Norm Peterson

Sunk costs fallacy. The problem is systemic. Lack of effort, lack of cohesion, lack of buy-in, lack of attention to detail, lack of setting standards, lack of enforcing standards. Like a total failure of leadership. Bringing him back an extra year won't change his leadership style or suddenly make him a better manager of the players on the roster; it will simply give him a different group of players with which to fail. I think you're just delaying the inevitable. Admittedly, I would support delaying the inevitable failure in order to avoid paying the full buyout. If Fred won't accept a big cut, then make him come back and do it again. We have a decent recruiting class coming in but I don't see a bunch of impact players coming in here. But I really doubt Fred has his heart in this. I suspect he'd be willing to look for an out that pays him a bit to leave but doesn't require him to come back and suffer through another historically disastrous season. But here's my question back to you: If it's probable that we'll have to do this anyway, if not this year then next, and if all of the negative consequences will occur whether we do it now or next year, why not get started on the next chapter a year sooner? If the next coach can turn things around, we'll have a year head start on that process if we pull the trigger at the end of this season.

Why isn't Steve Pikiell on the list?

Grant McCasland?

Tim Miles' team reached the NCAA tourney in year 2. And he inherited a big mess. And he brought in far better talent than the best recruiter in the country has been able to deliver. And Eichorst cut Miles off at the knees 2 years later. I have followed this program for the better part of five decades. I have never EVER seen such a discombobulated mess on the floor as what I've seen in the three years Fred Hoiberg has been at the helm. It's not just about recruiting. It's about leadership, and the guy in the head coach's office isn't getting the most out of the players he brought in. There's a lack of discipline. A lack of attention to detail. A very obvious lack of buy-in. But let's talk recruiting. You want to give Abdelmassih credit for the one 5-star kid he's recruited, but don't forget Lat Mayen is also one of his recruits, as was Shamiel Stevenson and Keisei Tominaga and Elijah Wood and ... you get the point. I hope. Maybe you don't. Try this: Matt A built the whole roster, not just the 5-star kid part of it. We're not good. In fact, we're terrible. And we're terrible for a lot of reasons. But, at the end of the day, every single one of those reasons is the responsibility of the head coach. It all falls at his feet. Someone has to take accountability for this mess and, by someone, I don't mean a scape goat like Doc Sadler who has no coaching or recruiting duties whatsoever.

If we can just get 21 more ppl to vote in this poll, it'll make it so much easier to calculate percentages.

When you have no idea what a person does, it's easy to say they aren't doing a good job of it. Takes me back to the days of Marc Boehm. I think there's a quote from Voltaire: "Though I have no idea what it is you do, I'll defend to the death the opinion that you've done it poorly or not at all." Or something like that. Maybe it was Albert Einstein, not Voltaire.

Just give me a reason, just a little bit's enough ...

That's a great question because I feel like Andre has regressed.

Five point lead at the end of the third turns into a 17 point win. That's poise.

It is an injustice that this team hasn't previously been ranked. I mean, I expect they will be now. But it should have come sooner. Is the national media hanging the futility of the Husker men around the Husker women's necks? I mean they're different programs. Give the ladies the cred they deserve. They've earned it. Go Huskers!

Are you presuming that Kevin would have developed here as well as he's developed somewhere other than here? I'll be honest. I'm skeptical.

Let's quickly compare what Fred did (being hamstrung by being a first-year coach in the last season pre-Covid) with what TJ Otzelberger did at ISU in the 2nd year of Covid restrictions: Oh, um, he got Isaiah Brockington from Penn State, who's averaging just over 17 ppg while shooting about 37% from beyond the arc. He got a true freshman Tyrese Hunter (you can recruit HS players in your first season? But wait ...) who is averaging just over 10 a game. He got Gabe Kalscheur from Minnesota, who's averaging not quite 10 a game. Caleb Grill followed him from UNLV, so there is that. He got Aljaz Kunc from Washington St who's averaging 45% from 3. And he got Tristan Enaruna from KU. And those are his top 6 scorers. And they sport a record of 16-9. So, 1st year coaches don't have a chance to hit the transfer portal? Because why?

We just have all these moving parts that aren't coordinated. I mean, I think Verge is an alpha dog, but I question whether his teammates respect him. There certainly seems to be a lot of friction and guys can't get on the same page.

Let's quickly compare what Fred did (being hamstrung by being a first-year coach in the last season pre-Covid) with what TJ Otzelberger did at ISU in the 2nd year of Covid restrictions: Oh, um, he got Isaiah Brockington from Penn State, who's averaging just over 17 ppg while shooting about 37% from beyond the arc. He got a true freshman Tyrese Hunter (you can recruit HS players in your first season? But wait ...) who is averaging just over 10 a game. He got Gabe Kalscheur from Minnesota, who's averaging not quite 10 a game. Caleb Grill followed him from UNLV, so there is that. He got Aljaz Kunc from Washington St who's averaging 45% from 3. And he got Tristan Enaruna from KU. And those are his top 6 scorers. And they sport a record of 16-9. So, 1st year coaches don't have a chance to hit the transfer portal? Because why?

I feel like we blasted through rock bottom some time ago and are now swimming around in magma somewhere in the earth's mantle.

I still don't get the argument that the portal would have been especially difficult for us to navigate in year 1. Sure, Fred had been out of the college game a few years, but Matt A hadn't been. And Fred could boast having been an NBA coach returning to the college game where he'd enjoyed significant success. And, yet, look who we got out of the portal that year: Matej Kavas and Haanif Cheatham both ranked outside the top 30 impact grad transfers. As far as sit-out transfers, Dalano Banton ranked #40, but Shamiel Stevenson and Derrick Walker didn't rank at all, even among the honorable mention. I mean, a guy whose reputation involves working the transfer portal got worked. College basketball transfer rankings for 2019-20 and 2020-21 (espn.com) And if you think it got better in year 2 ... Kobe Webster was #37 for grad transfers (which seems about right) and our sit-out transfers included #6 Trey McGowens (overrated) and #9 Kobe King (who didn't show up) and that's pretty much it. Do you want to talk about the great success we've had with juco transfers?

I don't think it was pity. After that 42-10 run to end the first half, I think he was just drawing attention to himself. "Look how benevolent I am. We could have stuck a dagger in their hearts and, instead, we just lopped off their extremities. Aren't I nice?" I mean, look how he's chatting up the officials at the end.

It would have been nice to see that side of Fran for once, but I would have had to suffer through watching some pretty horrid basketball in order to get there, so I missed it, unfortunately. Or fortunately, depending on your perspective.

How much chance do you need to recruit the portal? I mean, most guys announce in April-June if they're transferring. It's a short window for everyone, both players and programs. How were we at any disadvantage recruiting the portal Fred's first two years? I mean, isn't that supposed to be his and Matt A's forte? And if we can't recruit the portal effectively the first two seasons, why would that change going forward?

I made wings and ham-and-cheese sliders and veggie tray and French fries and bitchin sauce and chips and it was awesome. And I like both quarterbacks so I honestly don’t care who wins. Sorry Odell Beckham blew out his knee.

Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa. Danny's 10-18 team lacked ... Tony Farmer (sat out as a transfer the 10-18 season; Big 8 all-tournament team the following year) who averaged 12.4 ppg and 7.4 bds in 90-91 Eric Piatkowski (sat out as a redshirt the 10-18 season) 10.9 ppg, 3.7 bds, 2.0 assists in 90-91 Beau Reid (sat out injured the 10-18 season) 9.9 ppg, 4.6 bds, 3.8 assists in 90-91 Also lacked Jose Ramos and Bruce Chubick who were rotation players. That's 3 of our top 6 scorers, 3 of our top 5 rebounders, and our top assists guy who played the 26-8 season but sat out the 10-18 season. You CANNOT say that it was basically the same players, which you didn't exactly say but you certainly implied. It was NOT the same players. There were critical, critical differences. And Danny's first 3 teams were nowhere near atrocious.

Nee's first team at Nebraska finished with 21 wins and a 3rd place finish in the NIT. His 2nd season, they won 14; the 3rd year they won 17. Fred Hoiberg's first three years should be so atrocious.

I'm happy we got the W. At times, things were clicking and we were hitting on all cylinders. We were very fortunate that Minnesota played poorly and couldn't hit the broad side of a barn in the first half. Defense looked pretty solid for the most part. How many fricking layups can a team miss? How many freethrows can a team miss? Last night, we attempted to find out. And the really positive side, I saw a couple of long-time HHC posters at the game last night who don't post much any more. But it was nice to see them. That's what happens when you slide down into the lower bowl, apparently.

I guarantee I won't be sitting in my seats tonight. Oh, I'll be at the game, for sure. I'll just be checking out sight lines for next year's Seat Yourself.

There will be pros. And farm leagues. And all that stuff. And eventually you'll maybe get to a place where colleges don't give out scholarships anymore and kids just play for the love of the game. And college fans will still show up to watch and cheer on the kids, just like fans show up to watch and cheer on Nebraska Wesleyan or Wayne State College. And because kids still play for places like Nebraska Wesleyan, and fans still show up to cheer them on, I'm convinced this will eventually shake itself out and there will always be a college game no matter what.