Fullbacksympathy

I would agree if that was a possibility.

Totally fair. I think Miles might have figured out how to keep us on the bubble year in and year out. We play very, very well at home. That's a legitimate 2-year trend. I'm thinking about the poundings we've received on the block during our losses in the past two seasons. The hard double team and brilliant subsequent rotations were new during the BTT. I'm very curious about the freakshow defense I saw for three straight games. It might be too little too late, but it looked like an actual change in culture--not just a streak. Like, we give Frost all the credit in the world during a 4-8 run because we saw the difference in the play at the end of the season when some sort of intangible culture change took place. This was really, really smart and courageous basketball. I'm not being sentimental, either. Something transcendental happened. If Matta or Hoiberg were available, I'd support the move. I'm not being sentimental.

We've essentially had a play-in game two years in a row. Is that enough for you to consider it a trend? Is it better than Doc and Barry?

The B1G performed well in the NCAAT last year. The metrics only give credit to the non-con. They still have no way of measuring the unbelievable coaching in the B1G from the start to the end of a season. We beat the shit out of the runner up. 4 of the 9 Q1 losses were to ranked teams, not just Q1. We beat two ranked teams at home and barely lost to KU. This season, the B1G had coaching and talent/experience across the board. Every win was a good win and no loss was a bad loss. But I'll bite. Who do you recommend we hire?

Shouldn't last year's season count in our minds as an NCAAT caliber coaching and recruiting job? In my mind, it does and we were screwed. So in 7 years, we get 2 NCAAT caliber seasons and one NIT. Is that enough given the dumpster fire Miles inherited? Looking like no possibility for Lue, Matta, Hoiberg, or Sampson. Do we really want to gamble against the most success we've seen since Nee? Had Miles actually lost the team this year, I'd feel differently. But he didn't. I feel like he figured out a few cultural things that could carry into a very interesting roster next season.

Utterly bizarre.

I don't know. This is weird.

You show up.

Glad for that timeout. Gotta get refocused.

Who cares about the bank? Another great defensive possession. Keep it up.

ANOTHER DEFENSIVE CLINIC. PHENOMENAL.

Ethan Happ may not make the league because of us.

THORRRRR

2 fucking fouls against JPJ and he gets a charge.

Excellent half. Wiscy started off as well as they could. Our team defense is friggin excellent again. We took their best shot and beat them the rest of the half. Momentum definitely on our side.

HELL YES GREAT DEFENSE

The fight is there. The defense is there. Keep playing hard.

Not liking zone against Wiscy.

I think this is part of it. Glynn was brilliant picking his times to pull the ball out and run a set. He had complete control of the game. It was a clinic. The other part is that Thor and Johnny are actually better passers than Nana, Cope, Tom, and maybe Amir (though I am completely won over by Amir’s team-first play and fire), and both of those guys can handle the ball and at least put intellectual pressure on opponents with their driving ability. Roby is an excellent passer as well, but damn if it isn’t nice to see other people setting HIM up for once. I think he had 4-6 points from dump offs. 3 guys who can score with 1-2 guys who can facilitate is working quite well.

Say what you want about our walkons, but two things I notice: 1. Thor is an elite passer. Elite. He made brilliant pass after brilliant pass to put us in great positions. 2. Trueblood is an elite team defender. Elite. 3. Tanner owned Bruno. ---- Other observations: That's three games in a row where Miles has used timeouts like an actual basketball coach. Each one has been well-timed with great adjustments in attitude and intensity. JPJ, Watson, and Roby all look like who they actually are. Great, great, great win.

Bring back Miles. That's two seasons in a row on the bubble. Every metric says tomorrow is a play-in game. The defensive effort in the first half was the best defensive half of basketball I've ever seen from a Nebraska team. We played 6 bad weeks of basketball with a devastating injury to our best player. In the grand scheme of the season, including this tournament, it ain't that long. Feel however you want to feel about it, but we're now in a better position to make the NCAA tournament than we were last year at the same spot of the B1G tournament. Let that sink in.

That was perfect fucking defense from Watson. Clean swipe. Perfectly set. Horrible.

Refs are fair. NICE MAKEUP FOR ROBY!!!

I agree with this. As strictly quantitative as the process was last year, we might as well get rid of all intangibles beyond metrics, because those intangibles aren't being used. If we beat Maryland today, Wisconsin is our NCAA play-in game. Damn the optics. Creighton and Indiana, for example, have comparable resumes to us except for the part where we beat the living piss out of both of them.

If I’m coaching next year my pitch to Roby is that the whole show runs through him. He isn’t really a 5 on offense as he is a face up player with range. Defensively, he has become a pretty damned good post defender. I actually think this improves his draft stock—gain another 10lbs of muscle and shut down opposing 5s while being a swing player on the other end. That’s a rare NBA bird. The more I watch Roby, the more his skill set reminds me of Draymond. In fact, I could see a team like Golden State or San Antonio having enough of a keen eye to take him as a late first rounder, but I truly feel that will require a great senior season.