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I'm not exactly sure why I am motivated to suspend my longtime status as fan and lurker of the best Husker basketball site on the planet. On second thought, I do know. I am so juiced that I may never come down. Actually I just wanted to join the fray here briefly after one of the very best times in my broadcast career. This season has been the best. The Wisconsin game was the best. Tim Miles and his staff are the best. These players are the best. The Vault is the best. Nebrasketball fans are the best. The RedZone is the best. Heck, even Matt Davison is the best. Thanks to all of you for your meaningful, funny, heartfelt and insightful discourse on the site. I've enjoyed it for many years. We share a passion that has been a relatively small fraternity over the years. And the fact that we now need a bigger bandwagon, well, that's best of all. Finally, you all are the best. Carry on.

I know yiubare looking into the agreement on if Coach will get his bonus money for being coach of the year. PAY HIM! His peers chose him and the media winner even said Tim was the guy. Coach Miles has earned it and I want to thank him for everything he has done. He has jolted this program and fan base to a level I never imagined. Walking in and out of the raikyard yesterday was like a football game day...it is 30 hours later and I am still on a high over this win. This guy gets it and we want him a very long time. I get Tim Miles has tons of money and other bonus money coming. Pay him to reward him for never allowing a grouobifbkids to be defined tobwhat the "experts" say. Tim took this team and had some challenges early...he stayed the course, they played together and us always is 100% their motto. One of the most special things I saw last night was the reaction to Peltz proposal... The entire team before the biggest game of their lives were there as a family to greet he and his fiancee. I have seen many husker teams and been apart of a few on the inside. There has lacked a family vibe ....we have that now and that is because of Tim, his coaches and his captains. It starts at the top and I am proud that the coach of the year in the big ten is our guy. Thanks Coach for a year for the ages and let's not stop now! Go Big Red!

Seems I taught my grandpa well... or maybe the other way around...

I have multiple opinions on this topic. --When Miles made the comment "don't put that crap on me...that baggage doesn't exist" I don't think he meant that this history of thd program doesn't exist. I think that he meant that he will set his own precedent, rather than allow the one that has been set by other players/coaches dictate the way they go about things. I think he meant that he (and this team) have no control over what happened before they got here. All they can control is what they do, now that they are here. I believe it had something to do with a comment that someone made 2 months ago, before this team had learned how to play together. Someone called Miles out saying multiple things. One of them being "The time to win is now. We haven't been to the tournament in 15 years..." Miles responded with "Well, you haven't. I have. We know what we are doing and we know how to build this thing." He doesn't want to be the new boyfriend, that is punished by the girl, because her past boyfriends have all screwed her over. All he can control is his actions. --I also believe that his comments were very calculated. I believe that he is trying to keep his team from being so tightly wound when they play in their 1st NCAA tourney game. He knows how fans/media can be here. He knows that the BIGGEST story that will be focused on is "Nebraska hasn't made the tourney in 15 years, and Nebraska has never won a game". Nebraska fans/media have a tendency to beat these things to death, which gets into the heads of the players. I believe it's one of the reasons that Nebraska football was able to play so close with Texas so many time, but always found a way to choke the game away. Because there was so much tension built up in the time leading up to the game.. talking about how Nebraska can never beat them. So these players are asked these questions by all of the local media, and the players read about it in every article put out by the local media. I think Miles made those comments for the benefit of his players. Knowing that the big story is going to be that Nebraska hasn't made the tourney in 15 years and Nebraska has never won a game. I believe Miles doesn't want his players to be concerned with any of that, so he wants to do his best to stop that narritive in the media, before it has a chance to make this team play tight in the NCAA Tourney. Because for them to play to their potential, they need to be focused on the here and now...not the past history of the program. --While Miles doesn't want his players to worry about what this program hasn't done in the past...that doesn't change the fact that the fans have had to experience these things. I don't believe Miles was trying to discredit what the fans have had to endure in he past. He just doesn't want to be held responsible for something that he had no control over. These things did exist. The fans did have to endure these things. Nothing will ever change that. And I don't think Miles is trying to sweep that under the rug. I think he is just saying that he doesn't want Nebraska's past to be held against him, or this team.

I dare him or anyone else to out-nice Shavon Shields

The atmosphere during after TP hit that three to make it 10-3 was unbelievable. Could barely hear Kugler at all. Same as after Shield's second dunk. Couldn't hear the whistle for a timeout. Ray was still playing defense until all the other players were past half court heading to the bench before Ray figured it out. Edit: By the way, Ray's defense Sunday night was outstanding in my opinion.

Doc didn't. It was his downfall. He had no plan for what sort of team he wanted to put together and if he had one, he didn't execute that plan. Of course you need talent, I'm not saying you don't, but you can't just recruit highly ranked guys and throw them on the floor. Kentucky's trying it and it's not really working well. If they kept those guys together for a couple of years they might be a dynasty. The one year they did win it all, they bought into Calipari's plan. When you get to a point like Wisconsin or Michigan or Michigan St. or Duke or Kansas where you have success over a period of time, you can get high level players to plug into that system and that's when you become a program. Establish an identity, build a system, recruit the most talented players you can that fit what you want to do. You saw hit here what happened when you removed a very talented player that didn't fit the system.

Let me say this. I was at the Oregon-Arizona game on Saturday and people were saying that was the best atmosphere they've had in that building since they opened it a little over two years ago. I felt more intensity coming from my TV on Sunday afternoon watching the Huskers from 1500 miles away than I did sitting in the Ducks' arena. Even with the game in doubt with under 2 minutes left the fans would sit down almost immediately after cheering a big play by the home team. Their students are solid but the other fans were pretty weak. Hell, the energy coming from The Vault had me standing all game long on Sunday. No comparison.

But the good news is they're young! With dedication to off-season conditioning and film study I believe the Red Zone will rise to the occasion next season! We especially need Jean to step up her game.

Matt also looked like he was working reaaal hard at gate 25 hours before tip;)

Here's a thought I've had bouncing around my head the past couple of weeks. Back when Biggs signed there was a lot of hope that he would be the local kid to come in and resurrect the program. As we all know, that didn't happen. But Shields is kinda everything we've been looking for. I mean, he wasn't born and raised in the state of Nebraska, but KC really isn't that far away, he's a legacy kid, who's skilled at basketball and super smart. He may as well be local.

I see a theme in Kent's post but can't put my finger on it.

Kent, I've been hustling to the car after games mostly to hear the postgame and also to see if you survived being as crazy excited as these games have been. I'm guessing it's impossible but you guys should put that Wisconsin broadcast out as a podcast. Charge a few bucks or whatever it takes. I'd love to buy it and listen.

To me, it feels more like the Dave Van Horn era.

Kent, Any chance of a husker post game reaction show for husker hoops? Maybe one of the hosts do it with a former player for an hour after you guys are done. More interviews and fan discussion. Just really hate when you guys sign off and we are stick in traffic still;) it doesn't need to be hours long. Just curious with the fire this state is showing if this has been discussed. Thanks!

I've been thinking about this as we've made this (magical) run to the very front of the bubble verging into lock territory. And the answer, I think, is that we will dance well for the same reasons we've been successful in our conference schedule. We do many of those things well that successful tourney teams do: 1. Wicked defense. Better on the perimeter and stopping penetration than manning up against an opposing big, but still wicked defense. And we generally help well, although this is where we typically give up easy shots -- when we fail to recover and close out shooters after we doubled the post. 2. Ball security. We don't turn it over a lot. Especially after we solidified the roster earlier this year. 3. Points in the paint. We get to the rim. We have two guys who are basically equally adept at driving to the basket. Now, B1G teams have had all season to scout us and they have tried in various ways to take the dribble drive away from us. But we got there nearly at will against a very tough Wisconsin team. 4. Length. With Petteway and Shields, we have two 6'6" to 6'7" guys who can handle the ball, penetrate, shoot from long range, defend, switch on ball screens and make it difficult for little guys to shoot over. From the time brackets are announced, whichever team draws us won't have a lot of time to break down our film (will they even have huddl?) and game plan for us. We're a bit under the radar because few people if any expected us to get to this point. And I think people are going to have trouble with us. We have two guys who can legitimately get to the rim and finish as well as hit shots from long-range. Most teams are lucky to have one guy like that. We have two. I think we're a Cinderella waiting to happen.

Im sure you'd give your one nut to be the AD too.

What's better? More? Or Less?

Duke, North Carolina, Syracuse, Georgetown, K all perennially top 10-15 teams that use a system a recruit with that Duke-smart cerebral players who play a unselfish brand of basketball, and are high character athletes, Jabari Parker falls into their system thus why he is in their program. NC- fast guards who can push and shoot the 3, athletic 4 and 5 who can run the floor, and be physical in the middle, they so happen to recruit pretty well in the top 150 finding their types of kids Cuse-long lean, athletes, play multiple spots, and are unselfish on offense, always has one or two dead eye 3 point shooters, and a cerebral PG GTOWN- Big man who can pass, guards that know how to cut, smart players, high character These are all top programs, that recruit to a system or identity, that recruit top 200, and compete for national championships.

Don't know if anybody posted this in another thread but it's pretty cool http://m.journalstar.com/news/local/cindy-lange-kubick-an--year-old-standing-for-nebrasketball/article_b3abd82f-ffaa-50e1-9e5f-7dcda990b78e.html?mobile_touch=true

One game at a time...

The previous high reputation post was 15. This one is 34 and counting. It's literally the best post that has ever been written on this board given this metric. But how much weight does reputation points count towards getting a bubble team in?

We haven't had our bloody sock moment yet though...

That is why his generation made it through the Great Depression, WW II, Korea and other hardships. Thanks.

You're Grandpa is indeed a stud Matt.

67th I am in the field of 68!!

My parents are both in their 80's and they pretty much stood up the whole time as well. Saw them sitting a couple times during timeouts and at halftime but otherwise they were up. Surprised me because I did not think they could do it.

Basketball is not the same commitment...still plenty of work but idea would be for them to have someone else do it away from the arena right after the sign off and have the OT show or something with a host and player...that way kent and matt pack up and roll out while someone else does it

I listened to Kent's calls of games from the beginning in the mid 70's. Back then, you might get a Husker game on TV 3 or 4 Saturdays a season, so for 90% of the games, it was just me and Kent. In my universe, he is Husker basketball. Thank you, sir for many years of passion for Big Red basketball! I have a feeling we're about to get rewarded for years of futility and frustration.

Maybe he is more of a Cliff Clavin fan!

I see a theme in Kent's post but can't put my finger on it.He's a fan of Tom Best?

If Kent reads...Coach Miles is probably lurking around... Good job guys on letting coach know that Rivers should be playing. We've only lost two games since.

Kent My passion for Husker hoops was forged during many a cold, dark winter nights driving home after high school basketball practice way out in the Sandhills back in 1986. I would get in the old frozen 1973 Ford LTD and turn my AM radio on to a crackly KFAB and listen intently - shivering - to every call you and Sadlemeyer made during that great first year of the Danny Nee era, often sitting outside the house with my car running so I wouldn't miss a single play. When there was a long enough break in the action, I would hustle up to my room to do homework and turn on my Kenwood hi-fi to listen to each and every second of the game even though the reception was half static, it didn't matter! It is because of you, Kent (and Gary Sadlemeyer), that I am a life long fan of the Huskers. It cannot be stated enough here or anywhere else, that you too are the best!

I like the kid.

Pretty cool video. I hadn't seen it on the board yet, but I might have missed it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWZ3rZu7SDc&feature=youtu.be 4:14 PM

The Red Zone would be so much more intimidating if we got everyone jumping up and down instead just a few of us. Couple times I saw a good amount of people and that looked sweet, but need more to be a force.

You mean besides winning 3 of the last 4 road games right? Yes we started slowly, but this team is learning how to win. I would say the only road game we played well enough to win a tournament game would be MSU. Indiana was close. NW we'd get blown out I'll be curious to see how many NU fans show up in Indy. I think they're pretty locked in. As long as there isn't an overwhelming disparity in fan number, I don't anticipate the fact that we're not at PBA to be a detriment. If NU fans represent well, I'd expect that to energize the quys quite a bit.

I started believing that the status quo was changed when the University committed to building the practice facility and the PBA was built. I started believing more when reading the resume of Tim Miles. I started believing even more by watching Miles' team improve game by game. It really hit home after attending games in the PBA. If you need a curse lifter...a sign....a something....believe in PBA Magic. It's the magic of how committing to a winning financially plus hiring the right guy will do for a program

I'm hoping for Milwaukee!!

All I'm saying is it's gonna be sweet hearing this music playing on the TV during a Husker game:

Remember that, by the time they sign off, Kent and Matt have put in a 10+ hour day. And, on the road, the bus is waiting for them. True...however...they have almost 12 hrs of radio coverage for a football game. We get like half an hr of coverage before a basketball game and maybe 15 min after.

They just about did.

Hey Norm, are you letting Sheldon Jeter go also?

A win Friday wouldn't just be awesome, it is necessary.

Kent is one of the last of a generation of extremely talented radio broadcasters who can make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up from "the call" of the game. I consider Kent and Bob Davis to be the best two college radio play by play guys in the country - and I am a full-time radio guy who also listens to between 75-100 D-1 basketball PBP guys per year, so I think I'm qualified to say that. It's been several years since we spoke Kent but I am so thankful you are doing well, that you stopped by and that you continue to be one of the premiere PBP guys in the country for OUR program. I hope we have you 15 more years and I hope even more that you will be announcing our first (of many) NCAA Tournament wins in about 11-12 days.

Dirk is an incredibly talented writer. No need to slam the guy because his opinion differs from you.

kaz not the whole thing but here is the key part. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecEXL3urtIo