ChipperF1
02-03-2002, 04:19 PM
I always knew Nebraska had no heart, a bad coach and limited talent.
Last night, I learned how dumb Nebraska is, too.
Missouri took it to the lasses early. A 17-5 that erased a Nebraska lead. But a funny thing happened, the Huskers fought back, retook the lead, and then it happened again.
Missouri blasted away with another large run, to take a 39-27 halftime lead.
The best Nebraska played was in the second half. During a 7-0 run starting with 6 minutes to go. Keasha Cannon and Shannon Howell where chipping away at the peremeter. Stephanie Jones and Katie Robinette where getting the job done in the paint. Robinette had a big putback to make it 55-49, on her way to 12 points and 10 rebounds.
But a funny thing happened here. Sanderford with the game at 55-52, Missouri, he pulls Robinette who is in the groove. He puts in Paige Sutton and Griechaly Cepero.
The result. Sutton get intentionally fouled, and then hits one free throw. Then she and Cepero miss back to back layups. While the Tigers go on a 14-0 run.
Also, did I mention that Sutton got a rebound with 3 minutes left and then called time out, forgetting that Nebraska is out of timeouts. Nice going, Paige. That one play sums up her entire sorry career at Nebraska. No focus, no head for the game, a compete waste of a scholarship.
THE SKINNY IN MISSOURI.
This team is a post player away from joining the Big 12 Championship Convoy.
They didn't shot well this game (25.8% in the second half). But their kids make plays. Karensa Barr and Natalie Bright again outplayed Keasha Cannon and Shannon Howell. What more can you say about Barr? 22 points, 7 rebounds, was all over the floor and challenged the Husker into a lot of bad fouls.
I also dig Evan Unrau. She's a little unsung to me. 18 points and 14 rebounds got my attention. What also got my attention is how she so flustered Stephanie Jones into a technical foul with some trash talking.
I don't think Missouri has the team they had last year, but then again, I didn't think they had the team they ended up having last year. Missouri is still in the WNIT orbit in my mind, but if they do break into NCAA tournament, I wouldn't be overly surprised. I like the way this team bears down. Although they have to work on their turnovers and they have work on shot selection.
WHAT WORKED FOR NEBRASKA
1. Shannon Howell...Little by little, this kid is raising her game. She was the only person working in the first half, and really gave this team in the second half. She worked hard and got 16 points. Needs to continue to be aggressive. She is best when she is attacking the basket.
2. Keasha Cannon....12 points, 11 rebounds. Another workmanlike day for the kid. I wish she had more help. She's one of the few kids on this team who haven't quit on themselves.
3. Katie Robinette...12 points, 10 rebounds. She plays solid offensively. She still needs to work on defense. I hope that the bad decisions being made by Nebraska's head coach aren't getting to her. I fear that she's really lost a lot of confidence. I would hate for her to be the next Brooke Schwartz or the next Stephanie Jones.
WHAT DIDN'T WORK FOR NEBRASKA
1. Stephanie Jones. First getting pulled after making an important basket is bad enough. But getting into it with Evan Unrau was the dumbest thing ever. Stephanie's getting frustrated with a lot of things. She's not getting the offensive looks she would like. I have a feeling that her and Paul Sanderford are not getting along and that perhaps she could be the "whipping boy"
Charo Jones could have been a factor in this game. Why she wasn't was partially her fault (the dumb bunny technical), and part of it is Sanderford's distrust for her. Some of that distrust is warranted.
2. Paige Sutton....
Mr. Sanderford, what drugs are you smoking? Why pull players who produce for a player that never has.
Why Paige Sutton is still on scholarship is a mystery.
3. K.C. Cowgill... 0-for-3, only 1 three point attempt, and Karensa Barr and Natalie Bright look at her, yawn at her pathetic attempt to defend them, and then zoom to the basket.
What is with Cowgill this year. Last season, she was one of the few who would fight. She's probably quit too.
4. Paul Sanderford...For six-figures a year, I think a head coach should at least try. Paul, have you resigned a month early? I think you have.
Overall Outlook: A basketball team cannot stand half-trying, half-quitting.
Keasha Cannon, god bless her heart. She's trying!
Shannon Howell. She's trying!
Katie Robinette, she's frustrated, but she's trying.
Jina Johansen, she's a true freshman, but she's trying.
Grichaly Cepero, doesn't quite know what is going on, but she's trying. (The experiment is nice, but she should concentrate on Volleyball. Her lack of focus in that discipline hurt the Volleyball team last season.)
Alexa Johnson. She's overmatched and out of position, but she's trying.
Paul Sanderford. He's quit. The guy needs a Oujia Board to figure out who to start and who to sit each game. His strategy borders on the bizzare. His substituion pattern is bizzare. On the sidelines he is either catatonic or he's yelling and screaming at the kids, but still catatonic.
I think Paul no longer believes in his kids, and I think at least a few don't buy into him.
K.C. Cowgill. I think she's looking forward to Fort Lauderdale.
Paige Sutton. She wants to go home, and it shows.
Margaret Richards. Ditto.
Stephanie Jones. She's packed it in for another year. She given in to frustration and it showed last night.
Katie Morse. The next Karen Jennings? This girl isn't even close to being the next Kate Benson. At least Casey Lazyhardt would give us a good game now and then. I could see Morse transferring.
I'm at a loss as to what's going on this year. This team is worse than last year, and it doesn't get any easier. Wednesday night, its off to Colorado. The only saving grace is that Woody Paige doesn't write columns on Womens Basketball. I would hate to read would he could say about this Nebraska team. Part of me would like to see Colorado blow them out, maybe these kids would wake up.
Then Sunday, the ladies host Kansas State. Is there any way we could forfeit this game? Perhaps the men's team could play them in drag. That is another game that could ugly real quick even in Lincoln.
If Husker fans booed this team, they would be justified.
--ChipperF1
Last night, I learned how dumb Nebraska is, too.
Missouri took it to the lasses early. A 17-5 that erased a Nebraska lead. But a funny thing happened, the Huskers fought back, retook the lead, and then it happened again.
Missouri blasted away with another large run, to take a 39-27 halftime lead.
The best Nebraska played was in the second half. During a 7-0 run starting with 6 minutes to go. Keasha Cannon and Shannon Howell where chipping away at the peremeter. Stephanie Jones and Katie Robinette where getting the job done in the paint. Robinette had a big putback to make it 55-49, on her way to 12 points and 10 rebounds.
But a funny thing happened here. Sanderford with the game at 55-52, Missouri, he pulls Robinette who is in the groove. He puts in Paige Sutton and Griechaly Cepero.
The result. Sutton get intentionally fouled, and then hits one free throw. Then she and Cepero miss back to back layups. While the Tigers go on a 14-0 run.
Also, did I mention that Sutton got a rebound with 3 minutes left and then called time out, forgetting that Nebraska is out of timeouts. Nice going, Paige. That one play sums up her entire sorry career at Nebraska. No focus, no head for the game, a compete waste of a scholarship.
THE SKINNY IN MISSOURI.
This team is a post player away from joining the Big 12 Championship Convoy.
They didn't shot well this game (25.8% in the second half). But their kids make plays. Karensa Barr and Natalie Bright again outplayed Keasha Cannon and Shannon Howell. What more can you say about Barr? 22 points, 7 rebounds, was all over the floor and challenged the Husker into a lot of bad fouls.
I also dig Evan Unrau. She's a little unsung to me. 18 points and 14 rebounds got my attention. What also got my attention is how she so flustered Stephanie Jones into a technical foul with some trash talking.
I don't think Missouri has the team they had last year, but then again, I didn't think they had the team they ended up having last year. Missouri is still in the WNIT orbit in my mind, but if they do break into NCAA tournament, I wouldn't be overly surprised. I like the way this team bears down. Although they have to work on their turnovers and they have work on shot selection.
WHAT WORKED FOR NEBRASKA
1. Shannon Howell...Little by little, this kid is raising her game. She was the only person working in the first half, and really gave this team in the second half. She worked hard and got 16 points. Needs to continue to be aggressive. She is best when she is attacking the basket.
2. Keasha Cannon....12 points, 11 rebounds. Another workmanlike day for the kid. I wish she had more help. She's one of the few kids on this team who haven't quit on themselves.
3. Katie Robinette...12 points, 10 rebounds. She plays solid offensively. She still needs to work on defense. I hope that the bad decisions being made by Nebraska's head coach aren't getting to her. I fear that she's really lost a lot of confidence. I would hate for her to be the next Brooke Schwartz or the next Stephanie Jones.
WHAT DIDN'T WORK FOR NEBRASKA
1. Stephanie Jones. First getting pulled after making an important basket is bad enough. But getting into it with Evan Unrau was the dumbest thing ever. Stephanie's getting frustrated with a lot of things. She's not getting the offensive looks she would like. I have a feeling that her and Paul Sanderford are not getting along and that perhaps she could be the "whipping boy"
Charo Jones could have been a factor in this game. Why she wasn't was partially her fault (the dumb bunny technical), and part of it is Sanderford's distrust for her. Some of that distrust is warranted.
2. Paige Sutton....
Mr. Sanderford, what drugs are you smoking? Why pull players who produce for a player that never has.
Why Paige Sutton is still on scholarship is a mystery.
3. K.C. Cowgill... 0-for-3, only 1 three point attempt, and Karensa Barr and Natalie Bright look at her, yawn at her pathetic attempt to defend them, and then zoom to the basket.
What is with Cowgill this year. Last season, she was one of the few who would fight. She's probably quit too.
4. Paul Sanderford...For six-figures a year, I think a head coach should at least try. Paul, have you resigned a month early? I think you have.
Overall Outlook: A basketball team cannot stand half-trying, half-quitting.
Keasha Cannon, god bless her heart. She's trying!
Shannon Howell. She's trying!
Katie Robinette, she's frustrated, but she's trying.
Jina Johansen, she's a true freshman, but she's trying.
Grichaly Cepero, doesn't quite know what is going on, but she's trying. (The experiment is nice, but she should concentrate on Volleyball. Her lack of focus in that discipline hurt the Volleyball team last season.)
Alexa Johnson. She's overmatched and out of position, but she's trying.
Paul Sanderford. He's quit. The guy needs a Oujia Board to figure out who to start and who to sit each game. His strategy borders on the bizzare. His substituion pattern is bizzare. On the sidelines he is either catatonic or he's yelling and screaming at the kids, but still catatonic.
I think Paul no longer believes in his kids, and I think at least a few don't buy into him.
K.C. Cowgill. I think she's looking forward to Fort Lauderdale.
Paige Sutton. She wants to go home, and it shows.
Margaret Richards. Ditto.
Stephanie Jones. She's packed it in for another year. She given in to frustration and it showed last night.
Katie Morse. The next Karen Jennings? This girl isn't even close to being the next Kate Benson. At least Casey Lazyhardt would give us a good game now and then. I could see Morse transferring.
I'm at a loss as to what's going on this year. This team is worse than last year, and it doesn't get any easier. Wednesday night, its off to Colorado. The only saving grace is that Woody Paige doesn't write columns on Womens Basketball. I would hate to read would he could say about this Nebraska team. Part of me would like to see Colorado blow them out, maybe these kids would wake up.
Then Sunday, the ladies host Kansas State. Is there any way we could forfeit this game? Perhaps the men's team could play them in drag. That is another game that could ugly real quick even in Lincoln.
If Husker fans booed this team, they would be justified.
--ChipperF1