Nebraska Sportswriter Gets Desperate

I just read a humorous column this morning in the Omaha-World Herald newspaper. Sports columnist Tom Shatel wrote about the Nebraska basketball team, as the Huskers have won two straight games to reach the Big XII semifinals.

I don't know if this column is more an indication of how easily excitable some Nebraska fans, of how much wishful thinking plays into Nebraska fans' minds, or if it's a sign that the World-Herald just needs to find a better columnist.

Here's the run down. Unless some miracle occurs, the Big XII will only send, at most, four teams to the NCAA Tournament: Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M. As the title Big XII should indicate, there are twelve teams in the conference. Only having four out of twelve be worthy of making the Big Dance is sad to begin with. The mid-major Missouri Valley Conference may send an equal amount of teams to the Tournament as the Big XII. There's even a slight chance they'll send more. So, it's not like Nebraska plays in the Big East, where eight teams could be sent to the Big Dance.

Also, let's not forget, Nebraska is not known for their basketball. Their tradition resides in the ol' pigskin and even their football team has fallen back on harder times in the past few years. The Husker basketball team has not made the NCAA Tournament since 1999, I believe it was. They've been to the NIT (Not Invited Tournament) a few times since then, but not what is referred to as the Big Dance. They usually have a decent basketball team, pesky, might pull off an upset or two during the course of the season, but not good and consistent enough to make a run for the NCAA Tournament.

That was exactly the case this year, as Nebraska finished the regular season at 17-12, the sixth best in-conference record in the Big XII, but one of the weakest non-conference schedules in all of college basketball. At the very end of the season, Nebraska's overall record looked decent, but their RPI (Power Index) was around 100. This is because a few of their wins came against middle school teams. Their most lopsided win came against a team from a nursing home. Nebraska upset Oklahoma, got hammered by Kansas twice, got beat by a down and out Missouri team, lost to in-state rival Creighton, beat the weakest links that I just mentioned, and went to the Big XII tournament a number six seed with a record of 17-12.

The Big XII Tournament started on Thursday and Nebraska opened with a victory over Missouri, a team that has been a wreck all season. Last night, the Huskers beat Oklahoma for the second time this season. So, now, they are 19-12 and face Kansas today in the semifinals. Kansas has beaten Nebraska this year by counts of 42 and 21 points. Since Nebraska's RPI was so low (or high, depending on how one looks at it, but in either light, it's not good), they would have no chance to make the NCAA Tournament unless they beat Kansas today and win tomorrow's Big XII Championship Game. Otherwise, in all likelihood, they'll head off to the NIT Tournament, yet again. Just another season in Nebraska basketball. There is talent out there on the court. The conference is in a down year. All the pieces seem to be there to make a run for the NCAA Tournament, but it just doesn't happen. The weak schedule was perhaps their biggest enemy this year. If they had faced a Kentucky and North Carolina this year, instead of Elkhorn Middle School and Millard Nursing Home, they may have only needed to beat Kansas today in order to make the NCAA Tournament. But, playing those weak teams has made it very difficult to impress the RPI.

So, what do I read today in the Omaha-World Herald? A sports column written by Tom Shatel, talking about Nebraska basketball. He sounded ecstatic, that, and a little drunk. He brought up how this year's team seemed very similar to the one back in 1994, the last time Nebraska won the Big XII Tournament. He raved about the Huskers play last night and asked why they couldn't have done this all season? He spoke of this current two-game winning streak like it was a work of God. Winning two games in a row, is that even considered a streak? Three in a row, maybe, but two straight? Give me a break. Why couldn't they have done this all year? Won two in a row? Well, let's do the math here Tom. Nebraska has played 31 games this year, are 19-12, so if they win two out of three for the year, they'd be 21-10 or 20-11 right now, just one or two games better than their actual record. With their lousy non-conference schedule, it probably wouldn't have mattered if they were 20-11 or 21-10 right now. There are plenty of other teams more deserving than Nebraska to make the tournament. Shatel went on to talk about how the 1994 had more talent than this year's club, but that there were similarities. This is the part when he sounded drunk. He mentioned that both teams have seniors and freshmen. If that is not the sportswriter bonehead comment of the week, I don't know what is. Naw, really Tom? Were there sophomores and juniors too? Were the players taking classes? Did some like action flicks? Comedies? Were a few into other sports? Did they have mothers and fathers? Pets? Drive cars? Ride bikes when they were younger? Wait, he's right! They do have a lot in common! Just, not on the basketball court. Sure, there are seniors and freshmen, just like every other team in the country. That's like comparing two football teams and saying that they both wear helmets. Yeah, no kidding.

Now, if Nebraska beats Kansas today (which I highly doubt), then Shatel and company can start getting excited, because they'd have beaten a team who demolished them by 63 points in two games this season, and they'd be one game away from an automatic NCAA Tournament bid. But, don't get too excited yet Tommy. Kansas has seniors and freshmen on their team too, and these seniors and freshmen are a lot better than Nebraska's.

Update: After the opening five minutes, Nebraska played evenly with Kansas, with the scored tied at nine. But, KU outscored the Huskers 70-56 from that point on, in a 79-65 victory over the Huskers. KU swept the season series 3-0, outscoring Nebraska by a total of 77 points. Ouch! If there is one positive Husker fans can look back on, it's the fact they improved with every game they played the Jayhawks. They went from losing by 42 to 21 to 14. That probably won't be positive enough for head coach Barry Collier to keep his job, but for how badly they got crushed by Kansas this year, they have to look at some positive, no matter how hard it is to find. Now, I'm just looking forward to reading Shatel's column tomorrow. Watch how fast he turns, going from wishful thinking to saying that he knew they'd get crushed all along.