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December has been a busy month for our team with final exams and then our final stretch of games before Big Ten Conference play begins. We started December with a win over USC, which was one of our best games of the season, before struggling to find offensive consistency in our losses to Creighton and Oregon. We were very fortunate to beat Jacksonville State after nearly losing a 15-point lead in the second half.
We are now in El Paso, Texas, participating in the Sun Bowl Invitational, a tournament we had a great experience at last year with our team from Colorado State. We were excited when the organizers invited Nebraska for this year's tournament because we knew the first-class nature of the event. Upon arrival this morning at 1:30 a.m., there was a mariachi band, dancers, and the entire organizing committee waiting for us even though our flight was delayed nearly two hours because of weather. It really put our players in a good mood after a long day of travel.
Through the ups and downs early in the season, these guys have been a joy to coach, and we have seen continual improvement and buy-in. They have done what we have asked them to do, and we are working on finding a consistent way to be a winner.
As a team, we talk often about trying to improve every time we step on the court, and we strive to get the most out of this team on a daily basis. These guys truly want to win, represent Husker Athletics in the right way and put Nebraska basketball on the map.
For us to be successful this season, we need to be great defensive and rebounding team, as we continually search for ways to be consistent offensively. Although we have had some bumps in the road, we are excited about the direction and future of the Husker basketball program.
We finish the non-conference schedule against Nicholls State on Dec. 29, before traveling to Ohio State on Jan. 2. Our first Big Ten home game at the Devaney Center is against Wisconsin on Sunday, Jan. 6, and we look forward to seeing you there.
On behalf of the Husker Men's Basketball Program, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season.
Go Big Red!
Tim Miles