That Nebraska has lost its first four Big Ten Conference men?s basketball games is of little surprise.
Three of those games were on the road against ranked teams, and the Huskers, after all, were picked to finish last in the league.
It?s the way Nebraska lost its last two games, though, that?s produced feelings of encouragement around the program.
The Huskers pushed No. 2 Michigan and No. 22 Michigan State in back-to-back road games, playing both teams within single digits until the final minutes.
?We?re not ashamed of losing, but we?re mad we lost,? Nebraska senior guard Dylan Talley said. ?We should?ve won, we felt. It was a rough road trip.?
Now that the schedule lightens ? well, relatively speaking, anyway ? is Nebraska (9-8, 0-4 Big Ten) on the verge of producing its first conference win?
First-year coach Tim Miles cautions anyone who believes victory is imminent simply because the Huskers aren?t playing ranked teams.
Michigan State, after all, likely felt Sunday?s game was a gimme.
?And it didn?t turn out that way,? Miles said.
So if the Huskers hope to crack the Big Ten win column Wednesday night against Purdue (8-8, 2-2), they know they can?t approach the game any differently than they did last week in Ann Arbor or East Lansing.
?We have to have that same mind-set,? Talley said, ?to fight ?til the end.?
Miles said players are disappointed in losing, but aren?t discouraged.
And neither is Miles.
?I see some improvement. I see some progress. We?re getting better, but it feels hollow, because we haven?t come out on top,? Miles said. ?They picked us last in the league, and we?re last in the league. That stinks.?
Gaining confidence, though, require wins, and the Huskers see an opportunity with their upcoming schedule. The Huskers play Saturday at Penn State, also winless in the Big Ten, and then play four of their next five games at home.
?Any of the next games that are in front of us are really important,? Miles said. ?I just think we can win any night out. Whether it looks like a winnable game or looks like an impossible game, you just have to believe you have a chance to win every night out.?
Purdue, which starts three freshmen, has defeated Illinois and Penn State at home, and lost at Michigan State and home to Ohio State.
Miles said he?s impressed with the Boilermakers? aggressiveness on defense.
?I think they?re really disruptive to offensive flow, and we need as little disruption as possible to our flow,? he said. ?I think that?s really what makes Purdue, Purdue. I think they?re a fearless team that becomes a bunch of fighters.
?That can really cause trouble for teams, so we?re going to have to handle that well.?
Wednesday?s game is Nebraska?s first at home in 10 days, and only its second conference home game.
Does Miles believe the Huskers? closer-than-expected games last week will encourage the fan base, too?
?I think we?ll find out Wednesday night when we come to the gym,? he said. ?Hopefully, they?re encouraged, and we can get our students there and our fans there, get things riled up and rally behind these guys.?
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Briefly
* Senior forward Brandon Ubel is expected to miss his second straight game because of a fractured elbow he suffered in the final minutes of Nebraska's Jan. 9 loss at Michigan. Ubel did not practice Tuesday.
* Without Ubel, Nebraska is expected to start sophomore David Rivers and freshman Shavon Shields together for the second straight game. Rivers, in his first career start at Michigan State, scored 18 points.
Three of those games were on the road against ranked teams, and the Huskers, after all, were picked to finish last in the league.
It?s the way Nebraska lost its last two games, though, that?s produced feelings of encouragement around the program.
The Huskers pushed No. 2 Michigan and No. 22 Michigan State in back-to-back road games, playing both teams within single digits until the final minutes.
?We?re not ashamed of losing, but we?re mad we lost,? Nebraska senior guard Dylan Talley said. ?We should?ve won, we felt. It was a rough road trip.?
Now that the schedule lightens ? well, relatively speaking, anyway ? is Nebraska (9-8, 0-4 Big Ten) on the verge of producing its first conference win?
First-year coach Tim Miles cautions anyone who believes victory is imminent simply because the Huskers aren?t playing ranked teams.
Michigan State, after all, likely felt Sunday?s game was a gimme.
?And it didn?t turn out that way,? Miles said.
So if the Huskers hope to crack the Big Ten win column Wednesday night against Purdue (8-8, 2-2), they know they can?t approach the game any differently than they did last week in Ann Arbor or East Lansing.
?We have to have that same mind-set,? Talley said, ?to fight ?til the end.?
Miles said players are disappointed in losing, but aren?t discouraged.
And neither is Miles.
?I see some improvement. I see some progress. We?re getting better, but it feels hollow, because we haven?t come out on top,? Miles said. ?They picked us last in the league, and we?re last in the league. That stinks.?
Gaining confidence, though, require wins, and the Huskers see an opportunity with their upcoming schedule. The Huskers play Saturday at Penn State, also winless in the Big Ten, and then play four of their next five games at home.
?Any of the next games that are in front of us are really important,? Miles said. ?I just think we can win any night out. Whether it looks like a winnable game or looks like an impossible game, you just have to believe you have a chance to win every night out.?
Purdue, which starts three freshmen, has defeated Illinois and Penn State at home, and lost at Michigan State and home to Ohio State.
Miles said he?s impressed with the Boilermakers? aggressiveness on defense.
?I think they?re really disruptive to offensive flow, and we need as little disruption as possible to our flow,? he said. ?I think that?s really what makes Purdue, Purdue. I think they?re a fearless team that becomes a bunch of fighters.
?That can really cause trouble for teams, so we?re going to have to handle that well.?
Wednesday?s game is Nebraska?s first at home in 10 days, and only its second conference home game.
Does Miles believe the Huskers? closer-than-expected games last week will encourage the fan base, too?
?I think we?ll find out Wednesday night when we come to the gym,? he said. ?Hopefully, they?re encouraged, and we can get our students there and our fans there, get things riled up and rally behind these guys.?
===============
Briefly
* Senior forward Brandon Ubel is expected to miss his second straight game because of a fractured elbow he suffered in the final minutes of Nebraska's Jan. 9 loss at Michigan. Ubel did not practice Tuesday.
* Without Ubel, Nebraska is expected to start sophomore David Rivers and freshman Shavon Shields together for the second straight game. Rivers, in his first career start at Michigan State, scored 18 points.
