throwback

Coach Frost hit it on the head a few weeks ago - the virus isn't going anywhere, and we have to learn how to live with it as safely as possible. Athletes are almost certainly safer with sports and all the protocols in place, rather than taking them out of that atmosphere. However, the people in charge of making these decisions are not risk takers on the whole. University leaders do not want to be known for going rogue, and the easiest decision is to shut everything down. I know yesterday's announcement was supposed to infuse optimism about a season, but it had the opposite effect on me. I think it was step 1 toward shutting everything down. I'd guess if there's no football in September, there are no college sports of any kind in 2020-21. Without football, the finances don't justify starting any sports for the entire school year. Yes, men's basketball makes some money, but if you play men's hoops, you almost certainly have to play all of the other non-revenue sports in the winter and spring too, which is tough to justify without football cash in the bank. No football in 2020 also is going to result in massive cutting of sports and scholarships. Schools (outside of NU) just don't have a rainy day fund. Could completely change college athletics and the number of opportunities that are available. Hope I'm wrong, and hope the leaders are not just looking at the short term consequences of this.

This was buried at the bottom of Chris Heady's OWH story about B1G-only football: Conference play for men’s basketball typically begins in December, but there’s a growing belief among the college basketball community that the season won’t begin until January at the earliest. https://www.omaha.com/sports/college/huskers/heady-big-tens-decision-a-sign-of-optimism-sports-can-be-played-but-nothings-guaranteed/article_b7b92f32-7a4b-54d3-8282-bd243b2a5909.html

By the way, OWH mentioned in that story Stevenson is actually not on campus, which is different than what was reported a few weeks ago. He's expected to arrive in mid-July. With our luck in these types of situations lately ... I'm not finishing that thought.

Gotta think he made a typo with that ugly yellow turkey-like head on the list.

OWH says all but 3 -- Thor, Yvan, and King -- are on campus and working out. Thor & Yvan are still waiting for travel restrictions to be lifted. King is waiting for academic clearance, but that's expected sometime this summer. He's still in Wisconsin. Banton & Stevenson made it back from Canada several days ago. Everyone who is in Lincoln went through testing and 48-hour quarantine & is cleared for workouts at this point. https://www.omaha.com/sports/college/huskers/teams/mens-basketball/all-husker-mens-basketball-players-on-campus-cleared-to-work-out-nu-awaits-arrival-of/article_e41c04df-8642-541c-8d75-fd01f0623849.html

Honestly, 6 feet is just a suggestion. In this case, the farther, the better.

From the World-Herald, Top 150 Rivals guys from Nebraska in history: 2022: Jasen Green No. 116; Isaac Traudt No. 118. 2021: Hunter Sallis No. 11; Chucky Hepburn No. 128 2020: Max Murrell No. 117 2015: Justin Patton No. 45 2013: Akoy Agau No. 87 2012: Mike Gesell No. 100 2006: Matt Hill No. 127 Be nice to break the 0-fer with Sallis, but I'm not holding my breath.

Saw one of the local Lincoln TV stations reached out to Williams after OSU got hammered by the NCAA yesterday. He said they offered to let him out of his scholarship. I got the impression he planned to stick with OSU, but I don't believe he definitively said one way or the other. They don't report for workouts for another 3-5 weeks, so he has some time to look around. Just what his recruiting needs is another few crazy twists.

Just as long as his mug shot doesn't remind us of a kid who would play at Iowa.

OWH had a few updates on guys getting back to campus today: https://www.omaha.com/sports/college/huskers/quarantines-masks-and-symptom-checks-huskers-face-a-different-life-after-returning-for-workouts/article_d115409f-f978-5ef9-a937-c636bc11814a.html Webster has a family friend on a farm with an NBA sized court in a barn, so he's driving there almost every day Allen has been working out a local gym in Lincoln 2x per day, lifting weights 4x per week with some other unnamed teammates Banton & Stevenson are expected back from Canada soon Thor & Yvan probably will have to jump through some hoops to get back to Lincoln, so they'll be delayed, perhaps quite a bit Other than the international players, everyone should on campus at least by June 6

https://journalstar.com/news/local/education/nu-officials-expect-to-have-classes-on-campus-in-fall/article_9c6b960b-4e9b-5cda-acef-dc6d5f63fd33.html Nebraska plans to be holding classes on campus beginning in August - what that means for sports is still not known, but they plan to have students on campus.

That's a pretty good job of getting a long way away from Fran, but he could've gone farther.

World-Herald says today NU plans to try to seek waivers for both King and McGowens for immediate eligibility.

From OWH / Hoiberg on Sports Nightly: https://www.omaha.com/sports/college/huskers/teams/mens-basketball/husker-basketball-coach-fred-hoiberg-says-he-shouldnt-have-coached-indiana-game-sick/article_bc86c14b-3527-5bff-a78b-9383a3c78194.html

So we have 6 of 11 non-con opponents set - Myrtle Beach tournament (3), bluebirds (H), K-State (N), Cleve St (H) Still an ACC challenge game left (probably at home against a TBD opponent -- but we finished last, North Carolina finished last -- just sayin'). Then probably 3-4 more pay games - 3 if we're in the Gavitt games - or 4 if they count game with the bluebirds in the Gavitt Games.