uneblinstu's postgame chatter : vol 17; ed 18-Maryland

Another one-score loss for Nebraska.

1 minute ago, HuskerFever said:

Another one-score loss for Nebraska.

I see what you did there.

Another wasted opportunity. That one would have counteracted the Rutgers game metrics wise. 

Same old, same old.

Another game we should have won. I really don’t know why I let myself get my hopes up anymore.

Something is wrong with Gary and I can’t figure out what it is, but he isn’t the same guy. 
 

Stupid mistakes cost us this game. I’d have much rather seen Maryland beat us than for us to lose like that.

We need to have guys like Ulis and Hoiberg making huge positive impacts in games. But they are still role players, we need to have the other guys step up.

3 out of last 4 were winnable. Need more out of seniors and Fred.

Careless, careless turnovers, poor free throw shooting, way too many, not just missed bunnies, but easy bunnies. 

1 minute ago, B1G Red said:

3 out of last 4 were winnable. Need more out of seniors and Fred.

There’s a lot of playing and coaching years out there for us to have a final possession like that. Especially when things weren’t going well once we started across half court.

Turnovers, missed FTs, missed layups, defensive lapses allowing too many open 3's. We are playing like one of the youngest teams in the conference, not one of the oldest

Our 3pt defense needs major work.  Another game where we are terrible with the ball late.  I think Ulis needs to be playing over Worster.  10 assists to Worster's 1.

USC game is now pretty much must win.

34-8 bench points. 

Not that it will fix our problems, but it's time to change the starting lineup. 

Hoiberg Fire-O-Meter 

10 = Izzo Lifetime Contract

1 = “Fire Mike Woodson” chant at halftime.

I was at 6 before this game and I believe for the first time in quite a while I’m going below a 5 to the fire side. 
 

One nice run, that ultimately still didn’t result in anything, and the rest has been absolutely trash. 

2 minutes ago, GhostOfJoeMcCray said:

34-8 bench points. 

 

Not that it will fix our problems, but it's time to change the starting lineup. 

Morgan getting the nod to start the second half may be a sign of it coming. 

1 minute ago, basketballjones said:

Hoiberg Fire-O-Meter 

10 = Izzo Lifetime Contract

1 = “Fire Mike Woodson” chant at halftime.

 

I was at 6 before this game and I believe for the first time in quite a while I’m going below a 5 to the fire side. 
 

One nice run, that ultimately still didn’t result in anything, and the rest has been absolutely trash. 

To continue to let our defense get roasted like this time after time after time ultimately falls on him. Teams have figured out how to beat us, and we have not adjusted.

In the last 4 games we've given up 68 made 3-pointers and we have made 30. 

204-90 from the 3-point line in the last 4 games. Holy crap.

1 minute ago, GhostOfJoeMcCray said:

 

To continue to let our defense get roasted like this time after time after time ultimately falls on him. Teams have figured out how to beat us, and we have not adjusted.

 

In the last 4 games we've given up 68 made 3-pointers and we have made 30. 

 

204-90 from the 3-point line in the last 4 games. Holy crap.

Want to upvote for content but downvote for result of content.

Discrepancy in 3's is part the way we play defense - but I think even more due to the fact that we don't have enough shooters.   

We do too many things that good teams with good players don't do. When your best players aren't solid and reliable, that's a bad deal. 

I can't imagine we'll play another team that's more disinterested and less cohesive than Maryland this year. We needed this one. 

1 minute ago, GhostOfJoeMcCray said:

 

To continue to let our defense get roasted like this time after time after time ultimately falls on him. Teams have figured out how to beat us, and we have not adjusted.

 

In the last 4 games we've given up 68 made 3-pointers and we have made 30. 

 

204-90 from the 3-point line in the last 4 games. Holy crap.

Truthfully we should have been changing things when A&M killed us from three.  It's like we are floating too far from the shooter on the other side instead of floating just enough to bait them into turnovers.  It doesn't help when you have Brice Williams not even guarding the shooter at the end of the 1st half.

At this point I'd rather have guys play the three tighter and get burned backside, at least it would only be for two.

15 minutes ago, GhostOfJoeMcCray said:

 

To continue to let our defense get roasted like this time after time after time ultimately falls on him. Teams have figured out how to beat us, and we have not adjusted.

 

In the last 4 games we've given up 68 made 3-pointers and we have made 30. 

 

204-90 from the 3-point line in the last 4 games. Holy crap.

Sorry to quote again but if we make 1 more per game and opponent makes 1 less there is really good possibility we are 3-1 rather than 0-4. Or am I trying to be too positive?

Maryland goes on a 10-0 run down the stretch like a home team is suppose to do which we didn't do against Rutgers.  Really surprised we didn't call our last timeout when we looked out of sync on the three point attempt.  Maybe Coach thought that would give them a chance to foul before we could get the shot off.

Our defense was good enough to win. They shot 40% from 3 but they also shot 48.5% from 2 which is their second worst home mark this season. We held Queen to 3.  

To me it was missed FTs and mindless turnovers...execution stuff.

Also this is the second game in a row we've lost by three to a team that made a 3pt shot to end the half.

2 minutes ago, roscoe said:

Sorry to quote again but if we make 1 more per game and opponent makes 1 less there is really good possibility we are 3-1 rather than 0-4. Or am I trying to be too positive?

I mean, in theory, that's a positive way to look at. 

I could also say if UCLA doesn't go a ridiculous 4-28 we'd have lost that one too.

Some good things today but lots of really bad as well.   Loved a lot of what Uhlis brought to the game - seems like he finally figured out how to play defense in our system and in many ways is our best guy with the ball.   But he also got sloppy at times - including what was really a lazy turnover at the end.    As I said in the game thread - Morgan was terrific at times - but terrible on other possessions.  

In the end the main problem is lack of scoring threats.   Teams just completely focus their defense on Brice and we don't really have an answer to address that, particularly when they let them hold and grab Brice whenever he tries to use a screen.

Plus - Brice is best when other players can create for him - but we don't seem to find a way to do that.   At the end of the game we needed someone other than Brice to have the ball because he is not great at beating people off the dribble.   Should have let him and Connor run off screens and have somebody with the ball trying to get it to them.   

The failure of Griffiths developing into the contributing player we thought he would be has left a big deficiency in our lineup.    We substituted Worster/Uhls for Lawrence - which helps in some ways but neither of them is a threat to shoot at all.   We needed Essegian to be Keisei and Griffiths to at least be Wilcher on offense - but Essegian is really just giving us what Wilcher did - and Gavin obviously is giving us nothing at all.   Berke is more of a threat than Allick - but offensively neither Meah or Morgan is even close to Reink Mast - particularly from the perimeter.    You need to have multiple guys who can make jump shots in today's college basketball and we don't have enough of them on this team.

12 minutes ago, Navin R. Johnson said:

Maryland goes on a 10-0 run down the stretch like a home team is suppose to do which we didn't do against Rutgers.  Really surprised we didn't call our last timeout when we looked out of sync on the three point attempt.  Maybe Coach thought that would give them a chance to foul before we could get the shot off.

Maryland led 66 - 57 with 5 minutes to go.  We tied it at 66 with 1 minute to go.  They let us back in the game.

Some positives.

Sam Hoiberg: In the last 7 games he's 12/15 from the field and 6/8 from three. Also had 20 assists to 8 turnovers, and 8 steals. He only played 16 minutes today and 17 minutes against Rutgers.  On the season he's now shooting 54% from the field, 47% from three and 82% from the line. He's improved as a secondary ball handler. And still doing all the little things that don't show up in the box score. Maybe needs to play more. 

Andrew Morgan. Should start playing more than his 17 mpg. 

Ahron Ulis. 10 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover (that was arguably Brice's fault). Played good defense and handled the full court pressure very well. 

We seem to still be struggling to figure out what Berke is in the offense. But his shooting is improved. In the last 7 games he's 10/21 from three. Now up to 35% on the season.

Connor is still shooting the ball with confidence and shooting it well. 41% on the year on high volume. He's still moving relentlessly off the ball. IMO it's on his teammates and coaches to get him more shots in rhythm. 

Still thinking we need to prioritize offense more. We do have guys who can make shots. Play the guys listed above, along with Brice and Juwan. When this team is making shots, the defense amps up. That's not how it should be with a team who is supposed to have a defensive identity, but it is what it is. Last year at this time, we had a much, much better defense than we do right now, while playing guys who should be negative individual defenders (Mast, CJ, Keisei). Prioritize shot making, and the momentum and defense will follow.