TheGov21

Maybe this idea should be brought up to Nick Gregath of ESPN 1480. I know he does a pre game show on the station, but maybe they'd be willing to do a call in show afterwards.

Was gonna post my predictions, but there were exactly the same as yours.

Evaluating football recruiting is so much tougher to do than in basketball because you can't see those players compete against each other like you do in the AAU circuts for basketball. Because of that guys fall through the cracks, get underrated, or overrated. The recruiting services (Rivals, Scout, 24/7, and ESPN) do a good job of identifying the elite players (5 stars) but where they struggle is that area between the 4 starts and 2 stars. In my opinion the difference between a 4 star and 3 start is very close. Also the difference between a 3 start and 2 start is just as close. So you could realistically say the difference between a 4 star and 2 star isn't that far off. There are plenty of players that are considered 2 stars that go on to have great college careers and play in the NFL. There are also plenty of 4 stars that are complete busts that never see the field in college. Alfonzo Dennard was a 2 star but came to Nebraska and start for four years and now has started his first two years for the Patriots. Star rankings can be affected by a lot of things. The more recruiting camps you go to, the better chance you have to increase yoru star rankings. You also have scouting services give a player a low ranking and then when certain schools start recruiting them their star rankings go up. Nebraska got a commit from a 2 star LB a couple of years ago from Louisiana and then LSU got interested and started recruiting him he eventually became a 4 star. The same thing goes the other way. If a player in California isn't being offered by UCLA, USC, or Cal then their star ranking goes down. But the reason they are offering is because he can't get accepted. Titus Young was a player like that, went to Boise State and was a 2nd round draft pick by the Detroit Lions. A lot of people want to get upset that Nebraska isn't doing better to bring in higher rated classes, but that's not the end all be all. I'm sure a lot of Husker fans would love to trade what Nebraska has done over the past four years with schools like Wisconsin or Michigan State. But both of those schools had recruiting classes ranked in the 20-30 range. Yet Michigan State ended this past season at #3 in the country. So rankings do matter, but they aren't the end all be all. I don't by the fact that Pelini lost recruits because Eichorst or Perlman didn't come out with a vote of confidence. That's the last thing an AD wants to do. Just look at Florida. Their AD came out in full support of Muschamp and then the next week the Gators lost to FCS Georgia State. The questions about Muschamp's future didn't go away and the AD still had to ask if he was still supporting him. The best thing a coach can do to quiet the rumors of him getting fired is to win.

No way Petteway leaves early. He's been a great surprise this season and showing a great talent to score the basketball. But he'll be at Nebraska till his elgibility runs up. He's got a lot of talent, but he's not going to be a lock to be a first round pick. You only leave early when you have academic issues, get kicked off the team, or have a chance to be a lottery pick. Petteway is neither of those.

I believe he's said in the past he averaged maybe one a season. So probably don't count on it anymore.

I really liked Tom Crean when he was at Marquette, but he seems very different at Indiana. Don't care for him much. But I do really enjoy me some Jay Wright at Villanova

Agree 100% Pettaway was very lucky not to get a T and lucky his teammates got him away because it looked like he was ready to stay and keep arguing.

From the sounds of what Benning said, he's got some big issues going on with his inner circle outside of the basketball team and he didn't ask for help till it was too late. Even going to Lincoln wasn't far enough away from Omaha to escape them.

Last game I was able to get to was the Miami game and we had had a bunch of people come back late from halftime or left early. It drove my dad absolutely nuts because people were leaving and coming back while the game was being played and they obstructed his view of the game. My response to him (and my philosophy) was that now with the new arena there are several (not all by any stretch of the means) people who go to be seen. Mainly because it's the new thing. Whether that's a good or bad thing, it's up to the individual. But that's how I view it.

I believe that is the plan. That's the reason he is redshirting and trying to gain some weight. From what I saw in Miles' teams at CSU is that he doesn't mind playing "small" and it seems like he wants a "stretch 4." Fuller should be able to do that.

Anybody know why Biggs isn't at game?

Minn 77 Neb 67

Very good point and I think that's overlooked. But something I don't get is this team should still have some better cohension. Yeah Pettaway, Pichford and Biggs didn't play last year, but they were a part of the program. They were practicing all year. Now they probably ran the scout team, but they still played with the rest of the guys. Shouldn't they have some comfortability with each other?

I get what you are saying, but didn't he have to be pulled out of the game and sat down to calm down? It's one thing to wear your emotions on your sleeve, but to say it doesn't affect his play isn't entirely accurate. I witnessed him in the Miami game pout after missing shots and not huslte back on defensel

I don't think this team is selfish I just think they just have a lot of guys that have that scoring mentality and it's lending to rushed shots and poor offense. I think if there were more clearly defined roles or more "glue" guys then I think it would be better. That's why I'm such a big fan of Rivers. He doesn't have to have the ball. Same with Smith. He's at his best when he's getting rebounds and buckets from other guys.

Count me in for the group that is questioning roster management. Rivers finally gets some action against OSU and is in there at crunch time for the win. Disappears again against Penn State and Pichford is at the end not giving them any rebounding or defense. What did Rivers do? I know a lot of people want to put the loss on Biggs and with his two big turnovers at the end of the game and mental lapse on defense and I can see why. But in my opinion if the Huskes control the boards down the stretch and not give up so many offensive rebounds, the game is a win. I did want to point this out and I don't think I saw it anywhere else (forgive me if somebody else said it). But did anybody else noticed after the game when the players were walking to shake hands they showed Biggs and Nate Hawkins. Biggs was clearly upset with himself for his mistakes. But I saw Hawkins put his arm around Biggs and was talking to him clearly trying to pick his spirits up. This team doesn't seem to have a lot of leadership, so it was nice to see one of the freshman displaying some.

NU: 72 PSU 70

Well if it's the three best players in the state then it's probably Thurman (Central) and Thomas (Benson) for sure.

Found it interesting that Rivers can't see the floor and then we he gets a second chance he's there at the end.

The men's game is very different. Explosive athleticism is far more important in the men's game now. That doesn't change the fact that this state is producing abundance of D1 talent. Not only to Nebraska and Creighton but other schools. Heck this state is actually a talent rich state for volleyball.

NU 55 OSU 86

I'm not saying a full fledged walk on program like football. I'm saying trying to get a player who is a fringe D1 prospect and gettting to walk on. They can fill that role of a practice player like Menke is and maybe just maybe they develop into a guy that can come off the bench and hit a few threes or play defense here and there. I agree with you that walk ons shouldn't be getting meaningful minutes, but that's not what I was talking about. Jalen Bradley was a guy that I thought fit this a couple of years ago.

Here's my take on Nebraska high school basketball. The state has produced some Big 12/10 talent over the years, but its a player here and there. The talent level in basketball is improving, especially in Omaha. But the big problem is those players aren't getting it done in the classroom. That falls onto the coaches (both AAU and High School), the players parents, and the player themselves for not getting their $h!! done to give them a chance to play D1 ball. That's the reason why Thurman doesn't have a ton of offers (BTW...doesn't Utah State have a quality basketball program?). Nebraska has to land the players in state that are these Big 10/12 caliber of players (Agau, Gessell, Elliason, Hill) and use them and the foundation of the team. Then try and go out and get your difference makers from other areas. I would also like to see Miles be more active in getting some walk ons. It hurts with UNO becoming a D1 school, but get some of these fringe players to walk on and maybe when they are juniors and seniors they can have some type of a role off the bench. One of the biggest reason the Women's basketball team is having so much success (and volleyball) is not only do they have a heck of a good coach. But they have talented players within the state. This state is pumping out D1 girl talent left and right. No coincidence that the volleyball and basketball teams are having success.

Mike Hahn went to Pacific. Is that who you're thinking about? He's talking about Wendall Faines who started at Northstar and then transfered to Northeast. He was a 6'8 post player who had a ton of potential but couldn't stay out of trouble. Ended up not qualifying to Drake went to a Prep school and then disappered. Another player that gets forgotten was Jerell Crayton from Bell East who was a 6'6 post player. Went the JUCO route and then ended up at Boise State I believe

Like somebody else stated, they see Fuller as a stretch 4 but feel he needs to add weight so that's probably why he's redshirting. From everything I've heard I think Fuller has a future. Hawkins probably should have redshirted, especially with the early injury. He has no impressed me at all from the little I've seen.