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2014 Huskers vs 2018 Huskers

cactusboy

Husker Fan
10 Year Member
They talked about this on the Sharpe Benning show yesterday. How some enjoy this run vs 2014. 2014 was great fun, especially how we beat WI at the end of regular season to assure our tourney bid. We even went on to make it to the conference championship game.

BUT...the big difference I see in this year is that we as a lot more well rounded of a team...deeper..not top heavy. In 2014 we basically had 3 guys. Petteway, Shields and Pitchford.

This year we have Watson, Copeland, Palmer AND Roby. All at the same or higher level than those 2014 3 guys...plus our next level is much better. Alen, Taylor, Gill, Jordy and Okeke can be a key X factor.

7 game series....2018 wins in 5
 
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Overall this is a better team...probably. but that team beat #9, #9 and #17 in the run that got them in the dance.

If you put that team, in the middle of it's stretch run against 2018....2014 wins IMO.
 
The 2014 team still amazes me. They had no depth whatsoever. I think Petteway was just that dominant during that stretch. Shavon was a nice piece. Pitchford and Gallegos could knock down shots. Leslie was okay but always hurt. Rivers was just a glue guy. I think it was all Petteway and defense.

Trying to think who off that team would even play on the 2018 team. Petteway would start at the 2 without question. Shavon would probably be 6th man, backing up Copeland and Palmer. Pitchford would be your 7th, backing up the 4 and 5, probably steals all of Jordy and Duby’s minutes. Rivers and Benny don’t play. Freshman Tai doesn’t play. Gallegos may steal some minutes from Taylor and Anton.

Defensively, that 2014 team was locked in.
 



2014 was an amazing run. Especially considering they lost five of their first six conference games (four in a row) and the brouhaha at the time over Deverell Biggs being dismissed from the team. Then they found that 'Magic in a Bottle' and got the Hot Hand; They drew a lot of fouls going to the rim; and almost never missed their FTs. (btw, No-Sit Sunday was the high point; after defeating Wisconsin, we were one & done in the B1G Tourney as well as the NCAA Tournament :Redface:) (edit: I had to look it up too, cactusboy! :Redface:)

But I believe Leslee Smith is one of the more underappreciated players on the team. When he went down while playing on his national team prior to the college season, our lack of depth reared it's ugly head; he was our only Big, and we had no good answer (Moses Abraham was not nearly as good). (I think I'd like to have a Leslee Smith on this year's team.)

Huskers were Rated what? #20 or so pre-season 2015/15. We had a good start, but faltered badly in conference play, mainly because of the lack of a Big; and Pitchford was having a season-long slump.
 
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2014 was an amazing run. Especially considering they lost five of their first six conference games (four in a row) and the brouhaha at the time over Deverell Biggs being dismissed from the team. Then they found that 'Magic in a Bottle' and got the Hot Hand; They drew a lot of fouls going to the rim; and almost never missed their FTs. (btw, No-Sit Sunday was the high point; after defeating Wisconsin, we were one & done in the B1G Tourney as well as the NCAA Tournament :Redface:)

But I believe Leslee Smith is one of the more underappreciated players on the team. When he went down while playing on his national team prior to the college season, our lack of depth reared it's ugly head; he was our only Big, and we had no good answer (Moses Abraham was not nearly as good). (I think I'd like to have a Leslee Smith on this year's team.)

Huskers were Rated what? #20 or so pre-season 2015/15. We had a good start, but faltered badly in conference play, mainly because of the lack of a Big; and Pitchford was having a season-long slump.

Pretty sure we went to the conference finals that year...

Update- Never mind I just checked and you’re right. we lost first round
 
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2014 was fun because it had been so long since Nebraska had a pulse in hoops.

However, the 2018 team is longer and more athletic overall. We have several guys that can score. If we are left out of the NCAA, it would truly be a crime. Miles has silenced the critics and hopefully we'll have a consistent winner in Lincoln.
 
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2014 was fun because it had been so long since Nebraska had a pulse in hoops.

However, the 2018 team is longer and more athletic overall. We have several guys that can score. If we are left out of the NCAA, it would truly be a crime. Miles has silenced the critics and hopefully we'll have a consistent winner in Lincoln.

Whoa horsey.

Prior to this season Tim Miles was 33-57 in the Big 10....years where the big 10 was anywhere from good to VERY good. Season win totals were 5, 11, 5, 6 and 6. Which one of those was not like the others? So it is entirely fair to ask yourself, actually it would be ignorant NOT to, if a good part of this magical season might have something to do with this being an historically bad year for the Big 10.

I posted in another thread that the schedule that NU is playing in the Big 10 is on par with the schedule that Loyola Chicago is playing in the Mo. Valley. At the time I wrote the post the average RPI of NU's conference opponent has been 111. For Loyola it was 125. There is very little difference between 111 and 125. If you take MSU, OSU and Purdue out (all NU losses so I'm not exactly cheating them out of anything and it is still a 15 game sample) the average goes over 130. Point being NU is basically playing a mid major schedule. Loyola is projected to finish at 22-7 and 13-5...pretty much where NU expects to be. Their RPI projects to 49...NU 50. Does anyone think Loyola deserves an at large bid? Will anyone shed a tear for them if they make it to their tourney title game and lose...24-8 and a resume similar to NUs?

Anyway, Miles has not permanently silenced me as I don't feel like he went from a crappy coach (which I believe he was...his record proved it) to a guy who deserves a lifetime contract. I think HE is still the same coach more or less. You cannot look at this season without considering what the big 10 is. Maybe he has cracked the code. The pieces are definitely better. I'll give him that. But let's not forget...it was just 1 month ago that NU needed a floating 3 pointer at the buzzer to beat a dreadful Illinois team.

I know my skepticism isn't well received usually...I WANT two perennial NCAA tourney teams in NE. But let's pump the breaks before we start erecting statues for Mr. Miles. Last time he made the dance he pissed a major opportunity to build on it right down his leg. The good news for HIM is that this season will buy him at least 4 or 5 more.
 
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I know my skepticism isn't well received usually...I WANT two perennial NCAA tourney teams in NE. But let's pump the breaks before we start erecting statues for Mr. Miles. Last time he made the dance he pissed a major opportunity to build on it right down his leg. The good news for HIM is that this season will buy him at least 4 or 5 more.
I appreciate your skepticism. As a UNL basketball fan, I've been gutpunched regularly by this team, sometimes more than once a season. I don't think that Miles has become a great coach. I'm not sure that I believe that he was a bad coach for five years either... UNL is trying to stop being arguably the worst power 5 basketball program in the nation. Miles has been a moderately successful coach before UNL, and now he's a middlin' coach. I think he's growing, but I don't know if it is fast enough, or if he's hired the right assistants and gotten lucky with transfers. Who knows.

I do know that I'm enjoying watching Nebraska win games, and that's a LOT for any UNL fan to say. They have squeaked by teams they should have beaten, but they have also stuck close with teams that probably should have beaten UNL by 10-15. There was that short stretch under Nee in the '90's where you could see a Nebraska team being good the next year. Other than that, they have sucked more than not.

I'm happy with this team. They aren't the best team in the league, but they aren't the worst either. I won't be building any statues, but maybe I can see this team being middle of the pack good again next year, which would be a breakthrough for Nebrasketball.
 
I appreciate your skepticism. As a UNL basketball fan, I've been gutpunched regularly by this team, sometimes more than once a season. I don't think that Miles has become a great coach. I'm not sure that I believe that he was a bad coach for five years either... UNL is trying to stop being arguably the worst power 5 basketball program in the nation. Miles has been a moderately successful coach before UNL, and now he's a middlin' coach. I think he's growing, but I don't know if it is fast enough, or if he's hired the right assistants and gotten lucky with transfers. Who knows.

I do know that I'm enjoying watching Nebraska win games, and that's a LOT for any UNL fan to say. They have squeaked by teams they should have beaten, but they have also stuck close with teams that probably should have beaten UNL by 10-15. There was that short stretch under Nee in the '90's where you could see a Nebraska team being good the next year. Other than that, they have sucked more than not.

I'm happy with this team. They aren't the best team in the league, but they aren't the worst either. I won't be building any statues, but maybe I can see this team being middle of the pack good again next year, which would be a breakthrough for Nebrasketball.

To the bold. Nick Bahe and his sidekick were having an interesting discussion today. The sidekick is an Iowa football fan and he was talking about how mad he was during their 12-0 season about the disrespect they were getting. Then when they finished 0-2 he realized maybe "they" were right and that maybe he should have tried to enjoy the 12-0 part more. Point being...enjoy these next 3 games because NU is playing games in late Feb that MEAN something. A win over a terrible Illinois team won't just be "ho hum"...it will be a big step toward making the dance. As opposed to being mad about something that hasn't happened yet - getting snubbed (which seems to be becoming a theme on here and the radio).
 



To the bold. Nick Bahe and his sidekick were having an interesting discussion today. The sidekick is an Iowa football fan and he was talking about how mad he was during their 12-0 season about the disrespect they were getting. Then when they finished 0-2 he realized maybe "they" were right and that maybe he should have tried to enjoy the 12-0 part more. Point being...enjoy these next 3 games because NU is playing games in late Feb that MEAN something. A win over a terrible Illinois team won't just be "ho hum"...it will be a big step toward making the dance. As opposed to being mad about something that hasn't happened yet - getting snubbed (which seems to be becoming a theme on here and the radio).

THIS! :thumbsup:
 
Whoa horsey.

Prior to this season Tim Miles was 33-57 in the Big 10....years where the big 10 was anywhere from good to VERY good. Season win totals were 5, 11, 5, 6 and 6. Which one of those was not like the others? So it is entirely fair to ask yourself, actually it would be ignorant NOT to, if a good part of this magical season might have something to do with this being an historically bad year for the Big 10.

I posted in another thread that the schedule that NU is playing in the Big 10 is on par with the schedule that Loyola Chicago is playing in the Mo. Valley. At the time I wrote the post the average RPI of NU's conference opponent has been 111. For Loyola it was 125. There is very little difference between 111 and 125. If you take MSU, OSU and Purdue out (all NU losses so I'm not exactly cheating them out of anything and it is still a 15 game sample) the average goes over 130. Point being NU is basically playing a mid major schedule. Loyola is projected to finish at 22-7 and 13-5...pretty much where NU expects to be. Their RPI projects to 49...NU 50. Does anyone think Loyola deserves an at large bid? Will anyone shed a tear for them if they make it to their tourney title game and lose...24-8 and a resume similar to NUs?

Anyway, Miles has not permanently silenced me as I don't feel like he went from a crappy coach (which I believe he was...his record proved it) to a guy who deserves a lifetime contract. I think HE is still the same coach more or less. You cannot look at this season without considering what the big 10 is. Maybe he has cracked the code. The pieces are definitely better. I'll give him that. But let's not forget...it was just 1 month ago that NU needed a floating 3 pointer at the buzzer to beat a dreadful Illinois team.

I know my skepticism isn't well received usually...I WANT two perennial NCAA tourney teams in NE. But let's pump the breaks before we start erecting statues for Mr. Miles. Last time he made the dance he pissed a major opportunity to build on it right down his leg. The good news for HIM is that this season will buy him at least 4 or 5 more.

Regardless of overall record or skepticism, at the end of the day, Nebraska must extend his contract and invest in Miles for the foreseeable future. There are no other alternatives.

What does A.D. Bilsker do in this instance? Do you do something other than extend?
 


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