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Nebraska Basketball: View from the Cheap Seats – Rutgers Edition

By Andrew Bienka

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It feels good to be back in the win column and as a Nebraska basketball fan, it was much needed.

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Tim Miles and his boys took the court against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and came away with a 65-49 victory providing some energy to a team that was coming off back-to-back losses and clear struggles without much of a bench. With a talented Illinois squad coming in Sunday, it was nice to see NU respond to adversity early in this game to finish strong.

It certainly wasn’t pretty, but it was enough to earn the ‘W.’ So, how’d it look from the cheap seats?

– This is the Terran Petteway I expected to see the whole season. No. 5 truly played a great game against Rutgers scoring 20 points with 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks and perhaps even more impressively, 5 assists. Specifically for Petteway was really improved defensive effort. He used his energy and performance on the defensive end to create offense for he and his teammates. Tip the cap to the preseason All-Big 10 guard.

– Welcome back to Moses Abraham and Leslee Smith! When was the last time Nebraska had two 6’10” guys in the paint at the same time?

Jan 8, 2015; Lincoln, NE, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights forward/center Greg Lewis (35) looks to drive past Nebraska Cornhuskers forward Leslee Smith (21) at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

– I’m sure Tim Miles was doing a little jig when he got confirmation that he was going to have a full bench for the first time this season. The two big men returned and played 13 minutes a piece with Abraham adding five points and three rebounds, while Smith added two boards himself.

This is a huge turning point for the team going forward because it adds to a bench that has struggled for production the entire season. The 12 points total from the bench isn’t much, but it’s something to build off of now that the team is back to full strength.

Jan 8, 2015; Lincoln, NE, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Benny Parker (3) drives against Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Myles Mack (4) at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska defeated Rutgers 65-49. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

– Continuing on with the idea of more of a bench presence, one thing that you may have noticed was that coach Miles didn’t seem to have any patience with mistakes being made by the players on the court. If there was an issue or a mistake, at the next timeout it was very likely that someone was coming off the bench to replace the offender.

– Benny Parker….or is it Benny ‘Sparker’? His 2 three-pointers sparked NU into a lead which they held the rest of the game. I still think his best role is as the sixth man providing energy off the bench, but I can’t deny how well he’s playing. Is it time for Benny to start pulling the trigger more? He’s shooting 45 percent from three. It can’t hurt adding another threat which will lessen the load on Shields and Petteway.

– To those people who left at the under four timeout, you missed the beauty of a block that Tarin Smith had. All ball and with authority! Take the hint, folks, don’t leave early!

– How fun was it at the end of the game when Moses Abraham got a lay up and a free throw with the score at 62 points. As any die-hard Nebraska basketball fan knows, if the Husker offense hits 65 points then each ticket holder gets a special deal from Runza. Abraham’s layup put the score at 64 and then he stepped to the charity stripe. You could cut the tension with a knife. The big man ended up knocking down the free throw to a loud ovation from the crowd. Well done, “Old Testament”! Get your free Runza and GO BIG RED!!!

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