Nebrasketball Game #4- South Dakota: Tuesday, December 1- 8:00pm BTN
- Thread starter seaofred92
- Start date
GSG
Assistant Coach
I think this team is a lot better than last year, but I fear the conference record may not show just how much since the Big Ten is pretty loaded this year. Hopefully our guys keep gelling and getting better and maybe they'll have some nice upsets.
Perusing a few early bracketology predictions shows 10 Big Ten teams, but not us in any of them.
Perusing a few early bracketology predictions shows 10 Big Ten teams, but not us in any of them.
ColoradoHusk
Heisman Trophy Winner
GSG
Assistant Coach
Yeah, it's still really early and there are a lot of things that could happen; star players getting hurt or COVID, games cancelled due to COVID, etc.
We just have so many options that somebody can step up if a guy isn't having a great night. Banton, Teddy, Trey, Webster all seem like they can step up and make a play. Webster has to be the best 6th man we've had in quite some time.
Ulty
All-Conference
I don't watch a lot of basketball but am interested in this year's team, plus it is a much better alternative than the $h!tshow on the football field. I caught some of last night's game and some of the Nevada game. My uneducated opinion is that we have a lot of talent on the team, but they play kind of sloppy. Too many threes being lobbed up there without trying to drive, an alarming number of missed layups and dunks in the Nevada game. A team that relies on the 3-pointer so much should probably be better at selecting our shots, and I can't f#&%ing stand it when any team misses 40% of their free throws. Delano Banton's game is fun as hell to watch, unless he is shooting.
However, as sloppy as they have played at times, there is a ton of great potential if they continue to jell as a team. The Nevada game was some reeeally ugly basketball, but Nevada seems like a good team and we still had a chance to win despite the bricklayer's convention.
There are some similarities to the football team: a lot of talent, but also a lot of sloppy mistakes. Can Hoiberg clean up the mistakes better than Frost has?
However, as sloppy as they have played at times, there is a ton of great potential if they continue to jell as a team. The Nevada game was some reeeally ugly basketball, but Nevada seems like a good team and we still had a chance to win despite the bricklayer's convention.
There are some similarities to the football team: a lot of talent, but also a lot of sloppy mistakes. Can Hoiberg clean up the mistakes better than Frost has?
seaofred92
All-American
I really think as the year goes on the shot selection and ball movement will continue to improve. The premises of the offense is 3's and layups/dunks so the good news is that we're getting those looks- the hardest part is making them. This is the most talented NU hoops team roster I've seen quite frankly since I've been watching NU play (including the tournament team from a few years ago under Miles). The coaching is phenomenal, the sets we run are A+ (check out the Hoiberg Offense thread here if you haven't already, some really really good clips in there).
The challenge is the B1G is legitimately the best and deepest hoops league in college basketball. Look across the other high major leagues- they've got a few teams at the top usually (AAC has Houston, ACC has Duke/UVA/UNC, BEAST has Nova, Big 12 has Baylor/KU, etc) that are national title caliber but the Big Ten has 3 teams in the top 5 and 4 in the top 10. It's absolutely loaded. 6 teams total in the top 25 and Michigan is 26th. The latest bracketology I saw (granted its VERY early) had 10 Big Ten bids to the NCAA tournament out of 14 teams, that's absolutely insane. So even if NU puts together really good performances night in and night out- we're going to be underdogs and lose our fair share of games. That's just the reality given how good the league is right now. For me the most important thing will be to see how we compete against Creighton next Friday. We got our doors absolutely blown off last year and while only 2 guys playing this year were around for that game, we absolutely cannot let our rivals embarrass us like that again. If we can play CU close and keep that game within single digits I'll believe we can string together enough wins to maybe sneak in the bottom half of the NIT.
Definitely agree on the shots we're trying to get. Should be shooting 3s and getting to the rim. Don't waste time on anything else.
I think we have a team built to do that. Pretty much everyone we roll out there except Yvan can shoot the three. McGowens, Banton, Teddy and Webster are all really good off the bounce. Banton is so tough because he can get around/over anyone and Teddy is an absolute beast getting into contact and getting to the line.
We'll definitely miss a couple big guys once conference play starts. But we have enough shooters and defenders that I think we should be competitive. I'm guessing we'll shoot ourselves out of a couple games but Teddy might go off and win us a game we shouldn't.
Definitely headed the right direction.
I think we have a team built to do that. Pretty much everyone we roll out there except Yvan can shoot the three. McGowens, Banton, Teddy and Webster are all really good off the bounce. Banton is so tough because he can get around/over anyone and Teddy is an absolute beast getting into contact and getting to the line.
We'll definitely miss a couple big guys once conference play starts. But we have enough shooters and defenders that I think we should be competitive. I'm guessing we'll shoot ourselves out of a couple games but Teddy might go off and win us a game we shouldn't.
Definitely headed the right direction.
HuskermanMike
Starter
Wanted to get your opinion on this Mav but @seaofred92 can also chime in too.
I feel like during this game and the Nevada game it feels we forced things a little too much. Early 3s in the clock or forced drives that led to turnovers and charges- which led to early foul trouble. I do not mind an early three but some were just way too quick and then the other team is going on the break in transition. Sometimes guys just drive right into the defense where if they kick it out someone will be open. Ball movement and assists make this team go and they need to get a few more passes to make the defense work.
I believe that if we moved the defense and got great shots we would have blown out USD easily. Teddy drives me crazy sometimes but he somehow gets the ball in the hoop. I also thought that early T is something we do not want to see down the line. I would have understood it if USD had the board but the fact we have the ball and he is yelling at the refs was a little uncalled for, but I like the passion.
In short, move the ball and make the defense work, take great shots and we are coasting this whole game.
Lastly, I think Thor only has a few attempted field goals, so that is why his numbers are down. I think we need to try and get him some threes early as he is one of the best at that. Other players are getting his shots I guess is what I am trying to say.
seaofred92
All-American
Definitely agree with your overall premise- it really holds true for any team. Ball movement and making the extra pass is key for any team to be successful. The good ones move the ball and naturally flow into their sets without having to be prompted/reminded by the coach. We forget these guys are all basically new to game action- Yvan is coming off the bench after starting last year and Thor’s role on this year’s team is much different than it was at the end of last season. It will take time for us to get comfortable swinging the ball consistently and naturally progressing into our secondary break when the initial fast break isn’t there.
What I have noticed at times for NU which leads to some of the forced action and stagnation is there are times where we aren’t seeing guys moving off the ball. As important as it is to swing the ball around and get it inside (inside out 3 is the best 3 in basketball), its almost more important to have guys regularly cutting and screening off the ball. That’s what really makes an offense “flow”. I’m stealing this from the Hoiberg Offense thread but here’s a good example of the secondary break and off ball movement that we should expect once this team starts to settle in and become more comfortable with one another:
There are “only” three passes on this possession, but the key is how quickly we get into the secondary break after realizing McNeese did a good job getting back in transition. Thor makes the initial pass to Lat and that is actually a quick read- if Thor is open (unlikely) he will get the ball right back in a traditional give and go. Lat swings the ball to Banton and then immediately goes to set a UCLA screen at the elbow. McGowens then essentially performs a basketball version of a read option as the screener approaches, if he’s being hugged he will accept the Mayen UCLA screen and likely curl to the hoop down the middle or if he accepts it and the defender jumps it he can fade it back to the corner for an open 3. In this case, he makes the perfect read seeing that the defender feels the screen coming and starts to gravitate up to the elbow. McGowens back cuts it and Banton makes a perfect pass for the alley-oop:
TL;DR: Yes ball movement is important to keep the offense from becoming stagnant. And I agree at times we have been playing too much one on one (although given the size of these guys they’re going to have mismatches), but the real key to opening up the offense will be the primary break flowing naturally into the secondary break and guys moving off the ball. The more you see of guys cutting and screening away from the play, the better the looks we’re going to have and the better the offensive “flow” will look on TV.
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ECisGod
Starter
I think part of the reason we looked bad against Nevada & South Dakota is how tightly the game was called by the referees. Against Nevada there were 51 total fouls called. Against USD there were only 41 (same as the McNeese St game), but most of them were in the first half. Neither team seemed to adjust in the Nevada game, but in the USD game they did and Nebraska built a decent lead until the end when they got sloppy.
Hopefully Nebraska learns to adjust to the referees quickly because there will be more games where they call it tight at some point and they can't have multiple starters sitting with foul trouble.
Hopefully Nebraska learns to adjust to the referees quickly because there will be more games where they call it tight at some point and they can't have multiple starters sitting with foul trouble.
HuskermanMike
Starter
@seaofred92 nice input! Ball movement is very important, but player movement is also key. It definitely felt at times we had guys just standing around during the USD game. When we go on droughts scoring, why do we not run set plays or something like you showed to get more flow? I think we need to run more of these or just down screens like above to get open for an easy two or three. Hoiberg said he has a ton of plays so he should be able to get something ready to roll.
It is really nice how having Lat out on the perimeter forces players to stick to him and allow for drives. I wonder if Trevor Lakes is going to play at all as he can add a three element to this team. If he plays he would still be allowed to come back next year as well. Do you have any news on him or is he just not ready yet? I haven't heard much and maybe you haven't either so just putting this out there if someone knows.
It is really nice how having Lat out on the perimeter forces players to stick to him and allow for drives. I wonder if Trevor Lakes is going to play at all as he can add a three element to this team. If he plays he would still be allowed to come back next year as well. Do you have any news on him or is he just not ready yet? I haven't heard much and maybe you haven't either so just putting this out there if someone knows.