Sadler: NU needs to improve shot selection
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By BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star
Game film from Sunday’s victory against San Jose State revealed a common theme for the Nebraska men’s basketball team.
The Huskers took too many contested shots.
That, coach Doc Sadler said, was the biggest reason his team didn’t score for more than 8 minutes to start the second half.
“We shot nine contested three-point shots against San Jose — and not only nine contested, nine contested with 20 or more seconds on the shot clock,” said Sadler, whose team was 8-of-21 from three-point range, but 1-of-9 after halftime.
“We can’t do that. We’ve got to stay with our offense. We’ve got good shooters, but we’ve got to take good shots.”
That will be especially important Wednesday, as Nebraska (1-0) plays at TCU, a team Sadler said will pressure the ball more than any Husker opponent this season.
“They’re going to be in our butt,” Nebraska point guard Sek Henry said. “We can’t run our offense, it’s going to be hard for us to score.”
Still, College of Charleston shot 54 percent against the Horned Frogs in an 86-75 victory Sunday that left TCU, under first-year coach Jim Christian, at 1-2 heading into Wednesday’s home opener in Fort Worth, Texas.
TCU, like Nebraska, is a smaller team that likes to get after it defensively.
“They’re really going to get into the basketball,” Sadler said.
So does Nebraska. In fact, it was a defensive spark that led to a late 17-0 run against San Jose State — after the Spartans had whittled a 22-point deficit to five. Nebraska’s offensive lull, though, had allowed San Jose State back in the game.
“They were playing a little sag-off defense. They were giving us the jumpers,” Henry said. “We got a little confused. We shouldn’t have gotten that confused. We should’ve just played our game and run our offense. The way they played defense kind of frustrated us a little bit, and we started settling.”
San Jose State coach George Nessman, while noting Nebraska needs an inside presence offensively, said he was impressed with Nebraska’s guard play.
“They do shoot a lot of perimeter jump shots, by the nature of their game,” Nessman said. “Any team that shoots a lot of perimeter jump shots, well, you don’t get to the line as much. But, boy, they made a lot in the first half. The thing is, the threes are going to come and go. Even the best-shooting team is going to have stretches where it doesn’t make many. That’s where their defense will have to be key for them.”
Henry said the goal on offense is to attack the basket, get people open, take good shots and limit the three-pointers.
“If they’re going in, it’s good, but if you start missing it hurts,” Henry said. “Plus, we don’t have a lot of people underneath to be grabbing offensive rebounds and get second-chance shots.”
Briefly
* Sadler said forward Alex Chapman likely won’t play Wednesday. He missed the exhibition game and the San Jose State game as he works his way back from arthroscopic knee surgery. He is practicing.
* Confusion on the bench Sunday led to Nebraska playing with only four players after the Huskers missed two free throws. San Jose State took advantage, scoring easily inside with the 5-on-4 advantage. “We’re going to work on that again today,” Sadler quipped.
* TCU, opening its season in the Charleston Classic, defeated Western Michigan 67-63 and lost to Clemson 70-58 before its loss to host College of Charleston.
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.
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