[Husker] Collier

[dryter at inebraska.com]

Quinn Snyder is out there.  Why not hire a coach forced out of MU to take over a
program with a winning if not impressive season?  He's a Duke boy, he must be
good.

I have been rather disappointed with the atmosphere in NE and among fans.  Very
fickle and impatient.  The team looks good and maybe Collier can stay.  They
drop a game they should have won and you can stick the proverbial fork in him.
Granted, Collier's tenure here isn't impressive, but when the team has a couple
bad games talk starts about firing the coach.  MU needed a new coach.  OSU may
need a new coach for different reasons.  But NU?  To me, immediately wanting to
fire the coach and looking for a replacement that will cost more than the annual
budget of the Lincoln Public Schools is giving up on the season and the players
and entering dangerous territory for a school talking about more vertical
program cuts and tuition increases.  Then again, we could use the tax revenue
from that lottery ticket purchased in Lincoln.

Collier has two very good players lined up for next year: Toni Soda, the 7-foot
Croatian and Ryan Anderson the a 6-4 shooting guard from Seattle.  With the
development of Maric and Jamel White picking up his game there is the
possibility that the team could improve next year.

My questions are as follows.  Does Collier develop players to be the best that
they can be?  Is he recruiting fundamentally sound players?  Is he a good game
coach? Is he getting the most out of his players?  Would a new coach attract a
couple MacDonalds All-Americans away from Duke, UNC, KU, UCLA, Memphis,
Illinois, etc?

There is evidence that the answer to the first two questions is "no".  The
number of turnovers by Huskers in a one-on-one situation is appalling.  I have
seen it with the freshman Jamel White and seniors Wilkinson and Dourriseau.
This could also be a function of a poor offense, but there are too many
giveaways.

It was apparent against TX, and down the stretch against TT that this team just
isn't that good.  They have gotten wins when Maric has a career night, or White
comes out of nowhere, but as a team they just aren't that good.

According to Steven Stipple, Collier is not a good game coach, and pulling Maric
in the TT game may not have been a good idea, though if he leaves him in and he
fouls out, they lose by 30. I don't have a strong opinion on this.

At times it seems that Collier doesn't get the most out of his players.  He lost
McCray--which is bound to happen sometimes.  But then the players speak as if
they have pride in the team and work hard.  If this is the case, it could be
that Collier's offense is poorly designed and he just doesn't have a good
system.

Can Collier pull in top tier players?  I don't know.  He has one so far and he
didn't work out (McCray). Though there are a lot of good athletes out there,
there aren't that many fundamentally good players out there.  I was at a grade
school basketball game recently and these little guys dribble a few times,
maybe make a pass and launch a 3.  In our game, you want to do two things, dunk
and swing around on the rim, and shoot the 3 baaabyyy!  (IMO the 3-point line
should be removed for all levels below college.)

Look at the game and the players.  Look at what their chances are in the league.
 And replace the coach after the season is over.

Derek