NUdiehard

I thought I remember reading that Miles had tried to get in touch with Fahro several times but communication was silent on Fahro's end. At that point, Miles released him. Not sure if true but I swear I read this somewhere after Miles got hired. Wasn't he also involved in that little bookstore "issue" at his old school? That may have had something to do with it too. And Biggs had a DUI, yet he is still on the team. No doubt in my mind which is the greater offense. Gallegos has acted the complete fool this year, and he is still on the team. Things happen. He obviously is working out at UAB, so he can't be a complete delinquent.

I thought I remember reading that Miles had tried to get in touch with Fahro several times but communication was silent on Fahro's end. At that point, Miles released him. Not sure if true but I swear I read this somewhere after Miles got hired. Considering how much effort the staff has to put into getting just one big man recruit to visit or sign, no effort should have been spared to find Fahro and talk to him face to face. When Doc was hired, he flew all the way to Australia to meet with Maric and talk to him face to face. I am NOT saying that Fahro is of Maric quality, but I am saying that Miles still should have done whatever was necessary to meet with Fahro, talk to him face to face, and give him every opportunity to be on the team. NU has had an open scholarship for both this year and last year. What a waste. Fahro had already signed his LOI. No reason to cut him at that point.

There is a Nebraska Basketball "Pre Game Show" on 1480 AM, starting 2 hours before tipoff of each game and lasing 1 hour. It is on right now.

NU is actually shooting better from the FT line this year than its opponents. NU is at 72% for the year and its opponents are shooting 67%. 72% isn't great, but it isn't terrible either.

I am trying really hard to overlook the fact that Fahro had actually signed his LOI to play for NU and Miles cut him. Man, major blunder by Miles. As Norm said, "Just one big man away." I will eventually let bygones be bygones after today, but for today it is difficult.

What is the line on this game?

My app is now showing it as on ESPN3, not ESPNU.

I can't find this game on the ESPN3 lineup. Is everyone sure it is scheduled for ESPN3?

Is the NU v. UAB game on ESPN3 again or is it on ESPNU?

This is another game where I thought Serg should have at least gotten a few minutes to see what he could do. Why not? We weren't stopping anything anyway, and everyone was in foul trouble. Put Serg in the game and tell him to just stand under the hoop and put his hands up. At least they would have to shoot over him. And, as someone has pointed out already, with how soft the refs were calling things, it really diminishes his disadvantage of not being strong enough yet.

I find it more than a bit ironic that a "student" is the OP for this tread about "loyal" fans. I say that because I attended the Western Illinois game and with 3 minutes to go before tipoff there was all of about five "students" in the entire south side of the arena (Lower Bowl). I am pretty sure they started letting other "non-students" come down from the 200s and 300s to sit in those seats. "Students" get lower bowl tickets practically for free, yet are the most fair weather bunch I have ever known (and I am not talking about the core group of students that come to every game like Jadler, or even you Skerfan, I am talking about the rest). Students should ALWAYS take the lead in attendance and in bringing the most energy and excitement to ALL games. So Skerstudent, if you truly want to be a "loyal" fan, I suggest you take some of your frustrations out on your fellow "students" who have cheap tickets to lower-bowl seats and don't even bother to show up at all. I am not going to complain about fans leaving a few minutes early of a blowout game. What most students often don't consider (and this is somewhat understandable) is that other people have famlies and jobs. This includes variables such as young children, early morning work schedules, wives they haven't seen all day b/c they went straight to the game from work, etc. Some people would rather spend their last 30 minutes before bedtime with their spouse and children at home as opposed to watching that last minute of Menke and KyKurkoski on the court and then getting stuck in 30 minutes of traffic to do it. Some maybe brought their young children to the game and need to get them home for bedtime. Students, on the other hand, probably don't have anyone to get home to and don't have class the next day until 10am, so of course they are in no rush. I am just happy the non-student fans are at the game and I hope they continue to come every game this year and for years to come. We had over 10,000 in attendance for South Carolina State. That is double what we would have had in years past. Now, we do need to get a bit more energy, but I am telling you, that is where the STUDENTS come in. It must start with the students. The students must fill ALL of their seats every game and bring the energy. Look at the big time programs like Kansas and Duke, etc. Those students are absolutely fanatical for every single game, no matter how lame the opponent. The energy is palpable and rubs off on everyone else. Time for the students to step up. If they do, the rest will follow.

The team this year is deeper and more talented than many years past, that I believe is true. My question with this team (beyond the lack of a physical post presence other than Smith) is team chemistry. I am not trying to say that the story on this has already been written. Rather, it is the story that I am curious to follow as the season plays out. I have attended the scrimmage, the exhibition and all three games so far. It is always interesting to watch not only the skills and talent level of the new players, but also their personalities, demeanors and body language, as well as how they play together as a team. Last year, we were very short-handed. Everybody knew their role and where they fit in with the team. It really wasn't that difficult because there were only 4 legitimate players (Shields, Ubel, Talley and Gallegos) and about 3 or 4 role players. There was not problem about guys "getting their shots" because there were plenty of shot to divide between those 4 players (especially considering that Shields was a freshman who didn't even play early in the season b/c of injury and had to slowly work his way into the top rotation). This year is different. We have more options, and as a result we have more guys who think they should be "getting their shots". Many of us pointed this out with a few players after the first couple of games in regards to a couple of players. However, I think it has gone to a whole new level with the introduction of Gallegos and Biggs to the lineup. Just reading their quotes after the game was quite revealing of some mindsets of the players. For instance, Gallegos said: We NEVER heard anything like this last season. It simply was never an issue. Even when Gallegos jacked up 13 3 pointres and missed them all, most people simply accepted that it was necessary b/c of our limited options. But this year is different. We have more options, and players now notice when someone gets "out of system" and tries to get their own. Look at the box score for the game. Biggs and Gallegos combined for 21 shots! Shields and Pitchfor only shot 5 times each. Petteway shot 7 times and only made 2 of them. Now, look at Biggs quotes after the game: Biggs thinks he can do more and he didn't even "showcase" his shot. Does this mean he intends to shoot even more. He obviously thinks very highly of his talent level: So, Biggs mindset coming into the game was to "showcase" his talent. I don't want to make a bigger deal of this than it is at this point. I realize those quotes do not necessary mean Biggs is selfish and only concerned about himself. I am just saying that he is very confident and thinks he can score almost at will. He also said he thinks he can get to the line 10-12 times a game (personally, I think Biggs is in for his rude awakening sooner than later. He put up big numbers against a terrible team, things will not come so easy in the B1G where defenses are physical and scout well, but that is not my point here). In the 2nd half, when NU got some baskets and started to make its run and pull away, I remember when SCSU called a timeout and all the NU players ran excitedly to the bench. Well, all except Terran Petteway. That dude looked like someone just killed his dog. He had his dead down and was not happy. My feeling at the time was that Petteway was not happy with his personal production at that stage in the game. Granted, I am just reading body language and I could be completely wrong, but there certainly have been other indications that he likes to have his shots. (As a side note, Petteway reminds me a lot of Standhardinger. Standhardinger was ULTRA competitive in practice and games, and he always felt he could score the next bucket. Thing is, I am not sure that Petteway is as skilled or talented as Christian-who was a legit 6'8"-but time will tell). Shields should be getting more than 5 shots in EVERY SINGLE game we play this year. Period. Pitchford may have his limitations, but shooting isn't one of them. If he is in the game, his teammates should be looking to get him shots. With that said, Pitchford seems to get frustrated easily and I am unclear if it is b/c of lack of shots or ticky tack foul calls or Miles on his butt for not being physical, but whatever it is he just seems to get frustrated and then loses his focus. I guess my point is that for the first time in a long time, we may have a team that has to worry about things like team chemistry and getting guys to buy in to the team concept. There is only one basketball and only so many possession per game. Everyone cannot get 10-15 shots every game. How will this team adjust to that reality. How will each individual player accept their role. We know guys like Rivers and Parker will defer. But what about the rest. That leaves 7 other guys who all think they are the best man to get buckets. In the end, I am not complaining. I would much rather have this "problem" than last years "problem". Having too many scorers should not be a bad thing. But it is something worth keeping an eye on. A breakdown of team chemistry can have a big impact if it gets out of control.

Are you still growing? What is your current weight? What is your wing span? What is your vertical? Why did you choose NU? How has your game developed over the past year? How do you hope to continue to develop your game this year?

Petteway needs to understand that Shavon is the best player on this team and the number one option. I mentioned after last game that Petteway shoots it too quick and takes bad shots. I saw it in the scrimmage, I saw it in the exhibition and I saw it in the first game. He took the very first shot the first time he touched the ball last game (got lucky and banked it in). This game, he shot the very first TWO times he touched the ball to start the 2nd half. Shavon owned WIU the entire first half, yet NOBODY on this team tried to get Shavon the ball in the 2nd half. Norm is absolutely right, a lot of selfish (and in come case just poor recognition) play going on. But I see Petteway as being a potential dividing player unless he gets reined in a bit. But, it is early, these are things I am sure Miles recognizes and will get worked out. Petteway does a lot of things well, plays hard and rebounds well. He can be a very valuable player, but he just needs to find his role on the offensive end. I think Tai's assists will go up once Gallegos get back in the lineup. There were multiple times when Tai drove and kicked it to either Peltz or Benny for wide open jumpers, but neither of them can convert. Ray will add a new dimension to this team. Pitchford seems to get easily frustrated (although he had reason to with some of the calls tonight) and allows that to take him out of the game a bit mentally. As others have said, he is going to really struggle guarding in the post. But boy, he can shoot. He is another guy that they need to create shots for. Smith did some nice things and played pretty good post defense. Not sure how he will match up against a taller post player, but he seems to do well with what he has. Tai played like a freshman who is still feeling it out. But I think he needs to keep driving it in there and making things happen. That is his bread and butter and he needs to just keep going to the well. It will start producing sooner than later. UGLY second half, but nice first half. Looking forward to getting our full lineup, I think that will make a difference. Playing Benny and Peltz at the same time tonight was rough. Hopefully, that will never have to happen again this year.

Dean, I know that a lot of us had a long discussion about this topic after the end of last season. I can't remember if you commented on it at the time, but I guess I don't know if I want to go into the detail I did at that time all over again now. In short, I think the grabbing, clutching, holding, pushing, etc. in the college game has gotten out of hand. Louisville rode this strategy all the way to a national championship. Allowing elite athletes (who may or may not be elite basketball players skill wise) to completely shut down their opponents by constantly grabbing, clutching, holding, etc simply is not basketball as it was intended to be played. There are many coaches who have openly admitted that they teach their players to constantly foul the entire game b/c they know that the refs simply will not call a foul every time down the court. The coach is basically saying "Even though we clearly are fouling the crap out of the opponent every time down the court, I dare you to blow that whistle every time!" That is crap IMO. The refs need to blow that whistle every time down the court until that coach and his players cut the crap out. As for the NBA, maybe that isn't the best example b/c I believe the NBA has gone through different phases and different "styles" of physicality. For instance, there certainly was a time when teams were "physical" in the sense that they would initiate "hard fouls". If a player like Jordan came in the lane, the opponent (ie, Bill Lambier) would knock the crap out of him to intimidate him from coming back in the lane. But here is the important point. That was still called a foul! Jordan would go to the line and get his 2 points. Heck, Jordan scored about half his points at the free throw line, so any who says they didn't call fouls back then if full of crap. The type of fouls I think need to be eliminated are the fouls that aren't called in the college game. The grabbing, clutching, holding, pushing, impeding, etc. The NBA has elimiated hand checking on the perimeter, but it is still very physical underneath. Defense also is still more intense than the era you are refering to. I was watching a game from the 80s on NBA channel (A Lakers vs. Boston game, ie Magic, Kareem, McKale, Bird, etc) and I was almost laughing at how soft the defense was for most of the game. The guards didn't even guard out to the 3 point line. Dennis Johnson for Boston could dribble around INSIDE THE 3 POINT LINE without anyone within 5 feet of him. There simply was no pressure until he got to about 17 feet from the basket. That is totally different from the pressure defense of today, even without the hand check rule. We also have to be very specific in defining a time period. The early 80s were much different than the late 80s, and so forth. Anyway, we will just have to agree to disagree. I hope the refs continue to call the fouls and force these coaches who teach their players to mug the opponent every time down the court to adjust.

How is Miami #79 after their terrible loss?

I absolutely loved what I saw from Tai. He was able to get to the basket almost at will. Early in the game he was driving to his right hand every time, I commented that I was concerned he doesn't have a left hand. Sure enough, FGCU came out of a timeout and the defender was playing Tai strongly to his right to take away his right hand penetration. Without hesitation, Tai darted straight to the basket with his left handle and got right to the rack again. His height and athleticism allow him to do things that many smaller PGs simply can't do. He can penetrate, get in with the trees, but still be tall enough and strong enough to see over them for the pass or get all the way to the basket. His midrange and 3-pt game still need to develop, but he has all the tools. Regarding Webster, I am surprised nobody has mentioned this yet. In Miles' postgame radio comments, he said that Webster "took over the game" for a period in the first half. Miles then said that he believes Webster will be an All-Big 10 player before he is done here. I thought that was a pretty bold, and telling, proclamation from Miles. I have never even heard him say that about Shavon (although that certainly doesn't mean he may not feel that way about him as well). Shavon is such is crafty player. He has really developed a strong baseline game. I saw at least 2 times where he caught the ball in the corner, started driving the basket along the baseline, and then when the help defense game, he did some sort of Euro 2 footed jump stop to the side (away from the baseline and away from the defender) and then leaned in for the finger roll lay up. The first time he did it I was blown away but thought he just got lucky. When he did it again, it was apparent that this is something he has worked on. He seems a lot stronger, more athletic and more confident this year. tbowman may be on to something when he says that Shavon could be an All-Big 10 type player. That may be a bit much to ask from him as just a sophmore, but he appears to be on the right track. I like Petteway a lot, but I am worried that he has a bit of a quick trigger. Sometimes it seems like he makes up his mind ahead of time that he is going to shoot no matter what rather than allowing the offense to work. But would probably rather have that than the windshield wiper offense we had under Doc for so many years. Great to have multiple players on the court who aren't afraid to make things happen and often have the skill to back it up. Pitchfor, I agree with most of what has been said. Seems to have so much potential, but not sure yet if he has the mentality. He just does not seem to be comfortable in the low post. I remember one time he caught the ball in the low block (maybe the only time) and had one-on-one coverage. He basically just turned and jumped straight up with 2 hands on the ball. The ref bailed him out and called a foul on the defender, but the whole shot process looked very awkward. Parker was a lot of fun to watch. He can finish on the break. With that said, I still question how much he will play once Gallegos and Biggs can play. As for the officiating, like most, I don't like seeing a lot of fouls. But I am strongly in favor of the new rules. For all those who keep saying "How is this better seeing a lot of fouls?" Seriously? Do you really think that is the "intent" of the new rules and that it will "always" be this way. No. The coaches and players will adapt. The players in the NBA have already adapted and now the NBA is a far more pleasing game to watch than it used to be. Similarly, once the players and coaches in the college game adapt, the game will be much more pleasing to watch and much more in alignment with the original intent of the game. Skill should be rewarded in basketball, not unskilled athletes who can simply mug the opponent into submission. The new rules (which really is simply enforcing the rules that have always been in place), if they stick to calling it, will open up the game and allow playmakers to make plays. I personally hope the refs don't recoil and go back to the old ways simply because they meet up with a little backlash. When I say this, I am speaking mostly of the handchecking, grabbing, clutching type calls. I am still not sure about the block/charge rules. I thought Shavon got away with simply ramming right into his defender multiple times. The defender looked set on a couple of them to me, I am not sure allowing an offensive player to do this rewards skill.

Count me in as one who would like to see Serg at least get a chance out there. We were up 30+ with plenty of time on the clock last night. I guess I would like to see what he could do with the other starters out there for a few minutes. I wouldn't even mind seeing him get a few meaningful minutes in a close game if we need to give Pitchford or Smith a blow or something. He is really tall. For those who say he is unathletic, well, of course he is. If he was athletic at that height he probably would have gone to Kentucky of Indianna. He is really tall (towers over Pitchford).

I would rather he start Rivers instead of Smith. If both Smith and Pitchford start, this means there likely will be times when both Smith and Pitchford are on the bench at the same time. This leaves leaves us with a very small lineup on the floor. I would rather Rivers start and then Smith come in to spell Pitchford/Rivers. I wouldn't be opposed at all to Peltz getting minutes. I wouldn't even mind if he started. But that is just my opinion. Maybe Miles feels he can balance the minutes such that either Pitchford or Smith will be on the court at all times. If so, then this could work.

I do not follow recruiting as closely as I used to (espically in football, but I will keep this post focused on basketball). With that said, I will never undermine the importance of recruiting. In essence, it is 90% of the battle. Coach Miles can't win with "lesser" recruits any more than Doc could (maybe a little more, but is there a huge difference between 12th and 10th?). Is he looking for guys who "fit" his system. Absolutely. But he also is looking for (and must get if he wants to be successful) really talented players. Do you think Miles got Tai Webster because Miles himself identified him as someone who would best "fit" his program? Heck no. He got Tai because he hired Harriman who had an inside track on Tai. Beyond being a good person and teammate, I doubt Miles spent a whole lot of time debating whether Tai was a proper "fit" for his system. You say that coaches know best who they should recruit for "their" system. Well, Doc had a system and he recruited to that system and it didn't get him anywhere. Same with Collier. Have both of those coaches forgot more basketball than than you or I will ever know? Absolutely. But does that mean they are the only ones that know whether a recruiting class will take the team to the next level? Not IMO. I remember reading about Collier's recruiting class. It had a guy that averaged 3 points in junior college. Seriously! Are you going to tell me that I am supposed to just have faith that he will turn out to be good "fit" for Collier's system? Same with Doc. Alex Chapman? Chris Nieman (who averaged 3.5 pts on the exact same team that Standhardinger averaged about 27 points/game. And I can't read anything into that?) This isn't rocket science. Let's look at it from another "current" perspective. Who was the highest "ranked" recruit this year? As we all know, it was Tai Webster. And yes, I celebrated the day he verbally committed, the day he signed, and the day he qualified. Why? Because I know it will take players like Tai to get us to the next level. And yes, I could make a very educated evaluation that Tai would be an impact player just based on what I read about him (and not just me, but all of us who follow recruiting). Oh, and by the way, who is clearly the most talented recruit this year? Tai of course. He is starting from day 1 and he will be an impact player while Fuller and Hawkins are scratching and clawing just to get playing time. Miles needs more recruits like Tai. Impact players. Difference makers. If he doesn't get them, then he is going to continue to finish in the bottom half of the league. It is that simple. Recruiting is not an exact science. I don't give a whole lot of credence to Rivals rankings either b/c they only really evaluate the top 100 to 200 recruits. But who else is recruiting a player does factor into my opinion of a recruit. Is it a perfect evaluation. Of course not. There are always sleepers. But that doesn't mean you throw out the baby with the bathwater. It still holds value in evaluating a recruit. Plus, if you truly believe that "coaches" are the only ones qualified to "rank" a recruit, then you should give that factor great weight. Because these are "coaches" "experts" who ARE evaluating these players, and watching them play live, and evaluating all their film. If only coaches are truly qualified, then whether or not other coaches offer a player should carry some weight in your opinion of that recruit. I also look at how many points they scored in high school, how many rebounds, what level of competition, what do his HS coaches say about him, what do other coaches say about him, what do I see on his film, how tall is he, how long is he, how athletic is he, did his own state university recruit him (obviously, the coach in his home state would have seen him plenty of times to make an evaluation). Evaluation of a player isn't always that complicated. I always made it a habit to attend at least one preseason practice of Doc's almost every year and almost without fail I could size up his new "recruits" in about 10 minutes of watching. Just like watching Amercan Idol, it doesn't take weeks of evaluation to figure out who has "it" and who doesn't.

Miles could "go big" and start Rivers at the 3 or 4 and put Terran at the 2. Or, Miles could starts the "Bro" at the 2, which I would have no problem with. I love his fire! I doubt he starts Smith b/c of Smith's knee issues and he needs Smith to spell Pitchford. I suppose he could start Parker, but then would Tai move over the 2 spot? I don't think Miles wants to do this b/c he wants to see how Tai handles the PG and I don't think he wants Parker at the 2. So, I go with either Rivers or Bro Man, and give the nod to Peltz.

Watch the very first video on page one with Smith, Rivers and Vooch. Smith looks like his knees are really bothering him.

Just watch the practice video on the homepage with Smith, Rivers and Vooch. Smith takes about two steps and begins to wobble like he is about to collapse. Based on that video, his knees appear to be a huge issue. I'm guessing this is the reason not many other teams offered him a scholarship.

What is the ranking for South Dakota State?

15