2024-25 NCAA Tournament Bracketology/Bubble Watch

[SlumpBuster]

We need better coaching to improve the 3-7 record against the bottom half of the conference.

We need better talent to improve the 4-6 record against the top half of the conference.

We have enough NIL resources to field a team that is in the top half of the conference and able to get a NCAA tournament bid.

We don't currently have enough NIL resources to field a team that will win a conference title or be favored to make the Sweet 16.

Better coaching can make up for a lack of talent, and the inverse is true as well better talent makes up for poor coaching. I think we should try and improve both. Not once this season did I think that we were a talented team nor did I think that we were well coached.

Seems like a very solid way to lay it out. I think you actually resolved the slight difference between what I was talking about and what Pony was. I still think our nil is lacking, but it's strong enough that we should be in the tournament.

I think the biggest thing that it lacks might be that our margin of error on a player is much smaller because we can't buy a ton of depth. We missed on Worster and Goggles for sure. We just couldn't afford to do that.

What's crazy is if you just turn that 3-7 to 6-4 (we had 9 losses within a score in the last minute... insane)... we're SOLIDLY dancing and Fred prob gets a contract extension. Sometimes winning close games is a sign of coaching

 

[ZJSARENOTFREE]

I feel like he was exactly what we thought we were getting out of him. Good shot blocker and lane filler, but a liability offensively.

I think they were expecting him to play a lot more and produce a lot more shot blocking. It might be the system, but he just never seemed comfortable. Had a couple games where he flashed, but overall just not a fit for our system.

 

[SlumpBuster]

I think they were expecting him to play a lot more and produce a lot more shot blocking. It might be the system, but he just never seemed comfortable. Had a couple games where he flashed, but overall just not a fit for our system.

Maybe. He was exactly what I expected tho hahaha

 

[PonyBoy]

Tonje will be another

 

[HCFord1]

Tonje will be another

Not sure we'll ever see another run of prospects out of the state like we did those couple of years. Sucks that it coincided with Matt A's arrogant, thieving ass running recruiting in Lincoln.

 

[skerfan]

Saint Thomas was someone we could have used as well.

 

[Flabio]

Not sure we'll ever see another run of prospects out of the state like we did those couple of years. Sucks that it coincided with Matt A's arrogant, thieving ass running recruiting in Lincoln.

What were the issues with Matt A? He could cruit.

 

[herbsinator]

What were the issues with Matt A? He could cruit.

Major NIL shenanigans

 

[Flabio]

Major NIL shenanigans

As in he paid way to much to players?

 

[herbsinator]

As in he paid way to much to players?

I believe he was not paying what was promised, along with some other stuff.

 

[djw004]

SIAP - I haven't checked in on this one in a while

I learned the other day that with a couple weeks to go in the season, info leaked that led to Brice finding out he's 4th/5th in terms of pay on our roster. Apparently the players hate how much time Sam sees, and it's being discussed that he's the "answer" at the 2 next year?? It's gotten very divisive in the locker room. Which would explain the sputtering at the end of the season...

Time for Freddy to go if you ask me - new contract be damned.

 

[jickey moseph]

SIAP - I haven't checked in on this one in a while

I learned the other day that with a couple weeks to go in the season, info leaked that led to Brice finding out he's 4th/5th in terms of pay on our roster. Apparently the players hate how much time Sam sees, and it's being discussed that he's the "answer" at the 2 next year?? It's gotten very divisive in the locker room. Which would explain the sputtering at the end of the season...

Time for Freddy to go if you ask me - new contract be damned.

Good info, thanks for sharing. Don't like to hear that re: Brice.

Only question I have is... who the hell do you play over Sam? He probably did see too much time at moments, but at the same time, that is on Essegian, Ulis, Goggles, etc... not playing better.

 

[djw004]

Good info, thanks for sharing. Don't like to hear that re: Brice.

Only question I have is... who the hell do you play over Sam? He probably did see too much time at moments, but at the same time, that is on Essegian, Ulis, Goggles, etc... not playing better.

To be clear - Sam being the answer means they apparently aren't, or hopefully has changed and WEREN'T is the right word, going after someone that's better. They are just saying, "he's the guy". We have a transfer portal that allows you to recruit over your mediocre players with higher level talent at a rate you've never been able to before.

I'm talking about him being the answer for NEXT season - we have time to do something about that but are choosing not to.

That's the thing that I, and it sounds like the roster, can't take.

 

[djw004]

Also for those that care - it sounds imminent that Fran's Red Face will no longer be at Cockeye. A person in the know of coaching landscaping said they are pretty sure a deal is already in place for his exit. we will see if that comes to fruition.

If I end up wrong on that, just know: "It's fluid" - Dean

 

[jickey moseph]

To be clear - Sam being the answer means they apparently aren't, or hopefully has changed and WEREN'T is the right word, going after someone that's better. They are just saying, "he's the guy". We have a transfer portal that allows you to recruit over your mediocre players with higher level talent at a rate you've never been able to before.

I'm talking about him being the answer for NEXT season - we have time to do something about that but are choosing not to.

That's the thing that I, and it sounds like the roster, can't take.

I totally agree with that sentiment for next year. The way it was phrased, and maybe it is what you were saying, is that they didn't like how much time he saw this past season. That's what I was referring to.

 

[Huskers4420]

Also for those that care - it sounds imminent that Fran's Red Face will no longer be at Cockeye. A person in the know of coaching landscaping said they are pretty sure a deal is already in place for his exit. we will see if that comes to fruition.

If I end up wrong on that, just know: "It's fluid" - Dean

Here's my prediction:

Fran: Gone forever or maybe coaches Butler after Matta inevitably gets canned

McDermott: Indiana

McCollum: Cockeye

Huss: Pickle Smoochers

 

[djw004]

Here's my prediction:

Fran: Gone forever or maybe coaches Butler after Matta inevitably gets canned

McDermott: Indiana

McCollum: Cockeye

Huss: Pickle Smoochers

My connect is in the McDermott circle - which is where much of my info comes from.

They did say “it’s going to get crazy in the next couple weeks” and I didn’t know what that meant exactly - they said it while discussing Fran, but it didn’t make sense to be cryptic about that considering the rest of our convo. But I’d guess you can book it, McDermott to Indiana. It’s been so long since that job opened and it’s all been discussed that I kinda forgot about that move altogether.

They’d never tell me what Mac is going to do outright, but would hint.

 

[Huskers4420]

My connect is in the McDermott circle - which is where much of my info comes from.

They did say “it’s going to get crazy in the next couple weeks” and I didn’t know what that meant exactly - they said it while discussing Fran, but it didn’t make sense to be cryptic about that considering the rest of our convo. But I’d guess you can book it, McDermott to Indiana. It’s been so long since that job opened and it’s all been discussed that I kinda forgot about that move altogether.

They’d never tell me what Mac is going to do outright, but would hint.

I say the McDermott prediction under the assumption that Indiana strikes out on basically every other option (which is possible). McDermott is a great coach, but I don't think he's Indiana level. Don't know why you'd leave the situation you're in to have to deal with that fanbase/media and their much higher expectations for a couple years before golfing the rest of your life, but stranger things have happened.

 

[djw004]

I say the McDermott prediction under the assumption that Indiana strikes out on basically every other option (which is possible). McDermott is a great coach, but I don't think he's Indiana level. Don't know why you'd leave the situation you're in to have to deal with that fanbase/media and their much higher expectations for a couple years before golfing the rest of your life, but stranger things have happened.

When you've hated your administration for years, you'd be surprised how willing some of these successful guys are to leave. I believe McDermott is actually a top 10 coach in NCAA considering the level of talent they have compared to any other "big boy" program. He knows how to peak at tourney time, which is VERY valuable to any struggling blue blood.

 

[Huskers4420]

When you've hated your administration for years, you'd be surprised how willing some of these successful guys are to leave. I believe McDermott is actually a top 10 coach in NCAA considering the level of talent they have compared to any other "big boy" program. He knows how to peak at tourney time, which is VERY valuable to any struggling blue blood.

The rumor that he's hated the administration has been going on for years, yet he keeps signing extensions. That argument to me gets more and more hollow. But could be wrong. Definitely not in the know.