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It is unfortunate that we cannot get two role players to step up during the same game. -NW: Benny Parker has a career high -Indiana: Jack McVeigh ties career high -Iowa: Tai Webster has a career high If we could have coupled two of those performances we would definitely have a win right now and it would make things a lot easier for Shields. I am a new poster, and my quick take on the season so far is that we are a young, inexperienced, and small team playing in the best bball conference in the nation. That is not the best recipe for success. Coming into the season I thought Shavon Shields would be our Batman and White would be our Robin. But it turns out we are stuck with two Robins. Shavon Shields' game is too easy to stop with our current roster; just plug the gaps and push him towards his left. That being said, I am pleased with the season so far. I can only dream of how good this season could have been if Petteway and Pitchford returned (a MOTIVATED Pitchford). We are seeing the freshmen's potential and next year they will all be faster, stronger, and more consistent. I am already intrigued by all the position battles for next year. 1. Watson: I think he will have that locked down. I do not see Bakari Evelyn having much of a shot 2. Webster/ Gill: I think Gill will get the nod. 3. White: He will have this locked down, but Roby and McVeigh will be interesting back up options 4. Morrow/McVeigh/Roby: the most interesting spot for next year is the 4 spot imo. 5. Jacobsen/Hammond/Incoming recruit: Hammond is the only true center on the roster. If he can gain 15 more pounds I really like him, but Jacobsen is a good option too especially if he grows more like the coaching staff thinks he will. Lastly, I would just like to say that I truly do believe that Miles will be the coach that wins us our first NCAA tourney game.

Miss out on a recruit, fire the coach. Yea, that's a great solution.... I'm not happy where the program is right now either but let's step back and take a look at the big picture. This is only his 4th year as our head coach and it wasn't like the cupboard was stacked full of talent when he arrived. In his 3 full years as our head coach, he took us to an NCAA bid which we hadn't have for 16 years. He has also vastly improved recruiting efforts in the last year which should pay off in the years to come. How many 4 star players did we sign before he got here???? How about none!!! So we missed out on this kid, we will just try with another one instead. It happens. I truly understand the concerns with Miles and coaching ever since Craig Smith left. I have my concerns as well that maybe Smith was the brains behind the operation. Give the guy a break as anyone would struggle is they had an assistant with them for a number of years and then he is gone. It's a learning process for him also. Think about if you had a "kick ass" secretary that did everything for you for a long time and then she decided to leave. You would struggle for a bit until you got things figured out again on how to do them without that person doing it for you. I still have total faith in Miles that he will get this program where we all want it to be.

To repeat:

Well we are all drunk on that BIG RED DRINK, so you may have to forgive us.

In my mind we exceeded expectations in year 1 and in year 2. Common denominator? Craig Smith. He leaves the program and in year 3 with a team that was expected and talented enough to make it back to the dance only wins 5 games in the Big 10. And we looked lost pretty much from the first exhibition game on. Our offense last year...may have been as bad as it's ever been. Coincedence? Maybe....but probably not. Either way, he's probably not coming back anytime soon...and our problems run deeper than just being young IMO. Talent alone is not going to bring in many wins in this conference when other teams are recruiting as well if not better. I do think Miles needs some help from an in-game X's and O's standpoint...atleast offensively....and I'm not sure he's getting that from the guy he replaced Smith with. Well, guys, this has been a very entertaining discussion. I could just imagine something similar having taken place back in Salem, Mass. in the days of the witch trials. Thos. (49r) Goldthwaite: "And howe doth my good neighbor faire this fine day?" Wm. (baseball13) Hathorne: "Newt so good, I'm afraide. Seems the olde cowe has gone drye and won't produce milk." Mssr Goldthwaite: "That happens sometimes, ladde. But the milke will come backe next time she's with calfe I'd suppose." Mssr. Hathorne: "Oooh, I dooon't knew about that. During the 7 monthes that Mssr. Craig Smithe lived next doore, she milked fine. Then he moves awaaye and suddenlee the cowe goes drye. Methinks he was a witch." Mssr. Goldthwaite: "Let me get this staighte: You thinke that because your cowe went drye at the same time Mssr. Craig Smithe moved awaye, that she went drye because he's a witch?" Mssr. Hathorne: "That's righte. I thinke we neede to finde Mssr. Smithe and burne him at the stake." Mssr. Goldthwaite: "And that will make your cowe give milke?" Mssr. Hathorne: "Can't hurte." So, Norm. Are you saying (in pilgrim-speak) that correlation does not equal causation???

Last year the hot take was Molinari stressed defense so we weren't scoring enough and were bad on offense, this year it is Miles can't coach without Craig Smith. Unfortunately this is what's called a rebuilding year. Rebuilding from what you ask? Our first NCAA tournament in 15 years and our first NBA type talent. When you are Ohio State type team and reload you fall to the middle of the conference pack, when you are a middle team you fall to the bottom. I like what we have done so far in Mile's tenure: Take advantage of arena excitement and get some transfers in here and make the tournament. Use the tournament run to get a few more transfers in and improve recruiting classes. We are likely going to win around 5 conference games this year. What is going to determine Miles' fate is this current freshman's class. That's right. It's an 7-8 year build. Glynn Watson needs to leave here with an NCAA tournament win or I am happy to look elsewhere for a coach.

My guess. Lack of dirty money.

Now there's a white-hot sports take if I ever saw one! I think you made the right call starting a whole new thread to post that. On an unrelated topic, have you ever wondered why you get down votes on your posts more often than not?

Guessing Benny is 2nd and Tai is 3rd

Just found him, he is at Evansville averaging something like 1.4 pts and 0.3 reb; so yeah he was probably a lost cause.

I don't see what the big fuss is over the big man recruiting. Hammond and Jacobsen both have plenty of eligibility left and with another off-season I think they will be a formidable duo. My guess is the last scholarship will be used on a big that redshirts and needs some time to develop and get bigger/stronger (like both Hammond and Jacobsen both could have used). Also, does anyone remember Sergej Vucetic? If my memory serves me correct he would be a senior this year (he also would have benefited from a redshirt year with us). Does anyone think he would be a viable option at this point in his career or was he just a hopeless prospect at this level?

I like MIles and hate when almost anyone that does anything has people saying, "Fire them," but I haven't like the offense run here with or without Smith.

Currently I believe you're right as the guy he replaced Smith with (Harriman) is on the bench at New Mexico.

I don't know what you are asking there, huskerbaseball13. Where was it mentioned that I was giving anyone a pass on anything, or giving anyone total credit for anything? Point is, you can't just claim that the absence/presence of Smith (or Molinari for that matter) is the sole reason or blame for what's been going on here over the last season and a half. Fact of the matter is, the team caught lightning in a bottle for that real nice 6 week run in 2014, but outside of that we've been a pretty steady bottom-third of the B1G team for the entire Miles tenure so far. That includes the time when Smith was here and when he wasn't. What HAS happened in the year and 9 months since Smith went to USD is we have signed 3 transfers from hoops blue blood programs and an additional 3 top 100 caliber guys out of high school, to assemble what could be argued to be one of the most talented rosters we've had ever. It is for that fact alone that I believe that I will be happy to let Miles have the chance to get these guys all in and developed. But right now? It is not time to start unloading on the staff. Not IMO, anyway.

Yeah that Craig Smith hot take is another one that annoys the crap outta me. People remember that the end of his tenure at NU coincided with the hot streak to finish off the 2014 season. He parlayed that into a D1 head coaching job, which, good for him. That's what he's supposed to do. But let's not forget he was also around for the 5-13 league campaign in 2013 and the 9-9 (1-5) start to the next season. Are we supposed to just give him a total pass for that season and a half because he was around for the 10-2 run to finish that season? Come on, man.

Kudos to Row 6; the only Husker loyalist!

Losing to Rutgers, even on the road, with their injuries and poor coaching would be a very bad sign. There are certain depths you don't want to sink to, even when you're rebuilding.

I have no clue who this golfer clown is, but I am starting to agree that I question if Miles can coach well enough or has enough coaching sense to get this done without Smith, who does have good coaching sense. There are more and more things that are negative about Miles that keep on coming. Something about him needs to be an unexpected positive very soon for me to continue to be on board.

Rutgers is battling injuries so they are about as weak in the post as we are. We desperately need a win and I think we have a good shot to pull it off. It would sure be a big confidence boost for our young guys. If we lose not much will change. Miles still has two more seasons after this year I n my opinion before any changes will be made

I look at creightons big men along with crappy teams that come into PBA and I can't believe, Miles and Nebraska are so incompetent when it comes to big man recruiting

A little off topic from hoops, but these are pretty slick:

Yeah but Dave is like 50 something and has a bad knee, but you never know how much he would help.

Does dorkydova or whatever his name was still play for Ohio State? That'd be my first choice. I would say beating Illinois and getting Groce to cry because he might get fired would be up there... but only because we did the same thing to Bruce Webber a few years ago and we would make it back to back Illinois coaches. Ok I am done. I gotta go give like 6 put ups now, so that is enough put downs for a while.

Win or lose vs Rutgers I don't think it changes much for this year or the future in my mind. We have some solid pieces now and going forward but there is also reason for concerns. I think we beat Rutgers, but after this year I think Miles may need to do some reevaluating in regards to his staff and his philosophies. I don't see our current issues as just a youth problem.

Before things get heated (should we lose to Rutgers), I'm just curious of people's opinions about this next game and the bigger picture as a whole. What does losing to a 6-9 (0-2) team and starting out 0-4 in conference play do to your perceptions about this year or the future? Let's hope this doesn't happen, but you can't rule it out.

I would agree - although it can be very hard for a young kid to reconcile what he's being told with what he sees on the court. Not sure the team's offensive performance this year would leave any big with a warm feeling. What, the chance to set a couple hundred ball screens each game wouldn't attract the best post recruits?

Went to two Clemson sites and one nobody had talked basketball since August, the other had three posts, not pages or threads, but three guys say that he is coming, and one basically said"who" I guess they do have to get by Football, but wow,that makes us on here look like zelots, but of course that is what we are so...

I think we need to find that underrated big man, like Jacobson and Hammond, and beef them up. Get them some experience and hope by the time they are juniors and seniors they are adequate big men. I still do not understand Miles' frustration with Hammond. I don't think Hammond has played God awful this season. He's had some bright moments, but his minutes are next to nothing. I don't know if Miles is trying to set a fire under him. If he just wants him to leave to open up the scholarship. If he's struggling with academics. I just don't get only playing him 8 minutes in 3 games. Especially, when he played pretty good defense against Indiana, and he is the only guy on the team with height.

GREAT use of quixotic!

time for some schnapps???

Apparently I was out of commission during that period of time between Christmas & New Year's. Didn't see it 'til today when PimpMario brought it back. I try to stay away from headlines entitled "Strange." not a big deal. just thought I'd let you know that the topic was discussed. Yeah, thanks. It is a strange development. But, it wouldn't be the first strange thing for Pitch to do or not do.

Well this is frustrating. To comments earlier, we all know how much time coach Miles and staff have spent to land a post player. I have never questioned that. Coaches get paid for results. 0-3 to start B1G is not what we are paying coach Miles to do. I don't accept that we played hard so it's ok if we lose. I don't accept the fact we haven't landed a center. Great facilities and fan support and B1G conference. By now we should have have landed a center. We shouldn't be losing 10-12 games in the B1G this year, but we are on pace to do so. IMPO this recruiting shortfall is a sign of more to come. We are better, but not good enough.

Nobody on this board can truly believe this program is headed in the right direction...

In my mind we exceeded expectations in year 1 and in year 2. Common denominator? Craig Smith. He leaves the program and in year 3 with a team that was expected and talented enough to make it back to the dance only wins 5 games in the Big 10. And we looked lost pretty much from the first exhibition game on. Our offense last year...may have been as bad as it's ever been. Coincedence? Maybe....but probably not. Either way, he's probably not coming back anytime soon...and our problems run deeper than just being young IMO. Talent alone is not going to bring in many wins in this conference when other teams are recruiting as well if not better. I do think Miles needs some help from an in-game X's and O's standpoint...atleast offensively....and I'm not sure he's getting that from the guy he replaced Smith with. Well, guys, this has been a very entertaining discussion. I could just imagine something similar having taken place back in Salem, Mass. in the days of the witch trials. Thos. (49r) Goldthwaite: "And howe doth my good neighbor faire this fine day?" Wm. (baseball13) Hathorne: "Newt so good, I'm afraide. Seems the olde cowe has gone drye and won't produce milk." Mssr Goldthwaite: "That happens sometimes, ladde. But the milke will come backe next time she's with calfe I'd suppose." Mssr. Hathorne: "Oooh, I dooon't knew about that. During the 7 monthes that Mssr. Craig Smithe lived next doore, she milked fine. Then he moves awaaye and suddenlee the cowe goes drye. Methinks he was a witch." Mssr. Goldthwaite: "Let me get this staighte: You thinke that because your cowe went drye at the same time Mssr. Craig Smithe moved awaye, that she went drye because he's a witch?" Mssr. Hathorne: "That's righte. I thinke we neede to finde Mssr. Smithe and burne him at the stake." Mssr. Goldthwaite: "And that will make your cowe give milke?" Mssr. Hathorne: "Can't hurte."

Completely agree with you, Royalfan

Another big - man whiff. No need to discuss replacing Miles after this season. Perhaps next season. Even mid -season. How about talking Colo St into trading coaches. Ill take my chances with Eustacy. Excuse my lack of sincerity , but this isn't a serious NU basketball program.