swmckewon

I was only talking about guards. Good guards in women's basketball are of incredible importance. I don't think Megan Gustafson, Hallie Thome or even Brionna Jones are as good as Jessica Shepard - the first two especially. But they're all much more efficient on offense, and they're all the beneficiaries of much better guards.

I'm sure Amy would have loved to have had the functional equivalent of Dylan Talley on the roster. And I'm sure Amy would have loved Miles' 2012-2013 non-conference schedule.

This post still has no bearing on what Amy took over. She took over a mess. Whoever it is you think caused it, she didn't.

If you pay big $$$ you are in almost anyone's league.

Whether or not Yori had maxed out is, frankly, a matter of opinion. I can't recall writing that. though I might have; in the many interviews I did, I may have said that; but, even if she had, annual NCAA/NIT Tournaments without the dysfunction would have been...OK, I'd think. At least for some time. That Yori may have "maxed out" - which is an opinion and easily debatable - was a corollary to the reason she's not there any more. The poll is one thing, but you shaped the poll with the premise that the proper answer for expectations for Williams is somehow related to what Yori did in 2013 and 2014. I disagree. One must take into account what she took over - which was a program in pain and turmoil - as opposed to what happened three seasons prior. Is your poll about Amy Williams - or Amy Williams' boss?

In terms of what Amy Williams inherited? Oh, it's a pretty solid fact. You're talking about, I guess, the theoretical parallel universe where none of what happened, happened, and Yori's still at Nebraska. But, when Amy took over - which is what Norm wrote - Nat had already said what she'd said. The investigation had been done. Sides had been chosen. That's what Amy walked into - a broken, divided program. That's what she took over. It was far removed from any Big Ten title atmosphere, I assure you.

In years, it was not very far removed. In terms of health of the program, it was very far removed.

In a subsequent post, he explained clearly what he meant. I discerned intent, asked a question, and got an answer. Like I said, I appreciate it. I don't agree, but I can respect it. He wrote just what he really thought.

I don't agree with your post, but I respect it. You could have tried to pretend you meant something you didn't, but you embraced it straight away. Good for you.

Well, it doesn't make much difference how I personally feel; I compartmentalize pretty well, so my inclination is, yes, I'd be fine with whatever anyone does. But it's not an apt comparison since, generally speaking, hearing/seeing Wagner once isn't quite the same as seeing a basketball team however many times, nor is a opera generally structured to be anticlimactic. You stay to the end because the end is designed, by Wagner, to be a buzzer beater. Here's the other thing: I know some people leave early - they have told me - because of how Pinnacle Bank Arena bottlenecks in the front. You don't just stay for the last 4 minutes of game clock. You stay for that, plus 15 minutes of standing (or, if you prefer, sitting in the arena) waiting to get out. I just don't think it makes someone a bad person at 8:30 on a Sunday night, when the team is down 16 or whatever.

I don't think you read it the way it was intended.

It's 8:30 on a Sunday night. Can people go home without it having to be a commentary on their character?

Not that he won't be fired, but SI's rationale that the AD is already 0-1 with Lovie Smith's hiring - he chalked it up to "perception" - is really odd.

Fickle. Ha. OK.

As was my post.

Not sure that's a big badge of honor. It's going to end up keeping Nebraska out of a NIT that it is good enough to play in and make a run in. 14-18 = no postseason.

Yes, they do.

Fair. She played very well. It was her best game of this season, without question. Encouraging. Minnesota - Ohio State without as much talent - is beatable.

Michigan game last year was 35 and 20.

Kelsey fits in a sense. Hailie really does. And Nicea will.

So did last year's. Shepard's turnover/assist ratio is about the same as last season, as is her assists and TOs per game. This team doesn't have Romeo and Theriot. Without either of them, Shepard was going to have tougher sledding shooting. Eilely has been a nice surprise - she'll be on Big Ten's All Freshman team, I'd bet - but she's just one player to Theriot/Romeo's two players, and not as experienced as either.

It feels like it's 20 below. Weather played a factor. So did the opponent. So did the layoff. So did the game being on Sunday. Nebraska basketball fans are unbelievably loyal given the lack of NCAA Tournament bids put out by the program.

Nebraska has pretty decent 3-point shooting now - 31.9 percent. The most recent Sweet 16 team shot 31.3. The year before that, when NU lost to KU in 1st round of NCAAs - 30.3 percent. The issue is the FT shooting and NU's inability to get anything going to the lane by the guards. And, of course, the opponents. Nebraska's playing some very good teams. Mizzou, UVA and VT will all be NCAA teams, Cal and UConn, too, and maybe CSU, Drake and Creighton. It's a brutally hard schedule.

Gill and McVeigh will find their range sooner or later. Roby's too hesitant, like a driver who just got up to Sprint Cup-caliber racing and is still getting used to speed and the level of aggression in racing. He's gotta cut it a loose a little, see what his car can do.

Yeah, I dunno. It's not like football. There won't be any discount on basketball. If Miles rips off 2/3 NCAAs in a row, he'll probably making close to 3 mil anyway.