All About the Corn

Well it was hard to sit in the stands and watch the second half. Certainly we need to upgrade our athleticism but if we had sound fundamentals it would not be such a glaring problem. We lack that senior leadership on the court. Reading the thread about Doyle and Whitish and agree 100%. This is the time seniors need to step up and it is not happening. Hannah and Nicea should want the ball in their hands (in the second half when the game is in the balance) at this point and lead the way. Instead we have two sophomores in Sam and Leigha who sometimes look good and then have sophomore moments. This will help in the next couple of years but does little for us right now. My son came to watch yesterdays game. First time he saw them and said pretty much the same things we have talked about. Part of what needs to happen is a change in culture. The great teams have a culture in place that all players learn from. Take the VB team for example. Granted Cook gets and has higher rated players than the BB team but he spends a lot of time working with the team captains. Helping them to learn and understand the culture expected at NE. They pass along to the underclass and year after year they play at a high level. The same can be done with BB. When you come into a coaching change the culture needs to come from the staff. Granted the first year we had player(s) who did not want to follow the change in culture. Year two we had strong senior leadership and it showed. Last year they really was very little senior leadership. But leadership does not just need to come from your seniors. That falls back to the coaches to help guide your juniors into that role. The last two games Hannah and Nicea needed to take charge in the second half. Sam and Leigha should not be putting up 15 shots a game unless they happen to be on. Hannah was 4 of 8. How many came after half? Nicea has her moments on the offense end but we all know she is our primary defensive stopper. We did not take the game to OSU in the second half. Too much standing on offense and too much watching on the defensive end. That falls back to the coaches. Amy needs to better use her time outs and not save most of them for the last 3-4 minutes of a game. These last two games falls on both players and coaches.

NE VB has the last few years been one of the best passing teams. This past year was there worst in quite sometime. Granted some players like a MB really do not need to dig ball or pass very much but your setter, OH, and libero really need most of the skills that volleyball uses. To watch some of the plays they make is a thing of beauty. Now that is not to say that WBB players need less skill really just different skills than VB. I could get into a comparison but that is for another time. Maybe the off season. I hope we can make the turn and come around and finish strong and find our team is in the NCAA tourney.

When I was growing up my top sport was BB. Now it is VB by quite a bit. I watch some of the pro leagues overseas, our NT matches, and of course NE. It really lets the girls showcase their skill and athleticism more than BB. Jordan Larson has been a top tier OH for a long time. Plus has made a lot of money playing the sport. She had made upper 6 to just over 7 figures for years. Barring injury will be in her 3rd Olympics. Part of why NE has some girls become naturalized in other countries because that is the only way they maybe able to play in the Olympics. USA BB is very political IMHO.

It was nationwide. Now inner city is more BB than VB but part of that is due to your neighborhood BB courts. Here is a ESPN article. https://www.espn.com/espnw/sports/story/_/id/18659764/why-young-athletes-flocking-volleyball-not-basketball-record-numbers

Thanks for your comments Sam. Part of what happened last night when it got more physical is leading to a bigger change in WBB. If you have girls that are real good in both VB and BB many are choosing VB over BB because the physical play. There are numbers to back this up. Over on the VB board I post at and I can not remember the year it could have been 2018 or maybe 2017 but there was more girls playing VB than BB.

Part of why we need to know how to play with the refs during the game. I would think they would talk about the refs in the locker room. Also it should be noted when in the huddle when it looks like they are letting things play without a call we need to change as well. Plus maybe more fire from Williams. She seems like she does not want to get a "T". Maybe she should a little more often. Most refs do not like to give a second so you can work them a little more to get calls.

Cazzie I agree a little lineup change could do wonders. Plus maybe limit Cain's minutes. She has been mostly 30+ here lately. Bourne and Mershon should have more court time. Plus this is the time your seniors should want the ball in their hands. Haiby had 6 TO's last night.

This is their 4th year, and no staff changes.

We can not win with 22 turnovers. Plus no production from Cain. She should be close to a double/double most nights. I know Sam and Leigha force things but they need to when we have too many players standing around or not looking for their shot. We get stagnant on the offensive end way too much. On the defensive side we shot watch and do not block out. Look at the shot numbers. Outside of Sam with 14, the rest of the starters only took 16 shots, hence my comment about our offense. As far as the refs, well you should scout them as well. We just do not use them when we should. Doyle at Iowa does a good job of knowing them and using them. Go back to the game here. How many times did she force the contact knowing she was going to get the call? Plenty. I think Leigha does a little bit but she can get a little wild so they do not give her the call. We really needed to go 6-3 or 7-2 in the front half of the B1G to make the NCAA's. Looking a lot like a WNIT team at this point.

So MN has lost 4 straight at home. We need to bring our "A" game tonight. Cain needs to have a good night. A double/double would be great. Also need Sam, and Leigha to make trips in the lane and to the FT line. I think without our "A" game this will be an "L" for us. I hope I am wrong.

I have seen Brown throw something to the bench a few times this year. It must her in game monitor.

To come back from that far down takes a lot of energy. Looks like we just have nothing left after getting up by four. I still think we don't always use our subs effectively or call time outs effectively. We need more from Cain to be effective. Agree we can still make the NCAA but need to step it up the last half of the B1G.

So I wonder if attendance will be lower today due to the weather?

Thanks Bugs!

I think it more based on their rep. As an official you know they play hard defense so you allow them to play that way. It just like when we have a group of three come in and you know they call every little touch or they let you bang some. I am not sure who arranges for them to do games but if it is by the team or the league then they make sure to bring in a trio that allows a more physical game. If the league arranges it they need to change it. but I have said for years that what NE gets called for and what Maryland, or Rutgers gets called for are most time two different things.

With the surgeries Helms has had getting less mileage on them this year maybe helpful for the next three. A great example of a teammate finding ways to stay engaged even if your time on the court is limited.

NE fans have seen first hand when a player doe not buy into a team first approach.

So anything said on Kayla Robbins (MI) injury? It did not look good.

Gutty performance by Brown. That first drive to the basket just after she came in was a blocking foul on MI before it was a jump ball. That is all you need to know about the refs yesterday. I will say we fans harp about traveling but most will let them take two steps when you are making a basketball move to the rim. Just watch the NBA, they do it all the time. That by the way it where it came from.

When we are playing from behind you have to work that much harder to get back into the game. We need a quicker start against the likes of Maryland. We got that to start the game last night but I think Williams went too long before bringing in Brown, and Bourne. Then they went on a 12-0 run and it was all uphill at that point. I get that we had tired legs toward the middle of the fourth. I expected that.

Great to see Whalen handle this correctly.

It has been discussed here on this board about Brown either starting or seeing more court time. IMHO she needs to be around 30-32 minutes a game. We need her on the floor. Our threes kept it from getting out of hand early. Leigha is capable of doing so many good things for us for her to be around the 24-25 minute range does not help us. We got back into the game in the third because of her play. Also Bourne is really coming into her own. As our most gifted 4-5 we need her on the court more as well.

On the other side if NE comes out and plays well and wins...

Glad to see this game is on BTN tonight.

Bourne is a great get for NE. I am thinking Porter will be as well. Kelsey maybe helping indirectly? We have had a few alum play down under.