My lock for a win no longer a lock?

[COG]

http://www.omaha.com/article/2012010...ight-direction


I saw them play against St. Joe's and thought for sure there would be no way we could lose to these guys:

Penn State had some early-season struggles, including a 10-point first half against St. Joseph's and a home loss to Lafayette.


Their last couple of games:


Under first-year coach Patrick Chambers, the Nittany Lions last week hammered Purdue 65-45 — their biggest Big Ten victory margin in six years — and took No. 12 Indiana to the wire before falling 88-82.

[Porkchopexpress]

I feel pretty safe with my over prediction in the other thread.

[Huskerwirejay]

1-9 to 1-12 seems likely, followed by a "too little, too late" rally that will say more about the easy back end of the schedule than it will about team.

[COG]

1-9 to 1-12 seems likely, followed by a "too little, too late" rally that will say more about the easy back end of the schedule than it will about team.

The back end rally scares me that it could provide justification for keeping Doc around longer, although TO's statement last week leads me to believe a decision of change may already be made.

[huskerborn]

The back end rally scares me that it could provide justification for keeping Doc around longer, although TO's statement last week leads me to believe a decision of change may already be made.

Do you have that on hand, I missed that comment. I really thought TO would give Doc another year, at least, but maybe not.

[COG]

Do you have that on hand, I missed that comment. I really thought TO would give Doc another year, at least, but maybe not.

http://sports.omaha.com/2012/01/05/o...ment-on-hoops/



Nebraska Athletic Director Tom Osborne declined to comment Thursday when asked by The World-Herald to assess the current state of the men’s basketball program and its near future.
The Huskers, 8-6 entering Saturday’s game at Illinois, have lost their first three Big Ten games by a combined 68 points, and have just two victories overall against foes with winning records.
This is after preseason talk about this being sixth-year coach Doc Sadler’s best team, though injuries have been a concern.
Osborne said he wasn’t trying to “duck the question.’’
“It’s just that anything I would say in that regard would be said to the head coach,’’ he said.

Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but if Doc has TO's support, TO sure isn't showing it with that statement. He had the opportunity to talk about injuries, new facilities for Doc to use for recruiting, etc. Instead he gave a non-answer.

[huskerborn]

http://sports.omaha.com/2012/01/05/o...ment-on-hoops/



Nebraska Athletic Director Tom Osborne declined to comment Thursday when asked by The World-Herald to assess the current state of the men’s basketball program and its near future.
The Huskers, 8-6 entering Saturday’s game at Illinois, have lost their first three Big Ten games by a combined 68 points, and have just two victories overall against foes with winning records.
This is after preseason talk about this being sixth-year coach Doc Sadler’s best team, though injuries have been a concern.
Osborne said he wasn’t trying to “duck the question.’’
“It’s just that anything I would say in that regard would be said to the head coach,’’ he said.

Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but if Doc has TO's support, TO sure isn't showing it with that statement. He had the opportunity to talk about injuries, new facilities for Doc to use for recruiting, etc. Instead he gave a non-answer.

Thanks... I'm not sure how to take his comment.

[Fromunda Cheese]

Nice article on Penn St. I'm confused how a new coach can come into a program with little talent or tradition and start changing the culture that quickly???

[Porkchopexpress]

Nice article on Penn St. I'm confused how a new coach can come into a program with little talent or tradition and start changing the culture that quickly???

Thing is, it doesn't take much for NU to make the NCAA's. Finish with 20 wins, and at or above .500 on conference play, and they are likely in. That's where it starts. No on expects NU to jump from the dregs of college ball, to Elite 8's and Final Four's overnight. But the system is stacked in favor of NU, and they haven't taken advantage of it in almost 15 years. Make a couple of NCAA tourney's, finally win a game, and who the sky is the limit. The prime example is KSU. They went from an also-ran in the Big 12, to now 3 NCAA's in 4 years, and likely a 4th in 5 years. Baylor has gone from not playing a non-conf. schedule and banned from postseason play in 2004 to tourney bids in 2008 and an Elite 8 run in 2010. Heck, before Bobby Knight stopped caring, he took TT to 4 NCAA's in 6 years, with a Sweet 16 run thrown in there.

It's not impossible, it's happened everywhere else in major basketball, except for Northwestern. There's no excuse for it not happening at NU, except apathy.

[bentNblue]

Thing is, it doesn't take much for NU to make the NCAA's. Finish with 20 wins, and at or above .500 on conference play, and they are likely in. That's where it starts. No on expects NU to jump from the dregs of college ball, to Elite 8's and Final Four's overnight. But the system is stacked in favor of NU, and they haven't taken advantage of it in almost 15 years. Make a couple of NCAA tourney's, finally win a game, and who the sky is the limit. The prime example is KSU. They went from an also-ran in the Big 12, to now 3 NCAA's in 4 years, and likely a 4th in 5 years. Baylor has gone from not playing a non-conf. schedule and banned from postseason play in 2004 to tourney bids in 2008 and an Elite 8 run in 2010. Heck, before Bobby Knight stopped caring, he took TT to 4 NCAA's in 6 years, with a Sweet 16 run thrown in there.

It's not impossible, it's happened everywhere else in major basketball, except for Northwestern. There's no excuse for it not happening at NU, except apathy.

Great post!!

[HuskerWeatherman]

Penn State is very dangerous at home (I wish I felt the same about Nebraska). But on the road, they are very beatable. 1-5 in road games -- and 4 of those 5 losses have been by 12 points or more. I still think we'll split with PSU --- but I do agree, it's not a lock that NU will win in Lincoln Wednesday night.

[ColoREDo]

Nebraska is not a lock to win any game. In conference, football is the same unfortunately.