Patience and Understanding

Following Nebraska Basketball can be a bit frustrating. I will probably write more about this after this season is all said and done but it is true. At least for the casual fan.

Going into this weekend the Huskers had very little room for error. Now that Illinois handed them a defeat in Champaign it is even smaller. I will fully admit, it was very tough watching the Huskers get beat by the last place team in the Big Ten Conference.

However, we do not want just any team to make the NCAA Tournament. While it would be nice to make the dance the last thing we want is to be embarrassed when we get there. To excise old demons Nebraska needs to go and win. It cannot make it and get blown out.

Right now, the Huskers are playing like a team that is on the brink but not quite there yet. I feel that they need to improve a bit for them to be deserving of the honor of making it. The fact that they are sitting on the edge looking in is good. But we need more security from the play on the court to ensure their success in the post season. Right now, I am not quite sure it is there.

I’m not trying to bring this team down. They are a very good and talented squad. Wherever they go this post season, it will be deserved. However, that doesn’t mean they should make the dance.

It is important to know that the NIT is no measly constellation prize. There is no shame in making it a going far. Right now, the Huskers could very well miss out on the NCAA Tournament and sit very comfortably in the NIT. There, the big red could make a very nice run and set themselves up for a very nice 2018-19 season. This squad will bring back a majority of the unit.

Another year with these guys could do the trick. A year from now they could be a team that not only will make the tournament, but also be in a position to make a decent run while there.

Being a Nebrasketball fan means that you have a bit of optimism. One will not fare well if you are an all or die fan that takes each game as life or death. Save that for football. One or two games can destroy your season there. Basketball, it takes a bit more. Just like it takes a little more strength to be a Nebrasketball fan.

Anyway, on to flakes...

Huskers

Huskers struggle as Illinois deals NU staggering defeat | Men's Basketball | journalstar.com
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois had been close before during a difficult season in Champaign, pushing the Big Ten's top teams again and again but always coming up short.

Matt Warren makes return, Nebraska baseball rallies for best start since 2011 | Baseball | omaha.com
Matt Warren gave up a run just minutes into his long-awaited return, but the sixth-year senior settled in from there.

Huskers start strong, win at Stanford | Wrestling | journalstar.com
Nebraska's wrestling team picked up a win out west Friday, beating Stanford 23-14 in Stanford, California.

Olympics

What would Team USA look like if the NHL was participating in the Olympics? - Stanley Cup of Chowder
With the Americans going 1-2 in the preliminary round, one can’t help but wonder "what if?"

Russian curler faces scrutiny after doping tests return positive - NBC News
A urine sample revealed traces of a performance-enhancing drug meldonium in Russian curler Alexander Krushelnitskiy's system, according

More Noise and Other Disturbances

St. John’s Is On The Most Unlikely Hot Streak In College Basketball History | FiveThirtyEight
The 2018 St. John’s Red Storm might go down as the most erratic team in men’s college basketball history. When they were losing, they couldn’t do anything right…

Why are students shunning college football games? They're distracted and too poor for marketers to bother with | PennLive.com
If you were a student today, maybe you'd understand why big-money college football doesn't feel all that welcoming. Smartphones are pulling their attention away from games and administrators looking for large revenue streams are doing very little to attract them.

The Game of Change - Off Tackle Empire
Showing what extreme lengths a few guys went through just to play a basketball game.