[Husker] caution

[weldoc at juno.com]

>From the vantage point of a 42-season bandwagon fan, who took last season
off:

The Wichita Eagle today trumpeted NU's blue chip recruiting class. It
looks like a lot of hard work. I hope everyting turns out well next
season.

I'd caution, however, NU fans who understandably are starved for success
via three gentle reminders:

1) UT has had Top 10 blue-chip recruiting classes for YEARS and where has
it gotten them ?

2) Getting pampered and puffed-up recruits to bury individual egos and
play as a team is a whole 'nuther deal.

3) T.O. was renowned for passing up so-called blue chips, for those he'd
determined had the right work ethic. He placed emphasis on intangibles
other than pure athletic talent and high-school or juco stats. Not that
those weren't important--they just weren't the ONLY thing. In this light,
if everyone so highly-sought-after played next year, I wonder what
percentage of starters would still be Nebraska-born boys ?

It wasn't so long ago that it was Barry Collier's honeymoon first
roundball season, and I remember Husker List posters taking the
opportunity to blast Nee (one more time) for "ignoring" in-state talent,
and thereby alienating Nebraska high school coaches by going for the
exotic, East Coast and other far-flung overlooked gems who could make
immediate impacts. Thank goodness Barry wasn't going to repeat that
horrible situation.

The longer you live, the more you see things cycle around.

Bill Laughlin,
Wichita, KS