Bill Self's Toupee

Pearl Jam... Just Breathe

The West Wing on Netlfix.

Perseverance through adversity builds character. I'm pretty sure both Matej and Haanif developed a lot of character this season. Thank you to both men for there roles laying a foundation for the future.

I would rather Cam heal up and be a difference maker next season!

And yet... and this is weird... I haven't hit the panic button. I guess that is in part because I expected this to be a tough season. I have to say that Doc put together a very good Defensive plan last night. We played great (IMO)... until shots started to miss, then we pressed and played tight. Back to Doc... one of my favorite Doc quotes is "I just hope half of the bad calls go to the other team." Not last night. The post-game presser was fun to watch once Jack Hoiberg walked in to the room. Coach Hoiberg was distracted, kept glancing over, then finally Jack went up and sat down. Priceless.

There was a conversation between Mack and Burke (I think it was in the first half), started right after a possion (sorry, don't recall what happened), continued after a Burke steal -> fast break pass ot Mack -> pass to Thor (IIRC) for a layup, and into a timeout (TV or Rutgeers, don't recall what caused the timeout). They weren't yelling at each other by any means, but it appeared that they were not on the same page for some reason. I thought it was interesting because... 1) It carried througth several possessions 2) Burke didn't hesitate to pass ot Mack during the fast break (so no hard feelings?) 3) Body language indicated they didn't agree with each other over whatever they were talking about I don't know how to interpret it - at the least it tells me we're not a well oiled machine. Anyone else recall this? If so, what was your take? EDIT: Also, pretty easy to tell when Coach Hoiberg is not pleased. And he was not pleased a whole lot during this game.

I've come to terms with what this season will be... inconsistent, full of growing pains, with both ups and downs. I'd like there to be more ups than downs, but that doesn't appear to be in the cards. When they play well, Nebrasketball sure is fun to watch. When they don't.... yeesh, its brutal.

This is a first year team with 95% new parts (coaches, players, staff). That is not a recipe for guaranteed consistency. The range of possibility this season is huge. I would not be surprised if we played deep into the NIT, nor would I be surprised if we ended the season shy of .500. I would be shocked (shocked, I say!) if we were on the bubble for a tournament bid. Except for the loss in Omaha, this has been a fun team to watch. Right now I am simply looking forward to the rest of the season, doing my best to be realistic with my expectations.

Always was (and will be) a fan of Tim Miles' personality and charm.

Sure seems like the film study and honest discussion after the loss in Omaha is paying dividends. What an incredible three game turnaround, and something to build the rest of the season on! If the team continues to play like they did against Indiana and Purdue, this will be a pretty darn good season. Kudos for the coaches and players on sticking with the process!

It is a rough comparison to make, but here goes... I think this season was going to be a rough one if we didn't make a coaching change this spring. Winning half of our games seemed like a reasonable expectation. Not what I wanted, but it seemed to fit where we were as a program. Then we actrually saw a coaching change. And a monumental shift in the roster, with all the uphill work that entails - players getting to know each other and their coaches, learning how to play as a team, even simply getting adjusted to a new school. That's a lot to deal with. That said, I have the same expectations for this season as I did in March... win half the games this year. But, oddly, I don't feel frustrated with that expectation now. I think it is because this is Year 1 for Hoiberg rather than year 7 for Miles.

With the information on the team coming from their trip to Italy, the season suddenly seems around the corner. I was out walking (trying to sweat off a pound or four) and thinking, and tried to put together a roster of my favorite players. I thought I'd share what I came up with, and see what other people would come up with. The only rule... 13 players, and they must have played for at least one full year at Nebraska. I also limited myself to players I actually have watched play. Here's my roster: Bigs: Aleks Maric, Rich King, Verson Hamilton Forwards/Wings: Eric Piatkowski, Carl Hayes, Bruce Chubick, Isaiah Roby, Terrance Badgett, Shavon Shields Guards: Erick Strickland, Clifford Scales, Tyronn Lue, Cookie Belcher Heavy on the Danny Nee, I know... but we had the most talent then.

Le Mer (Beyond the Sea) Original: Charles Tenet Cover: Julio Iglesias (uses as the finale in the remake of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy) Can't explain it, but I really dig this tune.

There was good discussion on this week's OWH Pick Six Podcast about the upcoming season.

Yeah, that whole situation was baaaaaad.