There were plenty of questions when the Huskers were 0-4 in the Big 12 after losing twice to Kansas in January.

But now, after beating up on Charlotte last week in the first round of the NIT, those doubts have been erased.

The Huskers now look like a tough NCAA Tournament team.

That's what we saw against Charlotte when the Huskers completely dominated the last 30 minutes of that game.

But they're not an NCAA Tournament team. They weren't even a bubble team.

Some key losses prevented the Huskers from receiving any NCAA Tournament consideration.

You can't lose at Colorado. You can't lose at home in overtime an overtime where big man Aleks Marich never even touched the ball to Missouri.

You certainly shouldn't lose at Iowa State.

Add all that up, and the Huskers obviously didn't belong in the NCAA Tournament this season.

So bring on the NIT. It's a chance to play more games. It's a chance for the younger players to get more experience.

It's a chance to prove to any remaining doubters that Sadler has this program on the right track.

That track will lead to the NCAA Tournament in the near future. Maybe even next year. If not, then maybe the year after.

The Huskers are redshirting three freshmen this season. These are freshman Sadler says could have helped the team this year.

That means they're good players who will be better with a little more seasoning. It doesn't mean they are future NBA draft picks.

They are players who will be in Lincoln for four more years. By the time they're juniors and seniors, they should be solid Big 12 basketball players for sure.

This isn't how Kansas does it. Or North Carolina. Bill Self and Roy Williams can go out and recruit future NBA stars.

They don't have to redshirt players to be successful.

Sadler has to take a different approach. He's building up the depth of the program. Now if he can go and get a couple of those future NBA players not necessarily the one-and-done guys but the guys who can play in the league the Huskers will be in business.

You need a couple of NBA-type players to make a serious run in the NCAA Tournament. You probably need three future NBA players to actually win the NCAA title.

Can Sadler ever get that kind of talent to Lincoln? It's doubtful.

But what he can do is coach the heck out of the guys he's got, stress the fundamentals like blocking out and limiting turnovers, and make sure the players play hard at all times.

Do that and the Huskers can have a successful basketball program. Do that and every now and then you'll beat a team you have no business of beating.

Bob Hamar is assistant sports editor for The Independent.