Just Win, Doc

Doc Sadler's crew did its best to blow a 12-point second-half lead Saturday night in Lincoln, but held on to win by one on Lance Jeter's free throw with 0.4 seconds remaining. There were a lot of positives (mainly the fact that NU ruined the Mayor's inaugural Big 12 game as ISU head coach) and a few old bugaboos showed up, but the the bottom line as always is: Just win, baby.

PYB offers its player-by-player analysis of last night's 63-62 Cornusker win:

-Lance Jeter...The Husker PG once again showed leadership, despite the fact that he's an inconsistent outside shooter and is battling a left-wrist injury. Jeter had 10 points, 7 assists, 5 steals, 6 rebounds and just one turnover. Very impressive start to his second and final Big 12 season, as he refused to let NU fold despite a seven-minute field goal drought to end the game.

-Caleb Walker...Continues to prove PYB's initial scouting report wrong, as he looks like NU's first legitimate Division I athlete in many years. He's proving why he was a first-team NJCAA all-american last season and racked up 13 points, eight boards and two blocks. Walker is a naturally strong finisher at the rim and provides Jeter a much-needed go-to man on the dish. We hope he continues to develop as an integral player on both ends of the floor.

-Brian Diaz...VERY disappointing outing for Diaz, as he was out of sorts on the offensive ends all night, and showed frustration after he was muscled off the low block by ISU defenders. He was 2/10 from the floor and had just four rebounds. He did, however, play nice help defense and had three blocks. PYB hopes this was a blip game and not an omen of future ineffectiveness.

-Toney McCray...Still flounders around out of position and has little scoring punch. However, he did score 12 points and provided a spark with his hustle and positive outlook. Dunk finish on an assist from Jeter was a nice surprise. (Editor's note: NU had at least three dunks last nite which has to be the most in five years in a Big 12 game)

-Eshaunte Jones...Played just 11 minutes and went 0/3 from behind the arc on shots that weren't close. Doesn't look good enough athletically to play Big 12 defense and his outside shot is mostly nonexistent. We look for his playing time to fall unless he flips the switch from outside.

-Brandon Richardson...Missed the game due to a knee injury suffered against Savannah State. It is apparent, though, that NU will need any scoring that he provide more than it will need him as a second point guard.

-Brandon Ubel...The positive: Ubel looks much bigger and strong than he did last season, when he resembled an albino scarecrow. He also looks to be the only Cornhusker who can shoot over 67% from the charity stripe. The negative: Ubel seems to have assumed the role as the second unit's ballhog, even though he's not a good scorer and has little coordination. So far, he's inexplicably been the go-to option in two late game situations and is now stealing good scoring chances from open players. Ubel will have to realize his role or will cost NU dearly in the future.

-Ray Gallegos...Had three points in eight minutes and went 1/3 from three-point land. Gallegos shows promise at times but his build is still too slight for the rigors of the Big 12. ISU star Diante Garrett got by him at will on the drive, and burned Gallegos on a back-door cut on the Cyclones' final possession before Jeter saved the day with a backside steal.

-Kamyron Brown...Logged just four minutes, but looks solid with the ball and capable of playing 10+ minutes in conference games. Hopefully, he gains some confidence and can chip in this season.

-Drake Beranek...Shockingly, he has become a solid contributor and looks like he can compete at the D-I level. Had nine points and seven rebounds in 32 minutes, and went 0/3 from three point range. NU will need his shooting in a bad way the rest of the season.

-Andre Almeida...Four points, three rebounds, 12 minutes, 30 pounds overweight. The fitness of Almeida does not seem to be improving, and until it does, he won't contribute.

-Offense...NU still seems one natural scorer from being truly dangerous in conference play. A 4/17 performance on threes is more of the same from outside and will absolutely kill the Huskers if it doesn't improve. Shooting 15/24 from the free throw line won't work and continued poor FTs will lose one or two close games down the stretch.

-Defense...Doc's bunch continues to surrender countless wide-open threes and has done so since last season. It has cost them in this season's two losses and almost cost them yesterday. The Cyclones missed several open looks in the second half and shot seven for 19. Once the Huskers hit better conference competition, they will pay dearly if this is not remedied.

-Bottom line....Nebraska is 13-2 and 1-0 in conference. A meltdown loss to ISU would have been disastrous for the young bunch and would have had them staring at an 0-3 start, as road games at Missouri and Kansas loom in the next seven days. It won't ever be pretty until Sadler gets a bit more talent, but until it does, PYB will take the win and hope for as many wins as possible. Just win.

Side note: In searching for a suitable shot of the mayor, PYB thinks it found a picture of yours truly in the background. You feel free to guess which stud in the crowd it is.

Twins

PYB has been meaning to publish the two dead ringers below for a long time, and finally got around to it today while watching Texas underachieve once again against UConn. J'Covan Brown....meet your twin brother....The Amazon from Nintendo Pro Wrestling.

By the way, Texas PG Dogus Balbay sucks and will be the reason that UT can't compete against top competition. He just got burned for the go-ahead UConn basket as we speak by the Huskies' Kemba Walker.

The Readers are Restless...

Thanks to all of PYB's readers, who've shown a recent penchant for contributing to the pages of this blog through sheer frustration or just for the fuck of it....

--AMG pours out a little liquor in honor of the death of Gerry Rafferty, singer of the classic song Baker Street. We could drink a million beers to this song and smoke at least a pack of cigs....

--Hubcap chimes in with the list of eerie similarities between Rich Rodriguez and Bill Callahan. PYB says he only forgot to list the delusional alumni who think that the the programs should all be stocked with hometown kids and that the offense from the 1940s would still work like a charm:

1. Outsider coach
2. Clash in offensive philosophy and stubbornness to adapt to the players already there and insisting to implement their offense without the right players to run it
3. Embarrassing Losses
4. Non competitive in big games two wins vs Top 25. Three wins for Callahan
5. Replaced a program fixture as head coach (The Rat a fixture is a stretch!)
6. Fell out of the rankings for the first time in ages
7. Never embraced the tradition and wasn't embraced by the Wolverine/Husker Nation
8. Lack of player development
9. Brought a winning program to mediocrity
10. Losses to teams they haven't lost to in years
11. Streak broken of yearly winning record dating back to the 1960s
12. ARROGANT PRICK!

--Donnie Baseball tries to prove he's still fresh by showing us all he listens to rap videos on Youtube. AI says, "I know I spoda be dere....." The seersucker, crab stitched pants a couple years back showed us he'll never be fresh again--and probably never was!

--Rod hates Ram Jam "Black Betty" played during baseball at bats....

--Finally, the Donger drops some Big XII hoops knowledge with his pre-conference preview as we all hope that this is the year that NU goes 8-8. And as we always do, we'll be devising a plan for them to go 7-9 in conference after another 0-3 start. Hope springs eternal. And for the record, I was way too tired to proofread this masterpiece today...

#1 – Kansas (Record 13-0, RPI - #2)
Jay-cocks find themselves atop the conference as usual – much to the dismay of Cornhusker fans everywhere (and I don’t mean those Husker FB/Jay-cock BB fans that infiltrate the Bob every time KU shows up). The addition of Josh Selby seems to be the catalyst to another Jay-cock run to the conference title. To this point, they are clearly the class of the league. The buzzer beating win vs. USC does, however, give Husker fans hope.

Key Wins – Arizona, Memphis
Key Losses - None

#2 – Missouri (13-1, #33)
This may be a lofty ranking, considering the Tigers pillowy-soft schedule to date. The only blemish being the scintillating overtime loss to Georgetown in the ‘Zou. As usual, Mike Anderson’s team is scoring a significant amount of points, while playing the Gold & Black version of “40 minutes of hell”. The 17.6 point average margin of victory may be misleading, as they continue to give up a significant amount of points. Rebounding & FG defense are the main weaknesses here. More confidence building for NU, as Mizzou only defeated Vanderbilt by 3, a team that NU lost to by 10 points in Puerto Rico.

Key Wins – Vanderbilt, Illinois
Key Losses - Georgetown

#3 – Texas (12-2, #35)
The ‘Horns seem to have found the karma that Mack Brown’s team never had this season. Currently riding a five-game winning streak that includes wins over UNC & Sparty, the Horns are a deep, athletic team that has proven they can play with anyone in the country. Yet another reason for NU to believe - as the ‘Horns were bottle blasted by USC, in Los Angeles (17 points) before embarking on their current streak.

Key Wins – Illinois, North Carolina, Michigan State
Key Losses – Pittsburgh, USC

#4 – Kansas State (12-3, #26)
Frank “Guido” Martin’s team of “professionals” (PYB assumes that KSU’s payroll is higher than that of the lowly Cleveland Cavaliers) appear to have survived a mild, mid-non-conference slump and with their tenacious defense & physical play, they will be in the conference battle to the end. A very difficult early schedule has prepared them well for the rigors of the Big XII. If Guido can stay out his own way and let Jacob Pullen & Curtis Kelly do their thing, this team should win 10-12 conference games.

Key Wins – Washington State, Gonzaga, Virginia Tech
Key Losses – Duke, Florida, UNLV

#5 – Baylor (10-3, #150)
Most would deem this ranking way too high for a team with an SOS of 285 (out of 345) but given what Baylor lost to graduation and their new additions, it is our feeling that at the end of the season, the Bears will be a force to be reckoned with. This outlook assumes that Coach Scott Drew will continue to get Perry Jones involved in the offense and that LaceDarius Dunn (all name team MVP and ho-beater) continues his scoring uptick (43 Points & 10 threes on Tuesday night vs. Morgan State)

Key Wins - None
Key Losses – Gonzaga, Washington State, Florida State

#6 – Texas A&M (13-1, #30)
Mark Turgeon’s Aggies seem, along with Okie State, to be the unknowns in the conference race this season. A schedule that looks good on paper, to date, may not turn out to be that way once conference play commences – as evidenced by their current SOS of 137. If the officiating is ‘fair’, this is a winnable game for NU, in Lincoln. If the officiating is on par with the game in 2008, then NU has no chance.

Key Wins – Arkansas, Washington, Temple
Key Losses – Boston College

#7 – Oklahoma State (12-2, #38)
The other great unknown in the conference this year. There is not one quality win on the schedule, unless we are counting Missouri State as a quality win (Jaybackers from Creighton would have you believe so, as the Bears are fresh of their 10-point win in Omaha last night). Other wins that could qualify as “quality” at the end of the year are Stanford & Alabama, but the jury is out on those teams. A team that usually prides itself on defense is only in the middle of the pack, in terms of FG defense & rebounding, so this is also a team that can be had by NU, in a game in Lincoln.

Key Wins – None
Key Losses – Virginia Tech, Gonzaga

#8 – Nebraska (12-2, #113)
The travails of the Huskers are well documented, so we won’t waste much time here. Other than to reiterate the embarrassing nature of the schedule in the non conference season. The removal of Christian “Welp” Standhardinger, seems to have solidified Doc Sadlers’ rotation. The Big Red continues to play excellent defense, leading the conference in FG defense and points allowed. In a shift from recent seasons, NU is also 3rd in the conference in FG Shooting – hopefully a sign that NU can make shots, which eliminates transition baskets. This slows down the game, which is always in favor of a Doc Sadler team.

Key Wins – USC
Key Losses – Vanderbilt, Davidson

#9 – Iowa State (13-2, #97)
It is doubtful that even “The Mayor” can save this team from completely falling apart in the conference season, despite the difficult home court environment the venerable Hilton Coliseum provides. The only respectable win in the 13, to date, is a road win at a “below average” Virginia squad. A buzzer beating win (and a suspect one, at that) against Creighton, in Ames, does not help the resume. The schedule is the worst of all 12 conference teams and the ‘Clones 18.5 point, average margin of victory is as misleading as their record. This is a team that NU MUST win in Lincoln and should have a good chance of beating on the road. NU MUST go 4-2, at worst, against the bottom four teams in this ranking.

Key Wins - None
Key Losses – Northern Iowa, California

#10 – Colorado (10-4, #132)
Despite having two “above average” players in Alecs Burks and Cory Higgins, the Buffs appear destined for another season that ends with a first-round loss in the conference tournament. The Golden Buffs don’t score, can’t rebound and don’t play defense. The only positive early in the season is the team shooting over 50% from the floor. With a typical home court crowd that resembles a Lincoln SW vs. Lincoln SE game, winter remains a reason for most people in Boulder to ski, do tons of cocaine and go to Phish concerts. NU has to sweep CU, something that hasn’t happened in quite some time.

Key Wins - None
Key Losses – Georgia, San Francisco, Harvard, New Mexico

#11 – Texas Tech (8-7, #201)
Pat Knight will need all of his coaching pedigree to give this team any hope of finishing higher than 11th in the conference. The Red Raiders, who play in the only arena in the league that is more of a mausoleum than the Bob, have no wins against even a decent D-1 team. The worst defensive team in the conference, the Raiders have to rely on an offense that is the fourth worst in the conference in shooting. Not a winning combination. Although it would be tough to top Knight’s absolute meltdown against NU in 2007, there is a chance that his team’s miserable play could lead to another epic tirade.

Key Wins - None
Key Losses – North Texas, St. Mary’s, South Florida, TCU, Washington, New Mexico

#12 – Oklahoma (8-6, #208)
It is almost inconceivable that as recently as two years ago, this was a team vying for a conference championship. With transfers, early defections, the probation (courtesy of now unemployed Kelvin Sampson), the program is at a low not seen since the days BEFORE Billy Tubbs (one of PYB’s all time favorites). Much like Colorado, this team can’t score, plays little defense and can’t rebound. Another winnable game for NU, even in Norman. It is rumored that more people in Norman drive by Bob Stoops new house (14,000 square feet) than attend OU basketball games. Oh, how we long for the days of Mookie, Waymon, Stacy and the boys.

Key Wins - None
Key Losses – Kentucky, Virginia, Arkansas, Arizona, Cincinnati

Here are the projected post-season placements for the conference teams:

Regular Season Champion – Kansas

Tournament Champion – Texas

NCAA – Kansas, Missouri, Texas, Kansas State, Baylor, Texas A&M

NIT –Oklahoma State, Nebraska

CBI/CIT – Iowa State

None – Colorado, Texas Tech, Oklahoma

~The Donger

NBA Power Rankings....1/4/11

Here we go with the first NBA Top 10 for the New Year.

1. Spurs - 29-4, best record in NBA by 3.5 games over the Celtics. Team has very balanced scoring as nine people average more than seven points a game and five of those players average in double figures. It is pick your poison with this team.

2. Celtics - 25-7, struggled as of late. Dropped their last two games of 2010 and lost KG for a couple weeks to rest his balky knee. Celtics welcomed Rondo back from his ankle injury, and he should be ready for the Wednesday showdown in Boston with the Spurs.

3. Mavericks - 25-8, snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the Cavaliers. Caron Butler looks to be out for a long period of time with a knee injury and with Dirk being still held out the Mavericks will be relying on Shawn Marion (Editor's Note: Is Marion still fatter than hell?) to pick up the slack.

4. Heat - 26-9, smoking hot in December and with D Wade going for huge offensive numbers the Heat look to keep up the pace in 2011. LeBron is averaging career highs in rebounding and assists so far this year. I would not be surprised if the Heat took over the top spot in the East before KG gets back to action.

5. Bulls - 22-10, team has really surprised me since losing Noah to the broken bone in his hand. The offseason signing of Carlos Boozer looks like exactly what the doctor ordered for this club.

6. Jazz - 23-11, with Okur finally getting back to action and my sources tell me there was even a Gordon Hayward sighting in the Jazz starting lineup for a game. Deron Williams finally have some pieces to the puzzle around him.

7. Magic - 21-12, I initially thought the trade with Phoenix was all Suns. So far after a couple weeks the Magic are on a five-game win streak now and the Suns can't even beat the Kings. One concern for the Magic in the New Year is Dwight Howard's technical fouls issue. He is very close to a mandatory one-game suspension.

8. Thunder - 23-12, they have played as tough of a schedule outside of Phoenix so far in the season. Thunder with their big two of Durant and Westbrook as good as any 1-2 punch in the league. Depth is going to be the downfall for this club into the New Year.

9. Lakers - 23-11, lost four of the last six and the losses are not even close games. Kobe threatened the team after Miami came to LA and delivered coal in the Laker stocking but that seemed to fall on deaf ears as the Grizzlies went to Staples and blew the two-time defending champs out on Sunday night. Are the Lakers tired and this the year they make an early exit in the playoffs?

10. Nuggets - 19-13, Carmelo is back from leaving the team to be with his family and his trade rumors finally settled down. Looks like the Nuggets are going to make one last run with Carmelo and company.

Why Do the Cardinals Suck???

Is it because they have decided to play Hunter Mayhan at QB???

Gabbert to the NFL

Blaine Gabbert is now hoping to follow in Chase Daniel's footsteps as professional clipboard holder, by declaring for the NFL draft. "Experts" say his big arm will make him a great NFL quarterback. PYB says his big fucking vagina will make his NFL stay a short one. Anyone who watched him throw from his back foot when even lightly pressured while at Mizzou will agree.

Can't beat Iowa? Choke the game away? Time for the big leagues! Does this officially start the Tyler Gabbert era? Or did that begin when he got his ass kicked a while back? We think he's probably a 'scared pussy' like his older brother...

More class emanating from Starkville and Mississippi State....joke.

More cock shots circulating...this time supposedly from a former Ryder Cup captain.

Chivalry Is Alive & Well

Ron Franklin says: "Leave it to the boys, sweet tits." Classic. Franklin can join the elite club of sexual harassers at ESPN with Mike Tirico, Craig Kilborn, et al.

Murder was the case that they gave me...giving new meaning to the term 'closer.'

OK, so we promised a moratorium on NU football talk. But this doesn't count because it's ancient history and we felt it necessary to point out how retarded the person who did these rankings must me. Yep, I'm sure the 1995 team would never have been able to slow down Johnny the Jet.