@ Illinois - 12:00 BTN

[hanny]

they've had a turnover problem this year, going back to the doane game, where they had 29 or something. i know they only average 13 or something like that (going up after today), but they've had some real stinkers. and it wasn't even IU (or is this one UI? Indiana is IU to me. Illinois is second fiddle, so choose something else) and their pressure. it's just stupid play after stupid play. weak hands, stutter steps, dumb passes. that play to bo on the baseline was wide open and he just bobbled it out of bounds. guh. (side note: doc also had a really nice play drawn up with a flare screen to get bo a 3 at the top of the key. think it was to tie it up late) talley had some ugly TOs today, too. out of rhythm, obviously, but i don't think he's a good ballhandler to begin with. dribbles up to his chest instead of keeping it low. it also doesn't help we don't have a real good PG. we went back to letting bo run some PG today, and i don't think he's real good with the ball. had that bad charge on a 2 on 1 break. he just isn't good in transition or even getting to the bucket in transition. aside on bo's game: he's really good getting those leaning or fading jumpers (except from 25 feet out, right?) but i don't think he looks for it enough. in doc's offense, when it swings from one side to the other, that guy coming up to get the ball, a lot of times, gets some space when he gets the ball at the top of the key. but it looks to me like bo is more interested in dribbling into the offense than turning and looking to what would seem to me to be a pretty sweet shot for his game. i don't know, maybe he'd clank em, but it looks to me like something i'd encourage. that nice 15-18 ft jumper with a step on the defender. anyway, turnovers could help with richardson at PG, but then you've got bo, walker and talley fighting for minutes at the wing. i think doc doesn't mind sitting walker. he did it last year and did today to an extent, too, giving talley 28 min. i don't know, just a thought. the real problem i think is toughness and concentration. and having a guy play who can be referred to as turnover toney.

wow, that's a mega paragraph. sorry.

[no1huskafan]

That BS call was devastating. Consider me a person who has seen the light on what Diaz means to us. He just opens everything else up.

[JR]

I was there!  Weird game.  Lots of turnovers, lots of fouls, LOTS of traveling calls...  No energy in Assembly Hall. Diaz is a good ballplayer and Spencer has his moments, but Doc's coaching at the end of the game was maddening.  Down two and he held for... the next to last shot?  Gotta go 2 for 1 there, right? 

I was in the cheap seats, from my angle, I had no problem with the flagrant call.  I was more frustrated with the lack of offense.  Illinois is not what they were several years ago, but the Huskers played hard, and that was good to see. 

[hanny]

I was in the cheap seats, from my angle, I had no problem with the flagrant call.

the thing was, he went for the ball and hit the ball. he didn't knock him down, didn't hit him that hard. he just made sure he wasn't going to get the basket, which is what you have to do. you can't go in there weak and let them get the bucket, too. anyway, hightower had his mind made up before it happened. he made a clown out of himself, which he's done for years and years. he thinks the tickets should read "Ed Hightower! plus Nebrask at Illinois" i was thinking during the game, where did they find two officials worse than hightower? because they were calling a bunch of junk that didn't really need to be called all day, and none of it was hightower. but he swooped in at the end of the day to save his reputation.

mind you, i don't think the officiating had anything to do with the outcome of the game. it just seemed like they called a bunch of ticky tack garbage. both ways.

[JR]

I was in the cheap seats, from my angle, I had no problem with the flagrant call.

the thing was, he went for the ball and hit the ball. he didn't knock him down, didn't hit him that hard. he just made sure he wasn't going to get the basket, which is what you have to do. you can't go in there weak and let them get the bucket, too. anyway, hightower had his mind made up before it happened. he made a clown out of himself, which he's done for years and years. he thinks the tickets should read "Ed Hightower! plus Nebrask at Illinois" i was thinking during the game, where did they find two officials worse than hightower? because they were calling a bunch of junk that didn't really need to be called all day, and none of it was hightower. but he swooped in at the end of the day to save his reputation.

mind you, i don't think the officiating had anything to do with the outcome of the game. it just seemed like they called a bunch of ticky tack garbage. both ways.

Yea, I agree, as did most of the people in the seats around me... lots of ticky tack calls.  It really killed the flow of the game.