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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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
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Dagunduro honored by Big 12 coaches
March 8, 2009 by Bret Nellor, under News.
Ade Dagunduro was honored by Big 12 coaches being voted to the All-Big 12 3rd team. Dagunduro was the unquestioned leader for Nebraska this season. He led the team in scoring with 12.7 ppg and rebounding with 4.3 rpg. In Big 12 play he took his game to higher level averaging 14.8 ppg. Without his consistent play during the conference schedule, the Huskers would have struggled.
Dagunduro also was named to the Big 12 All-Defensive team. He helped NU finish first in the Big 12 and 16th nationally in scoring defense allowing 59.4 ppg.
Ade Dagunduro, Paul Velander and Ryan Anderson also picked up honors from the league’s sportswriters today. Dagunduro was named to the All-Underrated team. Paul Velander was named to the All-Reserve Team and Ryan Anderson was named to the All-Defensive Team.
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Huskers pick up tough road win over Baylor
March 7, 2009 by Bret Nellor, under Husker Basketball Game Recaps, News.
Nebraska overcame Senior Day in Waco and notched their 3rd conference road win with a 66-62 victory over Baylor. The Big Red improves to 18-11 overall and 8-8 in the Big 12. The Huskers finish at .500 in the conference for the first time since the 1998-99 season.
In a game that went back and forth from start to finish, Toney McCray came off the bench to lead NU with 18 points. Baylor did a good job limiting Ade Dagunduro but was still able to join McCray in double figures with 11 points.
Turning point in the game:
- This game was not decided until the final minute when Nebraska clinched the win with strong free throw shooting. Cookie Miller hit 4-4, Paul Velander hit 2-2, Ade Dagunduro hit 3-4, and Brandon Richardson made 2-2. That’s some clutch free throws down the stretch.
Encouraging points:
- Toney McCray picked a good day to have a big game. In addition to his 18 points, he also grabbed 4 rebounds, blocked 2 shots and had 2 big steals. Nebraska could really use strong play from him in the Big 12 tourney next week.
- The Huskers had one of their better games from the free throw line hitting 19-22 for 86.4%. No doubt this was the difference today.
- How about Alonzo Edwards off the bench? The little used big guy came in and hit 2 big 3 point shots and gave the team some huge minutes with Ryan Anderson and Dagunduro in foul trouble. Not sure I like him gaining confidence in his outside shot, but we’ll take it today.
With the win over the Bears, the Big Red looks to have locked up a home game in the first round of the NIT. But, if the Huskers can put together a strong run in the Big 12 tournament they still have an outside chance at making the NCAA tournament. They’d likely need to win 2 games and more likely 3 to get a shot at an at-large bid.
Praise must be given to Doc Sadler and the job he’s done this season. He took the smallest team in college basketball and made them competitive in the Big 12. They were just a whisker away from finishing at 10-6 rather than 8-8 this year. His teams have improved their conference record every year he’s been at Nebraska. There’s no doubt the NU basketball program is on the rise under his leadership.
Up next: It’s Big 12 tourney time. Nebraska will play Baylor again in the 8 vs. 9 game on Wednesday at 11:30 p.m.
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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
