Nebraska vs. Northern Iowa: Crouching Panther, Hidden Dragon

[ChipperF1]

Before we begin to break down a rather competitive game for the lasses, let me have a moment of ranting on the effeminate, sissified, and downright catistrated performance of Nebraska football yesterday. I never thought that Paul Sanderford's bad coaching would spread like a viral infection.
Give Colorado all the credit, they lined up and pushed the Nebraska Fairie-Huskers around. The lads got beat like Marv Albert in some backroom parlor in Greenwich Village with Mistress Colorado waiting with the whip in black and gold leather.
I sincerely hope John Cook and John Walker don't catch this disease.

Whew! I feel much better now http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/smile.gif On to today's game

Friday, the lasses used outside shooting, led by K.C. Cowgill's 23 points, buried Colgate 86-55.
Sorry If I'm not enthuised by beating the toothpaste out of Colgate. I know a lot of high school teams that could beat Colgate.

Today will be game similar to the Creighton match last week, only this team has size.

NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS (3-0) VS. NORTHERN IOWA GOLDEN PANTHERS (3-0) 2:30 p.m.
Round Two,San Juan Shootout
Coliseo Guillermo Angulo in Carolina, Puerto Rico

Radio: Nebraska Sports Network, UNI Sports Network
NU Radio webcast: www.huskers.com (http://www.huskers.com)
UNI Radio webcast: www.unipanthers.com (http://www.unipanthers.com)

[ChipperF1]

Now that the mouse is working again...

NORTHERN IOWA GOLDEN PANTHERS.

When you look at Northern Iowa, they are one of those mid-major league teams that on the surface don't look like basketball players, but they can hoop it up.
Last season UNI was a WNIT qualifier, this year they have their eyes on the NCAA High Sierras. Grappling in a competitive Missouri Valley Conference, UNI could be the sleeper in the conference race and could find themselves with an at-large ticket, if the selection committee grants the league an extra seat in the Magic Bus of 64.
At the controls is Tony DeCecco, one of the best mid-major coaches in the country in my view. Since taking the job at UNI, he's built the program up from losing to competitive and done it with mostly Central and Eastern Iowa girls. Every Player on the team except one is from a 150 mile radius around Ceder Falls, bordered by the Cedar Falls-Waterloo-Dubuque area East and Des Moines-Urbandale to the west.

The prime weapons of the team are most unusual two-man game. A stocky farm country fullback playing undersized power forward , and a reed-thin midwestern girl in the post. But they are efficient and effective.

The guard is a hometown kid. 5-10 sophomore Amy Swisher, grew up just down the street from UNI. And if you've seen her, she looks more like she should be lead blocker on a sweep than sweeping to the basket. But sweeping to the basket is what she does best.

She's slashed her way to averaging 23 points per game in the first three games of the season. Well above the 12.9 ppg she averaged in her freshman campaign. Her outside shooting was very strong last year, a respectable 42.6% from three point range, currently she is 2 for 8 from the trifecta this year.

The post if Abbe Schulte. The 6-4 senior from Sidney, Iowa is among the top flight centers in a post rich MVC. First team all-league last season averaging nearly 14 points and 7 rebounds per outing. She plays bigger than her frame and doesn't shy away from contact, in fact she seeks it out. As long as she doesn't get into foul trouble, she a weapon and a trail for Katie Morse.

Other weapons in the making include 5-10 forward Katie Miller. She's third on the team in scoring this year (10.0) points per game) 6-1 forward, Katie Cline, had 16 points and 7 rebound in the team first round match at San Juan vs. Central Florida. Another forward to watch is Freshman Alex Cook,

With so many forwards, one wonders if this team actually has guards. Actually they do. The only non-Iowan on the club, 5-9 senior Nadine Brandt, is the team's sharpshooter. She came off the bench last season, but worked into a starting role this year. She's currently averaging 7 points per game and shooting 35% from the line.
5-9 junior Kara Opp is the team's quarterback. Last season her 1.61 assist-turnover ratio was the best in UNI history. This season that ratio is holding at 2.10 in the first three game. Opp is traditional playmaker. Pass first, score second. She's a solid ballhandler, and deceptively quick. Tough to engage in a pressing situation because of her speed and court sense.

WHAT NEBRASKA LEARNED FROM THE CREIGHTON GAME (And how its applies today.)

1. Yeah, Katie Robinette is great to have, but other have to show up.
Keesha Cannon was excellent in the late going of the comeback against Creighton, but she missed four of her first five shots in that game. Cannon's an instinctive player, that's good. But she needs to get in the groove to really be effective. Her defensive play is there, but we need her offensive presence to open up so much more of the attack.
It's good to get K.C. Cowgill in the mix. 23 points vs. Colgate is a good start. When Cowgill gets warm outside that help everything. But against CU she showed ability in transition and did penetrate well.

2. Katie Morse.
There's upside to this kid. A lot of upside. On both ends of the floor Granted, Heavy P's trying to install a running game, but there nothing wrong with mixing in some half-court game plan into it. Creighton and UNI have a strategy of slowing down running teams. If Nebraska can set up and function in the half court, its open up a whole new world, and Katie Morse is a big part of that. And she was huge against Creighton.

3. Shannon Howell.
This kid had 7 assists vs. Colgate. Not bad. Continues to have solid outings in the Triangle Multiple. Against Creighton she found holes and attacked. Wasn't tentative. Finally she was using her athleticism. It would help if Sanderford wouldn't give her a quick hook when she's on.

4. The Lineup.

The Huskers have a solid nucleus. Cannon, Howell, Cowgill, Morse, Robinette. Nebraska didn't have that last year. 19 different starting lineups.
Now the challenge is building a bench. And the part are there. Outside Jina Johansen's been getting good minutes backing up Cannon and Howell's spots. Margaret Richard and Shah Roberts can also take up those positions, although they are defensively liabilities.
Stephanie Jones will be a sixth man this year, and that not a bad thing. She can spell Robinette, and will need to do so at times this year. She's also getting work inside at the post, not exactly the place you want her, but if Morse or Amanda Cleveland have problems, Jones is a good third option.
Amanda Cleveland will be a backup center. She has the endurance to give you 20-24 good minutes if you need it, but she more at home in the 12-16 minute range. Get her in, she'll get some points, get some rebounds, give Morse a breather, and keep the team in the game.
Alexa Johnson and Paige Sutton are to the interior what Roberts and Richards are to the backcourt. Offensive potential, defensive liability. Against Creighton, the Jay made there biggest runs on Nebraska when these players were on the floor, the matchups favored the opposition and the opposition exploited them.

5. Paul Sanderford.
Paul was outcoached for a lot of the Creighton matchup and it showed.
Tony DeCecco is the type that can outsmart somebody, and he has players that run his system very well.
To Paul credit, he is harnessing this Husker teams talent, now he has to feed the court IQ, and this is a ballgame where you can do just that. If nothing else, he should review what didn't work against Creighton.

HOW NEBRASKA CAN WIN THIS GAME

1. Get out of the blocks and STAY OUT OF THE BLOCKS!
If the Huskers get a big run, keep the runmakers in the game and stick with it. Paul, use the slow hook today if the girls are on a roll. If the run is 10-0, keep the heat on.

2. Challenge Schutte. Cannon and Howell should get the green light to drive force, UNI to either foul a lot or collapse in. Either way, you'll have Cannon on the inside, Cowgill outside bombing away.

3. Intimidation...Swisher's going to attempt to assert her dominance on the wings and on the drive. This is where 6'2" of South Sioux City wingspan earns her scholarship. Swisher can't swish anything if the ball is coming back to her face or if it going off the rim.
Much of Creighton's missed shots came directly from Robinette and Katie Morse forcing bad attempts.

4. Perimeter defense. For those of you who played some pop warner football, remember when your coaches told you to "stay home"?

That is what hurt Nebraska vs. Creighton, the Jays got open looks because the Nebraska defense too often chased action when the team went to a zone defense. Stay with your assignments, no phantom double teams no chasing.

OUTLOOK: In a schedule full of tomato cans early on, tournament play has given the Huskers a gem of a game. An NCAA tournament hopeful, a postseason team last year. They have smarts. They have some skills. They have good coaching.
Athleticism alone will not beat UNI (Jackie Stiles can tell you that, Carla Bennett can tell you that). This is what Nebraska needs, because in Big 12 play, the teams who we need to beat to go where we want to go will force us to look beyond upgraded talent to become a total basketball team.

The Huskers will have to really play a focused, disciplined game. They still commit too many turnovers (The team's averaging 24 a game, I'd like to see that average under 20).Defensively this team still needs work, but the team can do well when they don't try to free lance, when they bear down. When you can hold a team that has been hot from long range to no shot attempts on a possession, that's strong defense. That's deterrence.
Nebraska's rebounding is good. Offensively they just need to wind it out a little more.

"Chipper are you going back on all the dire predictions that Nebraska 'will suck'?"
No. But I am open to the possibility that this team will compete.
The Huskers will gut another one out. Nebraska 66, Northern Iowa 60.

http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/nu.gif Nebraska Football
Please Mistress Colorado, BEAT US SOME MORE! http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/smile.gif

[CyRox98]

This should be a really good game. I had the enjoyment of seeing UNI beat a ranked team for the first time last year - Illinois at the Blimpie Blast in Cedar Rapids. Nadine Brandt basically single-handedly brought UNI back from a significant deficit with her long-range shooting abilities.

Too bad this game weren't being played in West Gym in Cedar Falls. UNI would win in a romp. That's where they beat Southwest Missouri State by 20 last year. ISU nearly lost there in '98 and did lose in '96. But, alas, it isn't being played there. Don't want to try to guess a final score, but I'm hoping UNI plays well enough to win this one.

This is a program on the rise - and what's even better is that DeCecco is doing it with Iowa girls. He inked five more during the early signing period.

UNI comes to Ames December 22.

[elfdenmom]

Chipper, am I to infer that you were less than pleased with Nebraska's performance Saturday?