Nebraska Huskers Basketball

Wed. Jan. 28, 2009—7:00 pm EST

Kansas (15-4, 4-0) at Nebraska (12-6, 2-3) 

Spread: Kansas -4.5

The Kansas Jayhawks look to stay unbeaten in the Big 12 as they travel to Lincoln to take on the pesky Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Backcourt Advantage: Kansas.
This game will be all about tempo.  Kansas will look to get out quickly in transition and create fastbreak opportunities.  Nebraska, on the other hand, will need to make this a slow-paced, half-court game if they want to give themselves a chance to win.  Cornhusker seniors Steve Harley (12.1 PPG) and Ade Dagunduro (10.7 PPG) will have their hands full in accomplishing that, though, because Kansas junior Sherron Collins (18.7 PPG), the Jayhawks’ only returning contributor from last year’s National Championship team, is one of the best players in the country in transition.  He is usually the one dictating the tempo of the game.

Frontcourt Advantage: Kansas.
Sophomore center Cole Aldrich (15.4 PPG, 9.8 RPG) is having a remarkable season for Kansas in his first year as a starter.  The Jayhawks have out-rebounded their opponents by nearly 6 RPG, while Nebraska has been out-rebounded by 4 RPG.  Therefore, look for the Jayhawks to dominate inside with Aldrich and Marcus and Markieff Morris, freshmen brothers from Philadelphia, PA.

Momentum: Kansas.
Kansas is 4-0 in Big 12 play and really has yet to be challenged, winning by an average margin of 17 points.  There’s no reason to think they’ll be challenged by Nebraska either, a team they’ve beaten 11 straight times (10 of which were by double-digits).

Prediction: Kansas -4.5

This article is also featured on CFBplace.com—and soon to be featured on CBBplace.com.

The Big 12 needs to get on the horn and make sure ESPN never does what it did to the Nebraska-Oklahoma basketball game again.  They probably won't, but they should.

The fact that most thought the game would be a blowout might have been the contributing factor, but whatever the reason, ESPNU took a game between two rivals embroiled in a major conference battle and made it look like a high school A/V club broadcast.

First of all, I understand what ESPN was trying to do.  They allowed budding broadcast journalism students to get a sample of what the big leagues was like.  They allowed OU students to participate in every aspect of the broadcast, from camera work to scorekeeping, even allowing students to do the sideline and play by play reporting at times. 

On its face it was heartwarming; it was a classy move by a network devoted to college sports, and college students and athletes.

Here's the problem.  Way back in the day, I studied broadcast journalism.  I worked on our campus television station as a crew member for our student news program.  We were very good for our class, that being student journalists.  We even won some awards.

However, NBC never came calling, asking if we wanted to help cover the nightly news.  I'm glad they didn't.  We weren't ready to play in the big leagues, and neither were the kids at OU.

The fact that the kids simply weren't ready was overshadowed by the fact that the way ESPNU covered the kids, which took away from the coverage of the game.  At several times, the camera actually cut away from action on the floor so we could see a student staring into a screen we could not see, doing virtually nothing.  What great drama!

ESPNU apparently found it more important to keep track of the girl manning the camera than cover the fact that Blake Griffin singlehandedly carried OU to that victory.  When Griffin was struggling on offense (at one time 3-8 from the field), Nebraska was able to build a good lead and held onto a six-point lead at the half.

When Griffin finds his rhythm, like he did in the second half (finishing with 27 points and 18 rebounds), he is nearly unstoppable, especially by a team with no real big man or inside presence.

Ryan Anderson tried his best to be Nebraska's Blake Griffin, coming out red hot in the first half, including hitting four of his first six three-point shots, and tallied 14 points by halftime.  Unfortunately for the Huskers, Anderson is no Blake Griffin, and he tailed off badly in the second half, missing his final six three-point attempts and scoring just five points down the stretch.

For most of the night, the game was much closer than the final 11-point margin would indicate. Most of that lead was augmented over the final two minutes of the game, when Oklahoma had assured themselves a win, but not a comfortable one, and Nebraska began fouling.

It was a very good game, a basketball game worth watching during a night with several that were equally gripping; but ESPNU did themselves, the teams playing, and their fans a disservice by going out of their way to cover the wrong story altogether.

Editor's Note: The Weekly Buzz is a new regular feature that will highlight the top stories of the week from around the web. If you only read one post a week, make it this one and you'll have your bases covered.

The buzz this week: Nebrasketball recruiting, football recruiting, Virginia Tech and Zac Taylor.

» The top story this week was Doc Sadler's efforts to pick up high profile recruits with great potential. Eshaunte "Bear" Jones from Indiana will likely be playing for Nebraska in 2008-2009 and Vander Joaquim has already committed for the 2009-2010 season. The young guys that Sadler is able to get on the team always look like future stars. Next year could be a breakout year in terms of talk around the basketball team. Could we see a bubble team?

» Tyler Sellers from McCook, NE unfortunately picks Kansas, but as a DE. I would have liked to see him play for the Huskers in 2009, but the talk about him being a little small for a Defensive End is accurate. You have to get guys that work in your system.

» The legal surroundings of Josh Williams appear to be cleared up, even if character issues are not. I don't have a problem with him playing for us as long as there is not a pattern of destructive behavior. This young man should be on a short leash right from the start. Pelini has already said that he's a "good kid" but he will have a magnifying glass on him in Lincoln.

» The Virginia Tech game is looking brighter and brighter each day. I still don't think we are in any way favored to win this game, but it at least looks like the Huskers have a good shot. I would still trade a loss here for a win against Mizzou any day of the week.

» On a side note, it seems like the fascination with Zac Taylor will continue for a long time. It's nice to know what former players are up to, but I can't wait to see him eventually come back and be a part of a Husker staff any time in the future, a la Turner Gill. It's obvious that he has quite the football mind. Let's hope for the best for him as long as he doesn't play against his alma mater.

Hardcore college basketball fans may recognize the name Roburt Sallie. 

He is a 6'5", 200 pound combo guard who has populated the recruiting scene since way back in 2005.  Sallie is a triple-double talent with NBA potential who has been recruited by some of the best programs in the country not once, not twice, but three separate times. 

Originally, Sallie signed with the University of Washington in 2005 after playing for Patterson Prep.  He did not qualify academically and opted to spend another year in prep school, this time at the Laurinburg Institute in North Carolina. 

Let me go on record here as being fully aware that many of these prep schools are little more than basketball factories.  Still, the NCAA recognizes them as legitimate academic institutions—albeit with a warranted amount of skepticism. 

Anyway, Sallie spurned the likes of Memphis, Maryland, Wake Forest, and Kansas to sign with Nebraska in 2006.  I am a Nebraskaf an, have been for many years, and Sallie was easily the most anticipated basketball recruit since Tyronn Lue.

One problem quickly arose: the NCAA Clearing House did not like Sallie's transcript.  Sure, Roburt had the grades and the test scores, but that was not enough.  The Clearing House wanted homework papers and copies of tests. 

Quick show of hands from those of you who kept any of that more than the amount of time it took you to walk out of the classroom when you were in college.  Anyone?  Bueller?

Well, the Clearing House, apparently overwhelmed, just could not seem to make a decision on Sallie.  Would he be eligible or not? 

Time ticked by and August turned into September.  For those you not aware, the University of Nebraska starts classes at the end of August.   Nebraska changed head coaches and staff in August as Barry Collier resigned and Doc Sadler came onboard.  Sallie stuck with the school.

Roburt came to Lincoln, hung out with his future teammates and waited for the NCAA to say yes or no.  On Monday, September 11, Sallie attended classes, still waiting for his eligibility. 

Finally, on Thursday the 14, the talented guard was ruled academically ineligible.   Sallie eventually headed to City College of San Francisco and did not play basketball in 2006-07. 

Last season, he returned to the court, led the team to a 27-4 record, and was named California Community College Player of the Year.  On track to get his associate's degree this summer, Sallie remained loyal and was set to return to Nebraska this fall.

Not so fast, my friends.  

It seems that through confusion and poor administration, someone at Nebraska actually enrolled Sallie for classes on September 11th, 2006.  The difference between attending and enrolling put Sallie in violation of Big 12 rule 6.2. 

Now, any rule with decimal point in it generally means too many administrators had too much input.  In this case, Big 12 Rule 6.2 states that "a student who enrolls must meet initial eligibility requirements or he will NEVER be allowed to play for any Big 12 school."

This rule was made by the Big 12 Presidents because they feared that student-athletes would circumvent the recruiting standards by enrolling in college as non-qualifiers and then join their team once they did gain eligibility.  

They FEARED it.  God forbid we expose non-qualifiers to college life.  What would become of society then?

You can read this story and certainly see where the University of Nebraska really screwed up.  It is worthy to note that the Nebraska representative to the "Big 12 Council of Faculty Athletics" was not even aware that Nebraska had signed Sallie  to play again last fall. 

Listen, I don't care if you don't like sports.  If you are a rep to that council, it's probably part of your job to keep track of recruits.  Besides, Sallie recommitting was pretty big news around these parts.

Still, screwups and well-intentioned rules aside, tell me exactly how the NCAA and the Big 12 have helped this particular young man become a better person?   Tell me how being denied admission to college life THREE separate times makes a young adult a more productive member of society.  

In the end, Sallie is apparently eligible to play anywhere but the Big 12, and rumors have him headed to Kentucky. 

Roburt will come out okay, but there remains something sad about a young man remaining loyal to a school for three years, continuing to make himself academically eligible only to be derailed by a rule with a decimal point made by administrators who barely hide their contempt for major college athletics.

The Big 12 Conference could receive as many six NCAA Tournament bids, because many of its bubble teams have strong RPI rankings between 31-43. Conference play has now been completed.  Right now, Kansas, Texas, Kansas State, Oklahoma and Baylor are all projected to make the NCAA Tournament.  Texas A&M is one of the last teams left out due to their struggles down the stretch.  A first round loss in the Big 12 Tournament will seal their NIT fate.  

 I) Most likely in:

 Oklahoma 21-10, 9-7  #25 RPI

Former Duke guard Jeff Capel overachieved with this team at the beginning of the season. The Sooners, though, have cooled-off in conference play and they are in trouble, despite having a strong RPI rating. 

The Good: An 83-72 over Arkansas, 72-68 over Gonzaga, 88-82 over West Virginia, 77-71 and 92-91 against Baylor.

The bad: The Sooners have lost two-straight (45-62 @ Texas, 45-63 @ Nebraska).  The loss to Nebraska definitely hurt, as that dropped the Sooners under .500 in conference play. 

Outlook: The Sooners started off the season impressively: winning three-straight non-conference games over Arkansas, Gonzaga and West Virginia.  Since then they have been streaky in conference play.  They have a favorable schedule remaining, which includes two home games (Texas A&M, at Oklahoma State, Missouri).  Even if the Sooners win two out of their last three, their fate will most likely be determined in the Big 12 Tournament.   The loss of Blake Griffin is huge.

Update: The Sooners embarrassed Texas A&M on March 1st 64 to 37, strengthening their case for at-large consideration.   Despite losing Blake Griffin to injury, Oklahoma knocked-off in state rival Oklahoma State 68-56 on March 5th.  

Baylor 21-9, 9-7 #34 RPI

Head coach Scott Drew has brought back respectability to his program after the 2003 murder of Patrick Dennehy (and subsequent NCAA violations), who was killed by his former teammate Carlton Dotson.

The good: A 68-64 win over Notre Dame, 116-110 over Texas A&M,  80-74 over Texas Tech and 92-86 over Kansas State.  They lost to Washington State 64-67. 

The bad:  Baylor recently had a four-game conference losing streak (Kansas, Oklahoma State, Texas, Oklahoma). 78-85 loss to Arkansas.

Outlook: They were not able to get it done vs. Texas and Kansas.  Good thing the 85-95 loss to Division II Tarelton State does not count. The loss to Tarelton State shows that there is little parity in college basketball. 

Outlook: Baylor has won two games in a row after losing four straight.  They should win two out of their last three regular season games (Missouri, Texas A&M, and at Texas Tech).

Update: Baylor defeated Missouri 100-89 in a high-scoring game. Baylor lost to Texas A&M 57-71.  

 Kansas State 20-10, 10-6 #44 RPI

It would be nice to see Michael Beasley in the NCAA Tournament.  The super-freshman is averaging 26.2 points per game and 12.6 rebounds.  He will most likely be the 2^nd straight freshman to win National Player of the Year honors.  Last year Texas’ Kevin Durant won the award after averaging 25.8 ppg and 11.1 rebounds.  State also features Bill Walker who contributes 16.2 ppg. 
The Good: The aforementioned Beasley.  84-82 at Oklahoma, 84-75 win over Kansas, 75-54 over Texas A&M. 
The Bad: A 77-87 loss to George Mason, 77-80 loss to Oregon, 77-103 loss to Xavier, 59-68 loss to Notre Dame, 64-71 loss to Nebraska, 75-84 loss to Texas Tech. and a 74-77 loss to Missouri. 
Outlook: Kansas State has found itself on the bubble after losing three in a row and needs to get back on the winning track.  They will most likely get in the big dance, but right now they are looking like an No. 8 to No. 9 seed.  Kansas State was unimpressive in non-conference play and they do not have any impressive wins. 

Update: Kansas State lost to in-state rival Kansas 74-88 on March 1st.     Kansas State defeated Colorado 78-72, ending a 4-game losing streak. 

II) On the outside looking in:

It is hard to put a 21-7 team on the bubble, but after recently losing three-straight games and still facing a difficult schedule to finish the season, Texas A&M could be National Invitation Tournament (NIT) bound.  Heralded 7'0'' freshman DeAndre Jordan has been disappointing this year averaging just 9.0 ppg and 6.6 rebounds. He also is one of the worst free throw shooters averaging around 41%. 
The good: A 77-63 over Washington, 70-47 over Ohio State, 79-53 over LSU and a 80-63 over Texas. 
The bad: Recently, lost three-straight to Texas 50-77, Oklahoma State 54-59 and Nebraska 59-65. 
Outlook: Texas A&M has a difficult schedule remaining and they may regret not getting the job done against Oklahoma State and Nebraska.  Texas A&M could be in trouble their next two games @ Oklahoma and @Baylor.   They finish the season playing Kansas at home. 
Update:  A&M needs to get back on the winning track.  They scored just 10 points in the first half vs. Oklahoma, losing the game 37-64.  A&M has lost 4 out of their last 5 games.  They defeated Baylor 71-57 on March 5th.  Texas A&M has continued to play itself off of the bubble, losing 5 out of their past 7 games. If they get in to the NCAA Tournament, they will be one of the last times. 

IV) Bubble has Burst 

 Texas Tech 16-14, 7-9 #61

Outlook: Pat Knight’s team is most likely NIT bound.  They have one of the toughest schedules remaining (Texas, at Kansas, Baylor). 

Update: Texas Texas upset in state rival Texas 83-80.  The win pus the Red Raiders back into contention for an at-large berth.    Texas Tech lost to Kansas 51-109 on March 3rd.  Are you kidding me?  Their RPI jumped 14 spots over last week.  

 Nebraska 18-11, 7-9 #RPI 101

 The good: Nebraska has been hot lately winning 3-straight over Kansas State, Texas A&M, Oklahoma.  A 62-47 over Arizona State and 63-51 over Rutgers. 

The bad: Nebraska recently moved into the RPI top 100.  They played a weak non-conference schedule with their only noteworthy wins against Arizona State and Rutgers (nothing to brag about there). 

Outlook: With many of the Big 12 bubble teams struggling of late, Nebraska is surging.  They have a favorable schedule, but two of the games are on the road (at Oklahoma State and Texas, Colorado.   If Nebraska can win two out of their next three then make a splash in the Big 12 tournament they could find themselves worth of an at-large berth.  Especially with other Big 12 bubble teams struggling. 

Update: Nebraska is NIT bound after losing to Oklahoma State 63-77 on March 1st.  Nebraska's come back fell short against Texas, losing 66-70 on March 4th. 

Things to Remember:

RPI- Rating Percentage Index

Remember only 34 teams receive at-large berths.   

Originally posted on Feb. 29th.   

Nebraska's season began with promise as the Big Red found themselves in unfamiliar territory.

The Huskers were 11-2 in nonconference games and receiving votes for the Top 25.

The team seemed to have a glimmer of hope before their first Big 12 game, when the Kansas Jayhawks made a trip to the Devaney Center in Lincoln.

False hope truly does sting.

A 21-point loss to Kansas at home seemed to have knocked Nebraska down a few pegs. And that's putting it lightly.

The Huskers are currently on a 4-game losing streak and remain the only team in the Big 12 without a conference victory.

That includes a second loss at Kansas by 35 points. The losses are shrouded with some disgusting numbers.

During the streak, Nebraska has shot just over 35% from the field, and leading scorer Aleks Maric was held without a point in the second matchup against the Jayhawks.

Give Kansas's defense credit. But putting up only 51 points against bottom-of-the-Big 12-Colorado doesn't help Doc Sadler's efforts to keep this team afloat.

Nebraska is capable of playing much better than this.

In the home win against Oregon, the Huskers shot almost 48% and put up 88 points. The only other signature win of the season was against Arizona State in which three different Cornhuskers scored at least 14 points. 

The Missouri Tigers are no pushover. Many saw the comeback win at Colorado as well as the manhandling of Texas. They also put up a solid fight against the #2 ranked Jayhawks. Four different players are averaging more than 10 points per game. Nebraska's defense will need to keep a close eye on DeMarre Carroll, who puts up 14 points and snags over 7 rebounds per game.

If the Huskers are going to get back on track and pull off a victory, they will need to be hungry.

No Big 12 team needs a win more than Nebraska to boost their confidence and raise their game. Anything short of their A-game will result in another blowout or a heart attack for Coach Sadler.

OMAHA, NE -- Just a forewarning: I am a Nebraska Cornhuskers fan.

As I look at the matchups set for Saturday's "Duel Above the Pool", I can only sit and wonder. Does Nebraska really stand a chance? If they do, what is the likelyhood that they can pull off the upset?

As I look at how things stack up, Aleks Maric really needs to step up his game, maybe even play the best game of his life, if Nebraska really stands a shot at winning this game.

Overall - Kansas has dominated the contests between the two teams winning 161 of the 238 games from 1900 to present. Nearly the exact opposite of the football series record.

The game, scheduled for broadcast on ESPN, provides any basketball fan with an opportunity to see a much improved Nebraska team take on one of the perrenial power houses of college basketball.

Can Sadler show the nation that his team is deserving of a trip to the NCAA tournament in just the first quarter of the season?

Nebraska had no such luck last year when playing Kansas on national televison. The Jayhawks won the game in dominate fashion, 76-56.

Last year there were 12,262 in attendance when the two teams faced off in Lincoln. This year, the game sold out (13,595) in less than 24 hours and 500 standing room only tickets were made available. It is safe to say that many Nebraska fans want to be in attendance in case the Huskers can really pull off the upset.

Doc Sadler will face one of the biggest challenges, if not his biggest challenge, of his Nebraska career to this point against Bill Self's Jayhawks.

The one thing I can say that will not hurt Nebraska's chances, is the fact that when Kansas has been matched up with teams of their caliber, a win has not come easy. The better question might be, are the Cornhuskers at their caliber?

Kansas' season so far is a undefeated record at 15-0. It is has featured wins against 13 more-or-less scrub basketball teams. It also featured a 76-72 overtime victory over #30/#24 Arizona and a 59-55 win at #37/unranked USC. Have the Jayhawks been tested?

Throughout the first part of their season, Kansas has racked up an impressive 84 points per game but that is not surprising when you look at the fact that in 12 of their 15 games they have shot better than 50 percent from the field.

Nebraska's season is at an 11-2 record. To be fair, Nebraska has not been tested much either. Their two losses come to both unranked teams, Western Kentucky and Creighton (an in-state rival). Their key win would definitely have to be at home (more or less, at the Qwest Center in Omaha) against a then ranked #16/#17 Oregon team.

Nebraska rides a 6-game winning streak into Saturday's contest. They have average 72.4 points per game throughout the 2007-08 season. They outrebound opposing teams by 4.7 rebounds a game, which may be a little help to their task ahead of them.

Aleks Maric, Nebraska's star senior center, is averaging 16.2 points a game with 8.4 rebounds a game. It is key to Nebraska's success that Maric have a double double against Kansas.

Junior Ade Dagunduro is one of two Huskers managing to keep their scoring averages in double figures with a season average of 11.4 points a game. He is closely followed up by Sophomore Ryan Anderson at 9.5 points a game.

It is safe to say that Nebraska will be up to their knees in pressure as they take on the Jayhawks of Kansas this weekend.

Nebraska's Keys to Success

1. Aleks Maric have a big game (around 20 points, 10 rebounds)
2. Score at least 75 points
3. Establish momentum early, get this large crowd into the game. Make them believe you can do it.
4. Hold Kansas to less than 35 points in the first half
5. Stop Kansas from driving. Defense needs to step up their game.

Kansas' Keys To Success

1. Get the crowd out of the game early.
2. Keep Nebraska from scoring 65 total points.
3. Offense get established from the beginning.
4. Keep Aleks Maric from making a difference in the game.
5. Drive down the court, use fast breaks to their advantage.

WRITER'S NOTE

When I use rankings on teams the first ranking listed is the team's current ranking in the AP NCAA basketball poll on January 10, 2008. The second ranking listed is the team's current ranking in the ESPN/USA Today NCAA basketball poll on January 10, 2008.

Like my writing style? Got a bone to pick? Write me at rynebleacherreport@yahoo.com