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So I don't post nearly as much as I used to (duh) but believe me, I watch EVERY game and sometimes, kind of miss the old report cards I used to do from 2004-2015. I also regularly read this awesome website that Matt does a GREAT job with. Anyway, I've been absolutely BLOWN AWAY by how good of a FLOOR COACH (especially situationally) Fred Hoiberg is. Sure, we all know he can recruit... we all know he played in the NBA 10 years... we all know he was in the T-Wolves front office... We all know he built ISU into a winner, regularly put guys into the NBA and coached the Bulls... we also all know he can recruit. But nobody really seems to comment on his floor coaching much. Here are six instances I've noticed that I've been yearning for out of a Nebrasketball coach for YEARS and YEARS and NEVER SEEN. These are little things that will make a HUGE difference when we upgrade the talent and are competing for postseason. They are as important as free throws. 1. TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE RUNNING CLOCK INSIDE 1:00 LEFT AT THE END OF THE FIRST HALF The first time I noticed this was against Southern Utah, and it ALSO manifested itself the very next game. It hasn't presented an opportunity since then, but two straight games, I saw Hoiberg do the following. In the first half, our bench is right in front of us on defense, obviously. The opposing team made a shot with around 36 seconds left and our guys were running out of bounds and about to pass it in with 36 seconds left. He YELLED and told them to WAIT - the clock is running - run it down to at least 32 before you in bound (you get 5 seconds, after all). This completely eliminates one possession (which can be huge) and it's something NO COACHES EVER DO. EVER. He did it twice in a row. I've never seen anyone mention this. How many one possession games are there in conference when you are where you need to be? Why do no other coaches do this? (I promise you, they don't) 2. BRINGING IN PLAYERS WHO DON'T PLAY TO FOUL AT THE END He's done this in one game for sure, but it seems like two. Maybe at Indiana? I don't know how many times I see dumbass coaches leave their starters with 3 and 4 fouls in there to foul at the end. ESPECIALLY OUT OF A TIMEOUT. Drives me insane. I get that you want a steal and keep your best guys in, but when there's a 5% chance of that, it makes more sense to bring in Arop or Charlie or Kavas or whomever to use their fouls and then bring back in your key players with 3 and 4 fouls during the free throws. This might sound ho hum but name me one other college coach who does this. 3. WILLINGNESS/LACK OF STUBBORNNESS TO MIX UP DEFENSES AND EVEN PLAY (GASP) A LOT OF ZONE We haven't had a coach willing to play semi consistent zone since...... well I go back to Danny Nee and I don't remember it (outside of some of Danny's teams). I don't believe Doc ever did much when he was here - ditto on Miles (outside of small stretches). Same with Barry. I can't tell you how many times I yelled at the TV "switch out of the damn man" and my good friend Dustin who also watches every game would say, "He doesn't believe in it. We don't play zone." Hoiberg has shown that he will adapt defenses based on opponent and game situation MUCH MORE than any of our coaches throughout the last 25 years. He has his team prepared for EVERYTHING. 4. CALLED PLAYS/SETS OUT OF TIMEOUTS GETTING EASY SHOTS I'm willing to bet if you went back out of a timeout when we had possession, we run a set or play that gets us a good look 4 out of 5 times. And that's with (no knock on our guys) semi inferior talent. 5. ADJUSTING AT HALFTIME A coach who actually (Gasps) adjusts at halftime??? We've seen this many times this year. 6. LITERALLY NOBODY EXCEPT FRED AND THOR’S FAMILY THOUGHT THOR WAS A BIG TEN PLAYER. I don’t think this gets brought up enough. Fred was literally the only one who spotted Thor’s strength and upside to want to keep him around. None of us saw upside or ability with Thor. Fred did and we see Thor becoming a better player each game. The shooting ability from three point land out of Thor from last year to this year is one of the most remarkable year to year improvements I’ve ever seen at the college level. These are just six of many examples - #1 and #2 and #6 are the ones I REALLY wanted to point out because I haven't seen anyone ever talk about them. These are HUGE THINGS that coaches just don't do and that will win us games down the line. Fred is a freaking winner. He's all class. He's a name. He's a recruiter. He's a "wow" factor. But let's not forget he's a HELL. OF. A. FLOOR. COACH. If he can't get it done here, we literally are screwed.

The other team MORE Our team LESS Assists = NOT ENOUGH

I actually thought we did compete tonight- but Wisconsin setting a program record on three’s and just total confusion on defending the pick and roll won’t get it done- need to shore that up ASAP- was hoping Doc would have our defense better- absolutely no need to triple team ANY big guy from Wisconsin. I don’t see Nigel Hayes or Ethan Happ or Frank Kominsky on this team...

If we aren’t going to play Cross and Yvan together, then it’s time to start Cross and give him 25min a game to Yvan’s 15. Cross just scored 17 in 20 minutes. That’s not normal for a freshman. We could at least stand to give him the green light to start games and see how he’s doing. Really a pretty good effort against an average to decent team who happened to have their greatest shooting night ever. I think we beat Wiscy at home. Our guards are quite a bit more athletic. Great game from Burke. We need Mack to have a notable second half one of these days. He’s been a monster the first half of the last two games. We are undermanned but there was plenty to like tonight.

Paging Me. Cheatham, paging Mr. Cheatham.... Noticed he looked a bit out of it against Indiana- counted four if not five three’s made by IU on hands down close outs by him. Seemed a bit out of sorts tonight as well. We need him and his steadiness- it’s been quite noticeably gone the past couple of games. On a plus side, I thought Burke and Cross played with some real confidence. I no longer consider Charlie a walk-on. Guy can and should be getting regular minutes for his defense alone. Wish our guys would’ve been better prepared or executed on their preparation against the basic pick and roll... Entertaining watching Burke Put some of Wisconsin’s defenders on skates on Lincoln residential streets- his quickness really showed tonight

I rarely post and love all of the insights on this board, and I have to say I couldn't agree more with you, Dave. I was just telling my boys that while the wins and losses may be historically bad this season that I know the Huskers will be good. Why? Because Fred's offense gets open looks or easy baskets so often. This isn't hero ball. This is excellent basketball with equally good adjustments in-game and excellent out of time outs, out-of-bounds, etc. When the players and perhaps experience and understanding match the offense, look out! Good days for Nebrasketball are coming my friends!

Nice post. I agree on most of those but Miles played a lot of 1-3-1 the last few years. i also love the Fred manages our fouls. We rarely give away fouls early to stay out of the bonus which I think kills you a lot. Probably since he is big on analytics. Also along with clock management he likes to get 2 for 1 possessions when possible which I have wanted forever. One more thing I like is his sub patterns especially the bigs. He seems to see match ups and momentum when subbing. A lot of coaches have a regular pattern they don’t deviate from unless they are in foul trouble or something.

It's more of a 'cry for help' than 'easter eggs'

Fred is the best coach Nebraska has ever had......PERIOD!!!!

Lots to like from last night and really other than getting sloppy a couple times in the second half when we were clawing back into the game for a second time, my only frustration was not adjusting the defense to defend the 3 point line. It is clear that at 17 Yvan really needed a year to bulk up and tone some skills. There are flashes of what will come but he really struggled last night. Cross was really really good last night. Said it many times already, but with some readjusting weight and adding strength, he could be a really match up nightmare. Burke was just fun to watch last night. Not sure they had anyone that could stay in front of him. Mack had a good game, just seemed at a couple key times he tried to do to much. Thor - solid game for what he can give us. Cheatham has just disappeared the last couple games. Wondering if we've run the legs out from under him. We need him to get back in his grove. Easley - less one trip where he was way late closing out (he wasn't alone on this) solid solid night on defensive end. With how we struggle to score at times, we just can't have he and Yvan on the floor at same time. Makes it to easy when you have to guard just three guys. Green - just needs something good to happen for him. The move to the basket in the first half was a thing a beauty other than not finishing Like the effort last night. Biggest disappointment is in the lack of defensive adjustments when it was clear they could throw the ball up from behind their backs from 3 and it was going in. Understand why we started with that mentality, but the game was lost from lack of defending the 3 point line. Someone mentioned in the game thread that Fred's offense once it gets it's pieces is going to cause nightmares for teams like Wisconsin who are plodders. It was clear last night this statement is true.

FIFY.

If you would've told me before the game that Wisky would make 8 3s, I figured we'd be in trouble. When they throw in 18 of them and we're still within 5 with 5 to go on the road, that's pretty good, considering how we have to play defense right now. If the opponent is making 3s, we're just not going to win. We need more Iowa-like performances from the opponent. There's probably more games left where we'll be a double-digit underdog than a single-digit 'dog or - ha - favored, so hopefully we can keep taking baby steps forward, because we're not going to win much. I think last night was a step forward.

The fact that Wisconsin made 18 threes tonight, when they had been shooting at a 27% clip on threes since Jan. 1, and only won by 14. That's kinda remarkable in its own right.

A big positive for me was Cross tonight. The threes are nice but the one play where he pump faked and exploded to the basket for a bucket plus the foul was a thing of beauty. He is going to be a good one. Get him and Yvan in the weight room this summer and they will take very big steps forward next year. Oh, and add in the three athletic sit out transfers and you have a team that can compete for a full 40 minutes.

Multi-threat Whitish fun to watch — and an important piece — for Nebraska women's basketball team Brent Wagner Jan 21, 2020 Updated 1 min ago Nebraska’s Hannah Whitish (3) shoots a three-pointer against Minnesota on Jan. 4 at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Whitish is averaging 3.1 makes per game on three-pointers during Big Ten play this season. EMILY HANEY, Journal Star file photo Facebook Twitter Email Print Save Hannah Whitish was the last player to step into the locker room after the Nebraska women’s basketball team rallied for an impressive three-point win against Michigan on Sunday. Whitish had to stay on the court for a TV interview. When she made it to the locker room, coach Amy Williams got all the players to clap for Whitish, and the senior bounced into the room with a big smile. It was another game that showed when Whitish has a great game, the Huskers are a lot better team. WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Williams shares insight into how Nebraska women prepare for next opponent Brent Wagner For Whitish, it was an awesome feeling going into that locker room. Nebraska had outscored Michigan 42-22 during a 16-minute stretch of the second half. “I was so proud of this team,” Whitish said. “A year ago I don’t think we would have won that game, being down 13. It just shows that growth that we’ve had, and it gets me really excited for what’s to come these last couple of months of the season.” Whitish tied her season-high with 20 points Sunday, and splashed in six three-pointers on just eight attempts. And she added five assists without a single turnover. It's games like that when Whitish is really fun to watch, both for her shooting and perfect lob passes inside to Kate Cain for easy baskets. Whitish has had plenty of games like that in her four years as a starter. Whitish is one point away from being in the top 20 on Nebraska’s career scoring list. She enters Wednesday’s game against Purdue ranked 21st with 1,132 points. But Whitish is more versatile than that. Earlier this season, she became the first Husker in program history to hit the combined career milestones of 1,000 points, 400 assists and 200 three-pointers. Whitish is the only current Husker who has earned all-conference honors after taking second-team honors as a sophomore. WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Fast-break points: Lineups and quick hits for Nebraska-Purdue Brent Wagner Williams says it’s all the ways that Whitish can affect a game that make her fun to watch. “You have a kid that is a 1,000-point scorer, can shoot the three and is one of the best three-point shooters in our program’s history, but also has all of the assists that she has,” Williams said. “And to be an unselfish player that is not really out to 'get mine,' but yet still can be very aggressive and dangerous offensively, it’s pretty fun to watch.” Whitish leads Nebraska with 68 assists this season, and those passes are her favorite part of the sport. “I like assists a lot,” Whitish said. “I don’t know, because it’s not exactly like you’re scoring the ball, but you still have a part in somebody else scoring and giving those other people opportunities.” Nebraska’s success during the Big Ten season will be critical to whether the Huskers (14-4, 4-3 Big Ten) can make a return to the NCAA Tournament, and Whitish has played well during the conference season. Her average of 3.1 made three-pointers per conference game is No. 1 in the league, and Whitish is No. 8 in three-point shooting percentage (41%). She also ranks 27th in scoring (11.7 ppg). While Whitish sometimes follows up a game where she scored a lot with a game where she only scores a few points, Williams said Whitish is having an impact every game, like during an overtime win against Missouri when Whitish had four steals and took two charges. “That’s the kind of thing that senior point guards do is they find ways to have an impact on the game, and I think she’s done that all year long,” Williams said.

thor is a god....

Our "B" team is soooooo much better than their "B" team it ain't funny. Also Wisconsin reminds me of our football team in the 80's. Huge, slow, white guys that are shocked when they have guys run by them. Also somebody needs to show these guys how to grow facial hair. And lastly, isn't a Pritzel the bone or something that a bull has in its penis? Ohhhh and that freshman for them has great hair. (Wahl?) but he really sucks hind tit.

How many moving screens does reuvers get tonight?

When the bodies are longer he’ll look like a defensive genius again.

We’re going to beat Wisconsin consistently starting maybe next year. They are not built to stop Hoiberg’s scheme. We just can’t match up down low without helping right now. That will change. Their inverted guard sets won’t be able to post us up either. Another coach/system I wouldn’t trade for Fred’s staff. If you can switch everything without helping you can destroy this Wiscy team.

I don't know. Kind of damned if you do and damned if you don't. We don't have the size or bodies that can play one on one down low with anyone so we gamble that our opponents can't make threes. It worked against Iowa when they were awful but the strategy looks terrible when the other team is making shots. I also would contend we are slow in closing out on a lot of these tonight.

Yvan is 17..... Yvan is 17..... Yvan is 17..... I have to keep telling myself this....

Another flop called a charge

Douche Bag was my first thought....

Back from 10 days in Cuba. Y'all went 0-3 without me? Damn.

That's current USA 3x3 great Robbie Hummel

You are dead on. We are limited as to what we can do defensively this year. When we have more size/athleticism on the floor (next year, hopefully), Doc will be able to develop more sophisticated defensive game plans. It did appear to me that we competed and played hard. Had Wisconsin merely shot 40% from 3, we would have given them a real scare. We were able to break them down pretty consistently, which is not something you see teams doing against Wisconsin very often.

I agree with most of your points but I believe you’re selling Miles short on two. One of Miles’ ‘Hallmark’ moves was implementing zone, to decent success, to turn games around. Maybe not last year as much but two to three years ago he used it frequently. Also I think hoiberg wasn’t the only one who believed in Thor, I mean, Tim brought him here!

Drinking before 9 am is fun. So... NU 62 RU 60 13 assists

I'm 100% with you on this. This macho BS about playing man gets to me. Changing defenses out of a timeout counters everything the opposing coach just got done telling his team. Changing defenses can flip the mindset of your own team. Changing defenses can unsettle an opponent that's getting too comfortable scoring. You don't have to sit in a 2-3, there are other zones that opponents aren't used to seeing. There's a zone press and half-court trap. But to just sit there and say "we play man" when you're getting torched is ridiculous.

Rut 82 Neb 65 12 Asst. (bonus question -will they have more dunks than we will have misses at the rim)

This season is probably going to get really really ugly.

Agreed on a lot of that, especially with Cam, Dachon & Kevin torching UW; and I think NU gives 'em a great game in Lincoln. There were a lot of good things to see tonight, as long as one lowers expectations on the 'result' end of the equation, that is.

Fred is The Mayor, after all. I will attest: He can do it all, I saw it with my own two eyes when I took my son to his basketball camp last summer, and will so again this upcoming summer; Fred recalled small instances of games that he himself played in at ISU over 25 years ago, believe me, I went back & double-checked his memory with game stories from the era. I was thoroughly impressed from Day One. Nebraska is very, very, very fortunate to have the coaching staff they have now, and I'd contend that is also the case for basically all of Husker athletics right now. GBR !!!

Hang in there- there is always next year, I’ve been a season ticket holder since 1991....I believe I have grey hair as a result...

We are who we are. Our lack of size kills us. I thought we played with good effort and tried to execute defensively. Wisconsin is well drilled and moved the ball well to get, and make shots. Opening the 2nd half they executed flex cuts to get shots inside and outside. We are missing an inside scoring threat and that is not a criticism of Yvan. The rest of the season is about development, not winning games.

We still need guys that can actually put the ball in the basket.

This is freaking ridiculous! I can’t wait until we play a team that actually misses 3’s.

He is too slow, Wisconsin could guard him without the reach in grab and flop that they are so good at that they never get called on them.

Forget the facial hair. I want guys with some leg hair.

Jervay has just lost his confidence.

I hate Wisconsin. Becoming Creighton level of hate.

No, we aren't very good, but the officiating in this conference is shameful.

It's 20 minutes of scrapping and effort like that which reminds me why the losses this year are meaningless. Who knows what the next twenty minutes holds but you can clearly see the process and the buy in from the guys on a 7-11 team. Even Jervay Green with a reduced role. Be patient everyone!

Burke and Cross making my night Please. I'm tired of Davison.

These guys can’t guard us one on one. Space it out and go by these cement shoes. If you can’t tell I really don’t like Wisconsin and I want this one.

Pritzel is a Pretzel!

Gosh dangit I wish Jervay coulda finished that!!!!! Ugh, he’s trying so hard. He NEEDED that. You could see how defeated he was walking back to the bench. I feel for him.