Season Recap
- Apr 6, 2020
- 12 min read
I obviously didn't go to the NCAA Tournament games in Omaha because the thing didn't happen. So instead of doing that, I thought I'd look back at Nebraska's teams and see how their seasons played out. I'm currently working from home and it's so easy to get distracted. This is the product of my diversion.
Warning: Nebraska has a lot of bad basketball teams. Disappointment awaits.
Nebraska Wesleyan
The first team I saw was the Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves. When they played against McMurry on November 11, they were ranked #7 in Division III and were expected to compete for the championship. They did what they were supposed to do.
Nebraska Wesleyan went 22-3 in the regular season, lost just one American Rivers Conference game, won the conference tournament, and finished the season ranked in the top ten. They were one of the the best teams in all of NCAA Division III. Unfortunately, their season ended before COVID-19 could take it away as they were upset in the second round of the DIII tournament.
Overall record: 25-4
Conference record: 15-1 (1st place)
High point of the season: Beating Coe by 26 to win the conference on their home floor
Low point of the season: Losing to WashU by 21 in the DIII tournament, also on their home floor
Peru State
When I traveled to Peru to see the Peru State Bobcats, they were in the top 25 of NAIA D1. After they lost to Missouri Valley on November 20, they fell out of the rankings and never got back.
While Peru State finished with a respectable conference record (they finished in a three-way tie for third place in the Heart of America Conference), they kept losing games they shouldn't have and they finished a mere 1-6 against non-conference opponents. They lost in the conference tournament semifinals and were not selected for the NAIA D1 tournament. The Bobcats didn't have a bad year, it just feels like they should have done more.
Overall: 17-15
Conference: 15-9 (T-3rd place)
High point: Winning 4 games against the 4 best teams in their conference
Low point: Losing by 49 points to Concordia, who is in a lower division
York
2 things happened when I visited York, Nebraska on November 26: 1) I nearly got snowed in and 2) I saw the York Panthers play against McPherson College. York was a very respectable 7-3 and 3-1 in conference play before losing that game.
Their favorable standing did not last long. The Panthers experienced two separate three-game losing streaks and one four-game losing streak that forbade them from getting much positive momentum. They were the final team in the KCAC to qualify for the conference tournament, where they got smoked by Ottawa, 104-76. Like Peru State, York seemed like a talented team that couldn't put it together.
Overall: 15-16
Conference: 11-13 (8th place)
High point: Winning three straight games at the end of the regular season to qualify for the conference tournament
Low point: Losing every game between December 7 and January 11
Midland
The Midland Warriors weren't very good when I saw them play Morningside on December 5. They already had a losing record and expectations weren't high before getting blown out in the game I watched.
It didn't get better for them. They lost a lot. Midland has a solid fan base for such a small school and some of the best facilities around, but they don't have a team that's quite good enough yet.
Overall: 10-17
Conference: 6-14 (10th place [out of 11])
High point: Scoring 106 points and beating a pretty good Mount Marty squad in their final game
Low point: From January 11 to February 5, Midland lost six straight games by deficits of 7, 20, 25, 42, 21, and 25
Union
If you read my write-up about the Union Warriors, you may recall that I didn't know exactly what Union's record was because they don't update their online schedule. However, some broader research uncovered zero definite wins before their blowout loss to Kansas Christian College on December 9.
Union's athletic website lists 23 games on their schedule. After a couple hours of research, I uncovered final scores for every game but three. Two of them were never played, and if anyone happens to know a score for Union's November 11 game against York's JV team, let me know. Out of twenty games, the Warriors won zero and lost twenty. Their average margin of defeat was 27.6 points. They only lost by single digits once. Union's Facebook page is filled with inspirational messages about how true winning doesn't come from winning games, it comes from Christ. Still... it's gotta be tough to lose that much.
To be clear, I've said a lot of negative facts about Union's basketball squad, and I will continue to do so, but Union was one of my favorite places to visit and review. They play in a cool gym and they're an all-walk-on team. I think that's respectable.
Overall: Almost certainly 0-21
Conference: They don't have a conference
High point: :(
Low point: On January 11, the Warriors lost to Concordia's JV squad by 70 points, so I'm gonna go with that one
Hastings
When I saw the Hasting Broncos play Dordt on December 15, Hastings was in the middle of a skid that would see them lose eight of nine games. The Broncos were in trouble, and it was only December.
In the Great Plains Athletic Conference, the top eight teams make the conference tournament. On February 19, Hastings was 6-12 and in eighth place. They had two games remaining, and if they lost either one, Hastings could drop from eighth and fall out of the tournament. To make it even harder, their final match was against Dakota Wesleyan, the second-best team in the GPAC and the ninth-ranked team in NAIA DII. Despite the pressure, Hastings won both games and qualified for the tournament.
The Broncos' opponent in the quarterfinals was Morningside College, the top-seeded team in the GPAC and the second-ranked team nationally. Morningside and Hastings played twice in the regular season and Morningside won both in blowout fashion. So of course, it only makes sense that Hastings won this game 84-80. This was the first time a top-seeded team lost in the first round of the GPAC tournament in eleven years. When I saw Hastings play, I watched a talented, senior-led team that just hadn't clicked. Though they lost to Concordia in the next round, it was good to see the Broncos finally realize their potential.
Overall: 16-16
Conference: 8-12 (8th place)
High point: Upsetting the second-ranked team in their conference tournament
Low point: Starting conference play 1-6
Nebraska
When I saw the Nebraska Cornhuskers on December 15, their season was already marred with setbacks. They'd lost to several teams they shouldn't have and came into the game with a losing record. But, they beat a pretty good Purdue team on this day and there was reason for some optimism.
After beating Purdue, the Huskers won two of their next four games. They then lost the final seventeen games of the season. Ooh, it was rough. Nebraska's season unraveled in many spectacular ways. Of those seventeen games, only five were single-digit losses. Cam Mack, the player I was so impressed with in my write-up, got suspended five times over the course of the season (including once for a hit-and-run) and is not expected back next year. Nebraska was the lowest-ranked power conference team by the end of the year, finishing 199th in the NET. Even by the Huskers' low standards, this season was an awful failure. Coach Fred Hoiberg has a lot of work to do.
Overall: 7-25
Conference: 2-18 (14th place [out of 14])
High point: Beating Iowa
Low point: Oh my goodness, there are so many to choose from. I'm going to go with the March 1 overtime loss to Northwestern on Senior Day. At the time, Northwestern had just one Big Ten win. It was also against Nebraska
Wayne State
The Wayne State Wildcats were on the tail end of a six-game losing streak when I saw them play Southwest Minnesota State on January 4. In this game, they didn't play well but had an opportunity to force overtime. Instead, they screwed around and missed their chance. That's pretty much how their season went.
As mentioned earlier, the Wildcats endured a six-game losing streak. After this, they won their next game, before losing the next three. Wayne State then won three in a row resulting in a 7-9 conference record. This gave them the opportunity to - I don't know - end the season respectably? They did not do that. They lost each of their last six games and were bounced in the first round of the Northern Sun conference tournament.
Overall: 10-22
Conference: 7-15 (T-11th place [out of 16])
High point: Playing an in-season tournament in Orange, California
Low point: Take your pick between the two six-game losing streaks
Creighton
I watched the unranked Creighton Bluejays lose to Villanova on January 7. This wound up being their only home loss of the season.
Creighton went on a tear through the end of the year. After this game, they went 5-0 against top-25 teams, ended the season ranked seventh nationally, and earned the top seed in the Big East conference tournament. Creighton was actually involved in the final major college basketball game of the season. Despite every other power conference canceling their tournaments due to COVID-19 concerns, the Big East decided it was okay to play basketball. Creighton and St. John's played one half, but the global pandemic must have gotten worse during halftime because the Big East canceled the game before the second half began. If the NCAA Tournament had proceeded as planned, Creighton likely would have been a 2 or 3 seed.
Overall: 24-7
Conference: 13-5 (T-1st place)
High point: Winning a share of the Big East championship for the first time
Low point: Picking the worst year to be a national title contender
Doane
I was fortunate enough to see the Doane Tigers win their first conference game against Briar Cliff on January 15. In my write-up, I expressed optimism that this was a turning point for the Tigers.
It wasn't. While they did upset Concordia late in the season, that was their only other conference win. They did not qualify for their conference tournament and finished a distant last in the Great Plains Athletic Conference.
Overall: 7-23
Conference: 2-18 (11th place [out of 11])
High point: Playing two games in the U.S. Virgin Islands
Low Point: Scoring just 32 points in a November loss to Morningside
Nebraska Christian
The Nebraska Christian Sentinels were 10-9 before I saw them lose to Mount Marty on January 23. This game took place in front of an estimated attendance of 26.
Nebraska Christian finished their season strong. They went 6-2 in their final eight games and qualified for the National Christian College Athletic Association Division I tournament. Because of COVID-19, this didn't get played, but this tournament is usually an eight-team bracket that guarantees each team three games. This would have been NCC's second straight year in the tournament.
Overall: 16-12
Conference: They don't have a conference
High point: Qualifying for the NCCAA tournament for the second consecutive year
Low point: Going 0-4 versus other Nebraska-based teams
Bellevue
The Bellevue Bruins began the season ranked twenty-second in the NAIA Division II poll. After an uneven start to the season, the Bruins got on a roll, winning nine of ten games before I watched them play Viterbo on January 24.
After beating Viterbo, Bellevue's good play continued. They won eight of their nine remaining regular season games and finished as the top team in the North Star Athletic Association. Unfortunately, they were upset by Waldorf University in the semifinals of their conference tournament. Because of this, Bellevue was a surprising snub from the NAIA DII tournament. The NAIA tournament is a strange event (more on that later) that determines the number of automatic berths by how many teams a conference has. The North Star only has eight teams, so they only received one tournament bid. Bellevue finished just a few spots away from receiving an at-large qualification.
Overall: 24-8
Conference: 13-1 (1st place)
High point: Winning the regular season conference title
Low point: Giving up a made shot with 1.8 seconds remaining in the conference tournament semifinals
Concordia
The Concordia Bulldogs defeated Northwestern College when I saw their game on January 29. This win gave them a good record, a good standing in their conference, and a chance at a berth in the NAIA tournament. You may ask, how did that turn out for them? I'll let you know.
They lost their next three games. Not good.
In the Great Plains Athletic Conference, the top four seeds get home-court advantage in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament. On February 8, Concordia was 8-8 in conference play with four games remaining. They needed to win out and get lucky to get into the top four. The Bulldogs did their part by winning all four games (including an overtime win in their final game), and the teams they needed to lose lost, so Concordia got to play at home.
In the first round, Concordia played Northwestern (again) and won by nine points. Because Hastings beat top-seeded Morningside, Concordia got to host another game. They dispatched Hastings by ten and - all of a sudden - the Bulldogs got to travel to South Dakota to play Dakota Wesleyan in the GPAC championship game. And what do you know - they won the darn thing. Concordia had a .500 record in mid-February and was trending in the wrong direction. Somehow, they won the next seven games to win the conference and gain an automatic berth to the postseason tournament.
The Bulldogs went back to South Dakota to play in the NAIA tournament. They lost a heartbreaker to Ottawa University, 87-84, in the last NAIA game played before the tournament was canceled. Still, it was a surprisingly successful season for Concordia.
Additionally, Concordia's women's team won their conference tournament. They were a 1 seed in the national tournament and had a chance at back-to-back national championships before COVID-19 got in the way.
Overall: 24-10
Conference: 12-8 (T-4th place, won the tournament)
High point: Winning their conference tournament for the first time in fifteen years
Low point: The three-game losing streak in February that included a loss to last-place Doane
Sidenote
May I talk about the all-out bonkers event that is the NAIA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament?
Alright, so you know how the NCAA Tournament hosts teams at several neutral-site courts, all around the country? And how different neutral courts host as the rounds progress? The NAIA doesn't do that.
The NAIA Division II Tournament hosts all thirty-two teams in one arena. And they play the entire tournament in five days. During the first two rounds, they play eight games per day. Eight games! Now, I suppose this isn't extraordinary for a state high school tournament. But there's a regional aspect to state high school tournaments; generally, teams aren't playing far from home. I just think there's something silly about inviting college teams from all around the country to participate in a rapid-fire battle royale of basketball.
The first day of this year's tournament, hosted in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, occurred unimpeded. Unfortunately for Holy Cross and Indiana Tech, they were forced to play the opening game which began at 8:30 in the morning. Sioux Falls then hosted six more games that day before the final match between Antelope Valley and Washington Adventist. This game was supposed to start at 9:45 PM, but the official NAIA Twitter page didn't tweet about the final score until 12:15 AM, so it's safe to assume the game started even later than its scheduled time. Sioux Falls then turned around and started to do the same nonsense the next day before the tournament was canceled after the conclusion of the 10:15 AM game.
Unfortunately for chaos, this was the last year of this setup. Next season, the NAIA is combining its two divisions and playing one sixty-four-team tournament in a similar format to the NCAA Tournament. Some things are too ridiculous to exist.
Omaha
On February 5, I went to see the Omaha Mavericks play North Dakota State. At the time, Omaha was jockeying for position in the Summit League. A win here really would have helped them; unfortunately, they lost a hard-fought game to the eventual conference champions.
After the loss, the Mavericks lost their next two games, but they rebounded and won four out of five to close out the regular season. Omaha entered the conference tournament as the 5 seed, but they picked a bad time to turn in one of their worst performances of the year, and they lost to Oral Roberts 79-52. Their season ended there.
Overall: 16-16
Conference: 9-7 (T-4th place)
High point: Upsetting Washington State on November 21
Low point: Getting blown out in the conference tournament quarterfinals
Nebraska Kearney
I traveled to Kearney, Nebraska on February 8 and saw the Nebraska Kearney Lopers play against Newman University. UNK won and moved to a very respectable 8-5 in conference play.
The Lopers limped to the end of the season with a 2-4 slide. After a promising start to the season, Nebraska Kearney finished as the 7 seed their conference, the MIAA. In the MIAA tournament, the top six teams get a first-round bye, so you really don't want to be number seven. To make matters worse, they lost their first round match to tenth-seeded Pittsburg State (who was really not very good) in overtime. Like so many of Nebraska's college basketball teams, the Lopers' season is shrouded in season-ending disappointment.
Overall: 16-13
Conference 10-9 (7th place)
High point: Winning six of their first eight against conference opponents
Low point: Really blowing it at the end of the year
College of Saint Mary
The College of Saint Mary Flames were the only women's team I solely featured. I saw they're second-to-last game they played (vs. Morningside on February 19). They lost.
They also lost their last game, ending the season on a thirteen-game losing streak. Just five years ago, the Flames made it to the Sweet 16 of the NAIA postseason tournament. Hopefully they can get back to that level soon.
Overall: 5-25
Conference: 2-20 (11th place [out of 12])
High point: Holding on to win by two in a game at Briar Cliff in December
Low point: Giving up a school-record 127 points to Concordia in November
Chadron State
My long trip to Chadron, Nebraska culminated in seeing the Chadron State Eagles play New Mexico Highlands on February 22. The Eagles had a really, really rough year. They won their first conference game of the season and tumbled after that. They only played one game after I saw them get blown out.
They lost it. They did not qualify for their conference tournament.
Overall: 4-24
Conference: 3-19 (16th place [out of 16])
High point: They didn't lose every game
Low point: They almost lost every game
If you made it this far, congratulations!
I'm not sure I can milk this for any more content, so this is likely the last Nebraska basketball post. I've enjoyed it a lot. I hope everyone reading is doing what they can to stay safe.
Oh yeah, if I have time and the world is back to normal, I hope to take on a similar project when I move to Maryland in August.
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