ChipperF1
02-27-2002, 12:19 PM
I was disappointed in both teams last night.
In Nebraska, for wasting an entire half of basketball.
In Colorado, for not scoring 100 points.
Colorado was on their game in the first half. 46-18 didn't do their effort justice.
Mandy Nightingale is a serious point guard. I know the Bert Convy-Nancy Lieberman Awards won't say it, but I will. When you have a 3-to-1 assist-turnover ratio, you are the biggest, baddest mama this side of Angie Dickenson.
Nightingale and sidekick Jenny Roulier have made a habit of making Nebraska's guards look like 5th graders and last night, they did it again. Nightingale didn't shot too well, she had 16 points on 4-of-12. But she controlled the game. Jina Johansen didn't have a chance, Shannon Howell didn't have a chance, K.C. Cowgill sure as heck didn't have a chance. She also had 3 assists, and drew 6 free throws and hit them all.
Mandy Nightingale isn't a candypants basketball player, period.
Interior play was good. Tera Bjorklund had 13 points, 10 rebounds. Britt Hartshorn added 8 and 4.
Eisha Bohman was her usual muck and grind self for 10 points and seemed to be everywhere defensively. Also, It was good to see Linda Lappe have a good game.
That first half was a gem. I wished Colorado didn't let down in the second half. They really came out with guns blazing and this Husker fan wouldn't have squawked at all if they keep scoring the way Texas Tech did when they embarassed Nebraska.
Ceal Barry is a classy coach and always has my respect. I kind of wished she wouldn't have shown so much of it last night, because this Nebraska team earned Steve Spurrier treatment last night.
The Buffaloes are going to be a very, very tough out in March.
WHAT WORKED FOR NEBRASKA
1. Amanda Cleveland had a career night. 7 points. Amanda, your courage will always have a place of honor. It is a shame your teammates lack so much of it.
WHAT DIDN'T WORK FOR NEBRASKA
Nobody played any defense, and what was this candypants perimeter slow-down snails pace weave offense Nebraska was running in the first half?
This was the most sissified, lilly-livered, gutless effort I've EVER seen from a Nebraska team in any sport.
The Huskers haven't come to play a ballgame since beating Kansas State. They got one legitimate win, shut down and got satisfied.
This Nebraska team is the worst team in the league this year. Never mind Kansas' 0-and-16 record. In watching the Jayhawks play, I was wrong about that team. They will at least give an effort, they just don't have any weapons. I respect that Kansas. They are outgunned and they know it, but the do come to play at least. The same thing with Missouri, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M.
Nebraska has more talent than Kansas. I believe we have better athletes than Missouri, OSU, TAMU or even Iowa State. But where Nebraska is the worst team is the matter of team committment, leadership and heart.
You can't win games when you have a coach who is disinterested and basically doesn't have the trust of his team. You can't have 2 players have want it, 2 players who want it when they want to want it, and 9 players who don't want it.
I'm scared of next year because Nebraska will be a team full of seniors of haven't shown much in 3 years. If Pale Sanderfraud was worried about senior leadership now, just wait until next year. You'll have six seniors who couldn't lead ants to a picnic.
Nebraska could finish last in the Big 12 next year.
WHAT PAUL NEEDS TO DO NOW.
1. Forfeit the Big 12 Tournament.
Nebraska won't play any better than they have. Iowa State doesn't need the game, Nebraska can't use it. Its obvious the kids don't wanna play anymore so don't make 'em. Stay home and forfeit, rather than lose by 40 points.
2. Call For Open Tryouts For Next Season.
Janice Bright is on her way, she'll have a spot next season. You can exempt Keasha Cannon, too. But make everybody else earn their spots again. You have players who are uncommitted (Katie Morse), disaffected (Stephanie Jones, K.C. Cowgill), and plan just could care less how many game you lose (Margaret Richards, Paige Sutton)
Who knows, you might find some walk-on around campus who would kill to play. I'd rather lose with undertalented, committed kids than lose with talented, gutless kids. Take a tip from Barry Collier. Nebraska mens are undertalented, but those kids I can honestly say have NEVER quit on the floor, and I respect that.
3. Katie Robinette
You need to find out if she really wants to be here or not. If she doesn't want to be here, release her from her scholarship and let her go.
I have a feeling that Katie made an emotional decision when logic would have served her a lot better. It shows in her play. She had two good games this year, that's it. She's spent most of the year frustrated and was suspended for one game.
If she does want to be here, great. She has a lot of work to do. This is a kid who wants to win and is used to winning.
4. A Team Retreat/Boot Camp
This team plays divided and probably is divided off the court. It seem this group of kids are going 13 different directions. Send the entire team out to the woods for a week, something, anything. This team doesn't fight together. It shows on the court. They give up on each other too easily and give up on themselves too easily.
5. Get The Old Paul back.
The first season Paul Sanderford was a guy with energy and ideas. Now Paul Sanderford is an overweight, tubby-gut, namby-pamby spin artist. The coachspeak is getting boring, and its getting ridiculous.
Coach, call Jack Stark, get a few sessions. Get the mojo back. And get yourself back in touch with this ballclub. Forget about the number of fans and all the outside stuff. We're still dumb enough to believe in you and your team (myself included). We aren't giving up on the girls, yet. But you need to quit surrendering and coach, its up to you.
Overall Outlook: I said at the beginning of the year, this team could look like the biggest phony this year.
I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so.
This 14-15 record is PHONY. In my mind Nebraska is 7-22 this year. Of those 14 wins, 6 are against legitimate ballclubs, the other 8 were to high school teams.
We are going to go to the Big XII tournament and lose soundly.
But the $64,000 question for this ballclub is how much is the level of embarassment on this season?
We can only find out the answer next season. But, in my opinion, I don't think the level is very high, if there is a level at all.
--ChipperF1 http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/frown.gif
In Nebraska, for wasting an entire half of basketball.
In Colorado, for not scoring 100 points.
Colorado was on their game in the first half. 46-18 didn't do their effort justice.
Mandy Nightingale is a serious point guard. I know the Bert Convy-Nancy Lieberman Awards won't say it, but I will. When you have a 3-to-1 assist-turnover ratio, you are the biggest, baddest mama this side of Angie Dickenson.
Nightingale and sidekick Jenny Roulier have made a habit of making Nebraska's guards look like 5th graders and last night, they did it again. Nightingale didn't shot too well, she had 16 points on 4-of-12. But she controlled the game. Jina Johansen didn't have a chance, Shannon Howell didn't have a chance, K.C. Cowgill sure as heck didn't have a chance. She also had 3 assists, and drew 6 free throws and hit them all.
Mandy Nightingale isn't a candypants basketball player, period.
Interior play was good. Tera Bjorklund had 13 points, 10 rebounds. Britt Hartshorn added 8 and 4.
Eisha Bohman was her usual muck and grind self for 10 points and seemed to be everywhere defensively. Also, It was good to see Linda Lappe have a good game.
That first half was a gem. I wished Colorado didn't let down in the second half. They really came out with guns blazing and this Husker fan wouldn't have squawked at all if they keep scoring the way Texas Tech did when they embarassed Nebraska.
Ceal Barry is a classy coach and always has my respect. I kind of wished she wouldn't have shown so much of it last night, because this Nebraska team earned Steve Spurrier treatment last night.
The Buffaloes are going to be a very, very tough out in March.
WHAT WORKED FOR NEBRASKA
1. Amanda Cleveland had a career night. 7 points. Amanda, your courage will always have a place of honor. It is a shame your teammates lack so much of it.
WHAT DIDN'T WORK FOR NEBRASKA
Nobody played any defense, and what was this candypants perimeter slow-down snails pace weave offense Nebraska was running in the first half?
This was the most sissified, lilly-livered, gutless effort I've EVER seen from a Nebraska team in any sport.
The Huskers haven't come to play a ballgame since beating Kansas State. They got one legitimate win, shut down and got satisfied.
This Nebraska team is the worst team in the league this year. Never mind Kansas' 0-and-16 record. In watching the Jayhawks play, I was wrong about that team. They will at least give an effort, they just don't have any weapons. I respect that Kansas. They are outgunned and they know it, but the do come to play at least. The same thing with Missouri, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M.
Nebraska has more talent than Kansas. I believe we have better athletes than Missouri, OSU, TAMU or even Iowa State. But where Nebraska is the worst team is the matter of team committment, leadership and heart.
You can't win games when you have a coach who is disinterested and basically doesn't have the trust of his team. You can't have 2 players have want it, 2 players who want it when they want to want it, and 9 players who don't want it.
I'm scared of next year because Nebraska will be a team full of seniors of haven't shown much in 3 years. If Pale Sanderfraud was worried about senior leadership now, just wait until next year. You'll have six seniors who couldn't lead ants to a picnic.
Nebraska could finish last in the Big 12 next year.
WHAT PAUL NEEDS TO DO NOW.
1. Forfeit the Big 12 Tournament.
Nebraska won't play any better than they have. Iowa State doesn't need the game, Nebraska can't use it. Its obvious the kids don't wanna play anymore so don't make 'em. Stay home and forfeit, rather than lose by 40 points.
2. Call For Open Tryouts For Next Season.
Janice Bright is on her way, she'll have a spot next season. You can exempt Keasha Cannon, too. But make everybody else earn their spots again. You have players who are uncommitted (Katie Morse), disaffected (Stephanie Jones, K.C. Cowgill), and plan just could care less how many game you lose (Margaret Richards, Paige Sutton)
Who knows, you might find some walk-on around campus who would kill to play. I'd rather lose with undertalented, committed kids than lose with talented, gutless kids. Take a tip from Barry Collier. Nebraska mens are undertalented, but those kids I can honestly say have NEVER quit on the floor, and I respect that.
3. Katie Robinette
You need to find out if she really wants to be here or not. If she doesn't want to be here, release her from her scholarship and let her go.
I have a feeling that Katie made an emotional decision when logic would have served her a lot better. It shows in her play. She had two good games this year, that's it. She's spent most of the year frustrated and was suspended for one game.
If she does want to be here, great. She has a lot of work to do. This is a kid who wants to win and is used to winning.
4. A Team Retreat/Boot Camp
This team plays divided and probably is divided off the court. It seem this group of kids are going 13 different directions. Send the entire team out to the woods for a week, something, anything. This team doesn't fight together. It shows on the court. They give up on each other too easily and give up on themselves too easily.
5. Get The Old Paul back.
The first season Paul Sanderford was a guy with energy and ideas. Now Paul Sanderford is an overweight, tubby-gut, namby-pamby spin artist. The coachspeak is getting boring, and its getting ridiculous.
Coach, call Jack Stark, get a few sessions. Get the mojo back. And get yourself back in touch with this ballclub. Forget about the number of fans and all the outside stuff. We're still dumb enough to believe in you and your team (myself included). We aren't giving up on the girls, yet. But you need to quit surrendering and coach, its up to you.
Overall Outlook: I said at the beginning of the year, this team could look like the biggest phony this year.
I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so.
This 14-15 record is PHONY. In my mind Nebraska is 7-22 this year. Of those 14 wins, 6 are against legitimate ballclubs, the other 8 were to high school teams.
We are going to go to the Big XII tournament and lose soundly.
But the $64,000 question for this ballclub is how much is the level of embarassment on this season?
We can only find out the answer next season. But, in my opinion, I don't think the level is very high, if there is a level at all.
--ChipperF1 http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/frown.gif