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I don't think the Minnesota job is as bad as some of you make it out to be. The state produces a fair amount of D1 talent and Minnesota is the ONLY D1 school in the state - no other BCS schools, mid majors or even low majors there. Not too many schools have that situation.

Wonderful post game show by Matt and Coach Smallwood. Loved the recognition they gave to Hallie Sample...she does so much for this team and played a huge part in winning this game. Offensive rebounds, setting screens, defending, finishing big plays at the end. Also fun to think about how far this program has come. Ten years ago, who could've even imagined a Nebraska team beating a top 10, national championship-level program on their home court to go to the Sweet 16 for the second time in four years? Connie Yori and her staff deserve SO much credit for what they've built and are building in Lincoln. If there are top level high school players in the Midwest looking for a program with the highest integrity, excellent player development, great fans, and increasingly better results in March, I think they'd be crazy not to look at Connie's program...

Don't forget to add Billy Gillespie to the mix. He might prove to be the life of the party.

i hate throwing the i know a guy whos knows stuff card, but one of my best friends his a athletic trainer for creighton, he gets pretty close with the players naturally, and he swears that doug stated he is coming back next year, to get bigger, and show he can compete with better competition. For my two cents, i dont think he really helps them next year more so than he could this year, unless Artino and Wragge make significant jumps in their games that i dont really see happening. I think we win next year, the balence of power shifts.

I'd say that Fuller is pretty darn close to a 4-star. In terms of quality anyway. It woudn't surprise me the next time Rivals updates its top 150 for 2013 to see his name on the list. He had a darn good senior season. Webster might also get rated at that level. I'm tellin' ya that Sai, if he were going to play another year in juco, would probably be one of the top juco recruiting targets in the nation next year. Runner up player of the year in his conference as a (RS)Freshman? That could easily put him in 4-star juco status. Atewe is raw potential. But he seems committed to getting better. And I don't know jack about the Leslee Smith kid except his numbers don't overwhelm.

Just a few pet peeves of mine: 1) Letting players hack and otherwise beat each other up in the lane. 2) 3 second violations that aren't called. What's to point of HAVING a 3 second rule for time in the lane if you aren't going to call it? 3) Traveling. Just change the rule to 3 steps instead of two since that's how it is used. They reward physicality and athleticism over basketball skills and I would prefer it to be the other way around.

One thing I think I can say for certain: If Vooch had redshirted this year, half the people on this board would be pencilling him in to start at center next season. Not talking about him leaving. We've all kind of been saying over the last several weeks (in reference to another player specifically) that bigs take longer to develop than guards and that they typically come in more raw. And this is true. However, Vooch's issue isn't simply being raw. He has some skills, there's no doubt about it. He's not a total stiff. But, if there can be such a thing as a 236 pound weakling, Vooch is it. He needs to gain a lot of weight and strength. A lot. A heckuva lot. His lack of strength is going to impede his development. Don't know if he can fix the strength issue in one season. Not sure what to expect from Vooch. There's some potential there but he's got to hit the weight room like mad and eat every meal like it's his last.

BENNY!

I'd say the recruiting class is a success regardless. Adding Atewe and Sai would be icing on the cake, IMO. I'm a bit nervous, though, because my sense is that Sai, particularly, could contribute big next year and there doesn't seem to be a lot of buzz about him visiting or anything. And, darn it, I LIKE icing on my cake.

Ah yes our weekly debated over Benny and the Vooch.

I am not going to disagree or argue with anyone regarding Vucetic. I was very surprised at his lack of playing time along with the decision not to redshirt him. I guess that makes sense to someone, just not me. That said, if someone would have told me that, as a freshman, Jeff Withey of KU, would develop into the player he is today, I would have been a bit of a skeptic. Yet, he is a very import cog in the current KU squad. I am not say Vooch can reach that level of play, but then again, I am not willing to simply dismiss him as someone who could never develop. He does have offensive game. He lacks mucho strength...but that is something that could change fairly drastically over the next three years. Again, my optimism is somewhat tamed by the fact that he did not redshirt this year...but when I look at Withey, Mikki Moore and many other big men, I guess I hold out hope that Vooch may end up being a pretty good player for us. If you noticed, he does not have hair on his legs yet http://www.kuathletics.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/withey_jeff00.html

Into Ames to battle Johnny Orr and the Cyclones.

You forgot to add Minnesota to your list CardHusker. Also, it wouldn't surprise me to see Texas on that list soon.

When you hire a big name coach and pay him nearly 3 million a year and you have a very large local talent pool there are expectations regardless of the school and past success. I really liked Tubby, he is a good coach although very old school, his teams stayed out of trouble for the most part, kids graduated. He never finished above 6th in the conference or with better than a 9-9 record in conference. The last 3 years after being ranked in the top 20, as high as 8th this year going into the conference, he finished 9-12, 9-12, 8-11 in conference for 9th, 9th and tie for 7th place. His overall record in conference was 46-62. The last three years were almost unbearable to watch the swoon that took place each year. He had several players transfer for unknown reasons, Colton Iverson, Justin Cobbs starting PG for Cal, and Devoe Joseph. All very good players that really didn't like playing for Tubby. A few former players have had negative things to say about Tubby. I wished it had worked with Tubby, but it clearly didn't for some reason.

Assuming McDermott leaves, I think playing early actually benefits Nebraska. CU will still be trying to figure out how to replace their top 3 players. NU will be integrating players into the lineup that have already been on campus a full year. Both teams will have growing pains, but I would think the Jays adjustments will be more difficult.

School Previous Coach New Coach Previous Job UMKC Matt Brown Kareem Richardson Louisville AC Siena Mitch Buonaguro San Jose State George Nessman USC Kevin O'Neill Texas Tech Billy Gillispie/Chris Walker Old Dominion Blaine Taylor South Alabama Ronnie Arrow Matthew Graves Butler AC Georgia Southern Charlton Young Fairleigh Dickinson Greg Vetrone Campbell Robbie Laing Buffalo Reggie Witherspoon Northwestern Bill Carmody Jackson State Tevester Anderson Cal State Northridge Bobby Braswell Hofstra Mo Cassara Chattanooga John Shulman Furman Jeff Jackson UCLA Ben Howland Troy Don Maestri Phil Cunningham WKU AC Cal State Fullerton Bob Burton Drake Mark Phelps Longwood Mike Gillian Marist Chuck Martin Pacific Bob Thomason Saint Louis Rick Majerus (likely Jim Crews) Interim HC SLU South Carolina St. Tim Carter UT Pan Am Ryan Marks Texas State Doug Davalos Minnesota Tubby Smith

Paypal Cal only has 1 program that he's led to the Final Four as of now.

The 5 schollies this period included Menkes.

Looks like he has been offered too. Robin Washut ‏@RobinWashut See what #Nebrasketball recruit Leslee Smith had to say about his offer and visit coming up on Wednesday. ($) http://nebraska.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1486025 … Don't have the rivals membership so someone will have to tell us what is happening. Okay to really keep people up tonight... isn't interesting that we offer this kid and he is coming Wednesday, and all this happened about the same time we have coaches sitting in Matthew Atewe's dorm room? Okay I'll hang up and listen.

Well you would look into coming here unless you went Southeast. Okay you know somebody had to say it.

McDermott is going to be a solid pro...to me that means 9th or 10th guy on the roster. He will play for ten years, cash a lot of checks, and still ave his knees when he retires. That is a pretty good gig, if you can get it...but it will be there next year as well.

jimmy, you heard wrong. There's a very reliable source I've been told of who says Danny Manning is NOT leaving Lawrence to take a head coaching job. He likes it in Lawrence. He's staying put. You can count on it.

We had cheap beer weekend during state basketball in like 81 or 82, we I was either a Soph or Jr in college. Had to be $1.50 or less for a 6 pack. Well nobody would drink the case of Grainbelt we had, so.... Was still sick on Friday of the next week. It really did a job on the old digestive system. Am happy that Hamm's is back in Nebraska.

Tofte Minasooota. Right der on Lake Superior, doncha know. Miskeetas the size a houseboots, der. You becha.

Silverbacked that reminds me, I took vacation last summer to Tofte, MN and all they had to drink up there was that Grain Belt crap. Tastes like molasses, all bitter and sweet. Peh, peh, ptuii! ixnay on the ainbeltgray

yeah, but doug doesn't have the killer bad porn stache

A couple more videos of Sai. Can't get the second link to work. Feel free to paste or fix.

LOL not really I just love this picture though and figured this was a great opportunity to post it. Always makes me laugh.

Wrong on both accounts (and wrong in many ways on Barry, unless you meant Rick). So you don't win any of your own salsa. Keep trying-surely someone will get at least one of these elementary questions. And by the way, I just heard Danny Manning was going to be the next coach at Minnesota.

I know the guy who installed Miles' sister's cable. He said her basement is loaded with Golden Gopher Gear.....

Any chance Tubby and Ben Howland could be Co-Directors of Basketball Operations at Nebraska?

Do want.

You mean they thought this out and had a plan before they did the firing? "Well that is just crazy talk," says Steve Pederson. Is that how they do things in other places besides here?

I think both Howland and Nebraska will work out just fine. I think Miles is the better pick as NU hoops needs someone willing to go the extra "Mile(s)" to turnaround a program that has never had a history of winning consistently nor on the national level, and I dont see Howaland putting that work in and resting on his laurels.

well even if they werent he'd still have to graduate from SLCCC to transfer which I doubt they are done with school for the year at this point.

Nebraska still pushing hard for Natalie Romeo 5'8 shooting guard from Carandelet High School in Concord CA. Her year end stats look like this: 21.3 points 6.5 assists 6.5 rebounds 6.2 steals

You don't think he would want to stay in the Big Ten with the success the conference has had during the season and in the NCAA Tourney? You could very well be right, but I would think that Miles would give it another shot, especially since it doesn't seem like he is one of the recruits that won't give Nebrasketball a chance because of the Nebraska winter weather. I mean if he was fine with Minnesota winter weather, then Nebraska would be a step in the warmer direction. The other advantage I could see with Miles is that he has at least some sort of relationship already established with him, because he has recruited him. The new Minnesota coach might not have been in contact with him at all. So there's that I guess. Also, since his other 2 finalists were Tennessee and Auburn, when Foster committed to Minnesota, I'm sure that Tennessee and Auburn continued recruiting other players on their list. Do they even have a spot left for him? Maybe there isn't a spot for him at those schools anymore. I have no idea. Just throwing that out there. If we sign Atewe and Sai... we do not have a spot for him... Unless someone leaves.

And somewhere Benny Parker cries. Parker has the handles and the quickness. If he can consistently hit a jumper he'll be in the mix. I think the remark from Miles and my sensationalist topic title speaks more towards the flexibility of Pettaway as opposed to him playing point. Just don't see it with Parker.

Is the limit 13? We'd have 11 not counting Smith, Tumalla and Atewe. If all 3 commit, that's 14. Someone would have to go (I'm guessing Parker or Vucetic?) Correct? That's the way I understand it. I wouldn't be surprised to see Parker and/or Vucetic move on. I think they have the skills to be successful in a mid-major conference, but I think they are both undersized to be legitimate players in the Big Ten conference. Guards are generally about 2" shorter on average in a mid-major conference, and centers are considerably less physically polished in mid-major conferences. At 7'1", 236 lbs, Vucetic is grossly underweight to play center and realistically needs to put on 30-35 lbs in order to go through the physical grind of the Big Ten conference and be effective. At 5'9", 164 lbs, Parker is just too small and is a liability on both offense and defense and even when he is in relatively decent defensive position, a 6'2"-6'4" guard can still get a shot off over him. Not to mention Parker, while quick, consistently looks like a chicken running around with his head cut off. Not hating, I just think that in a mid-major conference, their lack of size (whether height or weight) would be much less glaring and much less of a set back than it is in the Big Ten conference.