LINCOLN It's March 1 and Nebraska fans are still presumably excited about Husker hoops that fact alone makes this a successful season for second-year coach Doc Sadler.
Nebraska (17-9, 6-7) enters Saturday's road game at Oklahoma State in a four-way tie for sixth place in the Big 12 Conference standings. That might not incite many cases of March Madness, but it's somewhat more impressive when you consider that the Huskers are one game out of a fourth-place tie and competing for a first-round bye in the league tournament.
Remember, this is Nebraska a football school that has never won an NCAA Tournament game. The Huskers haven't been to the Big Dance since 1998 and have never really seriously threatened to get there much in the past decade.
Anything more than a NIT bid still seems unlikely, but just the fact that Nebraska is in the hunt qualifies as news in these parts. It's March and these Huskers are still playing with purpose.
"I think everybody in the country it doesn't matter what team they're playing with more purpose toward the end of the season because everybody wants to make it somewhere," Nebraska senior center Aleks Maric said. "Everybody has got dreams of making it into the tournament or postseason play, so everybody picks up their game to another level."
Since a disappointing stretch where Nebraska lost to Missouri at home in overtime and then blew a halftime lead at Iowa State after holding the Cyclones to 11 first-half points, the Huskers have seemingly found their stride. Even without starting point guard Cookie Miller knocked out of the lineup by a shoulder sprain late in last Saturday's win at Texas A&M NU has somehow managed to keep it rolling.
"I think we're just playing with poise," Maric said. "You can do anything in your life if you've got confidence."
Many little things have also come together to make Nebraska click. The newcomers are finally learning how to play off of Maric and prosper in the offense, the guards are rebounding and the Huskers have held steady with their normally stingy defensive efforts.
It all came together last Wednesday night when Nebraska beat Oklahoma 63-45 at Lincoln. Not only did the Huskers hold the Sooners to 12 first-half points, but they shot 50 percent from the field for the third consecutive game.
"I wish the season ended today, I'd be happy as heck," Sadler joked afterwards. "But the good news is our guys are gaining some confidence and making some shots."
Past experience tells us that the Huskers are due for a fall. Nebraska hasn't won four consecutive games in Big 12 play since 1999 and its next two contests Saturday against Oklahoma State and Tuesday against Texas are on the road.
However, it's difficult to deny that Sadler seemingly has things headed in a positive direction, especially for those of us who predicted a 6-10 conference finish. If Nebraska can split its next two games and beat Colorado at home in the regular-season finale, Sadler's team would finish 8-8 in the Big 12.
Considering that Nebraska opted to redshirt three players who would all probably be playing somewhere in the Huskers' eight-man rotation, a .500 conference finish puts Sadler in the conversation for Big 12 coach of the year and would definitely lock up some sort of postseason bid for the Huskers.
Considering the way NU started out in conference play, that would truly be madness in March.
Terry Douglass is sports editor for The Independent.
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