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Hey folks.
I’d say welcome back but many of you would have no clue or even be shocked that we are 33 days away from the first game of the Nebraska basketball season. Or as we like to call it, Nebrasketball.
I know, I know, many of you are still in scratching your heads.
“But, we aren’t even half way though football season”, many of you cry.
Yes, yes, I agree we still have a little ways to go but it will be here before you know it. Soon you will be rooting on the football team against Minnesota and then turn on the radio over to hear the basketball team take on Eastern Illinois. That exact situation will happen on November 11th mind you.
What, you don’t listen to basketball on the radio? What else are you going to do on your drive back from Dinkytown?
Anyway, this will be an interesting season. There are a few variables at play that could determine not just the fate of the season but probably Nebrasketball for the next few years. Here are a few upcoming story lines we will tackle in the upcoming weeks leading up to the opening tip off against Northwood on November 7th.
- The Fate of Tim Miles - Shawn Eichorst is gone and Tim Mile’s contract is almost up. This season is going to be do or die for him whether Eichrost was still AD or not. Will he win enough to warrant a much needed contract extension or will this be the last year we see him walking the sidelines?
- Transfers – While you will see a few names from last year on the squad, there will be a lot of the experience coming from guys who transferred in from other programs. Anton Gill (Louisville) will be back and with him will be Issac Copeland (Georgetown), Duby Okeke (Winthrop), and James Palmer Jr. (Miami). The last three will be eligible to play for the first time this year in Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska had had some problems with transfers in the past. Will this year be any different?
- Experience – Tai Webster is gone and in his absence will be a lot of matured players that will help carry this Nebraska team through the season. A year ago this was a very young squad with little experience. This year is different. It is held up with a good mix of sophomores, juniors, and seniors that should all contribute to the success of the program. Can they blend well with the talented transfers that will most likely see ample playing time?
- Place in the Big Ten - Nebraska has spent the last few seasons meddling at the bottom of the Big Ten Conference. Unfortunately, many in the media are expecting this season’s team to do the same. Unlike last year, the Big Ten will be older and more experienced. The games should be tougher and that may not bode well for a Husker squad that doesn’t always match up well against some of the larger squads in the conference.
- Scoring – Can Nebraska score? Honestly, can they?
Not many are hanging a lot of hope on this years squad. AD Shawn Eichorst is gone and who knows the future of Coach Miles. There is talent on this team and lot of it is still either a little unpolished or unproven. If you look at the past few seasons there is only so much you can hang your hat on if you’re a Nebrasketball fan.
There is a lot of positive energy and news coming out of the Hendricks Training Complex. But there usually is before the beginning of a season. This is nothing new. Any of that will become fact or fiction in a little over a month.