NU Hoops Blog -- September 2009

Note: Click on the picture above for Coach Doc Sadler's press conference video (Sept. 1) as he talks about the roster, recruiting and more. A full transcript of the quotes is available here.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

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Posted by: Jerry Trickie
Sept. 27, 2009 at 3:15 p.m.

Learning About More Than a Game

I made mention in a post a couple weeks ago how the players have so many things going on that their little free time becomes extremely precious. A good point of that came on Sunday.

 

The Life Skills program at Nebraska is one of, if not the best in the country. Doc Sadler has made it a point to see that his players participate to the fullest. Each of the past two Sundays, the team has gotten points for its participation in Life Skills events, as they fight with the other 22 teams in the athletic department for the title of Life Skills team champion.

 

Last week, the Huskers went to Madonna's Proactive facility and competed with and against wheelchair athletes, taking a new perspective on the game of basketball. The Huskers met with many wheelchair-bound people and the athletes got a glimpse of the way they see the game and life.

 

Yesterday, the team was out at the start of the JDRF Walk at Holmes Lake, where more than 5,000 people took part in the effort to raise awareness and funds for the disease. Some pictures of the team signing autographs before the start of the walk are here.

 

Following yesterday's Life Skills event, several Huskers also had a Life Skills seminar (along with other athletic teams) last night, making for a full day. While it may take up some time, I've talked with many players who've gone through the program and they say the benefit of doing so many things off the court is well worth it. Looking back, they see how it helped them to better understand other people and situations, as well as learning to relate and communciate with others outside their peer group.

 

 

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Posted by: Jerry Trickie
Sept. 23, 2009 at 10:03 a.m.

A Little Chit Chat

I forgot to mention this the other day, but I guess better late than never.

 

Anyway, I just wanted to let everyone know that a certain Australian big guy says hello to all the Husker fans. Aleks Maric is the big guy we’re talking about, in case you’re new here. The Aussie likes to instant message and we went back and forth a little late last week. Here are some tidbits I can share:

 

• He said he’s joined a new team in Serbia (Partizan Belgrade) for this upcoming season and is really excited. It’s a champion team in a great league. And being in Serbia, the homeland of his parents, will make things a little more comfortable. I'm having a little trouble with links working on the site today, but here is the web page for Aleks' signing with Belgrade....

  http://www.euroleague.net/euroleaguenews/transactions/2009-10-signings/i/55031/3694/partizan-lands-center-aleks-maric

• Aleks said he’ll be back here in the U.S. in a couple weeks as the team will play against NBA teams in their preseason games. He’ll be in Denver against the Nuggets on Oct. 3 and at Phoenix on Oct. 6. Check out the games if you’re in those areas. 
• While he’s obviously a pro and has many other things on his mind, one of the first questions he asked was how the team looked and how they’ll do this year. He misses the people of Lincoln, but said it’s all good with his new team because the coach is a lot like Doc -- straight-forward and hard-working on the court, and funny off it.

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Posted by: Jerry Trickie
Sept. 22, 2009 at 11:03 a.m.

New Look Getting Good Reviews

Some people have mentioned in emails and on other web sites that they liked the new look of the Huskers' uniforms, which were unveiled last week at photo day (below). Overall the comments have been positive and it even got a little mention on Uniwatch last week. All the good vibe is nice considering I don't think anyone would want to hurt the seniors' feelings.

 

You see, adidas needs to plan things early, so they started the design process over a year ago, and they always get input from the team. Doc likes to involve the players on things like this, so last year's juniors (ie, this year's senior class) had a great deal of input in the final selection process for the "look" of the unis. So if you see them after a game, tell them good job on their design work.

 

And for those of you who have written in (or Tweeted like @Nebrasketball), I do have an answer for your question. Yes, there will be replica jerseys available at Huskers Authentic later this fall. That answer came from our head man in marketing/licensing, Assistant A.D. Michael Stephens. He said that there should also be a good selection of adidas jerseys at Scheels this fall/winter. The jerseys will be blank so fans can get their favorite number or even their names put on. So check with those stores soon to see when they expect them to be in stock.

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Posted by: Jerry Trickie
Sept. 17, 2009 at 5:13 p.m.

Photo Day = Done

Sometimes I'm not sure people fully understand all of the demands college student-athletes have on their hands. While they're trying to go to class, do team workouts, lift, go to study hall and still have a "normal" college student life, there are other things that tend to creep up on them, like demands from the media as well as internally from the athletic department.

 

Today's photo day was a perfect example. We only do it once a year to try to get 95 percent of the photos out of the way so that we don't have to do them later during the actual season. Even with the best intentions, it's still a drain on the players as they're there for nearly three hours do group shots, individual action shots, posed shots, team pictures, etc. Things like this add up over time, whether it's 10 minutes for media relations, 25 minutes for marketing, etc., making their little free time that much more precious.

 

I apprecaite their efforts though as they still looked like they were having fun at the end. Luckily that's a benefit to you as I was able to get (with my blury phone camera) one last shot for you to see the 2009-10 team together in uniform for the first time:  http://huskers.com//pics24/640/TY/TYQLTNPVBHSBLOZ.20090917220401.jpg

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Posted by: Jerry Trickie
Sept. 16, 2009 at 4:53 p.m.

Creighton Game Time Set

I'd heard this a week or so ago, but just got official word from my counterpart at Creighton that the game up at the Qwest Center will tip off at 4:05 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 6. So anyone hopeful of seeing a college football game in Arlington, Texas, on Dec. 5 (it's early, but we can hope, right?) should plan to get back to the state by early afternoon to catch the hoops game. Not sure on TV yet, but will let everyone know when we know.

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Posted by: Jerry Trickie
Sept. 15, 2009 at 9:23 a.m.

Taking the Next Step

As many of you know, official practices start on Friday, Oct. 16. At that time, the team can get into its regular in-season practice routine, with 20 hours of practice time per week, per NCAA guidelines.

 

But to get to that point, the Huskers have taken gradual steps. First they worked in four-man groups beginning the first week of classes and starting today, they will get to begin working in larger groups. The NCAA allows teams to hold their two hours of practice per week as a full team, if they choose, starting Sept. 15. It's a big step in the building of the team and it gets started today. For this week, it sounds like they will run a couple of different groupings for 40-minute workouts and a seperate conditioning session. Full team work will happen soon, and for those of you hoping to get out to the Devaney Center to watch some practice, Oct. 16 is only one month away.

 

On a side note, the team will have it's annual media photo day on Thursday. We'll get the players together for individual, class, position and team shots for the media guide, poster, web site, etc. It's also a good time for the local newspapers to put some pictures on file.

 

I bring this up only because I'll be snapping a few "behind-the-scenes" pics during the session and will send them out from the NU Hoops Blog feed on Twitter. If you don't already follow us (and we're not sure why you wouldn't, so come on, join the fun), create an account on Twitter.com and follow us at twitter.com/NUhoopsblog. Be the the first to see the team pictures this year. 

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Posted by: Jerry Trickie
Sept. 10, 2009 at 9:53 p.m.

Better Late Than Never

If you saw the other post below about Lance Jeter going home last weekend to have his basketball jersey retired, this is the pic that should have been with it. I had issues downloading it but a big thanks to Lance for resending it. Congrats again Lance.

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Posted by: Jerry Trickie
Sept. 10, 2009 at 12:33 p.m.

Listening to Senator Nelson... almost

Okay, so the title’s a little misleading. I didn’t actually talk to Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson, but after listening to our Nebraska senior forward Ben Nelson, it’s easy to think he could be nearly as convincing as a politician. The Minnesota native (who has many nicknames including Senator and the Benator) has been around for all three of Doc Sadler’s seasons in Lincoln and while he normally comes off the bench for just a couple minutes a game, his voice is listened to by many in the basketball locker room because of the hard work he puts in in practices and the weight room.

 

With that in mind, we talked with Ben for a few minutes following his small group workout on Tuesday at the Devaney Center. He was still drenched with sweat from the 40-minute, non-stop drill session, but you can tell by his words that he loves every second of his time with this team, on the floor and off it. Here’s what he had to say when we put him in the spotlight....

 

NU Hoops Blog: Now that you’re one of the elder statesmen on the team, tell us a little about this squad. It has a lot more height obviously, but how do you see it as far as how much more athletic this team is since maybe your first year here?
Ben Nelson: Wow, the elder statesman? That’s a new nickname there. (laughs). No doubt, compared to my first year, and Doc’s first year here, we are so far ahead of that time athletically that it’s crazy. The other difficulty the first year was the transition (to playing and practicing Doc’s way). But with Charles Richardson and Marcus Perry as leaders, they really got the team all together. Even though we didn’t have a lot of size (like now), we still had team unity and that allowed us to get through some tough games. The games like the Kansas game when we were so outmatched athletically, there was only so much we could do. But heart makes up for a lot of that. I think this year we make up from before in the athletic aspect, and now it’s just time that will tell if we bond together as a team. This helps a lot (conditioning and individual workouts), and just hanging out together. We hang out a lot, and I think we’re on our way to getting that team unity that we had before under Charles Richardson and Marcus Perry.

NHB: Are you taking on a leadership role with Sek and Ryan this, especially in the weight room where you have a reputation as a workhorse?
BN: Definitely. I take pride in having a reputation of working hard, but at the same time, it’s kind of bad because that means I have to live up to it. (laughs). It means I have to go out there and work hard every day. Charles Richardson was a vocal leader but he led way more by example. People tend to follow other people when they lead by example. If you’re out there and going through hard times and despair with another person, working just as hard as them, then they are more likely to listen to what you’re saying later on.

NHB: So that’s something you personally are trying to pass along to the younger players, that work ethic?
BN: I think me, Sek and Ryan are all taking ownership of the team and passing it on with the guys in our respective positions. We try to work hard and lead by example as much as we are leading vocally.

NHB: Despite having so much inexperience on the team, does it feel a little strange because there’s also a certain level of maturity about the players?
BN: As far as people playing under Doc, we’re inexperienced. But there are a lot of guys here now who have extensive backgrounds in basketball and they know what they are doing. It’s just a matter of getting through the conditioning and workouts and meshing together all on the same page. I think we’re well on our way to doing that.

 

Thanks to Ben for joining us. Next week we’ll grab another player to get his thoughts on the upcoming season, so check back often. And remember, if you have any questions for the coaches or players, you can always email them to me at nuhoopsblog@hotmail.com and we’ll see what we can do to get them answered. And follow us on Twitter at @NUhoopsblog and @Coach_Sadler.

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Posted by: Jerry Trickie
Sept. 9, 2009 at 12:51 p.m.

Doc on FSN Pay Per View this Weekend

For any of you who are also Nebraska football fans (wouldn't that be all of us?), if you're not going to the game, but instead plan on checking out the Huskers and Red Wolves on FSN Pay Per View, make sure to stay in your seat at the start of halftime on Saturday. Another round of nachos or trip to the fridge will have to wait a few minutes as Nebraska basketball coach Doc Sadler will be on to talk about the Huskers.

 

Sadler is currently scheduled to be in the booth at the start of halftime, talking with Ron Thulin. It's an easy setup for Doc, as he's a huge football (and Bo Pelini) supporter, and is regularly at football practices early in the fall. He's always at the games too, and can typically be found in the pressbox for a while after halftime. Being accessible is definitely one quality Doc has down pat.

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Posted by: Jerry Trickie
Sept. 8, 2009 at 5:23 p.m.

Belated Congratulation to Lance

I was over at individual workouts today when I found out some good news for one of the newcomers. Lance Jeter, an honorable-mention junior college All-American last year, went home this past weekend to do more than visit with his family in Pennsylvania over the holiday weekend.

 

The 6-3, 230-pounder went back to his old stomping grounds where he received the star treatment as his high school basketball jersey was retired. That's right, a jersey retirement just three years after he left Beaver Falls High School, where he wore No. 34 and was a two-time first-team all-state player who scored more than 2,200 career points.

 

It's a special honor, Jeter said, one that's reserved for only a select few.

 

"It means a lot. Being honored alongside some people especially a guy like Joe Namath and just being in that group with him, it's a great, great feeling."  

 

Jeter said he was happy they were able to hold the ceremony now, during the football season, since he obviously can't get back there during the winter when he hopes to be leading the Huskers on the court.

Congrats, Lance. It's an honor well-deserved.

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Posted by: Jerry Trickie
Sept. 4, 2009 at 11:33 a.m.

A Little of This, Some of That

This is an exciting time of year, isn't it? Classes have started and students are all over campus again. Football is about to kickoff tomorrow and the way Bo is getting these guys to play, they have a great chance at turning some heads this season. But along with all that chatter about football, it also means it's time to get things in gear on the hardwood as we head toward the start of the hoops season. So let’s get started:

• The players have been doing individual workouts (four-man groups) since the first week of classes and will continue with that until the middle of September, when they can do full team workouts for a limited amount of time (two hours per week). The date for hoops fans to keep an eye on is Oct. 16, when the team can get into full workouts every day. We'll have more information later this month, but for those of you who can't wait, I expect that we'll have some sort of sneak peak at the team on Saturday, Oct. 17 before the football game against Texas Tech. Stay tuned.
• I've been able to get over to three workouts in the past week and while it definitely looks like the first days of a new season, there's no question -- in my opinion, and let's be clear... I'm in no way and never have been a coach or talent evaluator; I'm just a numbers guy -- that there is a ton more athleticism to go along with all the extra height this year. Myles Holley looks like he has a good motor and Eshaunte Jones, among many others, was going hard (and looking good) in the session I watched the other day. Competition is going to be intense at every position as everyone is learning pretty quickly how hard they need to work. It's not perfect yet, but they'll get there. Doc’s even made a couple references (including a tweet or two) already about how much he likes this team. The league may be brutal this year, but I still think it’s going to be fun.
• Doc has also mentioned a few times how the team will “look like a Big 12 team this year.”  If you need proof, how about this: last year as the shortest Division I team in the country, Nebraska finished the season with three active players that stood at least 6-7. This year NU enters the season with five active players that stand at least 6-8. Playing another numbers game with the team’s height, last year’s average height was a little below 6-2 for all the players on the roster, including those who were sitting out as redshirts or with injury. This year it’s just a little over 6-5 for the full 19-player list to start the year, and it’s still impressive at exactly 6-5 without including Christopher Niemann, who will sit out the year with an injury.
• Talking about workouts, from what I’ve seen, Ryan Anderson has the look of a senior with something to prove. He’s working hard and his shot looks like the end of last season when he hit nearly 50 percent from 3-point range over the final eight games of the year. He was giddy last winter when Brian Diaz showed up, giving Ryan the thought of many big bodies (or at least tall bodies) down in the post to be able to pass to again like he did his first two years with Aleks Maric. My bet (if I were allowed to bet): don’t sleep on Ryan this year.
• The newest player to the lineup is Christian Standhardinger. If you’re reading this, I’m sure you’ve heard of him and what he can bring, so I won’t get into that much. But I’ve seen him a couple times this week, including at a workout, and he surprised me each time with his height. He’s way taller than I remember when he was here on his recruiting visit last year. It made me check with our athletic trainer to get new updated heights and weights to put on the web site roster, which I have now done. While Christian was actually the 6-8 we had him originally listed at (guess my memory isn’t what I thought), three other newcomers were taller than we had originally posted: Adrien Coleman is actually 6-4, not 6-3; Ray Gallegos stood in at 6-3, not 6-2; and Brandon Ubel was a nice surprise at 6-10, instead of the previously reported 6-9. Those are the types of sizes you like to see in a freshman class.
• If you didn’t catch a few of this week’s headlines about Nebraska basketball on the news web sites, here is a quick rundown of some good recent stories: Doc and Larry the Cable Guy; Big 12 Season Preview (ESPN.com); and the story on NU’s waiver to get 14 scholarships --  LJS, OWH and Andy Katz.
• Next week I’ll have a little Q/A here with Marc Boehm, who serves as the Associate AD for the basketball programs. Marc will talk a little about the parking situation at the Devaney Center and some hopeful improvements for this coming season. If you have questions or comments about parking (please be civil, we’re all trying to make it better), email me at the address below.
• I've also heard that it's pretty likely we'll have our Fox Midwest television package announced next week. That should get us up to at least 20 of the 31 regular-season games on TV, including ESPN FullCourt again. More on that soon.
• For those of you jonesing for more and more hoops, the Big 12 basketball media day will be Oct. 22 in Kansas City. We’ll have full coverage here at Huskers.com and you’ll be able to get even more at Big12sports.com.

As always, if you have any questions for the coaches or players, you can always email them to me at nuhoopsblog@hotmail.com and we’ll see what we can do to get them answered. And follow us on Twitter at @NUhoopsblog and @Coach_Sadler.

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Posted by: Jerry Trickie
Sept. 1, 2009 at 12:50 p.m.

Statement from the University of Nebraska Athletic Department concerning an NCAA waiver granted to the Husker men’s basketball program:

 

The University of Nebraska athletic department announced Tuesday that the NCAA staff has granted a waiver of the 13-scholarship limit for the men’s basketball team for the 2009-10 year. The effect of the waiver will allow Nebraska to have 14 players on scholarship for the 2009-10 academic year and then return to 13 scholarships the following year. We believe the NCAA responded quickly and fairly to the waiver request and we appreciate its efforts made on behalf of our student-athletes in this case.

 

In addition to the waiver request, the NCAA has informed us that the Clearinghouse has certified Christian Standhardinger’s ability to immediately compete at Nebraska with the condition that he be withheld from the first 50 percent of the regularly scheduled contests for the 2009-10 season. The certification-with-conditions decision was based on the fact that Christian competed on what was classified by the NCAA as a professional team in Germany.

 

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