[Husker] Hopes for Hoops

[Brent Buckley]

  I'm not saying this will happen, but it's definately not out of the
  question.  So you Collier haters will have to wait another year to
  start the firing rumors.  I will take Collier's style of basketball
  over Nee's every day of the week.

I'm not a Collier hater, nor was I a Nee lover, I'm so old, I remember the
"Mo must Go" cheers.

I decided to educate myself and look up records, (sigh, I know, statistics
are meaningless)

Nee's first 6 seasons he had 3 winning and 3 losing, with a best of 26-8 and
worst of 10-18, three post-season invites 2 NCAA & 1 NIT.  His last 6
seasons he had 5 winning seasons, best was 21-14 (actually the best was
20-12 regular season, as the 21 wins came with 5-0 in the NIT) and this
included 5 post-season invites, 1 NCAA and 4 NIT.  And then he crashed and
burned spectacularly with the 99-2000 season with his 2nd worst ever at
11-19 (which was still 8th in the Big 12) and all of the other stuff that
went along with it.

Collier has had 1 winning season out of 5, but will more than likely have 2
after this year.  Best record, 18 - 13 which again, could be surpassed this
year.  One post-season invite (NIT).  Best conference finish, 7th his first
two years, then crashed to 12th and has gotten to 9th and 8th the last 2
years.  Could finish anywhere between 3rd and 9th this year.

Style really isn't the question here is it?  Winning honestly is what we
probably all want, while representing Nebraska in a positive manner (isn't
that what got Nee fired?).  I don't think too many people would be upset if
we won with a run and gun offense or Cypriano's defensive strategy of never
allow the other team to score 50 points, even if you have to lose 2 to 1 as
long as we won.

Should he be fired?  Beats me.  But he certainly hasn't established much of
a record that would make one want to keep him too badly.  He appears to be
doing just enough to keep NU basketball at mediocrity, with little
likelihood of excellence, but not quite abysmal enough to get fired.

B.Buckley
78 & 85