Nebraska...not feeling Frosty anymore

[WM Wolverine]

I thought we invited Nebraska to the B10 for the sole purpose to have an easy win or two in basketball.

[entropy]

Husker Nation

Hoss. Lol


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[entropy]

Bubble Breakdown: From nowhere, Nebraska enters the picture with win at Michigan State
By Jeff Eisenberg
54 minutes ago
The Dagger
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Nebraska's bench celebrates its 60-51 win (USATSI)
With one month remaining until Selection Sunday, the NCAA tournament bubble is beginning to take shape. Bubble Breakdown is the Dagger's daily look at the results that impact who's in and who's out.

They last made the NCAA tournament in 1998. They finished third-to-last in the Big Ten last season. They followed a so-so non-league campaign by dropping their opening four conference games by 12 points apiece.

At no point this winter did it ever seem realistic to suggest Nebraska would be far enough along in its rebuilding process to contend for an NCAA tournament bid until the Huskers forced their way into the conversation Sunday afternoon.

With a 60-51 road win at Big Ten-leading Michigan State, Nebraska improved to 14-10 overall and 6-6 in the conference. In the last month alone, the Huskers have won six of eight and have defeated Ohio State, Minnesota, Indiana, Northwestern, Illinois and now Michigan State.

That resum? probably wouldn't put Nebraska into the field of 68 if Selection Sunday were today, but the Huskers have time to pile up some more wins and a remaining schedule favorable enough to make it realistic. Up next for Nebraska are home games against Penn State and Purdue, followed by a road game at Illinois, a home game against Northwestern, a visit to Indiana and a visit from Wisconsin.

A 5-1 record during that stretch would give Nebraska a 19-11 overall record and a 10-6 mark in the Big Ten, good enough credentials that the Huskers might not even need a league tournament win to snare an NCAA bid. Anything short of that would surely leave Nebraska with work to do in the Big Ten tournament, but that's a heck of a lot better position than where most thought the Huskers would be in Tim Miles' second year in Lincoln.

The key for the Huskers will be avoiding a letdown in their upcoming two home games and giving themselves a bit of margin for error down the stretch. That should be no problem if Nebraska can duplicate the effort it gave Sunday in East Lansing.

Terran Petteway scored 23 points including a back-breaking 3-pointer after the Spartans had trimmed an 11-point second-half deficit to two in the final minutes. Forward Walter Pitchford added 18 points and the rest of the Huskers played relentless defense to harass Michigan State into 34 percent shooting.

It's worth noting Michigan State was without starting forward Branden Dawson and only got an ineffective 19 minutes off the bench from injured point guard Keith Appling. It's also worth noting that Adreian Payne sat for long stretches of the first half in foul trouble and that the Spartans rushed shots and made sloppy turnovers in their haste to come back from their deficit.

None of that should detract from what Nebraska accomplished though. The Huskers secured a win that alters the national perception of what they're capable of accomplishing this season.

BUBBLE TEAMS WHOSE STOCK IS RISING

• Oregon (16-8, 4-8): If Oregon is going to salvage a once-promising season after a 3-8 start to Pac-12 play, the Ducks will have to reel off a win streak the next few weeks. They got off to a good start Sunday with a comfortable 93-83 home win over rival Oregon State behind 25 points from Joseph Young. Oregon did not lose a game in non-league play and notched victories over fellow bubble teams Georgetown, BYU and Ole Miss, so a .500 or worse record in the Pac-12 won't necessarily spell doom. The Ducks probably need at least four wins in their last six games to give themselves a chance, and a win over either Arizona or UCLA certainly would help too.

BUBBLE TEAMS WHOSE STOCK IS FALLING

• SMU (20-6, 9-4): Every time SMU seems to be on the verge of attaining lock status for the NCAA tournament, it throws in a terrible road loss just to keep things interesting. First the Mustangs lost at woeful South Florida on Jan. 28. Then SMU fell at last-place Temple on Sunday afternoon even though it had beaten the Owls by 23 just weeks earlier. SMU entered the day with a top 4o RPI and marquee home wins over Cincinnati, UConn and Memphis, so the Mustangs are certainly still in the field as of today even with their bad loss. Nonetheless, they would probably be wise not to take another loss to a team outside the RPI top 100.

[The Oracle]

You definitely have the schedule to make 5-1 a possibility. Still skeptical until I see it happen though.

When I get time, I want to go back up this thread and confirm that I was the first to fully endorse the Tim Miles hire, BTW. Ya know, just for rep points.

[entropy]

HA!

I think 4-2 is more likely.. even with that, I think UNL can get in.

[entropy]

https://twitter.com/T_Dion/status/436594478150057984/photo/1

like the response

[entropy]

Since '85 (NCAA tourney to 64 tms), 150 BIG teams finished w/+.500 league rec. Only 11 missed NCAA.

[The Oracle]

Was one of those that didn't the probation ridden Michigan team of '03?

4-2, you might get in with a BTT victory which would be against a shit team. I'm rooting for you guys. First bid since Piatkowski?

[entropy]

oracle.. yep.

I think UNL has had 2 bids, and i know for sure, zero wins in the tourney.

they do have 1 NIT NC

[Hannibal]

Nebraska this year seems somewhat comparable to our 2011 squad. That team went from oblivion to bubble territory in two months.

[hack]

The Syracuse loss isn't enough for you Oracle? You've been on a roll with those.

[The Oracle]

I don't know what to say.

Looking at their schedule, Nebraska did have a BRUTAL stretch beginning at Cincy and rolling into BT season. Easy to forget about a team like that until their schedule softens out.

[entropy]

Husker Nation

Watching the game now... Recorded it. Pettaway is good. Hope he returns.


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[WM Wolverine]

Tough for them to go 4-2, which is what they did to do. Their remaining schedule is more favorable than the Gopher's who have 10 losses too.

[entropy]

I have a feeling at Indiana will be very tough for UNL.