SB Nation User Blog: huskerlibrarian

Roburt Sallie lights up CS-Northridge

huskerlibrarian — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 20:05:45 -0000

Roburt Sallie lights up CS-Northridge

Adding insult to injury, would-be Husker Roburt Sallie lit up the first round of the NCAA Tournament with 35 points for #2-seed Memphis, hitting an NCAA First-round record 10-of-15 3 pointers.

Wouldn't he have looked great in Husker red?

NIT First Round: #6 Nebraska at #3 New Mexico Open Game Thread

huskerlibrarian — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 00:41:31 -0000

Nebraska Cornhuskers (18-12, 8-8 Big XII) at New Mexico Lobos (21-11, 12-4 MWC)

9 PM, The Pit, Albequerque, NM

TV: ESPNU; Radio: Husker Sports Network

Winner Plays: Notre Dame/UAB winner

This is an exciting bracket within the NIT -- Kentucky, New Mexico, and Notre Dame all have good hoops traditions, and two arch rivals -- Creighton and Nebraska -- could theoretically meet for a trip to New York. It's quite a fun time.

Of course, none of that matters to Husker fans if New Mexico holds the home court tonight. Nebraska will likely not play a game in the State of Nebraska before the regional finals, barring two upsets tonight. We've struggled on the road at times, so let's hope that tonight is not one of those nights.

Ade is hobbled a bit, and was limited in practice tonight, but I don't expect it to slow him down. If the Huskers lose, it's his last game anyway, so I expect him to give every little bit he has. Same goes for everyone else -- one thing you can say about Doc Sadler's players is that they always give their all.

Join us tonight for what may be the final game of the season. Hopefully, we can keep playing this weekend, maybe even in Lincoln.

NIT Preview: #6 Nebraska at #3 New Mexico

huskerlibrarian — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 03:06:25 -0000

Nebraska Cornhuskers (18-12, 8th, Big XII) at New Mexico Lobos (21-11, T1st MWC)

**Statistical Comparison**
Nebraska	Category	New Mexico
64.3	Points	73.7
27.9	Rebounds	34.3
13.3	Assists	15.4
11.5	Turnovers	12.4
8.5	Steals	6.5
43.9%	FG%	46.1%
36.3%	3FG%	38.0%
69.8%	FT%	70.2%
102.6	Off. Efficiency	112.5
90.8	Def. Efficiency	94.7
63.2	Tempo (possessions/game)	65.6
73.8"	Average Height	77.5"

After shocking the surprisingly strong Mountain West Conference and finishing tied for 1st, the Lobos probably hoped they could make the NCAA Tournament. Nebraska, on the other hand, after some close losses at home and a few bad losses saw its season vary narrowly between an NCAA tournament run and a CBI appearance, ending up disappointingly with an NIT road game, and a very tough region.

The Lobos have a lot going for them. The Pit, New Mexico's famous home court, is a big home-court advantage (81% of home wins in 40+ years), and have first-team All-MWC Guard Tony Danridge, who has averaged 22.4 points over his last 6 games. Expect Ade Dagunduro -- NU's best defender -- to match up all night with Danridge.

Nebraska and New Mexico had three common opponents: The Huskers went 3-0 against Creighton, TCU, and Texas Tech (with road wins at TCU and Tech), while the Lobos went 2-2 (sweeping TCU, but losing at Creighton and Texas Tech).

It will be a difficult endeavour for the Huskers to pull out a win, but they can do it. Win, and they likely head to South Bend to play Notre Dame. Lose, and the season's over.

Big XII Tournament Day One Open Thread: Nebraska vs. Baylor

huskerlibrarian — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:27:08 -0000

Big XII Tournament, Opening Round

Ford Center, Oklahoma City, OK

Nebraska vs. Baylor, and other games

11:30 AM

TV: Big 12 Network (all games); Radio: Husker Sports Network (NU only)

Today is the day when some Big XII teams will fight to maintain what good karma they've accumulated and others will try for their last push for the Big Dance, the Little Dance, or even one of the side events. For some teams, this will be the last day of the season. Others will get to play on at least one more day. It's Conference Tournament time, and only 4 shopping days remain before Selection Sunday.

Nebraska plays Baylor to tip it off at 11:30, followed by Texas-Colorado at 2. The second session features OSU-ISU at 6, followed by A&M-Texas Tech at 8:30. This thread will be open for all 4 games, though we care more about the first one (for obvious reasons).

News: In a side note, the Hendricks family, native to Lincoln, has pledged $10M to a new basketball practice facility (which would pay for more than half the project). This is not only a huge donation, but it's also huge for a basketball-specific project.

Previewing the Big XII Tournament

huskerlibrarian — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 01:13:41 -0000

It all comes down to 4 days in Oklahoma City for the Cornhusker's last chance at an NCAA Tournament appearance. It's somewhat painful to think that the Huskers let slip away enough games that just winning two (say, the two ended by horrendous calls against Oklahoma State and Texas A&M) and they would have a first-round bye in league play and be a virtual lock in a weak tournament field that may yet include Northwestern, the only BCS-league school never to make an NCAA Tournament.

The Huskers probably need to win the automatic bid to get in, but might have an outside shot at an at-large berth should they reach the finals. The bad news is that the Huskers have to play Kansas in the second round should they advance; the good news, though, is that NU is on what appears to be the weaker side of the bracket. Both Oklahoma teams (who will enjoy a massive home court advantage) are on the far side, as are white-hot Texas A&M, flavor-of-the-month Missouri, and the league's best player on a bad team, Craig Brackins of Iowa State. Texas Tech, the worst team on that side, just blew out regular season champ Kansas on Wednesday.

The Husker's bracket is actually a lot easier, despite the presence of the Huskers' personal mongoose in the second round. Baylor is a shell of what it was expected to be, Kansas State and Texas haven't exactly been show-stoppers, Kansas is consistent, but not even half the juggernaut they were last year when they wanted to be, and Colorado is Colorado. Better still, the Huskers are 5-3 against teams on their side of the bracket, whereas they are 3-5 against teams on the far side.

I expect the Huskers to make it to the 2nd round and that's about it. But, as tight as the top 8 teams in the league really are (and Baylor, at #9, isn't far behind, if they put it together), don't be too surprised if the Huskers reach the title game. After all, stranger things have happened.

The First Round:

(8) Nebraska vs. (9) Baylor -- Didn't we just play this game? Nebraska just went to Baylor's home court, on senior day, and beat the Bears. This is on a neutral site, and Nebraska has a little more to play for. Nebraska still plays smothering defense, and Baylor still doesn't play defense. I like the Huskers, by a similar score to Saturday.

(5) Texas vs. (12) Colorado -- I would just dismiss this right now as a Texas win, but Colorado always seems to take their first-round opponent to the wire when they're in the 11 or 12 spot, not to mention the Buffs took Texas to OT earlier this year. Texas should win, but they may have to sweat a lot.

(7) Oklahoma State vs. (10) Iowa State -- This could be Craig Brackins' last game in a Cyclone uniform. OSU has been white-hot, and will have the crowd on its side. An upset here would destroy all the good karma the Cowboys have built. I like the favorite, but it will be closer than it should be.

(6) Texas A&M vs. (11) Texas Tech -- A&M looked like it was headed for the scrap heap before exploding for 6 straight wins to end the year. Tech has been awful when not playing Kansas. Aggies can't afford to lose this game, especially if Kansas State wins its game against the Colorado/Texas winner. A&M should run away with it.

The game thread will be up tomorrow morning (tip is at 11:30), although many of you will be at work, and will be for all day's action. First round games are on Big 12 Network; Thurday's Kansas vs. NU/Baylor winner will be on ESPN2.

Ade Dagunduro Named to All-Big XII Lists

huskerlibrarian — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 14:32:46 -0000

Ade Dagunduro Named to All-Big XII Lists

Ade Dagunduro has been named to the 3rd-team All-Big XII Team by the league coaches, and to the All-Big XII Defensive team for the second straight year.

Husker Hoops Regular Season Finale: Baylor, Round 1, Open Game Thread

huskerlibrarian — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 16:51:24 -0000

Nebraska Cornhuskers (17-11, 7-8) at Baylor Bears (16-12, 5-10)

3 PM, Ferrell Center, Waco, TX

TV: Big 12 Network, ESPN FullCourt/ESPN 360; Radio: Husker Sports Network

The regular season ends today in a bit of an anticlimax. The Big XII's most disappointing team hosts its scrappiest in a preview of the rematch Wednesday morning. The Huskers are playing for one thing, and one thing only: finishing the season with a non-losing conference record for the first time in a decade. The Bears are playing for pride and senior day; the hopes of a 2nd straight NCAA appearance after being ranked most of the non-conference season evaporated when they lost 9 of their last 11 games.

This is a matchup of teams that are equal and opposite in many ways. Both teams are guard-heavy, but use them differently. The Huskers try for efficient offense and smothering defense, whereas Baylor tries for high-fire offense and occasional defense (part of the reason they have struggled).

On paper, Baylor is the better team, but their lack of defense -- and struggles with the efficient defenses of teams like Missouri, Texas, and Kansas -- casts doubt on their ability to handle the Huskers. On the flip side, Baylor's defense has been absolutely atrocious, but so has Nebraska's offense. The bright side: the Husker's O has been clicking the last two games.

This isn't the big game, though. These teams meet again in 4 days for the right to play Kansas in the Big XII Quarterfinals. That's the game both teams want to win; today is the warmup. The Huskers want to get to 8-8, but it's the last game for a couple Baylor seniors who've had to endure a roller coaster.

Senior Night: Iowa State at Nebraska Open Game Thread

huskerlibrarian — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:09:29 -0000

Iowa State Cyclones (14-15, 3-11) at Nebraska Cornhuskers (16-11, 6-8)

6:30 PM, Bob Devaney Sports Center, Lincoln, NE

TV: FSN Midwest, ESPN Full Court/ESPN360; Radio: Husker Sports Network

Opponent's Blog: Clone Chronicles

With the NCAA Tournament effectively out of reach, the Huskers need to recoup and focus on getting to .500 in conference and getting a first-round home game in the NIT during the final week of Big XII play. The Huskers are all but locked into the 8-9 game in the Big XII Tournament, which would likely be an immediate rematch against Saturday's opponent, Baylor, unless Texas A&M loses to Colorado tonight and Missouri on Saturday. The Cyclones, however, can move into the #9 slot by winning tonight and Saturday, and Nebraska beats Baylor on Saturday.

Not counting a potential NIT home game, tonight will be the final home game for four Husker seniors: Steve Harley, Paul Velander, Nick Krenk, and Ade Dagunduro. Harley, Velander, and Dagunduro have all been major on-the-court contributors in their time at NU, and Ade has a shot at 2nd- or 3rd-team All-Big XII honors this year. Nick Krenk was a former student manager who tried out for and made the team during Doc's first year, and has contributed with minutes in clean-up time over the last 3 years.

In other news, it appears that Ade may not be the last Dagunduro in the pipeline: He and Ola have a younger brother, Olayinka, who is a freshman high school quarterback in California. He is talking now about wanting to play for USC (who doesn't these days?), but with two older brothers who played at Nebraska, maybe he'll keep the tradition alive.

Review: When March Went Mad: the Game That Transformed Basketball

huskerlibrarian — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 04:24:21 -0000

The title of When March Went Mad: the Game That Transformed Basketball is misleading. It's not a book about the 1979 NCAA Basketball Championship Game between Larry Bird's Indiana State Sycamores and Magic Johnson's Michigan State Spartans, which is still the highest-rated college basketball game of all time. That's probably a good thing, since the game wasn't that great.

First and foremost, WMWM is instead a book about Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, Coaches Jud Heathcote and Bill Hodges, and both teams' supporting casts. Like a documentary, the story in WMWM recounts the roads Magic and Bird took to their respective schools, and the roads their teams took to the Final Four. It's a great narrative, and does a good job of painting the world of college basketball in the late 70s (the Big 8 Coaches of the 80s make guest appearances: Johnny Orr at Michigan, Billy Tubbs at Lamar, and Danny Nee as a Notre Dame assistant).

Of course, the history lesson is only the framework of the real themes of the book. At its heart, WMWM is about two things. One is stated, and provides the framework of the narrative. In the prologue, Davis recounts the production meeting before NBC's broadcast of the championship game, where Don Ohlmeyer recognized the birth of spectacle: Magic and Bird were far bigger than anything else about this game. 1979 was a year that transformed the way America watches sports. ESPN was born, the NBA was about to erupt into the biggest thing around, and the NCAA Tournament went from a niche event to the biggest month in sports.

The other theme present through the book is leadership. Magic and Bird were great players not because they were scoring machines (though they were) but because they could do so much. The best game skill either possessed was their ability to pass -- distributing the ball to where their teammates could do the most damage. They were great on-the-floor leaders, and it showed. Likewise, the coaches, Heathcoate and Hodges, demonstrate highly contrasting styles, but both achieving the same results.

Seth Davis, a college basketball analyst for Sports Illustrated and CBS, adds his own touch to the narrative. His connections throughout the college basketball world are a big asset, as he is able to connect with all the people who played major roles in the 1979 season, and his ability to connect the world of sports before the Game and after makes it an informative and entertaining read. Moreover, his focus on the human aspects of the season, especially the stars, makes it an enjoyable and relatable read, highly recommended for any fan of college basketball, or sports in general.

Husker Hoops Must-Win Game #2: Nebraska at Kansas State Open Thread

huskerlibrarian — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 19:57:13 -0000

Nebraska Cornuskers (16-10, 6-7) at Kansas State Wildcats (19-9, 7-6)

7 PM, Bramlage Coliseum, Manhattan, KS

TV: Big 12 Network, ESPN FullCourt/360 (affiliates), Radio: Husker Sports Network

Opponents' Blog: Bring on the Cats

It's time that we think back and remember just what our realistic expectations for this season were. Personally, I thought that our schedule stacked up nicely for an 8-8 Big XII finish, if we won the games we should. I didn't really think that we would ever seriously be considered for an NCAA Tournament Berth. Yet, here we were a couple weeks ago, being seriously considered at least a bubble team for the big dance.

Realistically, this team lacks a primary scoring threat. Ade Dagunduro is a great defensive player and a solid scorer, but he's really built to be a #2 guy. There simply isn't a #1 guy. Roburt Sallie was supposed to be that guy, but the Big XII wouldn't let him play; now, he's contributing off the bench for a loaded Memphis squad. There's also no big man: Brian Diaz couldn't get into school until 4 games into Big XII play, Chris Niemann was forced to redshirt by the NCAA, and Chris Balham's knees have severely limited his minutes. The result? Weak rebounding and difficult scoring through zones.

So, why are we so upset that a team that we knew would have difficulty scoring and rebounding has struggled lately against teams that are, at least on paper, far more talented? Because we've seen that, despite all those shortcomings, this team plays far better than its talent level, and hang with some of the best teams in the country (including Oklahoma and a win over current number 8 Missouri).

But, the whole point of this was to urge perspective. Sure, this team could very easily have been 10-3 or 9-4 in conference, but they could just as easily have been 3-10.

Tonight, the Huskers head to Bramlage Coliseum, where they haven't won since 2005. Earlier, the Huskers demolished Kansas State when the Wildcats looked D.O.A. in the Big XII. Now, Kansas State is playing much better (blowout loss to red-hot Mizzou notwithstanding). The loser of this game essentially sees their at-large hopes go bye-bye; the winner clings to life for another few days.