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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Nebraska beats Iowa State on Senior Night
March 4, 2009 by Bret Nellor, under Husker Basketball Game Recaps, News.
The Nebraska Cornhuskers used a second half surge to push past the Iowa State Cyclones 77-61. The Huskers improve to 17-11 on the season and 7-8 in the Big 12 conference with one regular season game left. The Big Red’s 77 points was their highest point total since dropping 82 against Texas Tech 8 games ago.
Ade Dagunduro led the way for NU on Senior Night scoring 24 points, which matched his career high. Three other Huskers joined Dagunduro in double figures – Cookie Miller with 14 points, Ryan Anderson with 11 points, and fellow senior Steve Harley finished with 10 points.
Iowa State’s Craig Brackins continued his All-Conference caliber play scoring 25 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. He and Lucca Steiger accounted for 42 of ISU’s 61 total points.
Turning point in the game:
- Nebraska took control of a close game just a few minutes in to the second half. Coach Sadler dialed up full-court defensive pressure that forced several Cyclone turnovers which allowed the Huskers to pull away. During a 10 minute stretch NU outscored ISU 23-6 to push their lead to 19 points.
Encouraging points:
- The Huskers have now scored over 70 points in 2 consecutive games and may be picking up some offensive momentum heading into the Big 12 tournament.
- Nebraska’s bench poured in 27 points to help make sure the seniors went out with a win in the Devaney Center. The bench can be an important piece of the puzzle for NU if they are to make a run late in the season.
- The Big Red is still in position to reach .500 in the conference. It won’t be easy, but it would be the first time Nebraska finished at .500 or better in the Big 12 in a decade.
- One more win should lock down an NIT bid for Nebraska, while 2 more wins may give the Huskers a home game in the NIT.
It was good to see the Huskers finish out their home schedule with a win. Especially in a season where some home losses really have defined the course of the season for this team. And of course, I must mention the respect I have for this group of seniors. They led this team that was undersized and not expected to do much this year to play with so much passion that I really enjoyed watching them compete. This group of 2 juco transfers and 2 walk-ons have now helped set the standard for how basketball is played at Nebraska. That’s a legacy to be proud of.
Thank you to Ade Dagunduro, Steve Harley, Paul Velander and Nick Krenk.
Up next: The Huskers head to Waco, TX to face the Baylor Bears on Saturday at 3 p.m for the final game of the regular season.
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Pre-game: Iowa State vs. Nebraska
March 3, 2009 by Bret Nellor, under Husker Basketball Pre-game, News.
Iowa State Cyclones 14-15 (3-11) vs.
Nebraska Cornhuskers 16-10 (6-7)
March 4 – 6:30 p.m. tipoff
TV: Fox Sports Midwest
It’s Senior Night in Lincoln. The final home game of the season will give the Nebraska program the opportunity to honor its 4 seniors, Ade Dagunduro, Steve Harley, Paul Velander and Nick Krenk.
The Huskers enter the game having lost 4 of their last 5 games, falling off the bubble for the NCAA tournament and into the hunt for an NIT berth. Iowa State reaches Lincoln also having lost 4 of their last 5, but are 0-7 in conference road games this season and 0-15 going back to last season. It’s been a tough season for Coach Greg McDermott’s Cyclones, but despite this they have continued to play hard behind their All-Big 12 caliber player Craig Brackins.
ISU leading scorers
Craig Brackins 19.9 ppg
Diante Garrett 9.7 ppg
Lucca Staiger 8.0 ppg
NU leading scorers
Ade Dagunduro 12.4 ppg
Steve Harley 10.3 ppg
Sek Henry 8.1 ppg
Nebraska lost the first matchup 53-65 between these teams back in January. They appear to have the upper hand for this game, but Coach Sadler must figure out a way to control Brackins in the paint and also disrupt Iowa State’s outside shooters. If Brackins gets close to his average and Staiger is allowed to get hot from the outside, the Huskers will have a tough time getting the win.
The Huskers must also figure out where the offense is going to come from. Besides Ade Dagunduro who has been Mr. Consistency for NU during league play, the rest of the team have been disappointing. Several players have shown the ability to score points, but they’ve been far too inconsistent. This game should be a low scoring affair, likely in the 60’s. If Nebraska can limit their turnovers and get 3 players in double figures, they’ll have an excellent chance to get the win on Senior Night.
My pick: Nebraska
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Husker losing skid hits 3 after loss to Kansas State
March 1, 2009 by Bret Nellor, under Husker Basketball Game Recaps, News.
Kansas State continued their march toward an NCAA bid by defeating Nebraska 77-72 last night. The Big Red finally broke the 60 point barrier, but turnovers doomed their good shooting effort. The Huskers record drops to 16-11 overall and 6-8 in the Big 12. NU sits alone at 8th in the league with 2 games remaining.
Nebraska had 3 players reach double figures led by Ryan Anderson’s 19 points off the bench. Joining Anderson was Ade Dagunduro with 16 points and Cookie Miller with 14 points and 7 assists. NU shot 49% from the floor and 81.8% from the free throw line.
Turning point in the game:
- The game see-sawed until the Wildcats took advantage of 5 consecutive turnovers by the Huskers to jump ahead for good with 10 minutes remaining in the second half. Nebraska could only get as close as 2 points the rest of the way.
Encouraging points:
- It’s becoming a broken record, but Ade Dagunduro continued his strong play and really looks like he is playing himself into a 2nd team All-Big 12 player.
- It was good to see the Husker offense show up for this road game. Again, I’m hopeful that this will help the team turn the corner on the offensive end.
With this latest loss, Nebraska has lost 3 straight by a total of 14 points. Being competitive in the Big 12 hasn’t been the problem this year, its making the winning plays down the stretch that has been trouble. The Huskers can still reach .500 and finish in the upper half of the conference. Only 2 games remain – at home against Iowa State and on the road against Baylor.
NU looks destined for the NIT, but 2 more conference losses and a “one and done” showing in the Big 12 tourney would put Doc Sadler’s team on the bubble for the NIT.
Up next: Nebraska hosts Iowa State on Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. for Senior night and the final home game of the season. Seniors Ade Dagunduro, Steve Harley, Paul Velander and Nick Krenk will be honored in a pre-game ceremony.
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Roundup of Husker basketball links – 020909
February 9, 2009 by Bret Nellor, under 2009 Recruiting Class, News, Recruiting, Video.
Quite a few links this week. It’s a mixed bag of topics with a late rush of praise for Coach Sadler and his team plus some NCAA tourney projections in the past week’s Husker basketball related links:
- Men’s Basketball: Watching McCray mature is a sight to see – Lee Barfknecht of the Omaha World-Herald writes about the development of Toney McCray this season.
- Nside the Husker Locker Room with Nick Krenk – HuskersNside video profiles walk-on senior Nick Krenk.
- Nside the Program – HuskersNside profiles Nebraska basketball grad. asst. athletic trainer R. J. Pietig.
- Bracket Junkie: It was moving Saturday (and Sunday) – Baseline.com updates their bracket projections and places the Huskers in their ‘Last 10 out’ group.
- Early look at the bubble leaves more questions than answers – USA Today takes a peak at the NCAA tourney bubble. Nebraska, not surprisingly, is projected as out of the dance unless they can pick up some more big conference wins.
- Nebraska player’s dad wants Doug Gottlieb to say he’s sorry – The Dagger, a Yahoo! sports blog, reports on Cookie Miller’s father, Big Cookie’s disappointment with Doug Gottlieb’s “punk” remark.
- Flying elbows out of control – Jay Bilas heaps praise on Doc Sadler and the Huskers for their effort this season on his blog at ESPN.com.
- Husker video highlights – HuskersNside video highlights from Nebraska’s 58-55 win over Texas.
- HuskersNside video tribute – The Husker athletic department honored former player Jack Moore during the halftime of the Texas game.
- Steven M. Sipple: There’s no harm in dreaming big – Steven Sipple from the Lincoln Journal-Star tells Husker fans it’s OK to dream of a NCAA tournament bid.
- Winners and losers: North vs. South – Yahoo! Sports brings attention to the North Division’s 11-8 record against the South Division of the Big 12 up to this point. Nebraska is 2-2 versus the South so far.
- Tom Shatel: NU does it between rain drops – Tom Shatel from the Omaha World-Herald offers his praise for Doc Sadler and this year’s Nebraska basketball team.
- Match-Up Problems, But For Whom? – Clark Fosler at HuskerHoopsCentral.com examines NU’s size disadvantage and the matchup problems they create for their opponents.
- Is there any progress? – Tom Behmer of the Norfolk Daily News Blog throws water on Husker fans hoping for an NCAA tourney bid this season. I wonder if he’d revise his post now after the win over Texas?
- Jack Moore Day poignant for family, coaches, best friend – The Omaha World-Herald looks back at Jack Moore, a true Husker legend.
- Velander named to All-District 7 First Team – Paul Velander receives an academic honor.
- Sadler catches Crayton in action – Omaha Sports Source reports on Doc Sadler attending a recent game of Husker recruiting target, Jarrell Crayton.
- Richardson giving more to NU’s offense, defense – The Lincoln Journal Star takes a look at Brandon Richardson and his recent increasing contributions to the team.
- ESPN2’s ‘Cookie’ cutter not apologizing – The Charleston Gazette covers the Doug Gottlieb-Cookie Miller ”acting like a punk” comment and talks to Cookie’s father, known as Big Cookie. And no, I didn’t make that last bit up.
- Around The Big 12 - Clark Fosler from HuskerHoopsCentral.com assesses the Big 12 teams at the midway point of the conference season.
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Roundup of Husker basketball links – 122208
December 22, 2008 by Bret Nellor, under News, Video.
Here are the recent Nebraska basketball links from around the web over the past week:
- Not Every Cupcake Gets Eaten – Clark Fosler looks back at some of the Huskers loses and close calls to non-conference “cupcakes” at HuskerHoopsCentral.com
- Husker History – HuskersNside video looks back at the ‘95-’96 Nebraska team that won the NIT.
- Nside the Husker Locker Room with Ryan Anderson – HuskersNside video profiles Ryan Anderson.
- Nside the program – HuskersNside chats with Ade Dagunduro, Sek Henry and Nick Krenk about holiday traditions.
- Husker video highlights - HuskersNside video highlights from the IPFW win.
- Catching Up With The Conference – Clark Fosler gives his assessment of the rest of the Big 12 Conference teams at HuskerHoopsCentral.com.
- Huskers look to solve scoring woes – Rivals.com takes a look at how Doc Sadler plans to jump start the Husker offense.
- Chapman announces decision to transfer – Robin Washut from HuskersIllustrated.com apparently expected Alex Chapman’s decision to transfer.
- Creighton Fan: “I’d Probably Rather Have Doc” – Here’s a blog post claiming a Creighton season ticket would prefer Doc Sadler over Dana Altman as their coach. Hmmm.
- More Player Effeciency – Clark Fosler breaks down the efficiency ratings of the Husker players at HuskerHoopsCentral.com as we near the mid-point of the season.
- 20 Random Rants, Thoughts, and Observations from the Week in College Basketball by CollegeHoops.net Editor Shawn Siegel – As if we didn’t realize the Husker’s loss to Oregon State was bad, Shawn Siegel reminds us that the Beavers haven’t beaten a non-conference BCS opponent since December of 2005. Ugh.
