I find it telling that our basketball team suddenly seems to have found a pulse and that this has happened shortly after the announcement of Hoiberg's return for next year. I really wonder if there is not a correlation here and if, once our season started to head south and fans were clamoring for Hoiberg to be fired, our players did not lose their morale and their motivation to play. Just a thought....
Nebraska basketball
- Thread starter Pennsyhusker_rivals246774
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Sure seems like there is some correlation, or a big coincidence. Either way, I have no idea how to interpret it - its bizarre. Effort picks up after it is announced that Hoiberg will return. Does that mean players weren't giving effort as they thought it was a foregone conclusion their coach would get the ax so they were cashing it in? Or were they not giving effort because they wanted him gone and when they realized he was coming back they figured they better start giving effort? Weird!
The one thing that has become clearer out of this is that the team has played under their potential all season.
The one thing that has become clearer out of this is that the team has played under their potential all season.
we lost our first game of the year to a team that's going to finish 6th in UNO's league
being disheartened had nothing to do with it, despite the on-court softness that's become fred's calling card
for the 3rd year in a row, it's taken 25+ games to figure things out
I can picture it now...when that BIG game vs WIU was about to start the players were already like "Dude, Can't believe we have to start the season at home vs this powerhouse, face it, the admin wants Fred gone, I ain't playing hard if they are going to just can him anyway"
I think you might have it backwards.
Players didn't start dogging it because the big meanie fans were clamoring for Hoiberg to be fired.
Fans were clamoring for Hoiberg to be fired because players were dogging it.
Yes it's very strange. I thought we were going to let ostste back in it when we missed 3 consecutive 3 pt shots. But this team showed hustle and decent defense lately and more TEAM play
Confidence goes a long way in basketball, especially for shooting. They seem much more confident these last two games.
Verge is a problem for other teams, he has elite level handles. Verge can also get in the paint whenever he wants, same with Bryce.
Eliminate bad shots and turnovers (see Verge, Lat, Trey)-- this team can get some W's!! They actually play a fun style of play when things go their way. Hope this continues!
Verge is a problem for other teams, he has elite level handles. Verge can also get in the paint whenever he wants, same with Bryce.
Eliminate bad shots and turnovers (see Verge, Lat, Trey)-- this team can get some W's!! They actually play a fun style of play when things go their way. Hope this continues!
I think we played another very below average team in PSU, got hot and won. Subsequently parlayed that into a little momentum and caught OSU down a couple players combined with finally getting some shots to fall. I don't put much of consequence into it and am probably way less optimistic about Hoiberg than I am about Frost at this point. And that's saying a lot. Outside of watching Bryce play himself into the draft lottery all I can think is that next season will be rough too.
Not to mention that Holtmann seems to have fallen in love with Justin Ahrens, who couldn't guard a fence post. Even the BTN talking heads, who never, ever criticize Ohio State, couldn't believe Holtmann had Ahrens guarding Verge for so many minutes. Verge ate his lunch repeatedly.
We really pissed away the first Ohio game and the Rutgers game. 5 conf wins, that seems more in line with our ability.
Yeah, no **** he's leaving after this season. What do you define as "nowhere near"? If he's a first rounder is that near? Most projections I've seen have him late first or early second round, and he's clearly raising his stock with every passing week.
He has improved significantly as the year has progressed (particularly defensively). While it would be nice to build a program around him next year (and have his brother back), there is NO CHANCE that will happen. NBA Draft money just too big for him to even consider a return.
Well when your last sentence is worded the way it was it makes it seem as though you were thinking he was coming back. And no being a first rounder isn't "near" Top 20 yes. going pick 28 or into round 2 isn't near..
Unfortunately, this late-season positive momentum won't really matter, because we will have an almost completely new roster again next year. Wilcher is the likely the only player who plays significant minutes who will be back next year. Maybe Walker comes back. But otherwise, get ready for another very inexperienced team again next year.
Mayen and Trey McGowens are juniors and I don't see any NBA scouts knocking on their door - so they could be back. I would also bring Andre back, even if it's mostly to give Blaise Keita someone tall and athletic to practice against. If Walker and Breidenbach also return, that's a pretty experienced roster. It's not exactly gushing with talent, but in today's college BB world it has plenty of experience.
I'll not comment on Tominaga. Fred giving him zero meaningful minutes during this 3-game stretch of improved play already speaks volumes.
IF you figure out how 19 - 24 year old's think & what does OR doesn't motivate them, you'd become super rich!
I think itās just a coincidence.
Nebraska shot well the last two games. They also caught opponents that had off nights.
Nebraska shot well the last two games. They also caught opponents that had off nights.
Personally, I don't think Tominaga was ever expected to be any more than a specialty 3-point shooter for more than limited minutes each game. Trey getting hurt and Edwards not doing anything after getting early season minutes kind of forced Tominaga to play a lot more than he should have. With Trey back we have a better rotation and he and Verge get the PG minutes (although neither are what seems like a "traditional" PG). When Verge is playing under control and getting the bulk of the PG minutes, that allows Trey to move to a SG role. The remaining SG minutes are then split between Wilcher and Webster. This last 3-game stretch they have played well enough to not need Tominaga.
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I'm reminded of when Mike Anderson was still coaching the baseball team. Between 2009 and 2011, his team managed to play like hot, steamy dog crap long enough to get themselves mathematically eliminated from finishing anywhere higher than second-to-last place and out of the conference tournament. All three years, his teams "woke up" at the end of the regular season and beat some Big 12 team they had no business beating after getting pantsed by the likes of Kansas or whomever all regular season. Swept Baylor in 2009, Swept Texas Tech in 2010 and won 2 out of 3 against Missouri in 2011.
Point being. . .I don't read much into it.
Point being. . .I don't read much into it.
Other than we never figured anything out Fredās first year. Beat Iowa first week of January, 2020 and followed it up with 17 straight losses. More than our share of blowouts. Went from 7-8 to 7-25.
What makes you believe we figured anything out?
you're right.
we blew start to finish year 1, then semi-quasi-somewhat-kinda competitively figured things out for the last 5ish games of the past 2 years after cementing ourselves in the cellar throughout each season.
When you get beat up that much teams let there guard down and relax which helps sometimes.
Year two we had to kick a guy off of the team. Teddy A became more trouble than what he was worth. Played much better without him. Derrick Walker being ruled ineligible and not available to late in the year also hurt the development. . Both of those scenarios had big impacts on āfiguring things out lateā.
The Trey M injury early this year, IMO, had a big impact on the development of this yearās team. He is finally looking healthy on that leg.
Bottom line, all three years have been unique in their problems with one thing constant. We need to get old and not see a bunch of new faces each year. Stop the roster turnover.
We will go 3-17, or 4-16 in Big Ten play this year. I would overhaul the majority of the roster again. Bryce isn't coming back. Verge is gone. So you've got major questions at the guard spot. Thankfully, Webster will be gone. Tominaga is not an NCAA level player, he belongs in the GPAC. So, you're essentially rolling with Trey and Wilcher, hoping that Denim Dawson or Ramel Lloyd bring something to the table. Lat will still be around unfortunately. He isn't a Big Ten level player. Hopefully, Walker comes back. Andre you keep, but he should only be getting spot minutes at best. Hopefully Keita is the real deal. Briedenbach comes back and you see what you have in him. Keon Edwards isn't good enough to play at this level, hopefully transfer portal.
Call it: "even a blind squirrel eventually finds a nut" syndrome. Still a bad team that caught a decent team on a bad night. But whatever, a win is a win but end of season is coming soon.
Not sure, but they are both listed as juniors:
2021-22 Roster
Doesn't mean they will be back, obviously, but that's how they are listed.
I figured putting girls first with suffice. I know where my mind was at that age.
I think if you go back to early in the season, our five star and his family weren't happy that Verge was dominating the ball. Verge didn't know how to play point. Trey got hurt and there was no leadership on the court. Lots of standing around. Verges development has been like going from zero to ninety over the season. Fred's offense needs a true point whether guard or forward it doesn't work otherwise. Finally the rest of the team has confidence in the point and they will get their opportunity. Also with Trey coming back we now has a set rotation of eight guys that seem to want to play together.
Wasn't there one of Erstad's years that we lost every B1G series 2 games to 1? You couldn't hardly do that on purpose.