From Andy Katz's Friday blog: Nebraska

SelectionSunday

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"The Big Ten added Nebraska on Friday. I might be in the minority here but I don't see why Nebraska can't be consistenly better than Penn State and in line with Iowa and Northwestern -- meaning every few years the Huskers are in the mix for a bid."

Can't say I disagree with him. The Huskers have had some Charmin soft nonconference schedules recently, but for the most part they've been competitive in the Big 12 (at or around .500) since the 2004-05 season. I don't anticipate them being an easy out, certainly not for programs like Minnesota.
 

I don't know. They've historically been a doormat basketball program, both in the Big 8 and Big 12. Nebraska has never won an NCAA basketball tournament game. They've never recruited basketball well. Iowa has more tradition in basketball. I guess every team is a good candidate for an NCAA bid every three years or so, but i have a hard time seeing Nebraska basketball being relevant in the Big 10. They just don't care about it enough in Lincoln.
 

Re: Nebraska

May as well throw Minnesota into that mix. Mediorce at best the last dozen years. 2 B10 titles the last 40 years; that's not setting the world on fire.
 

"The Big Ten added Nebraska on Friday. I might be in the minority here but I don't see why Nebraska can't be consistenly better than Penn State and in line with Iowa and Northwestern -- meaning every few years the Huskers are in the mix for a bid."

Can't say I disagree with him. The Huskers have had some Charmin soft nonconference schedules recently, but for the most part they've been competitive in the Big 12 (at or around .500) since the 2004-05 season. I don't anticipate them being an easy out, certainly not for programs like Minnesota.

Katz citing Northwestern as the potential upside for Nebraska is not a complement to Nebraska. While Northwestern is better than it has been, the program has never made it to the Dance, so hopefully Nebraska's aspirations are much higher than that.

Go Gophers!!
 



I don't know. They've historically been a doormat basketball program, both in the Big 8 and Big 12. Nebraska has never won an NCAA basketball tournament game. They've never recruited basketball well. Iowa has more tradition in basketball. I guess every team is a good candidate for an NCAA bid every three years or so, but i have a hard time seeing Nebraska basketball being relevant in the Big 10. They just don't care about it enough in Lincoln.

I agree. I still wish they had chosen Missouri for that reason. But whatever. Hopefully they will improve and become a solid basketball member.
 


The Big Ten seems to have a growing collection of teams with NCAA tourney "famine" in the past decade or so (and in some cases much longer!) - Northwestern, no NCAA tourney appearances ever; Nebraska, no NCAA tourney wins ever & last appeared in 1998; PSU, no NCAA wins since 2001 & no F4s in about 60 years; Minnesota, no NCAA tourney wins since 1997; Iowa, no NCAA wins since 2001. Even traditional hoops power IU has (in recent years) been very mediocre in the tourney, advancing to the S16 (and beyond) only once since 1994, and Michigan hasn't even made it that far since 1994. Only MSU, OSU, Purdue, and Wisconsin have advanced to the S16 out of the Big Ten since 2005 - no wonder why Bo has been able to finish in the top-4 every year! If it weren't for Bill Self, Illinois would be in the underachiever group without NCAA tourney success as well - surely Weber has failed to do anything really notable in the NCAA tourney with his recruits, it was only with several holdovers from Self (i.e., Brown, Williams, Head, Augustine, Powell) that his team made the S16 and beyond. If you look at the bottom half (and perhaps even the middle!) of the league, clearly the Big Ten doesn't have a strong recent hoops history.
 

I think it's funny he calls northwestern and Iowa clearly better than Penn state. When's the last time each of them have been to an NCAA tourney? Anyone who says northwestern isn't the worst program by far in the big ten is sippin the purple kool aid
 






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