Lack of hustle
This is part of what makes Nebraska basketball so frustrating to watch. Especially in Saturday’s game against Ohio State, they showed a lack of hustle. That is concerning if you are a Nebraska basketball. Head coach Tim Miles had a meeting with his team this week to address the issue. So far, it has not paid immediate dividends and it has been a problem throughout the entirety of the season.
Miles spoke to the media on Wednesday following the team’s loss to Rutgers and said that he should have had them better prepared. “I didn’t have them ready to play,” Miles said on his weekly radio show Wednesday. That right there is an issue. Both players and coaches should be ready to play. Even if he had a meeting with the players and discussed changes that need to be made, it did not work against Ohio State.
If Ohio State recorded a steal, several Nebraska basketball players jogged up the court. Throughout the entirety of this season, they have often watched rebounds go off the backboard and not made an attempt to grab them. By the time it registers with the players that they need to go get it, the offensive team already has another possession to work with. Nebraska lacks the desire at the moment to go all out and win the 50-50 plays. Especially as conference games get harder, a 50-50 play may make the difference between winning and losing. That is unacceptable and that have it reared its ugly head again on Saturday.
I’m not sure why this team lacks hustle. They have a bunch of veterans on the court and have several underclassmen with a lot of experience. They just seem to lack the want and desire to win. They shoot three pointers and hope they go in. They watch rebounds go to the opposition. It is clear that they are not willing to go the extra mile to win a basketball game at the moment. If they want to have any chance at postseason play in March, that needs to change.