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Time to Go Barry
By Big12-Fans Writer Jason Brooks
As I was sitting down on Saturday morning, doing some research for the article that I was going to post today, I decided to go to the Nebraska vs. Texas Tech basketball game. At halftime the University honored the 1990-91 men’s basketball team. That team was the best team in Nebraska history with six (yep that’s right six) future NBA players on that team. It was then I decided that I would write about all of the pomp and pageantry that followed at halftime. Including a very special moment where the University retired Erik Piatkowski’s jersey. He is only the third player in NU history to have that honor bestowed upon him. Then the second half of the basketball game came into focus. It was then that I realized this team, this Nebraska team that everyone says has a chance to go to the NCAA Tournament if they win out, is the biggest joke of a team in the nation. I mean come on let’s face it. We have a team here that has the talent to play with anyone in the country; hey we did it for a half against Kansas, and Texas. We have a team that has the necessary components to even win a game in the NCAA Tourney. So what is the problem? Why is this team the joke of the nation right now? Why can’t Barry Collier seem to win with these guys? While I’m asking questions I will ask one more. Why did Joe McCray come in to camp looking like Elephant Man? Let’s examine these questions a little closer.
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What is the problem? The problem with this team, like the last two or three teams that Barry Collier has yielded, is that for some reason they like to live and die with the three point shot. They can’t seem to get through their heads that they have a big man (who has shown he can dominate if they just give him the damn ball) inside just dying to get the ball. Aleks Maric has the ability to get his own rebound if he misses; he also has the ability to hit just about any shot down low. Not only that, he has play making ability. Dump the ball down into him, when the defense collapses on him... pass the ball back out to the point for a wide-open shot. It doesn’t have to be a three-point attempt. How about a wide open fifteen foot jump shot? Bring Aleks out to the elbow, give him the ball, and let him work it down a bit. When the defense collapses pass it to a streaking player down the lane for a wide open lay up. These all are basic fundamentals of a motion offense. Move your feet, give the ball to your big man. Move your feet when you don’t have the ball, and move them even more when you do have the ball. Every team in the country has this basic ability except Nebraska. If you don’t believe me look up the stats for the Tech game. Jackson had 41 points against us!! 41 freaking points in a game! How is it that he was able to do this? When the ball was out of his hands, what did he do? You guessed it kids; he ran circles (literally ran circles) around Nebraska’s defense until he got open.
Why is this team the joke of the nation? How many teams in this country have problems inbounding the ball from under their own basket? Quite a few, I get that. It’s not easy inbounding the ball if you’re playing a team that knows what they’re doing defensively. You want to know how to make it impossible to inbound a ball for your team? It’s relatively simple, as a matter of fact when I tell you the answer you’ll laugh because no team can be this stupid, right? Here’s the answer to that question. The inbounding team puts five players on the court while the ball is in the officials hands. Then start running your inbounds play while the official is still holding the ball. Why is the official still holding the ball? Because no one on Offense can seem to figure out that you actually have to have a man out of bounds holding the ball to pass it in. All five players are inbounds running the play designed to get the ball inbounds. It isn’t until all of the 12,000-13,000 fans in the arena start yelling at you that you realize...Hey we better get some one out of bounds, to inbound the ball. You want to know why Nebraska is a joke of a basketball program right now? That happened against Texas Tech! Pretty darn funny isn’t it?
Why can’t Barry Collier seem to win with these guys? I was never much of a fan of Danny Nee, but at least his teams were competitive, and his players showed up to play. If there were adjustments that needed to be made he made them throughout the game. Barry will make adjustments at halftime if his team is down. They come out after half and play their hearts out, and win (some of the time). Other times if his team is up at half time, he won’t even make adjustments. Don’t believe me? Watch the Texas game. Nebraska played inspired against Texas for the first half. During the half, Texas made the necessary adjustments to blow Nebraska out of the water. What did Barry do? Only God knows what he did, but I can pretty much surmise it didn’t have anything to do with making any adjustments. If you want to be a successful coach you have to adjust on the fly. You can’t wait til after the game, or halftime, or wait til a player has lit you up for 41 points to make the adjustments needed.
I don't have the answer to Joe McCray coming in to practice with Elaphantitus. But I have some interesting theories. Mostly having to do with HoHo’s, Ice Cream, and lots of beer. That’s another article though.
I don’t know about the rest of HUSKERNATION, but I am tired of seeing Nebraska fail in Basketball. Especially after having the teams of the early 1990’s. This team should have been good enough to make the NCAA Tournament, now I don’t think they even deserve to make the NIT. I know Nebraska can do better as a team. I would love to see them do better as a team. I just don’t think it will happen with Barry Collier as the head coach. He may have done an excellent job at Butler, but he isn’t getting the job done here. Pack your bags Barry, because after last Saturday’s performance there are a lot of fans calling for your head. I’m one of them. You’ve had enough time to turn this program into something great. Instead you have turned them into the laughing stock of the nation. Get out while you have some dignity left; get out while this great school still has some dignity left in it.
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