Game Thread Nebrasketball Game #28: Michigan - Monday, February 24th 7:00pm FS1

[Cowboy Kermit]

😂😂

Fred has money and the NIL blame game needs to stop.

If you’re a Big Ten Basketball program and your total pool for NIL money is less than $3 million in total, you might as well be the Royals trying compete with the Dodgers and Mets for free agents. Their NIL operation for basketball is borderline unserious. Closer to Minnesota and Northwestern than any of the schools that actually give a shit.

Add some more of those cry laughing faces though. Really gets the point across

 

[Cowboy Kermit]

The roster he put together, after the best run for the program in many many many years!?

Nobody is to blame except Fred.

Went from a roster that might as well have been a mid major all star team last year with Tominaga and Co, that was much greater than the sum of its parts, to a team of power conference cast offs, that once again has overachieved given what it is on paper.

If you really believe that roster construction is 1000% on the head coach in today’s college basketball, you’re an absolute fool.

They won’t have any actual, legitimate momentum in booster support outside of the already established group of basketball centric donors until they win a game in the tournament.

 

[Dell Husker]

If you’re a Big Ten Basketball program and your total pool for NIL money is less than $3 million in total, you might as well be the Royals trying compete with the Dodgers and Mets for free agents. They’re NIL operation for basketball is borderline unserious. Closer to Minnesota and Northwestern than any of the schools that actually give a shit.

Add some more of those cry laughing faces though. Really gets the point across

Is a win in the NCAA tournament a fix to opening more pockets? Or does Nebraska and 1890 leave Nebrasketball on the back burner with efforts focused towards football while we have Fred?

 

[Cowboy Kermit]

Is a win in the NCAA tournament a fix to opening more pockets? Or does Nebraska and 1890 leave Nebrasketball on the back burner with efforts focused towards football while we have Fred?

Winning a game in the NCAA tournament would be ENORMOUS to open a door to more pockets. Especially when they’ll have to completely and totally rebuild a team again.

I fear that if this season ends with a thud, things could get ugly for Fred quick next season.

 

[jickey moseph]

Winning a game in the NCAA tournament would be ENORMOUS to open a door to more pockets. Especially when they’ll have to completely and totally rebuild a team again.

I fear that if this season ends with a thud, things could get ugly for Fred quick next season.

Is it too hard to ask for a damn PG that knows how to not only dribble and pass the ball, but that can also shoot greater than only 30%(!!!!!) from 3.

 

[Dell Husker]

Winning a game in the NCAA tournament would be ENORMOUS to open a door to more pockets. Especially when they’ll have to completely and totally rebuild a team again.

I fear that if this season ends with a thud, things could get ugly for Fred quick next season.

Let’s just get that done so we don’t have to worry about it.

A good comparison if not is probably what just happened to Craig Smith

 

[Huskerbuck85]

While the staff obviously builds the roster each year, the reality is they’re constrained within the resources allocated to them to build the best roster they can within that budget. And that budget isn’t big enough to sign the caliber of athletes and playmakers that are required to win in the Big Ten at an elite level.

Did someone release their budget somewhere? I’d be interested in seeing it.

 

[PonyBoy]

If you’re a Big Ten Basketball program and your total pool for NIL money is less than $3 million in total, you might as well be the Royals trying compete with the Dodgers and Mets for free agents. Their NIL operation for basketball is borderline unserious. Closer to Minnesota and Northwestern than any of the schools that actually give a shit.

Add some more of those cry laughing faces though. Really gets the point across

You shouldn't listen to Washut. He's wrong. NIL didn't cause us to lose to St Mary's. NIL didn't cause us to lose to Penn State. Or USC. Or Rutgers. NIL didn't help us beat Oregon, craydone. NIL isn't the reason we went dancing a year ago, and started well this season. The list goes on & on & on with NIL.

You keep pointing to NIL as the problem, I'll keep adding laughing emojis.

 

[Cowboy Kermit]

You shouldn't listen to Washut. He's wrong. NIL didn't cause us to lose to St Mary's. NIL didn't cause us to lose to Penn State. Or USC. Or Rutgers. NIL didn't help us beat Oregon, craydone. NIL isn't the reason we went dancing a year ago, and started well this season. The list goes on & on & on with NIL.

You keep pointing to NIL as the problem, I'll keep adding laughing emojis.

You can take me for an idiot all you want, but if you think I’m listening to Robin Washut or giving my money to HuskerOnline for any lick of information than you’re even dumber than your ridiculous posts make you appear to be.

NIL isn’t the one major overarching problem that’s bigger than everything. There’s plenty of them. But it’s a problem that you can see the impact of first hand. To pretend like it’s not an issue is laughable. The roster is a cluster fuck. It wasn’t constructed well. It doesn’t fit together. Guys on the team can’t fucking stand one another, let alone playing together.

Fred has squeezed almost every drop of juice that he can out of this roster. And somehow, some way, they still have a chance to possibly make a second consecutive NCAA tournament for the first time in 30+ years, despite having to Moneyball the Island of Misfit Toys into a basketball team.

 

[PonyBoy]

You can take me for an idiot all you want, but if you think I’m listening to Robin Washut or giving my money to HuskerOnline for any lick of information than you’re even dumber than your ridiculous posts make you appear to be.

NIL isn’t the one major overarching problem that’s bigger than everything. There’s plenty of them. But it’s a problem that you can see the impact of first hand. To pretend like it’s not an issue is laughable. The roster is a cluster fuck. It wasn’t constructed well. It doesn’t fit together. Fred has squeezed almost every drop of juice that he can out of this roster. And somehow, some way, they still have a chance to possibly make a second consecutive NCAA tournament for the first time in 30+ years, despite having to Moneyball the Island of Misfit Toys into a basketball team.

I didn't say you're an idiot, and I won't as I typically enjoy your takes. Whether intentional or not, you are regurgitating his NIL comments though. Our current roster is extremely close to a combined NIL of $4M, and that info comes straight from multiple people on the inside and a couple agency's/mm.

Who put the roster together? Fred.
Who constructed the roster? Fred.
Who's responsibility is it to make sure it's a fit? Fred.

All we heard for an excuse for his first 3 years was "Matty A fucked Fred with recruiting" and "Fred figured it out for the 2022-2023 season" (which I believe he did). But now, he's Rick Pitino with an Omaha Bryan Girls roster. GMAFB.

I don't see this roster as bad as you portray it to be to make Fred look great. This current team is really missing one aspect, and folks can pick between an average to above PG instead of Worster or an average big man over Morgan or Meah. NIL resources didn't impact either of those decisions.

 

[iruletheskool]

Who can't stand each other? Tia

 

[jickey moseph]

Who can't stand each other? Tia

Yeah, this I need to know more of. It has been said on the radio as well and I am not following

 

[DrinkItIn]

As always, the truth likely lies somewhere in the middle, as multiple things can be true at once. Sure, Fred deserves criticism—it’s his roster, and he’s made some questionable in-game decisions. However, he also deserves credit for maximizing this roster’s potential and positioning NU for a second consecutive tournament berth, something the program hasn’t achieved in 30 years. Recruiting players from the transfer portal is always a gamble—you never know how they’ll mesh with the current roster. After all, there’s always a reason they entered the portal in the first place.

If it’s true that NU’s NIL package is more comparable to Minnesota and Northwestern, then as a fan, I’m pretty damn happy with the results so far—frustrating as they may be—because NU is so close to locking up that tournament berth.

 

[PonyBoy]

If it’s true that NU’s NIL package is more comparable to Minnesota and Northwestern, then as a fan, I’m pretty damn happy with the results so far—frustrating as they may be—because NU is so close to locking up that tournament berth.

It's not.

The same can't be said for other sports in Lincoln though, which actually have poor - or very minimal - NIL opportunities.

 

[Husker15]

Fred’s getting paid middle of the road salary for the Big Ten, our NIL is likely middle of the road and we’re getting middle of the road results. Not that hard to understand

 

[clifscales]

I didn't say you're an idiot, and I won't as I typically enjoy your takes. Whether intentional or not, you are regurgitating his NIL comments though. Our current roster is extremely close to a combined NIL of $4M, and that info comes straight from multiple people on the inside and a couple agency's/mm.

Who put the roster together? Fred.
Who constructed the roster? Fred.
Who's responsibility is it to make sure it's a fit? Fred.

All we heard for an excuse for his first 3 years was "Matty A fucked Fred with recruiting" and "Fred figured it out for the 2022-2023 season" (which I believe he did). But now, he's Rick Pitino with an Omaha Bryan Girls roster. GMAFB.

I don't see this roster as bad as you portray it to be to make Fred look great. This current team is really missing one aspect, and folks can pick between an average to above PG instead of Worster or an average big man over Morgan or Meah. NIL resources didn't impact either of those decisions.

I dont believe its that high based on me asking Fred last summer. His answer was straight and to the point that we arent even close to KState and KU. I believe Washuts 2.3 million is probably accurate.

 

[Southendzonehusker]

While the staff obviously builds the roster each year, the reality is they’re constrained within the resources allocated to them to build the best roster they can within that budget. And that budget isn’t big enough to sign the caliber of athletes and playmakers that are required to win in the Big Ten at an elite level.

I don’t disagree with this statement or what others have said in this thread but if I have $100 dollars to fix something and spend it on duct tape and bubble gum. Who is at fault when it’s not fixed?

 

[...TrueColors...]

I’m way late to this party. I’m not sure why anyone is blaming the roster for last night or why we’re talking about NIL.

Win two of the last three, which I think we will; and you’re right where you need to be.

I’m really struggling to see talent as an issue for the 6 game losing streak that happened in the middle of the season.

I don’t really give a shit about people not liking each other on the team. I’m sure that portion is overblown. Men don’t need to like each other to play together. Women most certainly do.

 

[PonyBoy]

I dont believe its that high based on me asking Fred last summer. His answer was straight and to the point that we arent even close to KState and KU. I believe Washuts 2.3 million is probably accurate.

Fred is likely playing wordsmith. When you're around him again, ask him what his budget is then ask him if he's ever been turned down for more money.

Kansas State is bloated this year with Hawkins (strongly rumored) at $2M. That single number isn't normal for them, nor is it expected to carry over unless their season changes.

@MtnHusker says Self wants $10M per season for KU NIL. You're (Fred is) saying he's only getting 40% of that? I read the $4M reports last summer. Dickinson himself is rumored to have $800K, with $500Kish guaranteed. He passed up Maryland's reported $2M offer for 25-33ish% less? Meh, I don't know about that...

1890 claims they haven't turned down a single coach, in any sport, outside of one time with a non-revenue women's sport during the takeover from ABM & ____ (the old basketball one, drawing a blank but Caster ran it). And if they have $750,000 to give Bolt for one player a year or two ago, who we didn't get, then I'm quite confident the $4M for this MBB team is pretty dang accurate.

 

[PonyBoy]

I’m way late to this party. I’m not sure why anyone is blaming the roster for last night or why we’re talking about NIL.

Win two of the last three, which I think we will; and you’re right where you need to be.

I’m really struggling to see talent as an issue for the 6 game losing streak that happened in the middle of the season.

I don’t really give a shit about people not liking each other on the team. I’m sure that portion is overblown. Men don’t need to like each other to play together. Women most certainly do.

Exactly!

This team has us in position to earn b2b appearances in the dance, but if we don't make it - blame NIL. And if we do make it again, Hoiberg is Pitino coaching an Omaha Bryan girls roster. It's what Husker fans do, use NIL as a reason for failure to why something didn't happen.