Nebraska Basketball
Expectations coming into the season were very low for Nebraska basketball, like they are every year. Nobody really expects anything out of the team and when they do falter, many people say I told you so. And if they actually do something good, they are shocked beyond all belief. The season started very average for the team as they took the John Thompson Classic. Don’t get all that excited though, the tournament was made up ofLongwood, Louisiana Tech, and Yale. Not exactly the pinnacle of college basketball. Although, a victory over Longwood wasn’t to shabby since Longwood had one of the premier big men in the country. Hopes were raised somewhat after a victory over a name school, Marquette. Marquette, though, looked very sluggish after a trip from Alaska. Nebraska followed up the Marquette game with a last second loss to a decentUAB team. The Bulls call their defense “40 minutes of hell.” After a win vs. South Dakota St. came December 11th, 2006. A day that no Husker fan will want to remember for a very very very long time.
Creighton, ever since the hiring of Dana Altman, has owned Nebraska. Nebraska has been outshine by the little college that could up I-80. But finally, this year, the Bluejays looked to be the less talented team and their most important player was on the bench. This was the first time in a while where Nebraska could start to take back bragging rights over CU. Not so fast my friends. The Crieghton debacle, 70-44, could quite possibly be one of the worst moments in the history of men’s basketball at Nebraska. A out-manned Creighton team, out hustled and out played a Nebraska team that was seeing it’s first “road game” of the year. (Nebraska never left the state until December31st) The only thing that could have been more embarrassing about this performance is if it was in Nebraska’s home gym. But the whole state saw what has been evident for many years, Creighton was better than Nebraska. It was at that point where for the first time in his tenure, I didn’t think Barry Collier was the right man for the job at Nebraska. (but I’ll get into that a little bit later) So After that loss Nebraska finished up their non-conference schedule 4-1. The only loss came to Florida St. at the end of 2005. So going into the Big 12 conference season Nebraska was 10-3.
Then, all of a sudden, Nebraska woke up. With an inspired performance against #12 Oklahoma, Nebraska defeated the fuckin’ hillbillies Sooners 59-58. Pessimist’s would say that this is the one win vs. a ranked team that Nebraska seems to always rise up and win at home each year. I saw something a bit different. Nebraska, down 5 with :50 sec left, battled throughout. They could have easily folded against a more physicalOklahoma team but they didn’t. Nebraska doesn’t win conference openers. Nebraska doesn’t beat Oklahoma. Things are looking up.
Next was Kansas St. Nebraska doesn’t win at Kansas St. Even though Nebraska has routinely had better teams than KSU, Nebraska has always laid an egg down in the little apple. In the Big 12, if you want to compete to be in the upper half, you HAVE to win inManhattan . Nebraska found a way last Wednesday. In a BIG way. 57-42. Building a lead to at sometimes 21, Nebraska cruised most of the way. It could have been very easy for to fold after the big with vs.OU but they didn’t and put the game away very early.
So what? Nebraska beat a team they were supposed to in K St. and got lucky that a last second shot rimmed out vs. Oklahoma. Ok, last year they went 2-0 and preceded to go 6-9 down the stretch. But one win wasn’t vs. a very good Oklahoma team. Nebraska didn’t put away Kansas St. last year like they did this year. Is anything different this year as opposed to so many under achieving Nebraska basketball teams? Time will tell.
Back to Coach Collier. I truely believe he is in a no win situation. The current athletic department wants Nebraska basketball to compete on a national level. While there is nothing wrong with that, what is an acceptable national level? Qualify for theNCAA’s? Big 12 regular season titles? Sweet 16’s? Final 4’s ? In my opinion that Nebraska basketball is destined to fail in this age of college basketball. Nebraska basketball can not succeed with what is going on at Memorial Stadium. All the focus right now is on the football team and getting the program back toelite status. You can probably count on one hand how many programs have consistent success in both football and basketball. Nebraska basketball thrived during much of the early to mid90’s when the football team was also enjoying success. Football didn’t need improving, so attention in the athletic dept. shifted to making Nebraska Basketball. And it succeeded. Under the direction of Bill Byrne, after the football teams success, money was spent on the other programs. Basketball, baseball and softball were allbeneficiaries of Byrne trying to build a overall great athletic department. Near the end of Byrne’s tenure though, football began to erode. In comes StevePederson and he makes it a priority to return Nebraska football to the top. It is in my opinion that the current athletic department doesn’t care about Nebraska Basketball. If you want basketball to succeed where you will ALWAYS be the second best sports program at the University, you have to spend the money. The AD is not doing that. All money, right now, is funneledtoward Memorial Stadium improvements. No top of the line coach will come to Nebraska and play second fiddle without a lot of cash. Nebraska can’t spend that right now. So Nebraska is forced to get second best. I’m not saying that Barry Collier is a bad coach, it’s just that Nebraska can do better. And if you want to succeed at basketball at Nebraska, you need the best.
So, the $64k question, do we fire Barry Collier? I say at this point no. End of the season? Depends on what happens the rest of the season.Qualifying for ANY postseason (NIT or NCAA’s) Barry should keep his job. But what if he is fired? What good will it do. Until the athletic department commits more resources and money into the program, it’s destined for mediocrity.
The Comments
Mr. Wilson January 13, 2006 at 8:36am
I mostly agree with you about Barry Collier. If Nebraska gets into the NCAA tournament, Collier keeps his job. If we enter the NIT, and especially if we win a couple games, Collier keeps his job. Your analysis is spot-on: The Athletic Department can’t afford to do much better than mediocre right now, so firing Collier merely for his teams’ mediocrity won’t do any good.
That being said, I get a vibe now and then that Collier isn’t exactly the most loved man by folks in the Athletic Department or on the team. I don’t know how accurate that vibe is, but, if true, it’ll factor in to Collier’s status.
Paul January 26, 2006 at 9:28am
During the Colorado game last night there was a 30-second ad on the Nebr Athletic Department and their legendary programs and coaches. Every single coach was shown as were clips from every sport, except basketball. Collier was not in the clip nor were any of his players. He’s gone.
D.M.B. January 26, 2006 at 11:28am
First of all, Steve Pederson doesn’t have anything to do with the making of those commercials. And, odds are, that commercial was made 2 months ago.
Mr. Wilson January 26, 2006 at 11:43am
Maybe the folks who made the commercial two months ago knew that Collier isn’t going to make it past this season
D.M.B. January 26, 2006 at 1:21pm
The talk is just to premature at this point.
95-96: After 18 games Nebraska was 14-4
05-06: After 18 games Nebraska is 12-6
The last 11 games in 95-96 Nebraska went 2-9 and went one and done in the Big 8 tourney.
After that they won 5 straight to win the NIT tourney.
You don’t think that after Danny Nee lost his team and a highly publisized walkout of the team didn’t have him on the hot seat and only the NIT title saved his job?