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Nebraska Basketball: Speed will be name of game for the program

By Danny Jaillet

PISCATAWAY, NJ - JANUARY 21: Adidas warmup shirt worn by a Nebraska Cornhuskers player before a game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Rutgers Athletic Center on January 21, 2019 in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
PISCATAWAY, NJ - JANUARY 21: Adidas warmup shirt worn by a Nebraska Cornhuskers player before a game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Rutgers Athletic Center on January 21, 2019 in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /
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Nebraska Basketball has put an emphasis on speed.

So far, it looks like things are still jelling together on the hardwood. Nevertheless, things are coming into focus more so than a couple months ago.

For Cam Mack and the rest of the Nebraska Basketball team, speed will be the name of the game. I like the sounds of that. Speed is something that is crucial in college basketball. Getting down the floor in transition will undoubtedly be something that Nebraska needs to do. Because they don’t have size, they will have to compensate for it by getting to spots quicker than their opponents. When I think of speed, I think of someone like James Palmer Jr. running downhill in the lane for a basket.

Playmakers are certainly going to be crucial for Nebraska. It sounds like they have a bunch. I am more interested in seeing how they all jell together. It may take a couple of games, but once they do find a rhythm with each other, I really think that this team will be in a position to make some noise in the Big Ten Conference. Even in a rebuilding year, they have the pieces to be successful.

Mack has indicated that coach Fred Hoiberg wants him to use his speed a bit more. In all of the highlights I have seen, it is evident that speed is a huge part of Mack’s game. He drives into the lane and is able to create shots for himself. He is also a very efficient shooter, something that should be able to help Nebraska tremendously.

"“He wants me to use my speed and (Hoiberg) feels like I’m one of the fastest guys he’s ever coached, so just me running and pushing the ball up the court, that’s one of the biggest emphases for me.”“We’re leaning on getting up the court, fast breaking, making teams up-tempo, pressuring just because we’re so small,” Mack said."

This is a player that averaged 19.1 points at Salt Lake Community College last season. He knows how to get the ball into the hoop. For him, I think it is going to be about getting touches and finding his role in the offense. There is a lot of scoring to go around, and Nebraska is definitely lucky to have many options. That’s something that could not be said a year ago.

I’ll be interested to see exactly how this offense molds together.  Hoiberg did a nice job of rebuilding the program in such a short amount of time. Now let’s hope he gets the results he wants. This team has potential, it is all about execution.

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