The Right Coach, Right Program, Right Time

What started as a golf tournament and a fund raiser quickly became something else.  Instead of a reunion that drew in so many former Nebraska basketball players, the Doc Sadler Golf Tournament became a recruiting fest of sorts.

Former Huskers who came to Lincoln talked about how Sadler is the right coach, Nebraska is the right program and now is the right time for the Huskers to take the next step and become a competitive force in the Big 12 Conference.

They all pointed to Sadler’s ability to coach, his propensity for defense and how much they respect having a leader who can capitalize on recruiting student-athletes to a new basketball practice facility and perhaps even get to play in a new downtown Lincoln arena.

“The fact that the golf tournament was full, and all these players came back to Lincoln, tells you that the former players like the direction this program is headed,” Nebraska Athletic Director Tom Osborne said.

Nebraska basketball Hall of Famer Eric Piatkowski acknowledged that he played for a lot of coaches in his 14-year NBA career, but he knows one thing about Doc Sadler. “This guy can coach,” he said, adding that there’s no doubt in his mind that the Huskers will become a top team in the Big 12 Conference.

“Defense,” Piatkowski said, “wins basketball games, and this guy can coach defense.”

Success also depends on recruiting, and Piatkowski and others believe the Huskers are laying a solid foundation to improve their talent level.

“I love the direction this program is going,” former Husker Jason Dourisseau said. “These guys play hard, and they play with passion. I think we’re on the brink of something special.”

Beau Reid said Sadler is “the right guy” to sustain the program, but he needs the help of former Huskers across the country to identify prospects who can compete in the Big 12.

According to Reid, Nebraska may not be “on the radar” of kids who dream about playing basketball in the middle of the country, but once they learn about the community of support in Nebraska, they will be more delighted than surprised.

“We have to get these big-city kids in here,” Reid said. “If Oklahoma and Texas can be good at both (football and basketball), we can be good at both.”