Nebraska Huskers Basketball

Many college basketball players don't quite go through the journey that Lance Jeter had throughout his tenure in college. Jeter is on his way to becoming a candidate for All-Big 12 Honors and is a part of a great story leading the Nebraska Cornhuskers to a possible NCAA Tournament berth.

Jeter was not always a star on the basketball court. During his freshman year of college Jeter was a red-shirted wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bearcats. Coming out of Pennsylvania as a heralded college recruit in football and basketball, Jeter decided to sign a letter of intent to play football.

During Jeter's lone year in Cincinnati, he would often play basketball in the school's gym to sharpen his skills after rigorous football practices. A lot of students would mistaken him for a basketball player rather than a football player.

A coaching change at the University of Cincinnati and a change of heart led Jeter to Polk Community College in Florida where he was named the FCCAA Player of the Year. While playing at Polk Community College Jeter also led his team to consecutive regular season titles.

Despite being out of basketball for a year Jeter did not show any rust. Due to Jeter's stellar play, it landed him a scholarship to play basketball for the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Nebraska is a storied football program and basketball is an afterthought in Lincoln. Jeter had other offers on the table, but changing the culture was a key factor in his deciding decision.

In Jeter's junior season, he put up stellar numbers showing that he could compete with the steady competition in the Big 12. Jeter was a member of the All-Big 12 Newcomer team due to his heady play and consistency.

This season is a special one for the Cornhuskers. Nebraska already has 15 wins totaling the same amount of games the Cornhuskers won last season. Winning 20 games is and a NCAA berth is a strong possibility if the Cornhuskers finish strong in conference play.

Jeter's college journey has been a testament of what kind of person and athlete he is. Hard work and dedication are qualities that he shows on a consistent basis. The road began in Cincinnati, Ohio as a red-shirted football player and now it ends in Lincoln, Neb. as the star player for the Cornhuskers. It comes to show you how far Lance Jeter has come.  

When Christian Standhardinger first arrived at the University of Nebraska he had two things of note: 1. A Berlin Wall-sized amount of potential, and 2. A curious resemblance to Michael Jackson.  As the recent turn of events may prove, he now shares more in common with the deceased Jackson than with that player who continually gave us glimpses of brilliance followed up by disappointment.

Standhardinger, a 6'8" forward from Munich, Germany arrived on campus as a high scoring foreigner who seemed able to stretch the floor with his three-point accuracy as well as get to the hoop with a quick first step and a variety of finishing moves in the paint.

He left with a ticket for being a perv and no immediate future on the hardwood.

Here, in the words of the immortal Wacko-Jacko himself, is how Standhardinger's career broke down for the Huskers.

Pre-Nebraska Days: "Wanna Be Startin' Something"

Standhardinger arrived with a great deal of ballyhoo on campus.  Perhaps Nebraska's most heralded foreign recruit since Aleks Maric's enormous Aussie ass graced our campus, Standhardinger clearly wanted to be starting something with the Nebraska basketball team.

Much like his doppelgänger, MJ (*author's note: no, not the MJ that was good at basketball. The pastier one), Standhardinger's potential seemed through the roof. He'd carried his German well, serving as the front-man to many an Ike and Tito role-player, becoming a voracious scorer and a good to above-average rebounder.

Freshman Year, 15-Game Suspension: "Bad"

Standhardinger first ran afoul of the NCAA after violating their rules of amateurism. Like a Joe Jackson backhand, they popped Standhardinger's chances of making a big impact with his new Husker team. 

The NCAA rulebook is longer than "War and Peace" and is full of enough bureaucratic, legalese mumbo-jumbo that Johnnie Cochran himself couldn't have figured out a way to make heads or tails of it. Needless to say, Standhardinger had to put his potentially gigantic impact on a struggling Husker team on ice for a while.

End of Big XII Play: "The Way You Make Me Feel"

The way Standhardinger usually made Nebraska fans feel? Frustrated. We spent more time pulling our hair out then he spent combing through his hair-straightener-extraordinaire coif. He played great at times, tacking on 25 points and 8 boards against Iowa State and leading the Huskers in free throws despite coming off the bench for the majority of his minutes, and looked soft and uninspired on others.

Let's consider this the "Michael Jackson Getting Kind of Weird" phase for Standhardinger.  This was the time period where MJ started turning white, getting more plastic surgery than the cast of "Jersey Shore" and shattering the record for most insanely creepy, despite its seemingly innocuous name, theme park called "Neverland Ranch."

As erratic as Jackson was during this bizarre period of time, his peaks and valleys parallel the way Standhardinger played for Nebraska. The German seemed intensely frustrated with himself, his team and his coach at times. If Lincoln had a Studio 54, I'm sure Standhardinger would've been there and if Jheri curls ever came back I bet he would've worn one.

The Start of Sophomore Year: "Black and White"

Standhardinger's rocky relationship with his own personal Joe Jackson, Doc Sadler, vacillated wildly during his sophomore year. He couldn't seem to stay out of the doghouse and while he was down, Janet (AKA: the Rest of the team) started to have a banner year under Sadler.

Black and white, good and bad; Standhardinger seemed to be all over the map. His talents were still there, but he averaged just a little under 18 minutes a game. His relationship with Doc seemed to spiral out of control and Standhardinger ended up being dismissed from the team.

End of His Career as a Husker: Holding His Baby Over the Edge of a Balcony

I know that's not really a song. But that seemed to be the breaking point with MJ and many people. Others would argue it was his seeming perversion or his awkwardly creepy friendship with MaCaulay Culkin. Any way you slice it, Standhardinger getting booted off the team was akin to MJ holding his son over a balcony ledge like some idiotic re-creation of the birth scene from "The Lion King."

Ironically enough, MJ held his son—named "Blanket;" I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried—over the ledge from a German hotel.

Impending Transfer to La Salle: "Beat It"

After Sadler essentially told Standhardinger to hit the bricks, he was offered a spot on the roster of the La Salle's squad. Which was dedicated, according to Google, in the tradition of the Christian Brothers. Which is ironic because, brace yourself...

Standhardinger Gets Ticketed for Public Indecency: "Dirty Diana"

I'm not sure if the girl's name was Diana. She was not a famous, 6'8" German dude who looked like Michael Jackson with a jump-hook, so her name wasn't mentioned in the police report that I could find. One thing's for sure: Christian was almost certainly attempting to live up to his 1970s-porn-star-name.

Nevermind the logistics of a gigantic dude trying to get down and dirty in a car, or the fact that limbs and Biore-straightened hair were probably flying everywhere. This was rock bottom for Standhardinger. The coach at La Salle rescinded his scholarship offer and Standhardinger's career ground to a halt like a dude dancing his ass off who suddenly doesn't remember the next move in the "Thriller dance" at a party.

Where Standhardinger goes from here is up to him; whether he translates his physical gifts into something on the court is up to him. I guess he'll just have to take a good long look at the man in the mirror.

Omaha World-Herald reports that, Christian Standhardinger, a Nebraska transfer who had planned to enroll at LaSalle was arrested in Lincoln, Nebraska park for public indecency.

They go on to say he was found with pants down and his shirt off next to his car with a young lady who was also shirtless.It was 15 degree weather.

After this news, LaSalle coach John Giannini denied the transfer. Sophomore Standhardinger had averaged 9.5 for six Nebraska games before quitting the team.

Here's the problem with this story: A German guy named Standhardinger standing out in a cold Nebraska park, pants on the ground, young lady next to him trying to keep warm by cuddling some part of his body? 

I'm sorry, but that's too ironic, name wise. Junior high is coming out. A guy named Standhardinger, standing, possibly sexually excited, hold his... This challenges my stand-up comedy inclinations. The story makes you ask questions. It also makes you want to write a poem:

Cornhusker found in Lincoln park

Pants on the ground but in the dark

Mister Christian Standhardinger

Was he getting a humdinger?

Fifteen degrees, next to his car

With a girlfriend, quite close, not far

Mister Christian Standhardinger

Was he getting a humdinger?

The cop found no shirt on his gal

Enough to ban him from LaSalle

Mister Christian Standhardinger

Was he getting a humdinger?

Making fun of the young man's name

For mocking him, need you feel shame

If you're an uptight right-winger

Was he getting a humdinger?

The guy plays basketball, but where?

He's transferring, but who would dare

Accept him, of his own free will

Rick understands, at Louisville.

There's a back table, you need know

Where you drop trou, if you go

Where no cop be to shine his light

Your girl can join you for the night.

Everyone knows the University of Nebraska moving to the Big Ten is going to change football for both the Big Ten and Big 12.

The Big Ten has the potential to split up their 12 teams and have a championship game. This can help their Bowl Championship Series potential.

What people are not talking about is how this move will affect the rest of the athletics at Nebraska. Several sports could actually be hurt because of this move. On the other hand, this could help some sports make the NCAA Tournament.

If you don't care about minor sports, please stop reading now. This article is about every sport except football. Here is a look at what sports will improve, stay the same, or decline because of the move.

Improvement

The women's basketball team lost in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen last year. The Big 12 had two teams in the Final Four. The competition in the Big 12 is tougher than in the Big Ten, so look for Nebraska's chances to improve in making the tournament.

It is no secret that Big Ten softball and baseball are weak. Softball had three teams in the tournament and baseball had one. The Big 12 had seven teams in softball and five in baseball.

The only trouble will be Nebraska against Michigan softball because they are always on top.

The men's and women's track and field teams each had seven Big 12 teams ranked. The Big Ten had one men's team and two women's teams. Nebraska was ranked in both polls.

Nebraska also performed better at the NCAA Finals than the Big Ten teams except for Indiana in women's track. Indiana finished 16th while Nebraska finished 19th.

The women's gymnastics team finished second in the Big 12 and fourth in their preliminary session at the NCAA Finals. During the regular season, they went 4-0 against the Big Ten.

Remain the Same

The men's basketball team lost in the Big 12 Tournament last season to end their season. They played against Texas, Missouri, Kansas State, Kansas, Oklahoma State, Baylor, and Texas A&M, who all made the tournament.

In the Big Ten, they will face tournament teams in Wisconsin, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, and Purdue. The competition in both leagues is fairly similar.

Women's volleyball lost in the quarterfinals to Texas, who eventually lost to Penn State. Each conference had six teams in the tournament last year.

Men's and women's tennis will both face equal competition from the Big Ten. Men's tennis went 1-1 against the Big Ten and the women went 2-1 against the Big Ten last year.

Decline

Men's wrestling finished 12th in the NCAA Tournament and fifth in the Big 12. When they move to the Big Ten, they will face tougher competition in Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio State, and Penn State.

Women's soccer lost in the Big 12 Tournament and did not make it to the NCAA Tournament last year. They are already 0-1 in the 2010 Spring Season against the Big Ten. The Big Ten placed five teams in the NCAA Tournament last year. The Big 12 managed only two.

Women's swimming and diving will take a hit when they move to the Big Ten. Only two Big 12 teams were ranked compared to seven in the Big Ten. Nebraska lost to Illinois in a duel meet last season.

Conclusion

The Big Ten and Big 12 are comparable conferences. Each conference has their tougher sport and tougher opponents.

It will be interesting to see what will happen to all of Nebraska's athletics, not just football, when they make the move to the Big Ten.

On the flip side, it will also be interesting to see how Nebraska can enhance the Big Ten.

It's finally over Husker fans.

The Nebraska Men's Basketball team has ended their season with a 3-15 skid to end their worst season since 2002 when they went 11-19.  While this season may not have been that dreadful, it was below the expectations of many Husker fans this season.

With little to no size last season, Nebraska won 20 games for a second straight year and made it to the NIT tournament for the second time in as many years as well.  Many Nebraska fans thought the addition of players like Jorge Brian Diaz, Christian Standhardinger, and Brandon Ubel would help with size down low.

It did help with height; Nebraska was no longer the smallest team in 1-A basketball, but it didn't help with strength.  

Diaz and Ubel are at best, two years away from being players with enough strength down low to post up effectively against players like Cole Aldrich, Damion James, and many of the other bigs the Big 12 offers year in and year out.

Too often Husker fans underestimate the poise and maturity of players like Paul Velander, Steve Harley, Ade Dagundaro, and Cookie Miller.  Nebraska lost four very good playmakers last year after the '08-'09 season and were expected to get better.

Which, in hindsight was a poor expectation.

In the 2009-2010 season, the Nebraska Cornhuskers did have five seniors, but only two started—Sek Henry and Ryan Anderson.

The other key contributors were mostly sophomores and freshman.  Jorge Brian Diaz, Brandon Ubel, Brandon Richardson, Eshaunte "Bear" Jones, Myles Holley, Ray Gallegos, and Christian Standhardinger all got extended amounts of playing time this season and look to contain the talent that, if developed enough, could propel Nebraska into the Big Dance within the next few years.

But are Husker fans willing to wait again to see if young promising talent actually does work out?

How many times have Husker fans been told that this basketball team is one year away or even two years away?  Doc hasn't been able to keep a consistent starting five on the floor for four years, so why would we start to think he is doing so now?

I think, because now, he realizes what he must do to win.

Before, Doc tried to make the quick fix, plucking players out of JUCO like they were going out of style. Names like Steve Harley, Ade Dagundaro, Shang Ping, and Jay-R Stowbridge come to mind.

Now though, Sadler is beginning to realize that if he wants to make in impact it must be through developing players.  Nebraska isn't going to attract the John Wall's of the world but they can get players that could morph into something special if developed.

His other strategy apparently is to go overseas.  Over the past four years, Sadler has grabbed a total of four players from a foreign country but only two have contributed though.

So is the change of philosophy working?  It's too early to tell.  

I'm sorry Husker fans but switching philosophies in his third year, Doc has moved his critical evaluation period back another two at least.  

Can he keep players here or will they transfer? Can he build an attitude of winning at UNL?

Again, too early to tell.

What I do know is that this year, the 2009-10 season, Nebraska came within single digits of winning five of the fourteen league games they lost.  Which means they could have had the opportunity to go 7-9 this year if they had had the poise to win the game in the end.

In the other nine games they lost in the conference, Nebraska had the lead with less than ten minutes to go in the game a total of six times (Texas A&M, Kansas, Iowa State twice, Baylor, and Kansas State).  

This year was characterized by Nebraska's inability to close out games when it mattered most.  Even if half of those scenarios had worked out differently, Nebraska may be at least NIT bound this season.

But alas, the what-ifs and could haves are only solace for those who fail.  And fail Nebraska did this year.

Sometimes though, difficulty breeds resilience, and that is something Nebraska can use to propel them to a better season next year when the Big 12 isn't as dominant as they were this year, or it could cause them to stumble.  

Some might say there is only one way to go after this season but I disagree.

It is up to the young players to step up, put some muscle on, and win through experience next season.  

We will be watching and waiting, for at least one more year.

Again.

Nebraska's never been good at basketball.  In fact, some might say they've always been bad.  But at least they haven't been the worst.

At least until now.

Before today, Colorado had always been the doormat of the Big 12 conference in basketball, winning only one game in the Big 12 all season last year.

Not any more.

After tonight's awful performance, Nebraska has officially taken the place as the new doormat in the Big 12.

How could this happen?  I remember a time when Nebraska wasn't great but they didn't lose to Kansas State or Colorado.  Now both schools have coaches that seem to be moving them in the right direction.

The Huskers?

Not so much.

After tonight's senior night drubbing at the hands of a woeful Colorado team, Nebraska has reached a new kind of low.

It's the kind of low you just aren't sure a program can come back from in the recent future. 

It's the kind of low that makes you think Doc Sadler may not be the man for the job after all.

Finally, it's the kind of low that makes people wonder why the men's program is so hard to improve when volleyball, football, gymnastics, wrestling, baseball, and even women's basketball has made national showings in recent years.

The only major athletic program at UNL that hasn't made ANY noise on the national level in the past decade is men's basketball.

Two coaches, two different styles, and the same result. 

And yes, I know, the Big 12 is deep this season!  Kansas, Kansas State, Texas, Baylor, Texas A&M, Missouri, and Oklahoma State will probably all make the tournament this season.

That's not the point though.  Nebraska has now lost twice to Colorado and Iowa State, two teams Nebraska thought they would own this season.

It's not about who has the better conference; it's about how you do in that conference. 

Nebraska's grade: beyond failing.

It's been more than a disappointment this season; it's been a laughing stock and a punchline.

The tough Doc Sadler defensive strategy officially doesn't work at the Big 12 level, and he hasn't been able to keep enough players around to see if it works over the long run.

I'm not calling for his job, but I would understand if Osborne decided to make a change.

The last time Nebraska had a non-winning season, which this loss all but ensured for this season, was in the 2004-05 season when the huskers went 14-14, and the first possible losing season since the dreadful 2002-03 season when they went 11-19.

If Nebraska loses out this season they will finish with their worst record since that 2002 year at 14-18.  At best, it seems Nebraska may be able to exit the season at .500 if they can pull off a win in the Big 12 Tournament.

It's an embarrassment that makes me look forward even more to the Red-White game in football, and call me a bandwagon fan if you may, but I think I might watch a few more women's basketball games this March.  At least if I do that I know I'll see some quality basketball.

Used with permission from "The Sports Piece " presented by Global Data Finder.

Karen Jennings played basketball for the University of Nebraska in the early 1990s and was a first-team All American, Big Eight Player of the Year (twice), Big Eight Female Athlete of the Year and recently was voted the captain of Nebraska’s All-Century Team, just to name a few of her many accolades. With the University of Nebraska women’s basketball team highly ranked right now we wanted to get her perspective on the current team and women’s basketball in general.

You can download the podcast by right-clicking and selecting "Save As..."

or Click HERE to Listen

Some of the topics we discussed with her were:

• Her perspective on women’s basketball in the Big 12 compared to UConn & Tennessee.
• How the current Nebraska team is set up.
• Whether she thinks they can go undefeated during the regular season.
• What she thinks the differences are between the Nebraska program compared to the Connecticut and Tennessee programs
• Nebraska’s recruiting and whether one good year would be enough for them to start getting top recruits.
• The lack of parody in women’s college basketball and whether there can be enough athletes to gain parody in the league.
• Her background of when she started playing basketball.
• How women’s basketball has changed over the past 20 years.
• About the whether the attitude of women playing sports has changed from being a “Tomboy” to acceptable.
• Discussed whether women are looking to jump to the pro level or whether they like to focus on finishing college.
• She shared her experiences of playing pro ball for France and how better communication (with e-mail, cell phones, and Skype) would make it easier for girls today than what it was back then.
• We talked to her about what she is doing now for a career (she’s a real estate agent in Omaha) and her current involvement with the Nebraska program.
• She shared her thoughts on the NCAA Tournament and how she feels the Big 12 and Nebraska will fair in it, including her opinion on whether Nebraska can beat Tennessee and Stanford.
• She shared her experience of playing in the Olympics for the 1992 Women’s team
• There was also some conversation about when Foss played Karen in basketball and she frequently elbowed him in the ribs!! Nice!

We want to thank Karen for coming on the program and wish her continued success with her real estate career!

You can download the podcast by right-clicking and selecting "Save As..."

or Click HERE to Listen

It's been a long start of 2010 for the Nebraska men's basketball team.

It's also been a long start of conference play for the Huskers, playing four of the five teams they lost to close until the final few minutes.  In fact the 0-5 conference start was Nebraska's worst conference start since a 1-6 start to conference play in 2003.

That year the Husker's finished 18-12 losing in the third round of the NIT, and before tonight that even seemed like a stretch for this Nebraska team.

But this Cornhusker team bounced back from a less than outstanding performance in Boulder last week to a steamrolling of Oklahoma this week in the Devaney Center, 63-46.

For the first time this conference season Nebraska played a whole game; they put together a solid defensive effort with an acceptable offense performance and rolled a team that was supposed to be tournament bound this season.

Supposed to be.

The catch is that Oklahoma may be one of the worst Big 12 teams on the road this season, losing five straight road games this season.  The last road game the Sooner's won was against a mediocre Utah team in overtime.

But let's not cheapen the victory. It's a big win for the Husker's, they finally got the monkey off their back—a first conference victory.

It's a big step for this inexperienced team, and what's even better Nebraska has another home game on Tuesday.

The bad news: it's against Kansas State, a team that for all intents and purposes should have beaten Kansas the same night Nebraska came away with their first in the conference.

The up side?

Kansas State looked absolutely exhausted at the end of the Kansas game, which means traveling to Lincoln, Nebraska to play against a team that has regained its confidence is the last thing they need.

But that's what they get on Tuesday, and if Nebraska wants to make any sort of move in the Big 12, Tuesday is the day they need to do it. 

However, even if Nebraska beats Kansas State somehow on Tuesday, they move to Kansas, in Lawrence, where nobody comes and wins, well at least nobody in about sixty home stands.

The players that need to step up in these games aren't the ones you are thinking of.  They aren't Christian Standhardinger or Ryan Anderson, or even Sek Henry.

The players that need to step up in the next few games are Brandon Richardson, Lance Jeter, Brian Jorge Diaz, and last but not least Quincy-Hankins Cole.

Nebraska needs the height of Diaz, the strength of Jeter and Cole and the three-point shooting of Brandon Richardson if they want to even think about pulling off a few conference victories to make it to the NIT at the end of the year.

The problem is, none of these players has come close to being consistent this season, and only Richardson can be trusted on the free-throw line.

The key for the rest of the season is to protect home court and steal a few on the road.

If Nebraska can grow up quick after this big win, they could pull a run together, but I wouldn't count on it.  They look to young and inexperienced, and facing three ranked opponents in the next four games isn't going to help.

I wouldn't count this team out, but I wouldn't count on them either.

It's up to you Doc and the boys, how do you want to be remembered?  How do you want this victory against Oklahoma to be remembered? 

Will it be a turning point for a young team, or a blip on the screen of failure in the 09-10 season?

Only time will tell, and if he can engineer that type of turnaround, this may be Doc Sadler's best coaching job of his career.  Sad maybe, but true.

So I implore you Husker's, prove me wrong, and turn it around.

I've said it before and I'll say it again:  Nebraska has been synonymous with mediocrity in basketball in the 2000's. 

What's changed?

They've gone from mediocre to laughingstock.

Nebraska started off this season, like they do every season, winning 12 of their first fifteen games and giving Husker fans everywhere the false hope that their might be something to this team.

Enter Big 12 play.

Nebraska has now gone 0-4 in Big 12 play, losing to the likes of Texas A&M, Kansas, Iowa State and Missouri. 

They've lost by double digits three of those four games, and by three against a mediocre Iowa State team at home aided by an awful coaching blunder near the end of the game.

If Nebraska were in the Missouri Valley Conference they might have an opportunity to do something and salvage their season, but they aren't, and in the Big 12 if you start 0-4 in conference play, you might as well hang up the laces and prepare for next season because you will be lucky to finish with four or five total wins in the conference total.

Nebraska has made known their formula for playing with the big dogs in the conference, keep it close and win in the end.  Well if halves were only 15 minutes long Nebraska's strategy might have worked.

Apparently though, Doc hasn't coached the fact that there are 40 minutes, not 30 minutes in a game.

In the game against Missouri, Nebraska was down only 45-44 with just over 10 minutes left in the game, the Huskers scored only nine more points in 10 minutes to end the game; Mizzou scored 25.

Let's go back a week, against Iowa State the Huskers had a 46-41 lead with 10 minutes to go against a scrappy Cyclone team.  In the final 10 minutes Nebraska scored only seven points, Iowa State scored 15 leaving Nebraska in the dust of a 56-53 loss.

Against Kansas at home, Nebraska had stiffened and had played a remarkable first 30 minutes.  In fact, the Huskers were down only 60-56 with 10 minutes to go.  In the final 10 minutes, Nebraska scored 16 points, a lot better than before, right?

Sure, but Kansas scored 24 points in that 10 minutes and propelled their team to an 84-72 victory.

In Nebraska's opening game against Texas A&M, the Huskers looked great for the first 30 minutes; in fact, with 10 minutes left in the game the Huskers were winning 42-40 and looked to be a few possessions away from extending their lead.

In the final 10 minutes of the game, the Huskers scored only 11 points, Texas A&M scored 24.

To make it easier for you, let me recap.  In Nebraska's first four games in the conference they have lead with 10 minutes to go twice and have been down by only four and one respectively in the other two.

The final scoring output for the last 10 minutes in those games looked like this:

NU @ T A&M: 11-24

NU vs. Kansas: 16-24

NU vs ISU: 7-15

NU @ MU: 9-25

In the last 10 minutes of the game, the Huskers have been outscored by a total of 43-88, that's a difference of 41 points.

So what's to account for this difference?

I think it's simple.

Lack of heart.

This team competes and scrapes for victory for 30 minutes, but in the final 10 it seems they give up.

They stop rebounding.

They start turning the ball over.

They start missing free throws.

And even the coach starts to make some bone-headed calls.

The final 10 minutes is where you find out what your team is made of.  And this team has shown that they are made of inexperienced and scared players without a clear cut leader in the locker room.

There is enough talent on this team to win a few games, but there isn't enough heart.  And that comes down to coaching.

With the loss of players like Ade Dagunduro and Steve Harley coming into this season Nebraska has lost its edge, its heart and its perseverance.

If they think they are going to go anywhere this season they have to find that heart, they have to man up and decide if they want to be the first team to go 0-16 in conference play or if they want to actually finish a game or two.

Memo to Doc and crew, the games are 40 minutes not 30, start playing like you understand this.

And so it begins.

Up 'til now, Nebraska's basketball season has consisted of un-thought-provoking matchups, untimely upsets, and the occasional game against a team from Who-knows University.

Case in point, Nebraska's last game of the non-conference season against Southeast Louisiana in a yawning bore-fest of a victory, 77-59.

The Huskers' most impressive victories? A middle-of-the-pack Oregon State team, a self-inflicted wounded program in USC, an average Tulsa team, and a bad Mountain West team in TCU.

Their losses? Even worse. 

With a blowout loss to Saint Louis, a heart-breaker against Creighton, and a throttling at the hands of one of the best teams they've played this season in BYU, Nebraska looks anything but ready for the tumultuous Big 12, despite being 12-3.

Each season Nebraska does well in non-conference play.  Not because they are a better team at the beginning of the season but because the schedule is about as difficult as finishing that maze on the side of the Burger King kids meal bag.

So what's the big deal about being optimistic going into Big 12 play?

The big deal is that Nebraska has being doing this for a long time.  Since 2005 the Huskers have finished non-conference play 10-3, 11-3, 11-2, and 11-3 respectively. 

Does that look oddly familiar to the 12-3 record boasted by the 2009 Huskers?

In 2005, the Huskers finished with a semifinal run in the Big 12 tourney and a first-round loss to Hofstra in the National Invitational Tournament.  Similar results occurred in 2007 and 2008 while the Huskers missed out on postseason play completely in 2006.

I bring all of this up to say that if there is progress in this program it will be seen in the conference.  And progress there may be.

If we know anything about this years Husker squad it's that they are: A) Very young and inexperienced,  and B) Taller this season but still physically smaller than most Big 12 teams.

Right now Nebraska has shown spurts of goodness with intermixes of poor play all around.  No real leader has emerged from the fray as Ray Gallegos occasionally looks like the man, then Lance Jeter, and then comes Ryan Anderson or Brandon Richardson.

Down low, Brandon Ubel sometimes looks good but a majority of the time he looks in over his head and Jorge Bryan Diaz looks good until he faces a dominating physical presence in the paint.

All in all, Nebraska needs a dominating presence on the court with the swagger and moxy of a leader.

That person may be sitting on the bench, until Saturday night that is.

Christian Standhardinger.

Christian hales from Munich, Germany and because of his status as a foreign transfer, he had to appeal the NCAA to allow him to participate this season.  He won the appeal but was forced to sit out for the first 15 games by NCAA officials to fulfill the minimum sitting period for a transfer from another country.

Well, Nebraska is 12-3, that's 15 games, and when the Huskers take the court on Saturday, so will Christian Standhardinger.

Standhardinger is 6'8" with long arms and a smooth jump shot, and unlike other freshman, he has the physique of a starter at the Big 12 level weighing in at 210 pounds on a well-toned frame.

Reports from practice and in the exhibition games are that Standhardinger is the best offensive player that Nebraska has, and that's something they will need coming into Big 12 play.

Everyone knows that a Doc Sadler team is predicated on great defense and timely offense, however, that will only win some games; there are times where you will have to out-shoot your opponent. It just happens that way during a 30-game season and Standhardinger may bring that ability to the Cornhuskers.

If Christian can open up the offense, the defense should suffer.  With Lance Jeter running the point, Standhardinger and Anderson will round off the backcourt, and Quincy Hankins-Cole and Jorge Bryan Diaz will take care of the frontcourt. 

Nebraska would have some serious length then standing at 6-3, 6-4, 6-8, 6-9, and 7-0, which is a far cry from the height-challenged lineup the Huskers had last season.

Height, though, is only one of many factors.  Nebraska must be more physical going into Big 12 play and must rely on depth to keep pace with teams like Kansas and Texas.

I'm not sure if Nebraska can pull it together for a run to the big dance this year, but I am sure that it all starts this Saturday against Texas A&M and hopefully so does Christian Standhardinger.