Now that the Huskers are back at home, who better to play than a team that is 2-8 on the road this year. Texas Tech came to the Devaney Center on Saturday with hopes of easing their road woes under new coach Pat Knight.  Things looked pretty good for the Red Raiders early as they jumped out to their largest lead of the game when the score was 19-11.  Nebraska buckled up the defense and started to create plays for their shooters, as well as Maric, and NU turned in an impressive 21-2 run which led to a 6 minute scoring drought for TT.  The Huskers led 40-28 at the half, but more importantly was how they led.  Maric, who was playing in front of his mom and dad, was very aggressive.  There were a lot of dunks and not very many of those sky hooks he has been shooting lately.  He put the ball on the floor and made a few moves.  When he was doubled he kicked it out to an open teammate.   Steve Harley, who finished with 12 points, had 10 in the first half in arguably one of his best games as a Husker, as he was able to hit the open shot and protect the ball on offense.  Ryan Anderson, who in my last post I asked where has he gone, showed up in a BIG way on Saturday.  R.A. hit 8-9 from the field and 3-3 from behind the arc in tying his career conference high of 19 points.  He was relentless on defense with pressure and steals and on offense he was hitting open shots and was aggressive on the glass with 7 rebounds.  He was the player we all thought he could be and NU needs that 1-2 punch with Maric to be successful.

NU opened up it’s lead in the second half to 18 points when TT went to a full court press and started to make a ball game out of it, down only by seven, at 62-55.  The Red Raiders were sparked by Mike Singletary and Alan Voskuil, but couldn’t overcome a 9-3 run by the Huskers that put the lead back to 71-58 with 2:05 to play.  NU continued to play hard even though the outcome was already clear.  It was a good win at home, and with 2 of the next 3 at the Devaney, NU can try to make a late season run for a strong conference record.

Next up is Missouri at home on Wednesday at 7 P.M.   This game is not televised but will be broadcast on 1110 KFAB, which has an internet stream available also.

[see the box score courtesy of Huskers.com]

Nebraska travelled to #20 K-State on Wednesday and in the process aquainted themselves with possibly the number one overall pick for next year’s NBA draft.  Michael Beasley was effortless in scoring 35 points and pulling down  13 boards on 15 of 21 shooting, while leading his cats past the Huskers 74-59.

Nebraska took an early 4-0 lead only to watch as Beasley scored 10 points in under two minutes to cap a 12-0 run by K-State.  Nebraska’s perimeter defense was a step behind in the first half as the Wildkitties hit 43% of their three point attempts and 54% of their total shots.  Just like the Creighton game, when NU let them score at will and build up a huge halftime lead, Kansas State also had a commanding 45-30 lead heading into the locker room.  Beasley led all ( and almost NU ) with 23 points and Dagunduro led the Huskers with 9, followed by Maric with 8.

The similarities to the Creighton game didn’t stop there.  Just like in that game, NU found it’s defense, this time, going to a box-in-1 on Michael Beasley.  The result let NU back into the game, cutting a once 15 point lead down to 5 twice, at 55-50 and then 57-52.  That is as close as it would get for the Huskers as the offense stalled for NU and started to heat up for K-State.  Turnovers and rebounds plagued NU during this stretch, but they played hard until the end, so you couldn’t really ask for anything else.

A few afterthoughts after watching the game are:

1. I wonder why, with K-State’s size advantage, Doc  didn’t tinker with having Maric, Balham, and Ping in the line-up at the same time.  I think Ping is in the Doc dog house, or maybe it’s just Balham’s finally starting to come into his own.
2. Steve Harley made 3 really bad turnovers in a minute span that led to 6 quick KSU points when NU was clawing back.  He also didn’t seem to have his shooting touch all night, as nothing was really even close. 
3. Alecs Maric continued with the sky hooks and lay-ups all game long and I continue to wish he would just put the throwdown on one of those balls.  He did have 16 points and 15 rebounds but many were put backs or lay-ups and rebounds that came right to him.  Balham is much more physical all while giving up 3 inches and 40 pounds.
4. Sek Henry needs to start!  With Harley and Dagunduro struggling, Henry continues to impress with defense and quick slashes to the hoop.  Sek has come a long way this year defensively, and I say give the kid the ball!
5. I would love to have a whole team of Cookie Miller!  I love this kid.  Nobody leaves it all on the court more than C.M.  I get tired of watching him sometimes, that is how hard he works, non-stop.  In high school, he set the record for most points scored, so we know he can do that, but what impresses me the most is he is full speed all the time.  When you are the smallest guy out on the court every game and you still find ways to get rebounds in traffic, hit the open shot, create off the dribble and steal as many balls as he does, that is impressive!  When he finds his scoring touch again, look out!  During the game on Wednesday he messed up and didn’t rotate on a pick.  Doc was yelling at him from the sideline, and like a seasoned vet, Cookie pointed his hand to his ear as if to say “what Doc, can’t hear you”. 
6. Ryan Anderson, where did you go?  Last year R.A. averaged 10.1 points while shooting a respectable 47% from the field and 43% from behind the arc.  This year he averages 8.8 points, shooting 42 percent from the field and 38% behind the arc.

Up next is Texas Tech at home Saturday at 3 P.M. which will be on ESPN Plus.

[See the Box Score courtesy of Huskers.com]

  Ok, so it was after an 0-4 start, but we are back on track to at least have a respectable showing in the Big 12.  Nebraska, after that o-4 start, has wins against a suspension depleted Missouri and an injured Iowa State.  If they could have only hit some free-throws, NU very well could be 4-2 and sitting in a tie for third behind KU and KSU.  The Huskers showed the right amount of will and drive on Saturday to get them over the shooting slump they have been in for more than a month, but the meat of the conference schedule is just about to start, and there is no time for pats on the back just yet.

Nebraska didn’t look good at the start of Saturday’s game, falling behind 5-0, before finally playing together and pulling ahead 13-12 on a Ryan Anderson jump shot.  The score jumped back and forth the rest of the first half.  Nebraska had only one basket in the final 6 minutes of the half and if it weren’t for Iowa St. fouls, NU wouldn’t have been able to pull it even at 29 apiece going into halftime. 

According to Doc Sadler, there was no mention of X’s and O’s at halftime, but instead he challenged  his team to play better, smarter, and more aggressive.

I really liked our effort the second half. I thought they (Iowa St.)  were the aggressor in the first half. That’s what we talked about at halftime. We didn’t talk about X’s and O’s. Not that we were that much more aggressive (in the second half) than they were, but at least we were aggressive, especially on the basketball.”

Whatever was said worked and the Huskers built leads of 35-29, 48-43, and 55-46 in the second half.  Nebraska held Iowa St. scoreless for a seven minute stretch of the half which contributed to the final score, 64-56. 

Sek Henry was aggressive for the second consecutive game as he put up 11 points, 5 boards, and a block.  This rubbed off , and Dagunduro too, slashed to the basket and tried to get  his shot in a rhythm for the first time since conference play started.  It worked as Ade went 5-10 from the field for 10 points, but however he did not get one rebound.  Ade was a major player in the Huskers non-conference scoring, so it is nice to have him contribute again after only scoring 18 points in his first 5 conference games.  On the outs seems to be Shang Ping, as he saw no action in this game and has played limited action his last 2 games.  In his place, Chris Ballham brings an uncontrolled energy to the floor (that is sometimes late on defense), but he can work the 2 man game to get a quick dunk and for the most part, knows what his job is.  I continue to become a Cookie Miller fan for  his heart and toughness.  Sometimes on the floor it looks like he is going to have an asthma attack, but he just keeps going and going.  He has shown better control of the ball lately and is shooting the ball a little better now that he is trying to pick his shots and not force them.  Alecs Maric had his second double double in a row with 14 points and 13 rebounds but I am growing tired of seeing the Maric hook over and over again.  With Ade and Sek starting to find some lanes to drive in, maybe this will open up Maric for some dunks.  I  really thought Doc would try to develop a short jumper will Maric, 8-10 footer, but they never have.  If Maric could post up, this would add another dimension to defend.  Either way, a win is a win and after that start, I’m sure we will all take them.

[see the Box Score courtesy of Huskers.com]

ROBURT SALLIE

On a side note, the Omaha World Herald did a story on Roburt Sallie today and like I have said before, next years team will have some serious scoring options on it that this team doesn’t have.   It’s a good read and should get you pumped up for next year with McCray, Edwards, and Sallie all looking to contribute.  Enjoy the SUPER BOWL!  I really don’t like Eli Manning, but I almost hope they win.  Rooting for the underdog is always fun to do.  However, I like NE too much to do that.  I say Pats 37  Giants 17.  

On Monday, Missouri coach Mike Anderson suspended five players for a weekend brawl at a bar that broke starting point guard and leading scorer Stefhon Hannah’s jaw ultimately ending his season.  Three of those players are starters who help contribute to the Tigers relentless full court pressure D.  I am going out on a limb here and predicting an NU win.  If they do not win this game, then there are major problems with this program.

Well, after tape delay, the game finally started at 8:30 CST and it looked like NU was going to jump quickly on a depleted MU squad.   Nebraska jumped out to leads of  9-3 and 15-8 only to have the Tigers, who were relentless all night, get right back in it  at 15-14.   The Huskers went on a run  and led 21-14, but again, Mizzou closed the gap to two going into the half only down 32-30.

The second half started alot like the first half ended with NU going up and the Tigers clawing their way back.  Sek Henry scored 12 points in the first half but could only muster 2 in the second.  With the score bouncing back and forth, Steve Harley and Ade Dagunduro stepped up for the Huskers.  Ade had a key put-back off a Sek Henry miss and Harley just kept driving and shooting in the soft spots of Missouri’s zone, ultimately helping NU to it’s first conference win of the 2007-08 season,  66-62.

 Harley led four Huskers in double digits with 15 followed by 14 from Sek.  Alecs Maric and Ryan Anderson both had double doubles, Maric with 13 points and 13 boards and Anderson with 11 points and 10 rebounds.  The Huskers played well enough against a depleted Mizzou team, but that’s what they are supposed to do.  I have to give credit to the Tigers.  They came out swinging and had this “not in my house” attitude all night, but with only 7 players getting in, fatigue had to have played a factor when some players played more minutes tonight than they have combined all season.  Up next for the Huskers is Iowa St this Saturday for a  3 P.M. tipoff. 

One down……and only nine more to go!!!!

[See the box score courtesy of Huskers.com]

Another gloomy Saturday in Lawrence is not what the Doc ordered for his basketball team’s mid-season slump, but it is exactly the dose of reality served up to the Huskers by Kansas and it’s multi-faceted squad.  Nebraska was only in this game right before it started and the score was 0-0, but NU never gave up and continued to hound Kansas all game, even though the outcome was never in doubt, and ended up loosing 84-49.

Nebraska fell behind 6-0 but soon cut the lead to three at 8-5.  That’s as close as they would get the rest of the game.  KU was hitting shots from everywhere and had a big game from Brandon Rush, who finished with 17 points.  Rush was 5-6 from the field in the first half, all 3 pointers, and just seemed he could hit whatever shot he took.  Darrell Arthur, who had a 5 inch height advantage over Ryan Anderson, shot early and often and finished with a game high 18 points.  KU’s starters shot the ball  well and finished shooting 56 percent for the game compared to 30 percent by NU’s starters.  Kansas at one time was 7-10 on 3 pointers and finished the game shooting 56% (9-16).

There were a few bright spots for the Huskers today believe it or not.  One of those was Steve Harley getting offensive again.  Harley had an NU high of 16 points, but played aggressive on both sides of the ball for one of the first times this year.  Chris Balham, who averages around 6-8 minutes a game, played 20 minutes and had career high in points (6) and rebounds (8).  His defense could have used some help, but at this time last year the guy could barely walk and he hasn’t been playing alot this year.  He brought some energy in there and wasn’t afraid to bang around the big guys.  Cookie Miller got about 6 inches above the rim and blocked a fast break dunk attempt by KU, causing the announcers to drool all over themselves and quickly ask for a replay.  Someday he is going to be very very good, but I think it might take a couple of years to find out.  He reminds me a little of Tyronne Lue, but has got to be able to hit open shots and be able to score when called upon. 

KU coach Bill Self had this to say about guarding Maric:

 “We really didn’t do anything (special)…we trapped them some when they had two bigs in the game, but for the most part just guarded him. He got off some good looks that he normally makes, but for the most part limited his touches. Our perimeter pressure was good enough that they didn’t get the ball to him too easily in the first half.”

Nowhere to be found were Alecs Maric, Ryan Anderson, and Jay-R Strowbridge.  Combined they were 1-19 from the floor on offense and defensively it wasn’t much prettier.  During the game Anderson took a “fast” break from a steal and had about 10 feet on the nearest defender at the top of the key.  It ended up being 1 on 3 by the time he hoisted up a terrible lay-up.  I don’t know if that is more of KU’s quickness or the fact that RA is too slow to play the forward spot, but is probably a little of both.

NU is now 11-6 (0-4) for the year and has a mid-week game against Missouri next Wednesday night at 7.  It is televised on FSN Midwest and could push the Huskers to 0-5 in conference.  I certainly didn’t see this happening and will not be holding my breath for a Husker conference win.  About halfway through the first quarter I was thinking dizzturbedNUfan was right when he said to pull the redshirts and play your guys now, but after I reminded myself that Doc is building for the future of this team, I figured one more year isn’t too much to ask.  Doc’s team continues to play at times with fire on defense and seems to never give up,  which is a trait of a focused team.  Losing is never fun, but how you  lose is what you can build on and show the younger guys for the future.  I just wish that future was now and not in 10 months.

[see the Box Score courtesy of Huskers.com]

1st half re-cap 

NU weathered the storm of the Baylor Bears 3 barrage and pulled ahead with 5 minutes left in the half to lead, 35-30.  Steve Harley is having a great game going 5-6 from the floor, punctuated by a 2 hand fastbreak jam,  and is leading the huskers with 11 points.

 The Bears have hit 7-13  from behind the arc as the Huskers continue to struggle with defensive pressure on the long ball.

The Huskers have hit 41% of their shots compared with 39% for Baylor.

2nd half highlights 

Second half has just started and Baylor tipped in it’s own shot to only be down 3.   Nebraska needs this game BAD!  Let’s hope the D can hold up and the offense can catch up.

Starting out the second half, Maric is possessed by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.  But, unlike KAJ, Maric is not hitting the sky hook so he should definitely stop doing it.  DUNK IT MAN!!!!  Poor passing is killing the Huskers right now and they need to tighten it up.  A close game is not going to favor Nebraska as BU has alot of weapons at their disposal.

BU jumped out on a 7-0 run to start the second half and clearly distanced themselves from the now 11-5 (0-3) Huskers.  Steve Harley had a great first half but couldn’t capitalize on his hot shooting any longer, going 1-5 in the second half to end the game 6-11 for a career high of 15 points.  Harley finished just 1-6 from the free-throw line while Nebraska as a team only shot 61% on 21 of 34 attempts.  This is the difference between a win and loss in conference and NU just couldn’t hit the free ones on their own court.  Baylor had four scorers in double digits let by Henry Dugat with 19.  The Bears, 15-2 (3-0),  showed poise and patience by weathering NU’s runs and answering with one of their own.  NU went on a 9-0 run early in the half to take a 54-49 lead only to be aswered right back as Baylor matched their run to take a 58-54 lead with 5 minutes to go in the game.  With Baylor up 3 after a pair of NU free throws, they stepped on the line after bringing the ball in and gave NU one more shot to force OT.   Jay-R Strowbridge pump faked his opponent to get an open look at a 3, but travelled, and ended NU’s chances with it. Nebraska had it chances down the stretch, but poor shooting at the line and bad shot decisions would ultimately derail the effort put forth today.  Nebraska played with some heart and never gave up.  They did not have one of their best games and still almost won for the second time in as many games.

Some things that concern me after this game are:

1. If we use Alecs Maric to do sky hooks all game long we can kiss this year good-bye.  Too many times on Saturday the Huskers ran the same play over and over again to get Maric the ball in the post.  75% of the time he tried a sky hook that most of the time missed badly.  Maric can’t be expected to put the ball on the floor and dribble.  He is just too slow for that.  Drive some people to the basket and create a double team which will open Maric for a wide open shot.  To Maric I have to say…… there was only one Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, so let the sky hook retire with him, don’t bring it back.  DUNK IT!  I know coach Sadler always says the offense has to run through Maric, but I am almost tempted to say NO IT SHOULDN’T!  If he was going to be putting up half-hearted attempts all game long, let someone else try to get in a rhythm.
2. Everyone else.  These guys need to hit a shot!  The last 3 games have been atrocious to say the least.  Score, Score, Score.  Doc Sadler says he is not worried about offense, but with it, we’d be 2-1 in conference.
3. Three point defense.  I have said this is the key to a good conference record since the beginning and it is not pretty for NU.  In three Big 12 games the opponents are shooting 26-61 for 43% and it’s only going to get tougher.  This better get tightened up quickly.  The last thing NU wants is a team that is lights out from behind the arc against them.
4. Free throws.  If they were really free, we’d be hitting them.  Sixty-three percent is just plain not good enough over the last 3 games.  For the 2 home games in there NU has made just 59% on 32 of 54 free throws.  For the season, NU averages 68% while their opponents average 69%.  The Big 12 is not Savannah State, so I expect this number to increase the rest of the year.  This can be the difference in games and it certainly was today.

The Huskers return to action next Saturday for a 12:30 game against #3 Kansas in Lawrence followed by a visit to Columbia  on January 30th for a 7 P.M. match-up against Mizzou.

[see the box score courtesy of Huskers.com]

First Half: 

Lack of offense has hurt the Huskers during the first half as they have scored only 22 points in 20 minutes.  Alecs Maric and Cookie Miller pace the Huskers at 6 apiece going a combined 5-8.  The problem is the rest of the Huskers are 3-15, but the lone bright spot is the play of Sek Henry.  His athleticism has kept Nebraska within shot, but someone else needs to step up. 

Taking a play from my pagebook Colorado is shooting 3’s at will against NU’s porous three point defense.  Lucky for Nebraska they have only hit 4-13.  If they get hot, say hello to 0-2 in the conference.

Nebraska needs offense, and I say get the ball to Sek.  He has enough energy to carry this team tonight………….

GO BIG RED

COLORADO 55     Nebraska 51 

Yeah, what was I thinking when I said this team will go 10-6?  Offense, offense, offense…….where’s the offense?  Cookie Miller had an excellent night going 4-8 from 3 land and finishing with 18 points.  Maric, who looked tired and worn down at the end, finished with 14.  The huskers finished 16-47 from the field, but Maric and Miller were 11-19 and what you have left is 5-28 FG’s made.  Harley……. 0-5, Strowbridge……..0-6,   Anderson……1-6,  Dagunduro…….1-3.  The good thing was Sek Henry.  He was very energetic and looking to slash to the basket early and often.  He finished with 7 points on 2 for 3 shooting.  Henry had something about him tonight that I think the Huskers should have tapped into.  He was the only one out there, besides Miller, that looked like they weren’t going to fall asleep while running.

Once again offense has eluded the Huskers, but just like the KU game, every time a Husker took a shot, there were 5 Buffaloes there to get the rebound.  Our defense kept us in the game and NU was only down 2 with 5 seconds left in regulation, but just couldn’t overcome a poor shooting night on the road.

Rebounding, scoring, and wearing down are my main concerns after this game.  Oh and why the heck was Anderson guarding Richard Roby on CU’s last possession?  Everyone knows that RA is not the fleetest of feet, and you could tell what Roby was going to do when everyone cleared out of the lane.  Our guys looked like the Miami D from 94′ in the 4th quarter.  With their hands on their hips and breathing very deeply, Maric in particular,  looked like he was on empty after about the third quarter and this is only their 3 game in 2 1/2 weeks, which might be the problem.  It’s a long road ahead and Nebraska  has not had consistent play from anyone this year.  Ryan Anderson had a decent year as a Freshman last season, but should be scoring in double digits every game as a sophomore.  Sek Henry has lot’s of energy and should be slashing to the basket and making plays with his quickness more often.  

It’s time to work that offense Doc, but I’m not counting them out just yet.  This team has heart and doesn’t quit, their shot will come back to them and that will ease up the defensive pressure they have been put under lately.  If it doesn’t come back soon, they could very well start the conference season 0-5 with Baylor at home next, then down to KU, and over to Missouri……….well looking at the schedule they could very well be 0-16 with an offense like they had tonight. 

[see the Box Score courtesy of Huskers.com]

 Wrong Ball Cookie!!! 

There is no such thing as a moral victory, in my opinion, but according to Doc Sadler Nebraska has built momentum in the right direction.

“There’s so many positives. The score is what it is. I’m not happy about it. I’m not pleased, but I still think there were some good things about what we did. We have to have Ade (Dagunduro), Steve (Harley) and Ryan (Anderson) and we didn’t get it tonight on the offensive end. Our defense is good enough. There’s not question about it. It’s just that offense that separates and gives you a chance to win ballgames. We’re not good enough offensively right now.”

Nebraska got beat 79-58 Saturday at the Devaney Center but it was not a flat out domination of the Huskers.  KU made every open shot they put up and outside of Alecs Maric’s 7-12 shooting the Huskers just plain stunk it up offensively.  Leaving Maric out and just counting the four other starters, Henry, Anderson, Miller and Dagunduro then adding in Strowbridge and Harley because they contribute the most, their tally from the field was 9-34 or 26%.  After hitting the first 8 free throws of the game, NU was just 3-12 the rest of the way and shot only 55%  11-20 for the game.  For whatever reason, NU just couldn’t buy a basket.  During warm-ups,  Anderson and Velander were sinking almost every 3 they tried but when the game started up, Anderson was in Bricksville looking to buy a house.  Velander provided a spark going 3-3 off the bench, including 2 three pointers, but that was pretty much it for husker highlights of the game, other than Bo Pelini and his coaches taking a halftime curtain call. 

Nebraska did play hard and only gave KU a few chip shots during the game.  As soon as the Huskers gave just one inch of space for an open shot,  the Jayhawks alway hit them.  Brandon Rush, after being called out by Coach Bill Self, responded with a season high 19 points for KU and was one of four Jayhawks in double figures.

I would say the atmosphere of the game was OK at best.  The biggest cheers of the night were for the new football coaches and Bo Pelini, but that is all right, at least people got out to see what NU basketball is all about.  NU never gave up and played hard all night, even when it looked like the outcome was well in sight.

Dizzturbed and I took the game in and on the way home, here are some of the things we talked about.

1. Rebounding.  It seemed every time someone from NU put a shot up our entire team would instantly run to the other end of the court, leaving all 5 Jayhawks to claim a rebound.  After seeing it 2 or 3 times, I though maybe it was an aberation, but nope, it happened all game long.  Doc needs to improve on this if he wants to be competitive in the Big 12.
2. After 4 years on NU’s campus, Alecs Maric needs to show dominance.  Like I said in a previous post, I was surprised to hear he finished with 19 points because watching the game, he was being man-handled for the majority of it.  I believe the exact rated PG phrase I said was ” He’s from Australia with Serbian blood flowing through him for Pete’s sake.  He has played Ball for world champions in the U20 National Team of Australia, He’s 6′11″ and 270 and he should play like it.  I did feel a little badly when I found he got some stitches on his eyelid after bouncing his head off the floor, but hey it’s the truth. 
3. Somewhat ties into number two, but NU needs more productivity from it’s guards.  Shaq had Kobe and then Wade.  Jordan had Pippen and Bonnie had Clyde.  Maybe too much is put on Maric and with a little help from his friends, he could be the player I think he could be.  Twenty-six percent shooting from every other regular contributor is not going to cut it.  Maybe it’s time to work on offense, Doc.  They seem to have your defense down pretty well.

I don’t claim to be a coach, but I have learned a few things in my day.  Work on what is giving you fits.  On my daughter’s 4th grade team I help coach, every week at practice we spend less time on the things we understand well and more on the things that gave us problems the previous game.  This helps up grow as a team, and watching it in action, I say it works. 

I have changed the batteries on the crystal ball.  It had the 79 right, but that was it.  I should be back up and running at full speed in no time.

[see the Box Score courtesy of Huskers.com]

Cookie Miller had another stellar game running the point for Nebraska on Friday, helping put away Maryland Eastern Shore 86-50,  in front of 7100 fans at the Devaney Center.  The freshman dished out nine assists with only one turnover, chipped in 6 points on 3 for 3 shooting, had 2 steals, and pulled down 2 rebounds.  This is back to back games for Miller, who started the year off shaky at best, managing the game and getting Nebraska set in it’s offense.  For those two games Cookie is 6-11 from the field with 19 assists and just 1 turnover.  With conference starting up on Saturday with KU, Cookie is heading in the right direction.

Nebraska started off hot, jumping to a lead of 14-4, but sloppiness ensued and UMES closed the gap and was down only 6,  23-17.  Nebraska ended the half with a 13-4 run and built a 36-21 halftime lead.

Coming out of half, the Huskers showed some offense, which was a little strange to say the least, scoring 32 points in the first 8 minutes of the game.  Four minutes later it was 75-30 and Nebraska just put it on cruise control the rest of the way getting outscored  20-11 the last 8 minutes of the game while the reserves got some playing time.

Nebraska had 24 assists on the night on 33 baskets made, so one very positive aspect is the way NU moved the ball around and picked the right shot.  Maric led all scorers with 22 points and 8 boards.  Ade Dagunduro added 12 points and 5 boards, but I was very impressed with Chris Balham’s 6 points in only 3 minutes.  Sure, I hold my breath everytime the ball is in his hands(because he is very careless with it), but I love the energy he brings when he comes in and I am very happy to see him have his legs (literally) firmly underneath him this year.  With the Jaybirds coming to Lincoln on Saturday for a nationally televised game on ESPN, I have put a few areas of concern for this ball club.  Please let me know if you all agree, or if I have missed some important ones, please post and let us all know.

1. Streaky guard play.  Henry, Strowbridge, Harley and Miller have all shown signs of brilliance this year.  However, 3 of these 4 usually have poor offensive performances every game.  Defensively they are all very good, but in conference, we will need consistent scorers game after game.  Our 3 point shooting needs to improve and driving to the basket will only open up the lane for Maric.  Maric is good, but not good enough to carry the load every game. 
2. Seven times this year NU’s opponent has shot over 40% from downtown.  Doc needs to take this time and work on the Husker’s perimeter defense.  Anyone remember Oregon?
3. Will Maric tire down the stretch?  Maric, in my OPINION, has to average 20 points and 10 rebounds in conference for my 10-6 prediction to come true.  Is that possible?  At times Maric can dominate, but he has not been dominant.  When you are 6′11″ and 270 you throw down that dunk, not lay it in and you  don’t let some one you out weigh by 40 pounds  push you around like a rag doll.  Time to kick it up a notch for your last year of college.
4. Will Doc Sadler headlines that continually say things like “we are just not that talented of a ball club yet” have the same affect on his players and the public as it did for another coach of Nebraska?  I don’t know, but I didn’t like it when Callahan said it and I don’t really like it when Doc says it either.  The first time I read a quote with those words in it I almost couldn’t believe it came from DS’s mouth.  I don’t know about you, but I think if he really believes this, he should keep it to himself.
5. Turnovers.  Nebraska is averaging almost 14 turnovers a game and against a good Big 12 team you can add 30+ points onto the scoreboard.  Those are holes we do not need to dig for ourselves.  Protection of the ball will be important and I hope an emphasis is being put on it at practice this week.

Well, those are a few things I can think of off the top of my head.  Any more, please feel free to add them.  Earlier in the week I predicted a big Husker win over KU.  I feel with a sellout, or at least near one at the Devaney, the crowd will be wild and the team will feed off this energy like in the Oregon game.  Nebraska will win, but it’s gonna be close.

NEBRASKA  79 - KANSAS 72

GO BIG RED!!!! 

[See the Box Score courtesy of Huskers.com]

Just for you RTD

Box Score [via Huskers.com]

Cookie Miller shed his corn rows and his ability to throw away the ball went with them.  Miller did what no Freshman has done in 25 years and had 10 assists with no turnovers in a 77-53 win against Alcorn St. in front of 8000 fans at the Devaney Center.  Miller also was 2 of 3 behind the arc after starting the season 2-16 for his best game of the season,  also adding 5 steals and 4 rebounds.

Nebraska jumped out against the Braves early posting a 19-6 lead with 13 minutes remaining in the first half.  After shooting the ball well 10-20, Nebraska went on a dry spell from the field finishing the half 12-31 for only 39%.  Still holding on to a 36-23 lead at half,  Nebraska played a little sloppy in holding Alcorn St. to only 7-21 from the field.   When the second half started, it was the offense that picked up the D this time, starting the half 12-16 and outscored the Braves 30-10 to double them up at 66-33 with 12 minutes to go.  This is when the reserves and walk ons came out and got some meaningful playing time against the 338th ranked team in Division I ball.

Ade Dagunduro led three huskers in double figures (14), followed by Maric (13), and Strowbridge (10).  Nebraska played in a zone most of the second half and worked on some line ups for conference play which starts January 12th at home with Kansas.  That being said, let’s look at what Nebraska needs to do to have a successful conference schedule followed by a prediction.

On Saturday Nebraska worked on some zone defense.  This will come in handy for the Big 12 season for a couple of reasons.  The first is the Huskers will not have to tire themselves out running around chasing much better talent than they have faced so far this year and the second  is it will allow Shang and Maric to be on the floor at the same time.  Having Shang and Maric on the floor will only help if it is done right.  We don’t need Ping out there trying to cash in on 3’s.  Shang needs to be our mid range guy and with Miller, Harley, and Dagunduro driving to the hoop, this will only open up the un-guarded 3’s for Anderson and Strowbridge and the open dunk for Maric.  Of course moving Ping out on the perimeter as a decoy will likely bring a big body with him,  softening up the lane even more for Maric.  Playing a zone will conserve energy for offense and keep guys out of foul trouble and believe me, we will need these in conference. 

Now for some predictions……..  The magic eight ball loves the Husker’s chances this season.  Last season, Doc’s first year, Nebraska went 6-10 in conference with a little less talent and and not a full grasp of Sadler’s system.  These guys are playing great this year, with the exception of turnovers, but I feel they will have made great strides by the end of the year.  That being said, I see a 10-6 record in the Big 12 and a record of 21-8 heading into the conference tournament in March.  There they will go 2-1 and be 23-9 heading into the NCAA as a number 8 seed in the OMAHA regional.  So if you have some Creighton fans as friends, be nice to them so they give you their tickets.  CHALK IT.  The magic eight ball hasn’t lied yet!

NEBRASKA    79              KANSAS   56