uneblinstu's postgame chatter: vol 11; ed 5 - Texas Tech (HHCDave edition)

I don't see us as a selfish team, rather the players are placed in an offense that relies on one-on-one attacks.  This game was also not indicative to what we have been seeing this year, meaning an increase in assists.  Texas Tech was simply gifted enough on defense to take our offensive strengths away.  

We will be okay.  One game does not make or break a season.  We just cannot play like toilet water any longer.

I didn't see a new uneblinstu thread for this last game, so I'm starting one.  If there was one and I just missed it, someone please combine and tack this to the end.

Anyway, I tend to avoid the board after disappointing losses.  There tends to be a lot of kvetching and fatalism that I prefer to avoid.  But I wanted to offer a different perspective than what I've been seeing from other posters.

I think Texas Tech was the better team last night, but not 18 points better.  They padded their stats toward the end of the game when we just couldn't get anything going and they just started rolling.  Some nights, you just get those banked 3 pointers to drop; other nights, shots that look like they're going down pop out instead.  They had one of those nights last night; we had one of those other nights.

Last night, though, the game turned when James Palmer picked up his 2nd foul on an absolute bullshit charge call with 12:13 left to play in the first half and us with a decent 15-8 lead. From that moment, Palmer goes out of the game and Tech goes on a 10-0 run, takes the lead, and basically never looks back.  From that point forward, JPJ was effectively hamstrung on the offensive end. The refs took him completely out of his game. And it affected our whole offense, our whole game plan.

Say whatever else you want to say, but the officials decided the outcome of the game when they whistled Palmer for that soft charge 8 minutes into the game.  It was not the same game from there on out.

Agree with above, Norm. I thought we would lose two preseason games, just didn't think this would be one. And I don't think Big 10 officials are going to call two charges on one of the league's premier players in the first ten minutes of a game. We got beat, so let's just move on and win one of the games I thought we would lose. it is a long season.  

Stupid basketball. I blame James Naismith. Should never have invented the stupid game. Would have saved me 56 years of heartache.

That written: Beat Western Illinois! Beat Clemson! Beat Illinois! Beat Minnesota! And for dog's sake, BEAT THE CRETINS!

I'm just getting back here. I think @uneblinstu is on the road.  @Norm Peterson alright if I merge this with Dave's thread? Seems like that was the postgame chatter thread

Anyone have any thoughts on no heiman last night? Or further more no Thor on a night where we couldn’t create any offense and the Guard defense was so-so?  

4 minutes ago, B-town hoopsfan said:

Anyone have any thoughts on no heiman last night? Or further more no Thor on a night where we couldn’t create any offense and the Guard defense was so-so?  

Heiman maybe.  Thor wasn't going to help those things

I wasn't going to chime in and I love the discussion overall.

I personally am not going to panic one bit.  Not at all.  Yes, we struggled last night and we looked stagnant at times.  But I truly believe this team will be fine.  I personally get sick and tired of the "jumping off the cliff" approach most people have after a game.  Its basketball!!!  Its going to happen, and let me warn you....it will happen again this year.  We have such a football mentality in this State where all is doom and gloom with a loss.  In basketball you get 30 games....we ain't winning em' all.  TCU lost at home to Lipscomb last night...Nova lost at home to Furman...I could give you 10 more example just this year where the "better" team didn't win.  

Our history I think is what frustrates the fans the most. But I have seen so many people say "Welp, same as last year." We finished 4th in the B10 last year.  Last I checked...not too shabby.  Yes, ultimately we didn't make the goal of the NCAA tourney due to a "down" B10 season, but it shouldn't take away the fact that we had a pretty darn year last year and if not for that last 3 pointer that Kansas made against us, who knows, maybe last year we dance? 

I personally get so sick though of people throwing the team under the bus after a single game.  We have 25 more games to prove ourselves and hopefully get better. Hell, had we shot decent from the 3 point line (a ton WIDE open) then we are right in that game last night.  Unfortunately we went 5-23 and that isn't gonna get it done.  I for one still think this team is going to do great this year.  The key will be to steal a few tough wins and not drop games to teams we should lose too. 

I thought Palmer leaving the game with his 2nd foul was the turning point, and it was a bad call.

One thing I would like to see from this offense when we struggle is ball screens with Roby for Palmer.  Spread out the other 3 at the 3 point line to receive the pass from Palmer if he gets cut off in the lane.  On defense, we need Palmer, Copeland,  and Roby in the lane at all times.  They are long enough to recover on their man to affect the 3 point shot.

Get back to love the rim, like the 3.

12 hours ago, hhcdave said:

Look...... We could afford ONE game like this in the nonconference. ONE.

The problem is, we now have used it up, and have no margin for error until Big 10.

 

We literally CAN'T lose more than one more nonconference game if we want to get to the NCAA Tournament. I really believe that.

It does seem like the conference has bounced back and we're now playing 20 games instead of 18.  If you compare our schedule to last year, this year we've taken Marist and Stetson and replaced them with Rutgers on the road and Illinois on the road...the two teams that looks like the worst in the league.  We're really looking like a team that should have a top 25 SOS and the sort of head-scratching margin of error you saw with Big 12 and SEC teams with a lot of losses making the tourney.

Also, you should keep calling in 

Well boys, it's time to rollup the sleeves and get to work, kinda like after the St John's game last year, except Tech I'd say is a far superior team. Win on Saturday, then roll into Clemson with a little bit of steam. Upward and onward!

11 hours ago, TimSmiles said:

wish roby would be more selfish. 5 shots in 37 minutes is not helping the team.

I agree with this sentiment- especially since Plamer was out for so much of the game. Our team is too talented offensively to go scoreless without JPJ on the court. Yes, JPJ is an important part of our offense. However, we have great offensive talents in Roby, Copeland, and Watson. I think most people here understand we didn't move enough on offense the other night. That has to be on Miles. We just need to put our offensive talents in the best position possible. For example, Cope is automatic when he comes off curls at the free throw line. Saw almost none of that against tech. Roby/Watson pick and rolls should be able to put a lot of pressure on defenses. Didn't see that either. Last night, Roby set 2 downscreens and then sealed his defender in the post. Both times either Allen or Watson passed it into him and he would've gotten an easy layup if Tech didn't foul. I understand why we're trying to take more threes. But these are some simple things we should try to initiate more often in the half court. The sky isn't falling. A lot of 50-50 balls went Tech's way last night. But our offensive performance was abysmal. 

Question, was the white haired ref the same official that we had problems with versus Seton Hall?

7 minutes ago, Huskerpapa said:

Question, was the white haired ref the same official that we had problems with versus Seton Hall?

Yes.  

Postgame Notes
*-Isaac Copeland led NU in scoring for the second straight game with 20 points and eight rebounds. It was his second straight 20-point effort. 
*-Issac Copeland set career highs for free throws made (nine) and attempted (14). 
*-Nebraska was held to season lows in points with 52, snapping a streak of four straight games of at least 80 points. 
*-Nebraska’s 32-26 deficit is the Huskers’ first halftime deficit this season. 

Copeland was named to the all tourney team

I hope we're not going to be dependent on good officiating to win quality games. No one gets that any more. This is why mental toughness is such a big deal, especially against the sort of body mugging favored by the School of Knight (and I'm not criticizing them, just pointing it out). 

To me, last night's game was an exhibition on how important toughness is as an intangible. Even if your largely running on analytics, those things matter. You simply cannot abandon your game because a ref or two makes a series of  horrible calls to swing a game hard. You have to regroup, laugh it off, and then return to the plan that was working before that moment. We became afraid of the officiating, and we lost our aggression as a result. That's not an easy thing to get back once it's gone. 

But we've shown our first mortal weakness to the league now, and you can bet other teams are telling themselves, "yeah, they're good, until you kick them in the nads." So I hope our guys prepare for this. Fast. 

15 minutes ago, tcp said:

I hope we're not going to be dependent on good officiating to win quality games. No one gets that any more. This is why mental toughness is such a big deal, especially against the sort of body mugging favored by the School of Knight (and I'm not criticizing them, just pointing it out). 

 

To me, last night's game was an exhibition on how important toughness is as an intangible. Even if your largely running on analytics, those things matter. You simply cannot abandon your game because a ref or two makes a series of  horrible calls to swing a game hard. You have to regroup, laugh it off, and then return to the plan that was working before that moment. We became afraid of the officiating, and we lost our aggression as a result. That's not an easy thing to get back once it's gone. 

 

But we've shown our first mortal weakness to the league now, and you can bet other teams are telling themselves, "yeah, they're good, until you kick them in the nads." So I hope our guys prepare for this. Fast. 

Yeah, we came out of those bad (charge/block) calls with the lead. After that stretch we needed someone, whether that be Coach or JPJ, Cope, Roby, Glynn - to tell the guys "we still winning guys, bad calls aside, keep playing our game, that's all we can control"

Bad calls ruin games, but so does how you react to them. 

I'm not sad we got beat, I'm sad we got dominated.

1 hour ago, Huskerpapa said:

Question, was the white haired ref the same official that we had problems with versus Seton Hall?

1 hour ago, HB said:

 

Yes.  

Maybe we need someone to develop a  'ShotTracker' for keeping track of the Referees!

If nothing else it would alert teams/players to official's proclivities Before the game starts (although nothing is going to offset predispositions).

2 hours ago, bball23 said:

I wasn't going to chime in and I love the discussion overall.

 

I personally am not going to panic one bit.  Not at all.  Yes, we struggled last night and we looked stagnant at times.  But I truly believe this team will be fine.  I personally get sick and tired of the "jumping off the cliff" approach most people have after a game.  Its basketball!!!  Its going to happen, and let me warn you....it will happen again this year.  We have such a football mentality in this State where all is doom and gloom with a loss.  In basketball you get 30 games....we ain't winning em' all.  TCU lost at home to Lipscomb last night...Nova lost at home to Furman...I could give you 10 more example just this year where the "better" team didn't win.  

 

Our history I think is what frustrates the fans the most. But I have seen so many people say "Welp, same as last year." We finished 4th in the B10 last year.  Last I checked...not too shabby.  Yes, ultimately we didn't make the goal of the NCAA tourney due to a "down" B10 season, but it shouldn't take away the fact that we had a pretty darn year last year and if not for that last 3 pointer that Kansas made against us, who knows, maybe last year we dance? 

 

I personally get so sick though of people throwing the team under the bus after a single game.  We have 25 more games to prove ourselves and hopefully get better. Hell, had we shot decent from the 3 point line (a ton WIDE open) then we are right in that game last night.  Unfortunately we went 5-23 and that isn't gonna get it done.  I for one still think this team is going to do great this year.  The key will be to steal a few tough wins and not drop games to teams we should lose too. 

So much This!   It seems to me Coach Miles, indeed the entire coaching staff, needs to adapt the John 'You can Beat me once; But you won't beat me Twice" Beilein attitude when your game plan isn't working or shots aren't falling. 

When we blew out Michigan in the regular season last year, Beilein was quoted as saying he spent the entire time on the flight back to Ann Arbor figuring out what went wrong.   You know, Michigan is the team that blew us out in the B1G Tournament; going on to lose to Nova in the NCAA Championship (and we saw what Michigan did to Nova in the Gavitt Games this year).

I’d like to see us be more creative with Roby offensively.  By that I mean a pick and roll situation with he and Cope.  There are plenty of opposing 5s that have a good ability to guard laterally but would have no clue what to do if they were the ones being picked.  A pick and pop game with those two could be terrifying, and Roby is tall enough/heady enough to make good perimeter passes if he drew help.  

I really think Roby could play a Lebron/Simmons role for us in the half court which would help us get into sets faster when he brings the ball up.  

3 hours ago, nustudent said:

Heiman maybe.  Thor wasn't going to help those things

We really don’t know. I’d say we have two shot creators on this team in Palmer and Watson. Maybe Thor could be another w his oversees experience. Is he a defensive liability? Ya he can be but the defense wasn’t sharp in the final 20 minutes last night anyhow. We are going to need another guard who can make plays by the end of the year. Might as well see if Thor can get it done. 

21 minutes ago, B-town hoopsfan said:

We really don’t know. I’d say we have two shot creators on this team in Palmer and Watson. Maybe Thor could be another w his oversees experience. Is he a defensive liability? Ya he can be but the defense wasn’t sharp in the final 20 minutes last night anyhow. We are going to need another guard who can make plays by the end of the year. Might as well see if Thor can get it done. 

Might as we throw Trueblood and Costello in there for shits and gigs too

If I know coach Miles like I know coach Miles (I don't know coach miles at all). The Big turning point in that game was a moment he should be kicking himself for, and that toasting his guys in that press in the first half. The guys looked super tired and gassed and we kept with that press - which is when Tech got their juice going and made a nice little run towards the end of the half. We didn’t bounce back after that. 

My old golf coach used to say, “you can’t win the tournament on the front 9 - but you can lose it.”