HuskerCager

We are getting ahead of ourselves. This is a 14-10 team, albeit one with a nice RPI. Talk like this leads me to believe it's going to be a rough week keeping the players focused.

I don't understand why the students didn't show up en masse for Illinois. Does the campus have a 9PM curfew?

Judging from some of the comments I have seen tonight from MSU fans, they need to be sentenced to 15 years of Nebraska basketball. That might help them appreciate Izzo a little more.

I think there is plenty to be worried about. It's going to be easy for a young, sophomore-dominated team to get a little punch drunk with all the accolades they will receive from the national press and from students on campus this week. We're going to learn a little more about this team's maturity level.

Sheesh Trey. How can you say no to TM now? Just commit on the spot on Monday!

The last time the Huskers won 5 of 6 conference games was 1999, when we had a 9-1 stretch in the Big XII. How did that team ever end up in the NIT?

So, clearly I am not a Creighton fan. Yet, the Bluejays are putting it to Villanova as we speak. Wasn't it just a month ago that NU and CU beat a ranked team on the same night for the first time? Pretty remarkable if it happens again today.

Let's say we get in a tie breaker with Purdue and we have split our home-home for the season. Wouldn't the next tie breaker be how each team fared against the Big Ten champion?

So how hard is it for the Huskers to beat a top ten team on the road? That just improved our all time record to 5-84. Other wins: NU 54 #9 Missouri 52 12/28/1950 (Big Eight Holiday Tourney at KC) NU 67 #1 Missouri 51 2/6/1982 NU 98 #3 Missouri 91 3/12/1994 (Big Eight Post Season Tourney at KC) NU 74 #7 Iowa St 69 2/22/1997 NU 60 #9 Michigan St 51 2/16/2014

Dang. Well my plans have changed for the night. Was hoping to get some work done, but now I have to listen to the entire replay of the game and hear Kent's play by play. Oh well, such is the burden of winning.

We were in this discussion 3 years ago after the Texas win at 18-8. That one didn't go so well. Let's see how our players handle the attention they are going to get this week. Penn St and Purdue aren't going lay down and die on us.

Biggest road win in the state of Michigan for the Huskers since September 29, 1962. Think about it.

We really are setting ourselves up well for tiebreaker scenarios with seeding in the Big Ten Tourney: MSU 1-0 Minnesota 1-0 Wisconsin? Home game - I like our chances

As TM would say, it still counts as one win. But it's an attention getter!

Look at Miles leaving the floor. He expects to win. Awesome.

NU 74 #7 Iowa St 69 - February 22, 1997

Holy cow!! First win on the road against a top ten team since ....

Izzo wants a charge? Where?

Payne has 4 fouls??? Heck, MSU's entire team has only 4 fouls all game, don't they?

We need to forget about the friggin three. It served us well the first half. Now drive and get these fouls evened up.

Yes!! Shavon!!! That's what we need. Now do it again.

No idea, but I bet his face is red as all hell. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQXuazYI_YU

I wonder what Izzo is saying right now?

I don't know how this games going to turn out, and I'm not listening to Kent right now. But I'm going to listen to the first half later tonight because he must be having a cow.

Further proof, courtesy of the OWH. I remember this game. Talk about throwing away a golden opportunity. This brings back bad memories. We totally botched this up following the timeout near the end of the game. Seems appropriate to bring up on the day we face the Spartans. **************************** Omaha World-Herald (NE) - Thursday, December 1, 1988 Readability: 9-12 grade level (Lexile: 1120L) Author: Lee Barfknecht, World - Herald Bureau Nebraska's 77 - 75 loss to Michigan State was bitter medicine Wednesday night. But it might make the Huskers get well later. "I think this will help us," NU Coach Danny Nee said. "Playing this caliber of team this early in the season will help us get better. "I don't think you ever get any good out of a loss. But it certainly has given me things to work on." For example: Teaching his team how to hold on to a 30 - 14 lead in the first half and a 63 - 56 advantage with 8:40 left in the game. Getting his team to rebound. The Huskers gave up 16 offensive rebounds, which helped Michigan State claim a 42 - 32 overall rebound advantage though using no one taller than 6 feet 7. Pulling his team out of timeout huddles faster. A snafu on one late - game in - bounds play cost the Huskers a key basket and left many fans in the crowd of 11,071 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center puzzled.Buzzer Sounds Twice Michigan State, nursing a 74 - 72 lead, missed shots with 1:30 and 1:12 left in the game. But the Spartans grabbed both offensive rebounds and finally called a timeout to collect themselves with 1:07 to play. Under a new rule this season, a warning buzzer is sounded 45 seconds into a 60 - second timeout. A second buzzer is sounded at the one - minute mark, and the ball is put in play. When the second buzzer sounded, Nebraska was still in its huddle. But Michigan State wasn't. Guard Steve Smith, who finished with 26 points, received the ball from the official at midcourt and rifled a pass to Ken Redfield, who dunked it for a 76 - 72 lead. "Our total concentration was in the huddle to what coach was saying," said Husker guard Eric Johnson, who scored 30 points. "Somebody just happened to look over and said the ball was being put in play. "But by the time we got down there, the guy had the ball in his hands and was dunking it."Richardson Hits 27 - Footer Nee took the blame in front of reporters, but was heard calling for a meeting of his assistant coaches after the game. "That's our fault for not getting out of the huddle," he said. "There are people who have that job. We've just got to do a better job with it." But Nebraska wasn't dead yet, even after an intentional foul against Johnson helped MSU boost its lead to 77 - 72 with 31 seconds to play. NU forward Ray Richardson buried a 27 - foot three - pointer with 20 seconds left to make it 77 - 75. Michigan State's Mark Montgomery was fouled with 15 seconds left, missed the front end of a one - and - one, but got his own rebound. "They went and got the ball like we should have done," Johnson said. "I guess they wanted it more than we did." With five seconds left, MSU forward Todd Wolfe, who had a career - high 28 points, was fouled.'Shot Looked Miraculous' He missed the first shot of a one - and - one, and NU's Rich King grabbed the rebound and passed to Richardson. His two - handed fling at the buzzer from 45 feet was straight, but too hard. "From where we were sitting," Spartans Coach Jud Heathcote said, "it looked like one of those miraculous shots to win the game that you see on ESPN. We breathed a sigh of relief when it was off." Nee said the loss was frustrating. "There were many times, especially late in the game, where Nebraska had a chance to win if they just had been disciplined, had rebounded and had boxed out," he said. "Michigan State gave us a chance right up until the last play of the game." But Nee and his players said it didn't need to go to the end. "We sort of broke down," said Johnson, whose 61 points in two games are the most since Dave Hoppen scored 65 at the start of the 1984 - 85 season. "We had them on the ropes the first half. "But we stopped scoring. It was just a mental letdown."Scales Breaks Drought Michigan State, forced to use two timeouts in the first half to slow Nebraska's run, changed the tempo by switching from a zone defense to a man - to - man with 6:25 left in the first half. That move sparked a 14 - 0 blitz not broken until Husker guard Clifford Scales, who had a career - high 16 points, hit a jumper with 2:07 left in the half. "When Michigan State changed to a man - to - man, our whole game disintegrated," Nee said. "You have to compliment their defense. "But it's inexcusable for us not to execute against it. It's not like we haven't seen it before. We played 40 minutes against it with Creighton Saturday night." Johnson, who scored 22 after halftime, combined with center Richard van Poelgeest for five straight baskets midway through the second half to put Nebraska up 49 - 45.Spartans 'Fortunate' But Michigan State later scored on six straight possessions to turn a 63 - 56 deficit into a 68 - 65 lead with 4:56 to play. Wolfe's three - pointer with 3:09 left gave the 2 - 0 Spartans the lead for good at 71 - 69. "We were very fortunate to win the game," Heathcote said. "There were so many pivotal plays at the end that went back and forth." Nebraska again played without starting forward Beau Reid. He sprained a foot against Creighton, but is expected back for this weekend's Ameritas Classic. Also on the bench at the end were Johnson and Scales, who fouled out. "Our inexperience really showed at the end in crucial situations," Nee said. "The kids gave a great effort. But you've got to find a way to win those close ones." Nebraska's Clifford Scales, No. 23, looks for a teammate while Michigan State's Mark Montgomery applies pressure...Scales scored a caree - high 16 points. E