NUdiehard

This is how you get a foot in the door though. I work for a baseball facility here in portland and we have some great connections to kids as our staff is full of former pros, college coaches, and pro scouts. Two of our guys were just working for us before becoming college coaches and got their jobs because they were able to steer players to said school. This is a huge reason why guys like Chin Coleman now have a job in college as they were able to have great connections and in-roads to kids and because of this connection got himself a new job. If Barnes wanted a job in college, funneling players to a school would be the number one priority to get himself an interview. Even if it doesnt work at one school people at other schools would take notice of said connections and do their best to hire him to gain those ties. Thats why you see so many AAU coaches get hired because they have connections to areas to get players. I get that completely. But maybe he decided to steer them somewhere else since he didn't think he was ever going to get a legitimate shot here. Again, I don't anything about what really happened. Just saying that simply b/c he hasn't "steered" any to NU doesn't mean he hasn't steered them somewhere else or that he couldn't ever do so in the future. Just like any other person in his type of position, he has not obligation to NU any more than any other school at this point.

For the record, I am not advocating hiring Barnes or anyone else. I don't know much about him honestly. My point was that, at this point, I don't really care what a guy's "credentials" are, or who else is trying to hire him, if I know he can bring in big time recruits. I don't know if Barnes can or can't do it. I am just using someone like him as an example. Norm, as for you point that he hasn't "delivered" anybody yet, I guess I don't really get that. He isn't employed by NU. He isn't under any obligation to deliver anybody here. In fact, let's say Barnes did have enough influence to direct Akoy to a school (and yes, I realize this is a complete hypothetical). Do you really think he would direct Akoy to Miles after he tried to get an interview for the NU assistant position and was given the cold shoulder? Really? If anything, it probably would have just made him upset and turned him against NU. Are you saying he must deliver multiple big time recruits before he can even be considered for the job? Seriously? There are AAU or H.S. "coaches" who are hired all the time simply for the "prospect" of bringing one recruit with them. If Barnes was willing to direct players to NU without having to be put on staff, then Miles obviously would have no need to put him on staff. That is the whole point! And again, my point is NOT to debate whether Barnes should or should not be hired. I am simply using him as a hypothetical example.

nothing against Adam because he does fine work in Houston but if he wanted to be a coach in college, why isnt he trying to get in the door anywhere? Hes got a good gig in Houston and can be a good funnel for talent to Nebraska but if he was a B1G worthy assistant he would have plenty of suitors already beating down his door and would be coaching. If Barnes could have helped us land Akoy, I wouldn't care if he spent the last 10 years working at McDonalds. Miles hired Johnson instead and what did that get us? Hiring assistant coaches is a bit of a dicey business. It isn't all about "grinding your way to the top" and "earning your stripes" like it used to be. Its all about who you know and who you can help us get. It may not seem right and it may not be "fair", but it is what it is. I personally think losing Akoy was a big blow to the rate at which Miles can build this program. It is why we are now still trying to figure out how to fill the gap in the paint. We may be trying to fill that for years to come. One guy cannot change a program, but one guy can sure help a lot. And then if you add in a guy like Webster or maybe another diamond in the rough (Fuller?) and you are off and running. If I knew Barnes could come in now and help us land a guy of Akoy's status (or better?) for next year or even 2014, I would hire him in a heartbeat. That would still be better than what some assistants will do in 5 years at a program.

Almost all asistant coaches have ambitions to be a HC. Scott Spinelli had ambitions to be a HC while he was at NU 8 years ago, and he still has ambitions to be a HC, yet he is still and asistant coach. Harriman may become a HC someday, but highly doubt that day will be anytime in the next 5 years. So the whole goal is to keep him here at NU for at least those next 5 years. If Harriman makes a move in the next 5 years, it most likely will be to go to another school as a an assistant coach. Miles cannot prevent that 100% from happening, but he sure as heck can make the decision more difficult for him. I guarantee you Harriman would stop and give a looooong pause before taking the job at a school like Maryland or NC St if it would rerquire him not only to move his family again, but also take a paycut from $600,000 to $300,000, while at the same time moving to a city with a higher cost-of-living than Lincoln. As for Smith, I am not worried about him. He may leave someday, but I haven't seen anything to indicate he warrants a substantial pay increase. He appears to be a great guy and an excellent on-the-court coach (scouting, game plans, game day, etc), but I haven't seen anything to indicate he is an elite recruiter. And that is where the money is at, especially with assitant coaches. If you get a very good/great recruiter at NU, you need to do whatever it takes to keep him here as long as possible. As long as Miles at least makes the effort, I would not fault him if Harriman leaves. But if he doesn't show that he is willing to do everything he can (ie, bump his salary to $500,000+), then it would be on Miles IMO.

Losing Johnson hurts, but the assistant Miles simply cannot afford to lose is Harriman. I have felt for a while that Miles should bump Harriman's salary to $500,000+ and make a commitment to keep him no matter the cost. I am not happy about losing Johnson but will get over it. I will be very upset if we lose Harriman, especially if Miles and the athletic dept. don't step up and pay him an amount that will make it extremely difficult for him to leave. Harriman is probably the ceiling as far as the qualify of an assitant coach we can get at NU. When we get one like him, we need to do whatever is necessary to keep him. Unfortunately, I haven't seen any indication that Miles as the AD are willing to make that sort of commitment to Harriman and the program.

There are no more rules anymore. At least not any with any consequences. Just give them the obligatory slap on the wrist and Hoiberg will be on his merry way the tourney again next year.

Don't think it is laziness. The players are just taking the path of least resistance so they grab instead of using good footwork. They go over the back on rebounds instead of working for position. They just pitch a tent in the lane instead of developing good offensive moves to get to the basket. I don't know WHAT the refs are doing but I doubt they are lazy. Systemically, the game has become a loosely organized game of street ball and I, for one, don't like it as well. It has nothing to do with being lazy. I actually think the UL players played unbelievably hard! The reason they foul all the time is b/c the refs allow them to do it and it is very effective. There simply is no disputing that you can stop the offensive player better by grabbing him than by simply moving next to him. I can't believe that would ever be in dispute. It is incredibly difficult for an offensive player to even dribble the ball down the court when the opposing defender is litterally riding on your back the entire way, bumping you, hacking you, grabbing you, pushing you off course, etc. If the defender was simply "moving his feet" along side the ball-handler without touching him, that would not be nearly as effective. Same goes for post players, etc. Heck, it is hard to even inbounds the ball when the opponent is allowed to litterally bear hug you when you are trying to get open. They foul because it works better. That is not the question. The problem is that it is not supposed to be allowed under the rules of the game, and it mucks up the game and makes it ugly and, at times, unwatchable.

As long as he is able to push, pull, grab, hold, hack and otherwise foul the opponent incessantly, he should do just fine.

I agree with this 100%. The college game has almost become an embarrassment. It is legalized assault. It is completely out of hand and it is ruining the game. It is an easy fix. Simply call the fouls every time down the court starting at the beginning of the season and teams will adjust. The NBA has started this process and virtually eliminated all the hand-checking. If it can be done in the NBA, it certainly can be done in college. The finals tonight was a case-in-point. UL made some great plays, but they mugged UM all night. There were possessions where UL fouled UM 10 times on a single possession, and not one of them was called. UM was the more talented team, but UL knows how to foul better. That should not be what determines a national champion.

Wasn't biggs a juco all american? His offers didn't really blow up. Us and Okie st. Biggs was named a juco All American after his freshman year? I did not know that. Hmmm. You sure about that? Biggs got to practice with Michigan for a whole year then play Juco? I did not know that. I know it was after biggs soph season, but they were the same grade/age when they became JUCO AMs Not trying to argue, but I don't see Sai's offers blowing up. Especially this late in the game. I believe that Sai Tummala is a better get than Leslee smith though. Exactly. Sai is not a true freshman, he is a RS freshman. Huge difference.

College basketball has become a disgrace. Louisville is a total fraud. All they do is mug the opponent every single second they are on the floor. The officiating of the college game is atrocious and embarrassing. Its not basketball, it is simply a rugby match on the court. Michigan is simply 100X better because they are winning despite an embarrassment of fouls that are not being called on UL.

Safe to say in hindsight. Do you sign a guy you don't like who may have qualificiation issues when you are also teetering on the APR bubble? Do you sign a guy you don't like when you are going to have room for a much bigger class the next year? Seems to me...considering what our expectations were for this year.....there was more potential downside than good to bring him in. I don't get the APR point. How is Fahro any more of an APR risk than any other recruit? If Fahro had not qualified, I don't think he would have counted against our APR since he never would have played in a game. Besides, I don't remember there being major concerns about his qualification status. None more than any other recruit. And beyond that, I think this whole APR issue is overblown right now. I have not seen any credible source say that NU is currently walking a thin line with the APR, only rumors and innuendo right now on that. Fahro is not a huge deal either way. All I am saying is that looking back, it definitely would have been better to keep him. Miles was unable to land another recruit for last year and has been unable to land sufficient quality recruits this year to justify not keeping him. Of course Miles may have hoped he could get better, but ulitimately it is his job to evaluate where things are at and make the right choices. I just don't think it would have been much of a risk at all to keep him. Miles stll would have had 4 scholarships available for this class, and he always has the option of letting a a few players go to make more room if he needs it. For instance, would you rather have Fahro next year or BP? Miles knew last year that AA and Ubel were going to graduate and that Vooch was going to need a lot of strenght conditioning before he is ready. Miles knew enough to make an informed decision. If you want to take it one step further, you could say the mistake was in choosing BP over Fahro if you are so concerned about saving scholarships for this class.

Fahro averaged 9.7pts/game (47.4% from the field) and 4.5 rebouds/game this season for UAB. He is 6'10" and shot 80% on free throws, all in just 25.5 minutes per game. If you average that out over a 40 minutes per game average, I am guessing this is very close to the production of Ubel this year. And Fahro is only a junior. Looking back, I don't see how it could be disputed that it was a mistake to not keep Fahro. As mentioned, his scholarship was given to Menke last year. There would have been almost no risk in keeping him.

Sai is listed at 6'6" on his juco roster as well: http://slccbruins.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=477 Not sure where the 6'7" comes from, but I doubt its very credible. Juco rosters always give the player the benefit of the doubt on their height. Doubt he is a legit 6'6" based on that alone. But it also says he lettered in volleyball at HS. He and Tai would make one heck of an rec team!

Well he is listed at 6'8", 220 lbs and Tummala is listed at 6'7", 215 lbs... Also, if McDermott is a "big pussy", then he is a "big pussy" that just has just become a repeat selection as an AP All-American. I would take a guy that you condider to be a "big pussy", if he can put up numbers for Nebraska that will lead to him to becoming a 2-time AP All-American selection. And yes McDermott had Echinique playing next to him which made "all the difference in the world". Echinique is listed at 6'9", 260 lbs as a senior. If Tummala has a guy like Smith (who is listed as 6'8", 250 lbs as a sophomore) playing next to him, then that should make "all the difference in the world". Especially because he has the ability to put on 10 lbs each season, which would have him playing at around 270 lbs his senior season. I'd take Dougie Buckets too, but that doesn't change my opinion that I consider him to be a bit of a pussy. Echenique is a very adept and aggressive rebounder -- much more so than Smith. The knock on Smith is that, despite having the body type to play the position, he's a bit soft and lacks an aggressive mindset. He'll need to turn up the intensity quite a bit to play for Tim Miles in my opinion. If not, he'll be sitting on the bench. I feel as though I'm having an extremely difficult time getting my point across in this thread. To summarize: 1) We need at least one true power player on the court most of the time who can defend the low post and aggressively battle for rebounds to the extent that Nebraska won't find itself at a rebounding deficit relative to opponents on a game by game basis. You've got to be able to rebound the basketball to win games, period. 2) Sai Tummala is more of a finesse player than a power player, and, while I like him a lot and want him on our roster very badly, I don't consider him to be a power player, but instead much more of a finesse player. We need talent and depth, period, so I'm fine with that, but my original post in this thread was in response to what I believe to be an opinion held by some here that Sai Tummala is a power player who helps solve our deficiency in that area, when I don't believe he does. Hoops, I'm with ya. Sai isn't total finesse but he's not going to bang like an Echinique does. At this stage of the game, late signing period and all, the pickins are slim. This happens to be what I think is a legit kid who could fit on our roster and do some things that current players don't do. As I go down the list of players, I just don't see a kid who has his shooting stroke except for maybe a couple of the freshmen coming in. Petteway? Not from what I'm hearing. Rivers? Nope. Shields? Nah. Pitchford? Apparently not. And judging by Sai's film and what folks are saying about Pitchford, it looks like Sai can post up better than Pitchford too. Biggs? No Parker? Are you kidding me? Gallegos? Uh, no. Competition level makes a difference, sure. But have you seen that guy's stroke? And the shots he's taken on the films I've seen have been contested shots. But, even if not, that's a pretty good % even unguarded. Shields shot 42% from 3 land (the highest 3-point percentage on the team) as a true freshman during conference play in the B1G, with a bad wing and large elbow pad to boot on his shooting arm. Yet, you have already declared Sai a much better shooter than Shields? I think I will wait and see aobut that. And, as I have said, I bet you doughnut to dollar that Shields is taller than Sai (or at least every bit as tall).

I haven't seen Tummala listed at 6'6" anywhere. Everywhere that I have seen has him listed at 6'7", 215 lbs. http://rivals.yahoo.com/nebraska/basketball/recruiting/player-Sai-Tummala-150220 He was listed as 6'6" on the Michigan roster last year: http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/tummala_sai00.html He may have grown an inch since then, but that is unlikely. Most likely his juco embellished his height as they often do. I agree 100% with Hooper on this one. I don't see him as a true PF at all. I would bet that Shields is taller than Sai. Not saying he wouildn't play some PF here at NU if he signs, but he is not a true PF. And yes, he may be able to create some mismatches when on the offensive end, but again, people seem to forget about the defensive end and rebounding, which is crucial.

Not necessarily. They are only must gets if they are actually good enough to play and elevate the team. Miles has already shown that he is going to play the 6 to 8 best players on the team, regardless of position. If either Sai or Leslee cannot crack the top 8 or 9, then not signing them means almost nothing. Even if Smith plays a position of need at center, I think Miles has shown that he would rather play a better player and go small than play a bigger player who lacks the skill or strength. Heck, Miles refused to play Andre almost all of conference play even though he is a relatively skilled big man. I seriously doubt that Smith is more skilled than Andre. He may be better athlete, but is that enough to crack the top 8, I don't know. There was an article about a month ago in which Miles was interviewed about recruiting. I tried to find it but I can't even remember what publication it was in. Anyway, in the article, he talked about his recruiting philosophy and how he did not want to "reach" on any recruits simply because the team may be in need of another player at a certain position. In fact, he specifically mentioned how many teams will recruit and sign big men late in the spring signing period who are not of the talent level they normally recruit. (That is why you might see an Oklahoma State offer a guy like Shang Ping in the spring, for example. My example, not Miles). Miles said he was determined not to fall into this trap. He said that in a rebuilding project like NU, you can't waste any scholarships. Even suggested it would be better to hold on to the scholarship for the next recruiting cycle if necessary. To be honest, after reading that article, I was surprised to see that he offered Smith, and maybe even Sai. I am still giving Miles the benefit of the doubt, so I am trusting they see something in these guys, but only time will tell.

If anyone has to go (errrr, chooses to leave), my money is on BP.

Sai Tummala is a prime example of a player who redshirted his freshman year and it was a significant benefit to him even though he elected to transfer from that school. Sai initially went to Michigan as a freshman. He did not play and therefore was a RS his freshman year. After his freshman RS season, he elected to transfer and he decided to transfer to a junior college. At the junior college, he was able to play an entire season and get exposure to Div. 1 programs and open up his recruitment. He lost a year of eligibility to play in juco, but since he RS his freshman year at Mich, he is still has THREE years of eligibility left to play at a major Div. 1 program. This is a HUGE benefit to Sai. Had his coach at Mich elected to play him for a few minutes at the end of games during his freshman year, whether to allegedly "evaluate" him or allegedly to "preserve his RS for a transfer", it would have been a significant detriment to Sai because Sai would have lost that year of eligibility, plus another year of eligibility at juco, and thus would only have 2 years of eligibility remaining. What if Vooch decides it is not working out at NU and that he wants to go to a junior college and play one season to try and get some playing time and exposure so that he can go to a different team. If he does that, he will lose another year of eligibility, and thus only have 2 years of eligiblity remaining. He will have 3 years to play those 2 years (a 3 for 2 guy), but it would be MUCH better for him to be a 3 for 3 guy coming out of juco than a 3 for 2 guy.

Kamdy, in general I would agree with you, but not in Vooch's case. Again, let's contrast Vooch with BP. Miles played BP in real legit minutes in real games that matterered. Thus, Miles was able to "evaluate" just how BP stands up against Div 1 and even B1G competition, thus using that as a basis to evaluate where BP might fit into future plans. Although it is still debatable whether it is worth buring a RS year for that, there certainly is an argument either way. In fact, I have absolutely no problem with Miles choice to not RS BP this year. However, this is in stark contrast to Vooch. Miles did not even play Vooch until something like the 4th or 5th game, and he did not put Vooch into the game until the last minute or 2. The game was not in question, and both teams were clearing their benches. Miles was not able to make any meaningful evaluation from that 1 minute of meaningless play that he couldn't make from practice time. Then, if my memory serves me correct, Vooch did not play at all for a number of games afte after that. And in the very few games that Vooch did play, they were all just 1 or 2 minutes at the end of the game when the game was no longer in question and the other team had cleared its bench. Vooch wasn't even playing against other legit Div. 1 or B1G players, he was playing against walk-ons for a couple minutes. There was nothing in those minutes that Miles could use to "evaluate" whether Vooch had potential to develop, etc. Again, that is my whole point. If Miles purpose was to play Vooch to "evaluate" him, then he should have played him at least a few minutes in the meat of the game against the othet teams starters, etc. We had a number of blow out games that Vooch could have come in much earlier, but Miles never put him in. He put in Tyrance, and even Menke, but not Vooch. Thus, there simply was nothing gained by inserting him for those 10 meaningless minutes at the end of games against the other team's walk-ons. I don't see how it can be argued that, under those circumstances, it would have been better to RS him. Nothing was gained by playing him, but an entire year of eligibility was lost by playing him.

Just to clarify, if he goes, then I agree there is no benefit to either Vooch or NU. But both Vooch and NU will be in the EXACT same position as they would have been had he RS his freshman year. So, since he has not yet transferred, and since there is still the prospect that he could become a valuable member of the team, it still would have been better to RS him b/c if he develops and becomes productive and valuable, then he has an extra year, while if he doesn't develop and transfers, he is in the exact same position. By not RS this year, he has already "burned" a year of eligibility that he didn't have to "burn". Thus, that year is already gone. If he transfers, he will not have to "burn" another year, but he has already "burned" his one year, so he is in the exact same position he would have been had he RS this year. I don't think that's true. Not entirely. Each succeeding year of playing eligibility has more value to the player. If he had redshirted his first season, there would be a disincentive to transferring, which I believe was Kamdy's point. It goes like this: Let's say that, particularly with a raw big man, he develops over time. And let's say that the total development he experiences during his college career is 100%. And let's further assume that the percentages of development for such a 5-year player go as follows: 1st year = 40%; 2nd year = 30%; 3rd year = 15%; 4th year = 10%; and 5th year = 5%, such that the last 5% of development occurs during the final season. It stands to reason, then, that during that 5-year career, he'll be able to contribute the most during his final season and successively less in each preceding season. This would suggest that his 5th season would have the most value to him and the first season would have the least value, per what he would be able to contribute as a player. NUdiehard is suggesting that, for a transfer, mathematically it makes no difference whether he redshirts in year 1 or year 4 because, either way, he still has 5 total years. And that's true. But that line of reasoning assumes that all years are equal and I don't think they are. If a player reshirts his first season and then sits out as a transfer, he has lost a productive year. And the longer he waits to transfer, the more of a productive season he will lose by transferring. Wait too long and you take the option of spending a year in juco off the table. Moreoever, if you save your redshirt for a possible transfer year, it allows you to get up-to-speed with your new coach's system while you're sitting out as a transfer. (Think Walter Pitchford or Terran Petteway.) I don't think there's any doubt that Sergej is better off saving his redshirt in the event a transfer becomes necessary. Holy cow! Do you really believe all that mumbo jumbo or are you just trying to make this a 35 page thread? First, let's just assume your initial premise is correct, that big men develop more in their first years and less in their later years. That is debatable, but I will assume it correct for purposes of my response. Second, let's also assume that big men have more value/production during their later years (ie, years 4 and 5 then 1 and 2), which I definitely think it true. Even if all of this is true, it doesn't change a blasted think in regards to Vooch if he had RS this year. Since you mentioned Pitchford, let's use him as a prime example. Last year, Pitchford played about 20 minutes total at Florida. He was essentially a non-factor there. If he had RS last year, he still would have "developed" just as much. He still would have been able to practice under Donovan and gain his 40% of development. And if he decided to transfer here, he still would be in the exact same position. He would sit out a year, continue to develop (another 30% under your equation), and next year he would be a sophmore in eligibility. In both scenerios, he would still have 3 years to play during his peak performance years and he would have 2 years that were completely unproductive. It is the same thing. Now, just to further lay this out, let's say Vooch stays one more year, plays 6 minutes a game and averages 1.5pts/game in the process, and then transfers after next season. He will go to a new team, sit out one year (his third year of "development") and have 2 more years of eligibility with his new team (his PEAK 2 years--years 4 and 5). Now let's change it to the hypothetical as if Vooch had RS this year. Under that scenerio, if Vooch stayed one more year, played 6 minutes/game and averaged 1.5pts/game in the process (exactly the same), and then decided to transfer, the process would be EXACTLY THE SAME. He will go to a new team, sit out one year (his third year of "development") and have 2 more years of eligibility with his new team (his PEAK 2 years--years 4 and 5). It is exactly the same. He will still play his 2 peak years, and he will still practice with his new team during his 3rd year of development, just the same. What you didn't calculate in your fancy little equation is the fact that this year, in his freshman year at NU, Vooch has a 0% production value for the season. That is my WHOLE point. He played a total of about 10 minutes, all of which were totally and completely meaningless. Yet, he "burned" an entire year of eligibility for those 10 meaninglyess minutes. There is no rational basis to suggest he is better off for doing that. Your little equation proves my entire point. If Vooch had RS this year, he would have RS during his LEAST productive year (which in this case was 0%). There is no way this can be a bad thing. If Vooch had played meaningful and productive minutes, then you would be correct in what you are saying. But that is my whole point. He didn't, so he got no "value" from this year even though he burned a RS to do it. For instance, in contrast, if BP should transfer, then I would agree that it was better for him to not RS this year. He was able to get some legit playing time, some meaningful minutes, and meaningful experience that he can learn from and use to continue to develop. But Vooch did not get that at all. The very few minutes he played were all at the end of games when the outcome was decided and usually against the other teams walk-ons. Nothing he couldn't get in practice. It did not provide him additional preparation for future development. What it did do, though, is burn a year of eligibility. If Vooch decides to stay (and if Miles wants him to stay), then Vooch unnecessarily burned a RS year for nothing. Again, in contrast, BP did not waste a RS year for nothing, he got something from it, so an argument can be made in BP's case. But not for Vooch. He lost a year of eligibility for nothing and if he stays, and if he develops into a productive and valuable big, then he will lose his MOST valuable year (his 5th year) because he burned that year for a nothing year.

Just to clarify, if he goes, then I agree there is no benefit to either Vooch or NU. But both Vooch and NU will be in the EXACT same position as they would have been had he RS his freshman year. So, since he has not yet transferred, and since there is still the prospect that he could become a valuable member of the team, it still would have been better to RS him b/c if he develops and becomes productive and valuable, then he has an extra year, while if he doesn't develop and transfers, he is in the exact same position. By not RS this year, he has already "burned" a year of eligibility that he didn't have to "burn". Thus, that year is already gone. If he transfers, he will not have to "burn" another year, but he has already "burned" his one year, so he is in the exact same position he would have been had he RS this year.

I suppose if you tell yourself something enough times you can convince yourself of it even if it logically doesn't make sense. If Vooch had RS this year, he would still have 4 years of eligibility left. Thus, even if he transferred after next year (or any other year) he would have EXACTLY the SAME amount of eligibility left as he does under the current arrangement where he preserved his RS. However, if Vooch stays, and if he improves, but not until his third year in the program, he will only have 2 years of productive service to this team, whereas if he had RS this year, he would have 3 years productive service to the team, including a 5th year RS Senior year which would be his BEST year of service, and better than any service he will be able to provide under the current arrangement (in which he will only be able to play through his 4th year b/c he will lose his eiligibiltiy after that 4th year). Withey is a prime example of a big man who was terrible his first 2 years, but then blossomed and is now a key cog in a NCAA #1 seed at KU. Let's just hypothetically say that Vooch turns out to be even a poor-man's Withey (which would be very, very good under NU standards) by his 4th year in the program. Do you really think that Miles can just go and land a freshman big man at that point who will come in AS A FRESHMAN and be as good or better than Vooch would be his 5th year as a RS Senior? I think that is being wildly optimistic beyond reason. The more rational approach would be to preserve the ability to retain Vooch for that 5th year of service when he will be at his PEAK strength and productiveness. That is exactly the approach that a program like NU should be taking that is trying to find diamonds in the rough and hidden gems and develop them into players that can compete at a high level by their 4th and 5th years in the program. Vooch gained absolutely nothing by playing 10 minutes this year that he couldn't have also gained by simply practicing with the team every day just as he did, whether he played those 10 minutes or not. And if Vooch turns out to be a bust and it becomes obvious he will never be able to play at this level, Miles could help him find a new lower-level school, and as I said above, he would still have EXACTLY the same amount of eligility remaining at that new school. There is no gain to him by saving the RS for the transfer process. So you want to compare one of the nation best centers coming out of high school and Vooch? He was the 36th best OVERALL player in the country. He was EXPECTED to be good. Come on now dont try and come with some ludicrous claims that Serge was ever expected to be that good. Next youre going to tell me we need to give Benny Parker a break because one of the nations best point guards struggled early in his career so it means he should be able to do the same. Ummmm, I didn't compare Vooch to anyone. I just made a hypothetical. And even in that hypothetical, I referred to the possibility that Vooch could become a hypothetical "poor-man's" Withey (which I still maintain would be very good for NU). And what "expectations" a player has when he is signed or arrives on campus is irrelevant. The only thing that matters is what a player is and what he can become. Coaches bring in 5 stars who are busts all the time, and coaches bring in 2 stars who turn out to be All-conference players. I am not saying Vooch is either one, I am just saying that either way, the logical choice would have been to RS him. Whether Vooch turns out to be anywhere near as good as Withey is completely irrelevant to my point, which was that it doesn't matter whether Vooch is boom or bust, that it doesn't change the position that it would have been better to RS him this year. I notice that you didn't even bother to address that issue. I've already stated numerous times I was all for them to NOT redshirt him. Basketball unlike any other sport you can easily turn your program around in a few short years, if not even one year. With that being the case do you want to saddle yourself with someone who "might" pan out 4 years from now or have someone that can make an impact today that helps your recruiting tomorrow. Nebraska needs players that can contribute now more than anything and if a player cannot there isnt a need to keep them around if you dont feel they can help your team in the next year. Miles knows he needs to turn things much faster at a big time program than he did at any other school which is why you see him scouring every inch of the earth trying to find guys that can compete right now. Once you get to a level of Kansas, when you can stockpile talent, then you can consider letting a guy redshirt but when youre 10th in the B1G changes need to happen now. I give up. I don't understand what any of that has to do with the choice to not RS Vooch this year. As I have stated a hundred times, and as we all know, Miles can cut Vooch loose at any time whether he RS him or not this year if he doesn't want him "saddling" his program. Oh well. And just for the record, I anticipate everyone will jump on me and say I am trying to knock on Miles, etc. I am not doing that at all. I like Miles and think he is doing a very good job. I was very clear I thought Doc should go after year 5, let alone year 6, and I think Miles is a HUGE upgrade from Doc. If season one under Miles was a game of poker, I look at the Vooch situation as just being one hand that was poorly played in a long day of play. Everybody plays at least a few bad hands, but at the end of the day (or, in this case, the end of season 1), I think Miles is walking out of the room with a lot more chips than he came in with. The Vooch situation is not a huge deal to me and will not make or break Miles or this program in any way, shape or form. I am just calling it the way I see it. I would hope even Miles could admit (If not publicly, at least privately), that he did not do everything perfect his first year. That would be unreasonable, no one is perfect. I am just discussing one particular aspect and I wouldn't even discuss it at all except that so many people seem to think it was the wise decision to not RS him and, for the life of me, and can't think of any logical explanation why.

I suppose if you tell yourself something enough times you can convince yourself of it even if it logically doesn't make sense. If Vooch had RS this year, he would still have 4 years of eligibility left. Thus, even if he transferred after next year (or any other year) he would have EXACTLY the SAME amount of eligibility left as he does under the current arrangement where he preserved his RS. However, if Vooch stays, and if he improves, but not until his third year in the program, he will only have 2 years of productive service to this team, whereas if he had RS this year, he would have 3 years productive service to the team, including a 5th year RS Senior year which would be his BEST year of service, and better than any service he will be able to provide under the current arrangement (in which he will only be able to play through his 4th year b/c he will lose his eiligibiltiy after that 4th year). Withey is a prime example of a big man who was terrible his first 2 years, but then blossomed and is now a key cog in a NCAA #1 seed at KU. Let's just hypothetically say that Vooch turns out to be even a poor-man's Withey (which would be very, very good under NU standards) by his 4th year in the program. Do you really think that Miles can just go and land a freshman big man at that point who will come in AS A FRESHMAN and be as good or better than Vooch would be his 5th year as a RS Senior? I think that is being wildly optimistic beyond reason. The more rational approach would be to preserve the ability to retain Vooch for that 5th year of service when he will be at his PEAK strength and productiveness. That is exactly the approach that a program like NU should be taking that is trying to find diamonds in the rough and hidden gems and develop them into players that can compete at a high level by their 4th and 5th years in the program. Vooch gained absolutely nothing by playing 10 minutes this year that he couldn't have also gained by simply practicing with the team every day just as he did, whether he played those 10 minutes or not. And if Vooch turns out to be a bust and it becomes obvious he will never be able to play at this level, Miles could help him find a new lower-level school, and as I said above, he would still have EXACTLY the same amount of eligility remaining at that new school. There is no gain to him by saving the RS for the transfer process. So you want to compare one of the nation best centers coming out of high school and Vooch? He was the 36th best OVERALL player in the country. He was EXPECTED to be good. Come on now dont try and come with some ludicrous claims that Serge was ever expected to be that good. Next youre going to tell me we need to give Benny Parker a break because one of the nations best point guards struggled early in his career so it means he should be able to do the same. Ummmm, I didn't compare Vooch to anyone. I just made a hypothetical. And even in that hypothetical, I referred to the possibility that Vooch could become a hypothetical "poor-man's" Withey (which I still maintain would be very good for NU). I also gave a hypothetical that Vooch could turn out to be a complete bust. I did not give either one more credence that the other. My point as that either way, the logical choice would have been to RS Vooch this year. And what "expectations" a player has when he is signed or arrives on campus is irrelevant. The only thing that matters is what a player is and what he can become. Coaches bring in 5 stars who are busts all the time, and coaches bring in 2 stars who turn out to be All-conference players. I am not saying Vooch is either one, I am just saying that either way, the logical choice would have been to RS him. Whether Vooch turns out to be anywhere near as good as Withey is completely irrelevant to my point, which was that it doesn't matter whether Vooch is boom or bust, that it doesn't change the position that it would have been better to RS him this year. I notice that you didn't even bother to address that issue.

I suppose if you tell yourself something enough times you can convince yourself of it even if it logically doesn't make sense.If Vooch had RS this year, he would still have 4 years of eligibility left. Thus, even if he transferred after next year (or any other year) he would have EXACTLY the SAME amount of eligibility left as he does under the current arrangement where he preserved his RS. However, if Vooch stays, and if he improves, but not until his third year in the program, he will only have 2 years of productive service to this team, whereas if he had RS this year, he would have 3 years productive service to the team, including a 5th year RS Senior year which would be his BEST year of service, and better than any service he will be able to provide under the current arrangement (in which he will only be able to play through his 4th year b/c he will lose his eiligibiltiy after that 4th year). Withey is a prime example of a big man who was terrible his first 2 years, but then blossomed and is now a key cog in a NCAA #1 seed at KU. Let's just hypothetically say that Vooch turns out to be even a poor-man's Withey (which would be very, very good under NU standards) by his 4th year in the program. Do you really think that Miles can just go and land a freshman big man at that point who will come in AS A FRESHMAN and be as good or better than Vooch would be his 5th year as a RS Senior? I think that is being wildly optimistic beyond reason. The more rational approach would be to preserve the ability to retain Vooch for that 5th year of service when he will be at his PEAK strength and productiveness. That is exactly the approach that a program like NU should be taking that is trying to find diamonds in the rough and hidden gems and develop them into players that can compete at a high level by their 4th and 5th years in the program. Vooch gained absolutely nothing by playing 10 minutes this year that he couldn't have also gained by simply practicing with the team every day just as he did, whether he played those 10 minutes or not. And if Vooch turns out to be a bust and it becomes obvious he will never be able to play at this level, Miles could help him find a new lower-level school, and as I said above, he would still have EXACTLY the same amount of eligility remaining at that new school. There is no gain to him by saving the RS for the transfer process. I think not redshirting him was for the best if he does stay at UNL, though. That way he only takes up a scholly for 4 years instead of 5. As I already stated, if it becomes apparent that he wil never develop into a productive big man, then Miles could help him find a new school at any time during his tenure here. Miles is not required to keep him for all 5 years. This is common and happens at every school every year. The coach sits the player down and says"Vooch, we thank you for all your efforts and you are welcome to stay if you want, but I need to be honest and tell you that you probably will never play another minute if you remain here. I wanted to be honest and tell you this so that if you want to transfer, you can start the process now and I will help you find a good school where you can play and be productive." I really don't understand why this is so complicated.