2008-2009 Husker Basketball Season Recap
March 26, 2009 by Bret Nellor, under News, Season Recap.
It’s been a little over a week since the Husker’s season ended with a loss to New Mexico in the first round of the NIT tournament. Now that I’ve had some time to sit back and reflect back on this season, I felt that a recap was in order.
Off-season struggles
The story of Nebraska’s 2008-2009 basketball season began well before any games were played. The offseason was not kind to the NU program as they learned in late May that prized recruit Roburt Sallie was denied entrance by the Big 12 Conference. Unfortunately the fact that Sallie was enrolled briefly back in 2006 led to him being denied entry by the Big 12. The loss of a key recruit was a major blow to the momentum that Sadler and the Huskers had picked up through the 2007-08 season.
NOTE: Sallie ended up playing for John Calipari and the Memphis Tigers. Sallie, who had a quiet season, suddenly became the darling of the Tigers as he led them to a first round NCAA tourney win by hitting 10 three pointers and scoring 35 points against Cal State Northridge. That kind of explosive scoring ability would have been quite helpful for NU this past year.
This lost recruit ended up summing up the tale of the off-season for Coach Sadler as Nebraska appeared to be cursed. The team was desparate to replace Sallie’s scholarship with another player to address their lack of size. They were unable to secure a big man until Brian Diaz comitted in August, little did they know at the time that he would not be admitted to Nebraska until January 2009 and after a few short weeks decided to redshirt. Shortly before the season began, 6-11 Christopher Niemann was ruled ineligible by the NCAA. Which then led us to 6-9 Alex Chapman, a redshirt sophomore who waited until a few weeks into the season to leave the team and decide to transfer. Needless to say the Huskers were left with what would be the shortest team in Division I basketball.
Despite the team’s “short”comings, NU pressed on. Coach Sadler knew this team would have a difficult time but if he could get them to give maximum effort and play tough defense they had a chance. Behind the example of 4 seniors Ade Dagunduro, Steve Harley, Paul Velander and Nick Krenk, that’s just what this team did.
Let’s get the season started
The Huskers started the season 6-0 which included a nice win over Creighton before enduring their first 2 losses to Arizona State and Oregon State. After a rebound win over IPFW, the Big Red had their first devastating home loss of the season to UMBC. This was the game that showed how thin the margin for error was for Nebraska. Without an inside presence or a true go-to scorer they would continue to have a tough time scoring points all season. These weaknesses combined with the loss to UMBC foreshadowed a return trip to the NIT.
Big 12 Conference
NU reached Big 12 play with a 10-3 record and came out of the gates with a surprising upset of the Missouri Tigers. This was followed up with a rough stretch that saw the team lose 4 of their next 5 games – a tough road loss to Iowa State, a 2 point overtime loss at home to Oklahoma State, and a close loss at home to Kansas. Although they sat at 2-5 in the conference at this point, Sadler’s team was encouraged by the fact that they had played Blake Griffin and a very good Oklahoma team close on the road and were so close against OSU and KU.
Nebraska then rattled off 2 straight road wins and an impressive upset of Texas to get back to .500 in the conference. As soon as hope had returned that the Huskers could somehow manage their way to an NCAA tournament bid, they dropped 4 of the next 5 games. The most damaging loss of that stretch came when Texas A&M won with a last second shot in Lincoln. NU finished strong winning 2 of their final 3 games to reach 8-8 in the conference for the first time since the 1998-99 season.
Post-season blues
The Big Red clung to a very slim chance that they could still get an at-large NCAA bid if they could get to the championship of the Big 12 tourney. But they faced a difficult challenge having to play Baylor in the first round after having beat them in Waco only 4 days earlier. Baylor, who had underachieved the entire Big 12 season finally started to play up to their potential and sent the Huskers home after a short stay in the tournament and sealing their NIT fate.
Second-straight NIT berth
Nebraska soon learned they would play on in the NIT, earning a #6 seed and traveled to #3 seed New Mexico for a first round game. Hopes were high that NU could string together a run and possibly reach the NIT final four in New York. It wasn’t meant to be however as the Lobos used their home court advantage to eliminate the Big Red from the tournament. The loss ended the Huskers season at 18-13 overall.
The big picture
Before the season started I predicted that Nebraska would finish at 19-9 and an NIT appearance. I also figured that Coach Sadler would get them to 20 wins for the second consecutive season with at least one post-season victory. I was a little off on that, but considering that the team reached .500 in the Big 12 for the first time this decade, I feel like that was a major step forward for the program. Especially when you consider the obstacles this team had to overcome to get there. One could argue that this may have been Doc Sadler’s most impressive coaching job.
It’s hard not to look back at the season and say what could have been had the ball bounced differently for the Huskers – turn the Oregon State, UMBC, Oklahoma State, and Texas A&M games into wins and Nebraska could have held a 22-7 record going into the Big 12 tourney and quite possibly a lock for an at-large NCAA berth.
Of course, college basketball doesn’t live in the imaginary “what could have been” world, but I am hopeful that what this undersized team was able to accomplish has helped to set the foundation for the future. While the Nebraska basketball future may not be so bright that we need to wear shades just yet, I believe we’re taking the necessary steps to get there.
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Nebraska drops first round NIT game to New Mexico
March 18, 2009 by Bret Nellor, under NIT Game Recap, News.
Nebraska’s basketball season came to an end in Albuquerque, NM last night. The New Mexico Lobos beat the Huskers 83-71 to send Doc Sadler’s club back to Lincoln to ponder how far they had come and wonder what could have been. NU’s offense struggled yet again, while NMU’s offense was clicking behind 51% shooting from the floor and a career night from Daniel Faris who finished with 28 points and 13 rebounds.
By scoring 83 points against the Huskers, the Lobos join only Hawaii, Kansas and Missouri in scoring 80 or more points against NU since Doc Sadler took over. New Mexico was the only team to strike for 80 points this season against the Big Red. To say that Nebraska’s defense had on off-night would be an understatement.
Nebraska was led by Sek Henry’s 13 points and Steve Harley’s 11 points. Ade Dagunduro had a tough shooting night. He scored only 8 points and battled through foul trouble. The Huskers finish the season at 18-13 overall.
Turning point in the game:
- NU was struggling in the first half, but rallied to trail by 5 at halftime. Unfortunately, the Huskers came out cold in the second half and the Lobos took advantage going on a 17-3 run to build their biggest lead of the game, 19 points. As they have all year, Nebraska refused to give up and fought back to close within 7 with just under 2 minutes left. That’s as close as they’d get as New Mexico shut the door on the comeback.
Encouraging points:
- Though this loss is disappointing there is no denying that this Nebraska team played as close to their potential as any Nebraska team has before it. To have the season they did with the smallest roster in Division I basketball is impressive.
With the season over, the Husker seniors (Dagunduro, Harley, Velander, Krenk) can take heart in the fact that they’ve laid a strong foundation for this program. That foundation includes giving maximum effort, playing tough defense and never giving up. These are the type of ideals that should make every Nebraska basketball fan proud.
Up next: the 2008-09 Husker season is over. I’ll be putting together a season recap soon.
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NIT Pre-game: Nebraska vs. New Mexico
March 16, 2009 by Bret Nellor, under NIT Pre-game, News.
#6 Nebraska Cornhuskers 18-12 (8-8) vs.
#3 New Mexico Lobos 21-11 (12-4)
March 17 – 9 p.m. tipoff
TV: ESPNU
The first round of the NIT tournament has Nebraska traveling to “The Pit” to face New Mexico. The Lobos, led by Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year Steve Alford finished as co-champs of the conference. They had high hopes to reach the NCAA tournament but were upset in the first round of the MWC tournament by Wyoming which likely sealed their fate.
New Mexico and Nebraska shared 3 common opponents this season: Creighton, TCU, and Texas Tech. NU finished 3-0 against those teams while NMU finished 2-2. Coach Alford holds a 2-5 career record in the NIT while Doc Sadler holds a 2-2 record.
The Pit has long been one of the toughest places to play in college basketball. The Lobos have a 15-2 record there this season and are averaging over 14,000 in attendance per game. Sadler who coached at UTEP for 2 seasons before coming to Nebraska holds a 0-1 record in The Pit as a head coach and an 0-3 record when including his assistant coaching stints.
NU leading scorers
Ade Dagunduro 13.0 ppg
Steve Harley 10.1 ppg
Sek Henry 7.9 ppg
NMU leading scorers
Tony Danridge 15.2 ppg
Daniel Faris 11.5 ppg
Roman Martinez 10.8 ppg
Nebraska will have some major obstacles to overcome to win this game. First is a quality opponent in New Mexico, second will be the Lobos home crowd and lastly the Huskers’ own offensive struggles. Don’t be surprised if Coach Alford has his team come out in a 2-3 zone similar to what Baylor used in the Big 12 tournament to humiliate the Big Red. NU has had trouble all season when facing the 2-3 zone (see the UMBC loss) and it is quite surprising that more Big 12 teams didn’t use this strategy. To have a chance at winning, Coach Sadler will need to come up with an effective offense plan or hope that the Lobos use man-to-man all night.
The Huskers will also need Steve Harley and Paul Velander break out of their slumps. If the team can shoot the ball well and play their normal tough defense, Nebraska will be right there with a chance to win the game in the final minute. In the end though, I don’t think NU will be able to make enough baskets to continue their season.
The winner of this game will face the winner of Notre Dame/UAB.
My pick: New Mexico
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Nebraska lands #6 seed in the NIT
March 15, 2009 by Bret Nellor, under News.
The Huskers will play on in the NIT after receiving a #6 seed from the Selection Committee. They’ll face the #3 seed New Mexico Lobos in Albuquerque, NM on Tuesday. This is NU’s second straight appearance in the NIT under Coach Doc Sadler.
Nebraska joins Kansas State (#4 seed) and Baylor (#3 seed) in the NIT tournament, bringing the Big 12’s number of teams in post-season play to 9.
Other notable teams in the 32-team NIT field include: Creighton (#1 seed), Auburn, Florida, Davidson, Kentucky, St. Mary’s.
Also of note is that fact that the Huskers are in the same bracket as the Bluejays. 2 wins by both teams would setup a rematch with a trip to the NIT finals in NYC on the line.
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NIT field to be announced this evening
March 15, 2009 by Bret Nellor, under News.
The NIT Selection Committee will announce the 2009 National Invitation Tournament field this evening at 8:00 p.m. Central on ESPNU.
Is Nebraska in or out? Stay tuned to find out.
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Is Nebraska a lock for the NIT?
March 14, 2009 by Bret Nellor, under News.
As we come down to Selection Sunday tomorrow, the Huskers can only sit and wait. Will the Big Red play on in the NIT or will they take their game to the CBI?
Most projections show Doc Sadler’s club as a bubble team for the NIT but likely in. Due to their bubble status, it looks like they’ll be on the road in the first round.
This year’s NIT looks to possibly feature some big name schools – USC, Florida, Miami (FL), Baylor, Auburn, UNLV, Notre Dame, Davidson, Temple, Arizona, Maryland, Georgetown, Kansas St., Kentucky, and Stanford. Of course, much will be determined as many of the conference tournaments conclude today and tomorrow.
To stay up to date on the NIT bracket projections, check out these sites:
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Cold shooting dooms Huskers in loss to the Bears
March 11, 2009 by Bret Nellor, under Big 12 Tournament Game Recap, News.
Nebraska came to the Big 12 tournament but left their shooting touch in Lincoln and lost to Baylor 65-49. The Huskers shot a miserable 31.5% from the floor and 20.8% from behind the arc thanks to a 2-3 zone employed by the Bears. The poor shooting also contributed to Baylor dominating the glass 43-18. NU’s NCAA tourney hopes are over as their record falls to 18-12 overall.
Ade Dagunduro led the team with 21 points and 6 rebounds. Steve Harley added 10 points. Harley and Dagunduro combined to hit 54% of their shots and score 31 of the Big Red’s 49 points.
Turning point in the game:
- Nebraska was down by 3 at half, but Baylor came out and outscored NU 16-6 over the first 11 minutes of the second half. The Huskers’ inability to knock down shots against the BU zone allowed Baylor to cruise the rest of the way for the first round win.
Encouraging points:
- Fortunately for the Huskers, this is not the final game of the season. The Big Red figure to land a berth in the NIT and will know on Sunday who they’ll face.
- Ade Dagunduro had another good game and may be working his way into an opportunity to play professionally after the season is over.
This was obviously a tough matchup for Nebraska as they had just beaten Baylor 66-62 only 4 days ago. Kudos to BU coach Scott Drew who made the necessary adjustments from that game to guide his team to the win.
The loss puts the 20 win marker in jeopardy for Doc Sadler’s troops. He’ll need to rally the team and get them prepared to play in the NIT. One area he may want to focus on is repairing his players’ confidence in their shooting (especially Paul Velander). Another performance like today’s will lead to a season-ending loss in the NIT.
Up next: the Huskers will wait to hear the seeds for the NIT to see if they’ll be home or on the road.
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Big 12 Tournament Pre-game: Baylor vs. Nebraska
March 9, 2009 by Bret Nellor, under Big 12 Tournament Pre-game, News.
#9 Baylor Bears 17-13 (5-11) vs.
#8 Nebraska Cornhuskers 18-11 (8-8)
March 11 – 11:30 a.m. tipoff
TV: Big 12 Network
The Big 12 tournament kicks off with Baylor and Nebraska in the 8/9 game in Oklahoma City Wednesday. The game is the rematch of their game this past weekend in Waco which the Huskers won 66-62. Toney McCray and Ade Dagunduro led NU with 18 and 11 points respectively in the victory.
This game marks the 3rd time in the past 4 years that Nebraska will face the same team they played to end the regular season. The Huskers stand at 1-1 in those previous rematches. Doc Sadler holds a 1-2 record in the Big 12 tournament as the Husker head coach. He’ll be looking to improve on that record after leading the Big Red to their first .500 record in the Big 12 since NU last finished at 10-6 in the ‘98-’99 season under then head coach Danny Nee.
BU leading scorers
Curtis Jerrells 16.2 ppg
LaceDarius Dunn 15.1 ppg
Kevin Rogers 12.1 ppg
NU leading scorers
Ade Dagunduro 12.7 ppg
Steve Harley 10.1 ppg
Sek Henry 8.1 ppg
This game represents a tough draw for the Huskers. They did pick up the win last Saturday in Waco against the Bears, but that was a very close game that saw NU pull away thanks in large part to their good free throw shooting in the final minute. Besides that, anyone who has played organized basketball knows how difficulty it is to beat a twice in back to back matchups. Not only that, but head coach Scott Drew and his Baylor team certainly realizes that the Big 12 tournament is their last chance to continue their season and land a berth in a post-season tournament.
Nebraska appears to be a lock for an NIT berth. A win against Baylor could help cement a first-round NIT home game for NU. A win would also give them a shot at #1 seed Kansas. I think the Huskers would relish another chance to play Kansas on a nuetral court. But first things first.
Coach Sadler will need to have his squad put together another good defensive performance against Baylor and contain their guards. He’ll also need to manufacture some offense as it’s unlikely that Toney McCray will have another big scoring game. Someone will need to step up and hit some shots for the Huskers. Perhaps Paul Velander can break out of his shooting slump. I think Nebraska will be able to frustrate a Baylor team that already seems to have lost their spirit this season. If NU gets ahead early, there’s a chance that they could cruise to a first round win. However, if it’s another tight game or Baylor gets up early the Bears will start to believe. And that would be trouble for the Big Red.
My pick: Nebraska
