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Haha, remember this?

I believe you are right, he is coming to Lincoln, not Kearney...

I agree that you can never duplicate game conditions during practice and as we have a shortage of great Bigs, Hammond won't get the experience against them if he redshirts. Having said that, We have some very athletic and talented guys he will be going against every day in practice. Defending the basket he will be facing All B1G Terran Peteway each day, not to mention Shields and the others. So while not like going up against Kaminsky, he will get that benefit from the practices. Sometimes all it takes is going up against more seasoned vets. For example every year for the hoops summit they bring in seniors from local colleges to scrimmage team USA. Over the years the college guys have beaten the best of the best HS teams with guys from D3 schools and Oregon and OSU. This year Mike Moser from Oregon whom averaged only 12 a game averaged 28 over the 3 scrimmages. I guarantee if Hammond only went against Ayegba, Smith, and Pitchford all year he would get better just because he would be going against older, smarter, and stronger players than he ever has before.

...especially when they're "forced" to play in the NIT on someone else's home court.

I think if this was to happen it would be a punch a bit further south than gut for many Jay faithful.

I understand David Anwar's 'stache merited a bonus each year.

Can't believe he turned down Incarnate Word

I think smith, Petteway, Shavon, Walt and ayegba start. I think Webster, Fuller Cornish are 1, 2, 3 off the bench, at those spots with rivers and smith. Benny in front of Tai? Hammonds would likely redshirt.

I agree that you can never duplicate game conditions during practice and as we have a shortage of great Bigs, Hammond won't get the experience against them if he redshirts. Having said that, We have some very athletic and talented guys he will be going against every day in practice. Defending the basket he will be facing All B1G Terran Peteway each day, not to mention Shields and the others. So while not like going up against Kaminsky, he will get that benefit from the practices.

The thing that hammond won't get by redshirting is experience against all-B1G caliber inside guys. Ayegba and smith are two ok guys but they're never going to be all B1G offensively or defensively. ayegba's probably better defensively than smith. contrast that to tarin smith. benny has a lot of shortcomings (pun unintended) but he can flat out play defense. tarin smith will be able to go up against a legitimately good (and possibly great) defender everyday in practice. if he can beat benny consistently in practice and take playing time, you flat out know he's good enough to play in our league. you just won't know with hammond unless he dominates inside. think of how good kenny bell got by going up against amukamara in practice. similar things here. success breeds success.

I'll give you some of that on Walt but you say he was essentially a freshman. No other freshman in the country got two years on the practice squad to get bigger, stronger, and better before making his splash. He's a very good player don't get me wrong but that part I don't see the same thing.

I have no idea if Walter will ever be drafted by the NBA or not (I suspect not), but there is undeniably some reasons for optimism based on how the season went for him. Just strictly looking at statistics, post-Biggs dismissal/@PSU debacle, this is what Walter put up in the following games: MINN: 13 PTS, 4 REB IND: 11 PTS, 3 REB @ #10 MICH: 10 PTS, 4 REB @ NW: 15 PTS, 5 REB ILL: 7 PTS, 1 REB @ #9 MSU: 18 PTS, 5 REB PSU: 11 PTS, 6 REB PUR: 10 PTS, 5 REB @ ILL: 2 PTS, 5 REB (they apparently own him?) NW: 10 PTS, 9 REB @ IND: 17 PTS, 9 REB #9 WISC: 15 PTS, 5 REB #24 OSU: 15 PTS, 5 REB Now, I obviously left off the Baylor game (scoreless with 5 rebs), but prior to that was a 13-game stretch where he was in double-figures 11 times, and averaged 11.9 PPG (up from his season average) and 5.5 RPG. He did that into the teeth of a Big Ten schedule as a sophomore, in his (essentially) FIRST EVER season of D-1 play. In his last 3 games against ranked teams prior to the NCAAs, he put up 18, 15 and 15. Petteway and Shields are also sophomores, but had a lot more previous playing experience. Walter played 22 total minutes in 2011-2012...and suddenly is facing Adreian Payne and Frank Kaminsky down the stretch. Yo. He was essentially a freshman. He was a consistent contributor down the stretch, proved to be a pretty clutch 3-point shooter (shot 26-54 - 48.2%!!!) over that 13-game stretch. Add to that the fact that he really stepped up his game defensively and also served to draw away interior defenders, and he was a pretty valuable player for us. Its impossible to say at this point where his ceiling is...but I believe it is quite high. His only issue is that unlike some others, he cannot create his own shots...he relies on spacing, passing, and some concerted effort to get him involved. Usually when he disappeared it was mostly a matter of his teammates not getting him looks. I half-jokingly have compared him to a potential Robert Horry to some friends...but he does have that kind of promise IMO. If it weren't for the fact that we also have two of the top-10 returning scorers in Big Ten play on the same team, we would be hyping him up quite a bit more. Just my $.02.

Git - hillbilly for get Reel - looks as if we are going fishing!

How can he take all these official visits during the middle of the week? Is attendance optional at his JUCO?

It is all a matter of perspective GATA. I do believe Dirk has talent. Yet he is one of the new age writers/talking heads that seems to believe their role is to shake the bee hive. Some like that writing/reporting style, others do not.

I agree. Just my opinion but while Pitchford had some very productive games that teased you as to his becoming a regular contributor, there were too many games where I felt he under performed. I don't know if it's a matter of confidence or what but he had way more games where he was almost a non-factor than he had good games. To land in the NBA you better be consistently good shot, a great defender or an incredible rebounder and defensive presence in the middle. While he showed me flashes of that, I felt he failed to deliver more often than not. How much will Miles and his staff be able to help develop each of the players during the off season? I hope they each continue to develop. Hard to imagine too many making the mega jump I felt Benny Parker made but I do feel confident that the coaches will help each player before the start of next season.

Dirk is a quality writer and doesn't deserve a lot of the crap he gets from posters here.

You are entitled to your opinion, but I think posters here are drastically underestimating how difficult it is to make it to the NBA. Pitchford will not be drafted in next year's draft.

Proud day for this alumni, we are struggling, but we have great facitiles and a strong alumni base, we just rebuilt the oak bowl (our football stadium), the awac where the basketball team plays is new within 5 years, and has a 2 year old weight room facility.He'll have a low tuition, staff and admissions, that work with low gpa, and test scores to get into college, and great area. He'll have some recruting advantages...GO CATShttps://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10201778634170451&set=a.1006108875874.2000981.1319460075&type=1&theater

Dirk is pretty balanced between Nebraska and Creighton. Shatel, on the other hand... puke.

Peru State thought he was a great overall coach, but really loved his experience with recruiting...

Contrived wonderment + STATISTICS!!!!! = things you'll find in every Dirk blog post

Lee B. is the only OWH reporter with anything useful to say about Husker hoops. The rest are hardcore Jays fans grudgingly being forced to cover a resurgent Nebrasketball program for their employer, and doing a horrible job of hiding their allegiance.

Chris Harriman has a close enough relationship with Deng that if we still really want him, he wouldn't commit anywhere without first visiting Nebraska. Remember, Nebraska was supposed to be his first visit before he broke his leg and Harriman is currently in Australia.

Karma payback for injuring Ubel.

No it's not...it's 5:15 in London...cocktail hour!

Thanks guys. This year and the road ahead are why I have kept my tickets for so long. SO I COULD BE THERE FOR EVERY STEP OF THE WAY THAT WILL BE NEBRASKA MEN' S BASKETBALL GREATNESS !!! Wow guess it is a little early to be drinking.

Doc never had the credentials to coach a major conference team. He took a UTEP team built up by a decent coach, & continued with his players. His second year was worse than his first. Too many times, guys ride the coattails of the hot coach that was before them and get hired away before there was ever proof they could at least sustain success. I don't see Doc as anything more than a plan z hire.. A good guy but a below average head coach.

Dirk is nothing more than a hack at a small market paper. He material is not worthy of my bird cage.

you are all so positive.. git reel dudes

I beginning to think Deng will never get here for a visit. All I hear are excuses!!!!!