uneblinstu's postgame chatter: vol 15, ed 27: at Rutgers

Post game notes from UNL

*-Nebraska’s 82 points is the most allowed by a Rutgers opponent at Jersey Mike’s Arena since Illinois scored 88 on Dec. 20, 2020. Rutgers was seventh nationally in scoring defense, allowing a Big Ten low 59.1 ppg
*-Nebraska’s 82 points was its highest total in Big Ten play and second-highest total of the season.
*-Nebraska shot 58.2 percent from the field, its second-highest total of the year and highest in Big Ten play. Rutgers entered the contest sixth nationally in field goal defense (38.2 pct).
*-Nebraska tied a season high with 12 3-pointers (also vs. Boston College). Prior to tonight. NU’s Big Ten high was nine against Purdue and Northwestern.
*-Keisei Tominaga finished with 22 points, his fourth consecutive 20-point game and sixth of the season
*-Tominaga is the first Husker with four straight 20-point game since Bryce McGowens last season.
*-Sam Griesel posted his third double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds
*-C.J. Wilcher reached double figures for the first time since Jan. 21 and eighth time this season with 17 points. His five 3-pointers was a career high (4 on three occasions, the most recently against Boston College on Nov. 30).
*-Nebraska used its ninth different lineup of the season tonight. It is the seventh different lineup in the last 11 games.
*-Nebraska started both New Jersey natives (C.J. Wilcher and Jamarques Lawrence tonight). Both players are Plainfield, N.J. natives.

What a win, PBA is gonna be sick on Sunday

1 hour ago, Norm Peterson said:

How many road wins against ranked opponents in program history?

 

How many road wins against ranked opponents this season?

Fred currently has 3

#23 Ohio St - 2021-22

#10 Wisconsin - 2021-22

#7 Creighton - 2022-23

No Denim Dawson tonight

2 minutes ago, hhcmatt said:

No Denim Dawson tonight

Blaise had a short leash too, didn’t return after he dropped an ill advised pass. 

46 minutes ago, hskr4life said:

Odda are low that it happens… but wouldn’t this be sweet…

 

We finish 17-14, win 2 in conference to get on the bubble at 19-15 and then finish as one of the last 4 in while Creighton finds themselves in the first 4 out.

That would be beautiful, for sure.  But, them damn computers sure love them some Crayton.  14 NET ranking and 5-seed before tonight in E-Span bracketology.  They've got 5 games left with 3 gimmes and the only tough opponent at home.  Loss tonight won't hurt them much.  Man, I hate them sweater-vested d-bags.

12 minutes ago, hhcmatt said:

No Denim Dawson tonight

The dudes who played tonight were guys who could hit shots. I haven't witnessed much in the shot-making dep't. from DD, other than the circus shot variety. The past several games I've wondered more & more if Fred & Co. decided that they need to value point-scoring more than when Manny Bando & Juwan Gary were mainstays on the defensive end. Tonight seemed to cement that notion with the 7 1/2 man rotation at RU. I believe the coaching staff has shifted "on the fly" very, very well. 

Pleasant read this morning. Now, if we can just get someone to hypnotize C.J. into believing the rest of our games will be played in New Jersey, and make sure K.T. gets some electrolytes before each game, who knows what will happen? 

24 minutes ago, jimmykc said:

Pleasant read this morning. Now, if we can just get someone to hypnotize C.J. into believing the rest of our games will be played in New Jersey, and make sure K.T. gets some electrolytes before each game, who knows what will happen? 

CJ just needs to stay on EST

Pie in the sky at the moment but we make the NIT if we find a way to win out

Hoiberg has got to be coach of the year so far.

Won't happen.

But think of what he's accomplished:

1.  Takes three transfers (Gary, Bandoumel and Griesel) and a repurposed post/point Walker to significant early wins and a near-win over the no. 1 team.

2.  Then, loses two of those transfers for the season--fans nearly give up, wondering if the season is over already, and talking heads on B1G Network are burying "Nebraska and Minnesota" into the B1G cellar.

3.  Then, starts winning with a "doesn't belong in the B1G" scorer and high-level production from underclassmen (including a walkon)--over Ohio St., Penn St., Wisconsin and then Rutgers (on the road, no less).  All those wins are surprises--every single one.  49r even predicted a 20-point deficit at Rutgers . . . in the first half!

4.  Now, some of the previously-vicious "Fire-him!!" folks purport to be happy at being wrong. 

All of this is magical.  Truly!

12 minutes ago, hhcmatt said:

Pie in the sky at the moment but we make the NIT if we find a way to win out

Just have to go 3-1 in our final games to give yourself a shot at it.  

Father Mulchay didn't have enough holy water for them!  A huge road win for the good guys.

To illustrate how insane the transformation is in how this team plays:

When we were playing a defensive style, we go on the road and completely shut down what the bluebirds are known for by holding them to a season low 53 points. I think they've only scored less than 60 points two other times.

After the injuries, we can't play that style and have to emphasize our offense a bit more. So we go on the road and completely blow up what RU is known for by scoring 82 points on their floor, the most they've allowed at home all season. Only one other team has managed to score more than 72 points against them the entire season - Iowa did it twice.

That's quite the transformation out of our team. Before the season, I did not think the coaches had the transformation into a defensive team in them, let alone a mid-season pivot to emphasize more offense. Very impressive.

Not sure I can remember anything like this happening previously, other than the 1985-86 season when Hoppen tore up his knee around the 2/3 point of the season, and that team had to transform itself completely and still made the NCAAs. This team certainly isn't playing for those stakes, but it's still stunning what they are doing with this late-season pivot.

23 minutes ago, Swan88 said:

Hoiberg has got to be coach of the year so far.

Won't happen.

But think of what he's accomplished:

1.  Takes three transfers (Gary, Bandoumel and Griesel) and a repurposed post/point Walker to significant early wins and a near-win over the no. 1 team.

2.  Then, loses two of those transfers for the season--fans nearly give up, wondering if the season is over already, and talking heads on B1G Network are burying "Nebraska and Minnesota" into the B1G cellar.

3.  Then, starts winning with a "doesn't belong in the B1G" scorer and high-level production from underclassmen (including a walkon)--over Ohio St., Penn St., Wisconsin and then Rutgers (on the road, no less).  All those wins are surprises--every single one.  49r even predicted a 20-point deficit at Rutgers . . . in the first half!

4.  Now, some of the previously-vicious "Fire-him!!" folks purport to be happy at being wrong. 

 

All of this is magical.  Truly!

The sentiment is nice but the coach of the year in conference is Matt Painter as Purdue was picked to be in the middle of the conference 

11 hours ago, hskr4life said:

Everything is better when you make some shots too.

Shots go in when you do all the other little things right and have great energy. 

4 minutes ago, hhcmatt said:

 

The sentiment is nice but the coach of the year in conference is Matt Painter as Purdue was picked to be in the middle of the conference 

The talking heads on B1G say it is the Northwestern coach.

I'm in

These are always so much fun (the replies)

Following 49r's lead in the post above, gotta love this string on a Rutgers message board titled, "Nebby was 20 of 27 from 2 last night. 74% !!"

And here's a set of statistics from that string:

"Nebraska did not attempt a 2 point shot outside of the paint.
 12/17 at the rim
 8/10 in the paint - not at the rim
 0/0 mid-range 2's"

I noticed that others were making it a big deal that Rutgers is struggling since the lost a starter to injury.  HELLO...

I must have missed it in a different thread, but why can't KT take NIL money?  Is it an olympics thing?

4 minutes ago, RedEyedFanatic said:

I must have missed it in a different thread, but why can't KT take NIL money?  Is it an olympics thing?

International student thing

2 minutes ago, hhcmatt said:

 

International student thing

OOOHHHHHH, that makes sense.  Visa stuff.  Should have figured, we run into that with international grad students applying for jobs.  Appreciate it

10 hours ago, NUtball said:

That would be beautiful, for sure.  But, them damn computers sure love them some Crayton.  14 NET ranking and 5-seed before tonight in E-Span bracketology. 

Those computers love Ohio State too—it’s inexplicable: