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Muddling In The Middle

The funny thing is that Indiana fans hate Tom Crean much more than Husker fans hate Miles. Even though Crean has done much more. Expectations are high at Indiana because of their history. Expectations are high at Nebraska because we have a sweet arena.
 

Fromunda Cheese said:
Ifs, buts, candy, nuts, blah blah blah. They lost. Besides, they wouldn't be sixth, they'd be tied for seventh
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Its not the same, even in your special world. And if we had beaten Iowa we would be tied for 6th with Iowa and Indiana but hold the head to head on both.
 



ColoREDo said:
The funny thing is that Indiana fans hate Tom Crean much more than Husker fans hate Miles. Even though Crean has done much more. Expectations are high at Indiana because of their history. Expectations are high at Nebraska because we have a sweet arena.
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I see your point here about Indiana and Crean, and won't disagree that there is a large faction of the Nebraska fan base that increases expectations on Miles due to the arena - that, for some, is a realistic component. I don't wholly buy into that theory, but I can see the allure to it ... B1G basketball, a new arena that sold out in the first year, and some other cool toys at a school that purports to want to compete for basketball championships.

Should be enough there to get a "guy" ... right?

Perhaps. Depends on the guy. But at some point, Nebraska has to decide what the expectations are. Then someone will need to get the selling shoes on and make those expectations resonate with a fan base that traditionally has shown lukewarm support for a product that has had "middling" success.
 
FullbackTrap said:
I see your point here about Indiana and Crean, and won't disagree that there is a large faction of the Nebraska fan base that increases expectations on Miles due to the arena - that, for some, is a realistic component. I don't wholly buy into that theory, but I can see the allure to it ... B1G basketball, a new arena that sold out in the first year, and some other cool toys at a school that purports to want to compete for basketball championships.

Should be enough there to get a "guy" ... right?

Perhaps. Depends on the guy. But at some point, Nebraska has to decide what the expectations are. Then someone will need to get the selling shoes on and make those expectations resonate with a fan base that traditionally has shown lukewarm support for a product that has had "middling" success.
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I have said before that I still don't know if Miles is 'the' guy or not. But what I do know is that we need to see what he can do with this young team before we ship him out. No top guy is coming to Lincoln as the program lies right now. I just don't think we pull the plug and start over at the end of the season. I certainly am not saying that e give him a multi-year deal either. I think the Huskers take a big step forward next year. I would guess that Miles and the team agrees. Give him another year to make his case and let the chips fall where they will.
 
ColoREDo said:
I have said before that I still don't know if Miles is 'the' guy or not.
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I don't either.

ColoREDo said:
No top guy is coming to Lincoln as the program lies right now
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Agree. And for what it is worth, I wasn't disputing your other comments, just reiterating the sentiment about amenities for the program and whether or not expectations meet reality.

I caught part of Sports Nightly on the way home tonight, Miles was about half way through his Basketball Coach's hour, and a guy called in and gave him the "business" about next year always being "the year" ... essentially called him out, in a nice enough way, by asking when "they" - presumably meaning coaches and players - are going to get this thing figured out.

Miles did not duck the question ... to use a baseball metaphor, he stood in the box and took a pitch for the team. As he should of course, he is leading the program. But I give him credit for his answer - partially - because he gave an honest assessment about the state of the program and recognized that it has to get better.

There were other parts of his answer that felt like excuses, even though he said they weren't, but rather reality.

This team is young, there are pieces that fit and others that are developing. I am okay with Miles being the head coach next season; if he isn't "the guy" after next year, nobody will be able to say he wasn't given enough time to make it work.

Whatever that means anyway.
 
ColoREDo said:
I have said before that I still don't know if Miles is 'the' guy or not. But what I do know is that we need to see what he can do with this young team before we ship him out. No top guy is coming to Lincoln as the program lies right now. I just don't think we pull the plug and start over at the end of the season. I certainly am not saying that e give him a multi-year deal either. I think the Huskers take a big step forward next year. I would guess that Miles and the team agrees. Give him another year to make his case and let the chips fall where they will.
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I said something about even if we lose out, Miles comes back and *** said he'd be gone if that happens. I like Miles, I genuinely want the guy to succeed, I just don't see him having that ultimate success here at Nebraska. I believe no matter the final outcome to this season, he is the Huskers coach next year, I just can't see that far into the future that he is the Huskers coach in 2019.
 




HUSKER HOT SAUCE said:
I said something about even if we lose out, Miles comes back and *** said he'd be gone if that happens. I like Miles, I genuinely want the guy to succeed, I just don't see him having that ultimate success here at Nebraska. I believe no matter the final outcome to this season, he is the Huskers coach next year, I just can't see that far into the future that he is the Huskers coach in 2019.
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I think *** has a valid point, and he may be correct should Nebraska lose all remaining games. I have also seen enough of this team to suggest Nebraska may string a couple wins together and then give somebody fits in the B1G Tourny. I've said it before, this team lives on the fine line separating belief and doubt ...
 
FullbackTrap said:
I think *** has a valid point, and he may be correct should Nebraska lose all remaining games. I have also seen enough of this team to suggest Nebraska may string a couple wins together and then give somebody fits in the B1G Tourny. I've said it before, this team lives on the fine line separating belief and doubt ...
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I know. We were/are so close to being a decent team this year. As I said, I'd love Miles to be the guy for Nebraska, I just don't think he can pull it off. We will see of course, the rest of this season, and early into the B1G next.
 
Everybody thinks that replacing the head basketball coach will suddenly change the success of a program which has probably the fewest tournament appearances of any team in D1. It's not like we have this long period of success to point back to and proclaim that that is what Husker basketball should be. It's going to take more than a few years for any coach to build this program, especially when they have to try to figure out which players they have been handed that can play. Fire Miles and I guarantee you that we'll see the exact same scenario as happened his first two seasons, followed by a five year span when he's attempting to build the team to his liking, while starting from scratch with recruiting.

Be honest with yourselves; if you're a high school phenom in Nebraska are you more likely to go to Creighton or DONU? If you live outside the state, and you have your choice of college programs to play at, is your first thought Nebraska?
 
SoCalRed said:
Everybody thinks that replacing the head basketball coach will suddenly change the success of a program which has probably the fewest tournament appearances of any team in D1. It's not like we have this long period of success to point back to and proclaim that that is what Husker basketball should be. It's going to take more than a few years for any coach to build this program, especially when they have to try to figure out which players they have been handed that can play. Fire Miles and I guarantee you that we'll see the exact same scenario as happened his first two seasons, followed by a five year span when he's attempting to build the team to his liking, while starting from scratch with recruiting.

Be honest with yourselves; if you're a high school phenom in Nebraska are you more likely to go to Creighton or DONU? If you live outside the state, and you have your choice of college programs to play at, is your first thought Nebraska?
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We have more NCAA tournament appearances than Northwestern by a ton, yet they hired a coach that now has them 18-5 with people like Jay Bilas saying this is the year they not only make the tournament for the first time, but get a win. I think that's my point with the whole "give Miles one more year" thing. There are plenty of Tim Miles or Fran McCafferey candidates out there with success in lower levels looking to see if they can do it on the national stage, you just have to find the right one. There's also plenty of Coach Collins' out there that are assistants at a big time program like Duke ready to be a head coach. But your Creighton example is another reason i'm troubled, we are getting our doors blown by a team in state that has two kids starting for them we didn't even offer. One now predicted as a lottery pick, from right in our backyard, that Miles didn't even throw his hat in the ring for.

But I listened to Miles yesterday on the radio and he has me willing to give him the 2017-18 year. They got their feet wet first year, then got to the tournament his second year. Had a terrible year his third year so pressed "reset" and tried to get these kids ready for what B1G competition really is so his 2015-16 team didn't do so hot with a ton of freshmen. Now he has Morrow, Gill, and Watson injured with White transferring out, a lot of crappy luck. Honestly, if this was any mens sport at Nebraska besides basketball that would be just a ton of excuses for me and wouldn't cut it. But he finished with "I do think we have the foundation now for long term success and not just every few years, when we get healthy." The Georgetown transfer, Miami transfer, Nana Akenten, should all bolster our team for next year and I think we deserve to let him see what he's made of, especially with how Jordy has progressed. He needs a tournament team in 2017-18 in my opinion.

The real question is, do we extend his contract after this season if we finish 10th or lower? I think you have to so that you can recruit the kids you want for the 2018 class because all of a sudden Morrow, Watson, Jacobsen are going to be juniors. We didn't extend him after this past year so he's due.
 



ColoREDo said:
Its not the same, even in your special world. And if we had beaten Iowa we would be tied for 6th with Iowa and Indiana but hold the head to head on both.
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Ummm, THEY LOST. If you want to play the "if but" game, go ahead, as I'll play too: If we wouldn't have beat Maryland on the road, or Purdue at home, blah blah blah
 
Fromunda Cheese said:
Ummm, THEY LOST. If you want to play the "if but" game, go ahead, as I'll play too: If we wouldn't have beat Maryland on the road, or Purdue at home, blah blah blah
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And if you had math skills you would have known they would have been in 6th.

We are what we are this year. I think next year is much better. And I am not playing the 'if' game, I am saying that the middle of the conference is tight.
 
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To a certain extent, if we're not making the NCAA tournament or even the NIT, who cares if we finish 6th, 9th or 11th. Next year either Miles produces as the youth excuse will be gone and if he doesn't then we move on.
 
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