LJS: Do Players Trust the System Enough to Thrive

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Bottom line, it's difficult for any team to push this far into March without a high degree of trust in a coaching staff.

 

"The players trust that, 'Hey, if we get into this position, we trust the system, we trust what the coaches are telling us to do at this point because we've had to grind out victories throughout the course of a tough Big Ten season,'" Crispin said. "So, I think as much as you could say it's coaching, it's also the fact that players actually trust their coaches."

 

Does Miles' staff have that level of trust from its players? You have to wonder. Sure, Miles guided his 2013-14 team to eight wins in its last nine regular-season games to reach the NCAA Tournament. But we've since seen Nebraska fade badly far too often late in seasons.

 

In 2015, it was nine straight losses to close the schedule. Last season, the Huskers dropped four of their last five regular-season games before winning a couple in the conference tournament. This season, they dropped 13 of their last 16.

 

Even the best teams often have to overcome a variety of issues. But if players lack trust in the system, a deep run in March is unlikely.

 

LJS