think it’s exactly that. Just staying together like we did and still competing at a high level. They went on runs, and then we went on runs. I think there was some growth in that area because usually when teams go on runs, we kind of die down. We stayed together and that’s something we can build off of, but in the end we’ve got to find a win to get through that and get that win.”

On if the team would have responded like this a few weeks ago

“No. I feel like we are a totally different team in terms of our mentality. This past week is probably our best week of practice in terms of our intensity. Every day we came to practice like we were playing Ohio State, and the scout team gave us a good look.”

On the crowd’s energy and the crowd

“Yeah we felt it. The crowd was in it and it felt good. I haven’t experienced that type of environment in college so it was dope for me personally. Having the fans behind us like they did was a good environment to play in.”

Ohio State Coach Chris Holtmann
On coming off of a break and big plays
“We’ve never come off of a pause like this before. I can’t remember the last time, coming off of a pause and being down a couple possessions with 30 seconds left, I can’t remember coming back and pulling that one out. Our guys made a lot of plays. Jamari (Wheeler) made a big-time shot, Meechie (Johnson Jr.) did a great job driving it, E.J. (Liddell) had a rebound and did a great job making those free throws.”

On Malaki Branham’s 35 points
“I didn’t know those numbers; I haven’t seen the stats yet. That’s a phenomenal effort by Malaki. We knew there were going to be some opportunities for some other guys because of how they (Nebraska’s defense) were going to collapse on Zed (Key) and E.J. (Liddell). It created some opportunities for Malaki, and he took full advantage of it. I give E.J. and Jamari (Wheeler) credit for making those shots in overtime when the ball went to the post.”

On having 16 turnovers
“We have to get better at that. Is that a product of not being real sharp on the layoff, I don’t know. We’ve got issues with that. We have to get better with that.”

I knew the moment Verge put his head down on a fast break where we didn’t have the numbers and jumped from 18’ and threw up a floater that didn’t go in, he was done. Hoiberg’s look on his face and some pointed conversation- I said “he’s done”. Remember, most were calling for a very very short leash. 
A bigger question for me is why keep having Lat guard Liddell? Like, put Walker on him and either move Lat over to Key, or out Andre on Key. Lat provides our offense with no more potency than Eduardo does. Honestly, he is by far the worst fundamentally sound Husker I think I’ve seen. He makes Jack McVeigh look like Luka Doncic. And to be clear, I don’t blame Lat for missing those free throws. I blame the staff for putting him in that position.  They should know more than us that he wasn’t going to make those. Get it in to Kobe or Verge and make them foul one of those guys. Or Tominaga….

To end the Lat bashing, lets dig into pack line defense.

I see we still haven't figured out how to play perimeter D or close out on shooters. The first 2 3's in OT where wide open because for every dribble their big man took Webster sunk in deeper. Pack line defense works well when the other team has a dominant big man, however it seems to leave wide open 3's and is especially troublesome when the big man is good passer. You could tell that tOSU had worked on this in preparation for our game. They damn near shot 50% from 3. At some point you have to start taking that away. To me, pack line defense is just not suited for todays game. 

The other negative is that we are still making some, not as many as we used to, bad decisions when shooting 3's. We take to many deep and contested 3's. Every team knows what we want to do and they plan for it. 

Some positives:

1. Played with a lot of energy throughout the game.

2. Guys where out there to help pick their teammate off the floor.

3. Bryce dribble drive is what I have been waiting for all season.

4. Overall defense has improved. Active hands and fighting for rebounds. 

The key going forward is to build on this. We need to get a win, and soon to have something to feel good about. Winning 1 or 2 of the next 5 would be huge. Rutgers is the most realistic although Indiana home is a possibility. I think we have little chance of beating either MSU or Purd on the road. I give us a fighters chance at home against Illi.

So long as this team continues to compete like they did against tOSU I'm full on board.

***Edit To Add**

We don't exactly run pack line defense to perfection, the way Bennet at UVA runs it.

To do so it requires 100% buy in with every player doing their job. 

Watch that 1st 3 in OT and see what Webster does. He is kind of in no mans land. He doesn't really commit to the double team and is not in a good position to close out on their 3pt shooter. On top of that a good pack line while require the post player to essentially make a skip pass to the opposite corner.

Didn't think we would win until Trey came back, so being in the position we were late in the game really felt huge. Very tough to lose that way. We are too young and inexperienced to have a bunch of success in this league. We need roster stability ehich hopefully carries into next year

3 hours ago, MichHusker said:

Didn't think we would win until Trey came back, so being in the position we were late in the game really felt huge. Very tough to lose that way. We are too young and inexperienced to have a bunch of success in this league. We need roster stability ehich hopefully carries into next year

I was thinking that same thing.  We really need to get some experience. 

Players we have a decent chance of keeping, and need to keep :

Wilcher

Edwards 

Keisei

Bridenbach

McPherson

Players we could use coming back, but most likely are not :

Bryce

Trey

Walker

Andre

Players who could stay, but wouldn't be a bad loss if he doesn't  :

Lat

We held their 3 leading scorers (Liddell, Key, Ahrens) to 18 points in regulation. Those three came in averaging just over 39 a game.

Branham was about a highly rated recruit as Bryce, he got going, and once he did we didn't have an answer nor an adjustment. 

As usual Nebraska showed its uncanny ability to transform an unknown player into a superstar.

52 minutes ago, hhcmatt said:

We held their 3 leading scorers (Liddell, Key, Ahrens) to 18 points in regulation. Those three came in averaging just over 39 a game.

Branham was about a highly rated recruit as Bryce, he got going, and once he did we didn't have an answer nor an adjustment. 

yep. driving me nuts about complaints over packing it in on D. It's the only thing that kept us in this game (and likely a few others). and Husker fans have seen this approach bail us out with teams at decided athletic/height disadvantages. 

If we had guarded the perimitter the way some people claim to have wanted, there'd be complaining about a 20 pt loss and the stupid staff for just letting EJ and Co. run wild on the inside. 

Ya can't win for losing. 

If Bryce can improve on last night's 6 of 19 shooting (2 of 6 from three), we'll win some games.

21 minutes ago, Swan88 said:

If Bryce can improve on last night's 6 of 19 shooting (2 of 6 from three), we'll win some games.

I was waiting for someone to bring this up.  Horribly inefficient again.  

14 hours ago, basketballjones said:

There was a dead ball to make an O/D sub. You get your starting point guard out there for gods sake  

Obviously the right move in a vacuum, I just don't think Hoiberg had trust in him at that point. I saw the sequence where he threw up some half assed shot and then half assed it back on defense and Sotos made us pay. Prior to that Hoiberg had pulled Bryce for jacking up that long range 3. Maybe it's a different story for Verge coming back in if Kobe isn't playing so well to bring them home.  Thus, we had a situation where Hoiberg wanted to stick with Walker, Lat, Kobe, Wilcher, and McGowens to end the game with Keisei being the guy in for Walker.  Heck, what would have happened had you brought in Verge for Keisei? Anyway, that's how you get to the point where your best ball handler and one of Div 1's best FT shooters over the last couple of years is sitting on the bench to end the game.  

I guess the one thing I'll note about Lat's FTs is that we didn't have anyone there to rebound. I was sitting in the stands thinking about it; likely it had to be going through Mayen's head as well.

I just want everyone to know that one of my co-workers came in this morning and said he was watching the first part of the game, shut off the TV cause he said we suck and this is JV crap. Checked his phone and saw we were winning, turned back to the game right as Lat missed his free throws and we went on to lose in OT. So if anyone is looking for someone to blame...

15 minutes ago, basketballjones said:

I just want everyone to know that one of my co-workers came in this morning and said he was watching the first part of the game, shut off the TV cause he said we suck and this is JV crap. Checked his phone and saw we were winning, turned back to the game right as Lat missed his free throws and we went on to lose in OT. So if anyone is looking for someone to blame...

I have been to the Great Wall of China. I have seen the Pyramids of Egypt. I've even witnessed a grown man satisfy a camel. But never in all my years... 

have I once seen a Division 1 men's basketball team with three people in the starting lineup weighing less than 180 pounds beat another major conference team.