Nebraska Game

[valpo95]

Could we just stop obsessing about the Nebraska game?  Clearly it was a game we could have (or should have!) won, but an early-season 2 point road loss to a BCS team just doesn't mean very much.  At the end of the year, if this is listed as our worst loss, we should be thrilled.

[FWalum]

Nebraska will either finish 0-18 or 1-17 in the Big 10 this year.

Paul

That is a very bad year.  Historically I would tend to think that the last place team in the conference normally has 2-3 wins.

[valpotx]

Nebraska 60, at Wake Forest 40, 8:05 to play.

Just saying.

More power to them, though I am not sure how WF is this year.  The more wins Nebraska gets, the happier I will be, but I still say that they weren't that good when we saw them

This will tell you everything you need to know about Wake this year:

Iona scored the game's first eight points, led 30-3 midway through the opening half and 48-11 after Tre Bowman's basket 5 minutes, 19 seconds before halftime. The Gaels hit 18 of their first 25 shots, including eight of their first nine 3-pointers.

http://espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=323220314

Geez, what the heck happened to Wake to make them so bad??

[FWalum]

Geez, what the heck happened to Wake to make them so bad??

Skip Prosser died, other than that I have no explanation.

[covufan]

Geez, what the heck happened to Wake to make them so bad??

Skip Prosser died, other than that I have no explanation.

After Prosser passed away, Dino Gaudio coached for three years, was fired, and the AD brought in his friend Jeff Bzdelik.  Went way down the first year under Bzdelik.  Never understood the firing of Gaudio.

2001-02 Atlantic Coast Conference Skip Prosser 21 13 9 7 t-3rd Semifinalist NCAA 2nd Round — [1] 2002-03 Atlantic Coast Conference Skip Prosser 25 6 13 3 1st Semifinalist NCAA 2nd Round 8 [1] 2003-04 Atlantic Coast Conference Skip Prosser 21 10 9 7 t-3rd Quarterfinalist NCAA Sweet 16 17 [1] 2004-05 Atlantic Coast Conference Skip Prosser 27 6 13 3 2nd Quarterfinalist NCAA 2nd Round 5 [1] 2005-06 Atlantic Coast Conference Skip Prosser 17 17 3 13 12th Semifinalist NIT 1st Round — [1] 2006-07 Atlantic Coast Conference Skip Prosser 15 16 5 11 t-10th Quarterfinalist — — [1] 2007-08 Atlantic Coast Conference Dino Gaudio 17 13 7 9 t-7th 1st Round — — [1] 2008-09 Atlantic Coast Conference Dino Gaudio 24 7 11 5 t-2nd Quarterfinalist NCAA 1st Round 12 [1] 2009-10 Atlantic Coast Conference Dino Gaudio 20 11 9 7 t-5th 1st Round NCAA 2nd Round —  2010-11 Atlantic Coast Conference Jeff Bzdelik 8 24 1 15 12th 1st Round — —  2011-12 Atlantic Coast Conference Jeff Bzdelik 13 18 4 12 t-9th 1st Round — —

or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wake_Forest_Demon_Deacons_men%27s_basketball

[valpo84]

Wake fired Gaudio to "change the culture" and to win in post-season. So, they hired a coach with no experience winning in post-season. That coach has demonstrated that he his content with mid-major talent and a lack of coaching ability of that talent. It's a tough situation now. If you all are interested in more info, see www.bloggersodear.com

[milanmiracle]

Could we just stop obsessing about the Nebraska game?  Clearly it was a game we could have (or should have!) won, but an early-season 2 point road loss to a BCS team just doesn't mean very much.  At the end of the year, if this is listed as our worst loss, we should be thrilled.

When they only play 3 or 4 decent teams out of conference, you tend to obsess over them when you think they should win or have a chance to win. The record against BCS teams over the last decade or so is less than stellar. Since most of the teams in the NCAA are from BCS conferences, being able to beat one every so often would be nice.

[StlVUFan]

For the record, I have zero issue with the angst over the Nebraska loss.  It was a power conference team just waiting to be beat and we swung and missed.  Those opportunities don't come around very often.

My disagreement is with the belief that our at-large chances are dead and buried because of it, as if the committee takes one look at that loss and stops.

[covufan]

For the record, I have zero issue with the angst over the Nebraska loss.  It was a power conference team just waiting to be beat and we swung and missed.  Those opportunities don't come around very often.

My disagreement is with the belief that our at-large chances are dead and buried because of it, as if the committee takes one look at that loss and stops.

Before we can even think about an at-large chance, we need to be in the top 40 or so, whether it be Sagarin, RPI or whatever your choice of ranking system.  If we are outside of that, no chance for at-large berth.

If we are in the top 40 or so, a loss to Nebraska will only be graded poorly on us if Nebraska is well less than 100 in the rankings.  If Nebraska improves over the course of this season, which is possible with a new coaching staff, they could easily be in the top 100, and a two point loss to them will not matter much.

[StlVUFan]

For the record, I have zero issue with the angst over the Nebraska loss.  It was a power conference team just waiting to be beat and we swung and missed.  Those opportunities don't come around very often.

My disagreement is with the belief that our at-large chances are dead and buried because of it, as if the committee takes one look at that loss and stops.

Before we can even think about an at-large chance, we need to be in the top 40 or so, whether it be Sagarin, RPI or whatever your choice of ranking system.  If we are outside of that, no chance for at-large berth.

If we are in the top 40 or so, a loss to Nebraska will only be graded poorly on us if Nebraska is well less than 100 in the rankings.  If Nebraska improves over the course of this season, which is possible with a new coaching staff, they could easily be in the top 100, and a two point loss to them will not matter much.

Agreed totally.  Please don't misunderstand me: I'm not predicting an at-large bid.  It would be the first one in (a) a long, long, LONG time or (b) in history.  It stands to reason it's a long shot.  I am *not* thinking about an at-large bid.  I'm thinking about St. Louis on Sunday (and my seat in section 216; actually I'm thinking a little about dinner with Bryce first )

[LaPorteAveApostle]

I want to put all this in here so test my Nostradamus-ness (or should that be Elder Paisios?), from the live-chatango for this game (Thursday, Nov 15 for anyone interested in going back through the Chatango thread :

AveApostle2: --if they {N------a} win more than 2 games in the B1G this year I will post
i don't know
something embarrassing.
because it won't happen.

then

Valporun:  AVE, they'll get a win over Minnesota or Iowa, neither one of them is very good, and Northwestern isn't the same as they've been the last two years.
AveApostle2: Minnesota will be top half of conference. I promise you that.  i will even save this chat as proof  ••

so...i guess we'll see.