Nebraska’s going dancing! No they’re not.

The Nebraska men’s basketball team made a blip on the bubble watch radar last week. They were tied for fourth in the Big 12 after riding an emotional three game win streak that included road victories against Texas Tech and Colorado, as well as a three-point home win over then #17 Texas. Then they traveled to Columbia, Missouri, and like most dreams of the big dance midway through conference play, they faded off into oblivion.

First half

Ade Dagunduro

Nebraska played their game in the first half; they played tough defense, controlled the offensive tempo, and limited the fifth-highest scoring offense in all the land to just 25 first-half points. Nebraska’s one legitimate drive threat, Ade Dagunduro, was being aggressive and getting to the foul line while Cookie Miller was managing an offense that regularly took at least 30 of the 35 second shot clock to put up a shot.

Second half

Missouri began forcing turnovers, hitting three’s, and well, playing their game. The tale of two halves. Matt Lawrence came out firing, hitting three three-pointers and Missouri forced Nebraska into a season-worst 20 turnovers. They had only averaged 11 per-game. The benches cleared with almost five minutes to go in the game and not even the rested could help improve Nebraska’s abysmal 28.6 percent shooting percentage.

What it means, and where Nebraska is headed

The game pitted the Big 12’s number one defense against the Big 12’s number one offense, and the offense one. Quite frankly, Nebraska played one of it’s worst games of the season, shooting terrible and coughing the ball up left and right, but the game should have been closer. Nebraska is not as bad as they looked on Saturday afternoon. They are a tournament caliber team, but they’re just not ready for the big dance yet. NIT, here comes the Cornhuskers…again.

Doc Sadler’s philosophy of defense and toughness is rubbing off on his team, and the conditioning that this Nebraska team has should help get it some unexpected victories down the stretch.

Doc Sadler

Nebraska has road games left against three very good teams in Kansas, Kansas State and Baylor, as well as home games against Iowa State, Colorado and Texas A & M. If I had to bet, I would say Nebraska will go 4-2 and finish in the top half of the Big 12, but come selection committee time, I just don’t see Nebraska in the dance yet. Losses to Maryland-Baltimore County at home and Oregon State on the road do not look good, as both teams currently stand with losing records.

But Madison Square Garden and an NIT Championship are definitely not out of the question.

Advertisement