	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

BIG TEN CONFERENCE MEDIA DAYS (MEN)

October 27, 2011

Doc Sadler

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

THE MODERATOR: Next up we have Nebraska coach Doc Sadler.
COACH SADLER: First of all, it's great to be here. Been a year of unknowns and looks like it's finally getting here. I know that in this past year I don't think we could have asked any more out of a conference and trying to make this transition as good as it's been, so I like to thank those guys and ladies for all their help.
As far as our basketball team, you know, we've had 11 practices, I believe, and had a lot of injuries, but I think everybody has. And we talked about that last evening, about, you know, moving up the games to where we're playing so early to try and get so much done that maybe we're practicing a little bit too long and our kids aren't ready for it.
But it looks like we're getting them back. Yesterday -- or the day before yesterday, I guess, we had everybody but two back. And I look for -- if we can just get a couple of guys on the court, I think we've got a chance to have a decent team.

Q. Coach, can you talk a little bit about the competitive disadvantage, and are your scouting reports ready for teams you haven't faced and they all know each other inside and out, and what that's going to be like for you?
COACH SADLER: Great question. You can spend as much time as you can watching tapes, but I don't think you really get a true picture until you actually get into it.
We've watched everyone. The thing about it, you're watching them play against each other, you're not getting a chance to watch them play against yourself, and so you think that you maybe can do a little bit different.
There's no doubt we're not going to be as near familiar with these guys. But, at the same time, you know, I don't know that that's much of a disadvantage. I guess you'll have to ask me after the season.
But, you know, I think as a coach, you get pretty comfortable with knowing who is returning, what style, because coaches don't change much. And you can talk about -- I think the biggest difference that I've seen is the different styles that are played in this league. You've got Michigan and Northwestern playing a whole different way than Iowa is playing or Indiana.
In the league that we left, it was pretty much a man-to-man team. So that part's going to be different. The unknown is always scary.

Q. Could you break down some of the other differences between the Big 12 and the Big Ten, more physical Big Ten, deeper, talk about them, not as deep, not as strong?
COACH SADLER: Well, this year I think it's the best league in the country. You know, last year I thought the league that we were in was the best.
So I think all the leagues are good, you know? The thing that -- one of the things that has kind of stuck out looking at the different rosters maybe is the number of returning players that's in this league.
And in the past, maybe, if you were a First-Team All-American, it was pretty much a given that you was going to go on and leave school. Well, I don't think that's the case in this league.
And it looks like guys maybe stay around a little bit longer, so therefore the experience, I think, always is going to give you a chance to have a better basketball team. That part more than the physicalness and all those things. I think college basketball in itself is a pretty physical game.
And then you've got to add the fact that the attendance in this league is just off the chart. You know, I think that's probably what sets this league apart from every other league in the country; that every time you have a chance to go out and play on the road, if you can just get one or two wins on the road, you're going to put yourself in pretty good shape.
So I think you add those things, the road attendance, the crowds, things like that is probably going to make this league special. And it's not just a one- or two-year deal, it's a, what, 35-year deal that this league has led the country in attendance.
A lot of people can talk about what you can do this year and next year, but when you talk about a 35-year record, that's pretty solid.

Q. You just touched on it, mentioning recruiting there. I was wondering how -- I mean, you had a certain amount of notice knowing you were going to make this change. But how different was your recruiting approach to kids who are used to seeing Nebraska play the same opponents of Kansas and Oklahoma, in your area there for years, as opposed to trying to bring in the new group facing this change?
COACH SADLER: You know, when you're at the University of Nebraska, you know, basketball players seem to run in cycles, and right now it's been a cycle where there hasn't been a lot of high major BCS-level players. And so we've been all over the place.
And I think this year if you see our recruiting, you'd still say that we were recruiting the same way; that we don't have a set place. But starting last year and moving forward, you're seeing us spend a lot more time in the Big Ten states.
And I don't think it's any different. I think probably every player that for the most part that grows up in these areas want to play for their home state or against their home state, if for whatever reason they weren't recruited by them.
So we're going to spend our time doing that. And hopefully it will pay off, I think, in the next two or three years. I don't think that we've seen that big a difference right now, because we were recruiting now is two or three years in advance.

Q. Talk a little bit about the returning starters and how they're feeling. Are they excited? How are they feeling about adjusting to the rigors of Big Ten Conference schedule?
COACH SADLER: I think they're like most 18, 19 -- whatever is happening in the day is what they're thinking about. But I think they're excited. You know, how many chances do you get as a college athlete to have played in the places that you've played at, in the league that you played in, and now you get a chance to play in probably the best or at least the most attended college facilities in the country.
I mean, most people look forward to going to 10 or 11 schools, but our guys are going to get a chance to go to 21, 22 of the greatest places in the country.
So they should be excited. I mean, you talk about basketball with my age group, I mean, you're talking about Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State. I mean, that's what I grew up with. And we didn't get a chance to watch them every night like you do today.
So we got a chance to watch a Big Ten game when I was growing up, it was a treat. Now these guys are going to get a chance to play at some of those places. It's probably a little bit more exciting for me than it is them. I'm looking forward to going to some of these places. I won't be for the two hours, but the day before and maybe on the ride home I'll be dreaming about, gosh, can you believe this boy got a chance to coach in some of these places. It's kind of exciting to me.

Q. The NCAA is talking about moving the academic cut-line up to 930 and possibly teams that come under not making the postseason tournament. What are your thoughts about that proposal?
COACH SADLER: Well, I mean, we all understand that the reason that the kids are there is to have success in that area. And I don't think there's a coach in the country or university in the country that hasn't spent unlimited amount of resources to try to make sure that that happens. I can't imagine that especially in this league that there's any league in the country that spends more money in academic success -- I know at the University of Nebraska, that's probably the biggest area that we spend our money.
So, again, I think me, personally, I think we're doing everything that we can do. But I also believe that at some point accountability needs to be put back on kids, too. You know? I think we were telling a story last night about a former coach that was asked in recruiting: Are you going to make sure my son gets a degree? And the answer was: No, he's going to make sure he gets that degree.
So I think it's good, but at the same time I think we're giving them all the resources and everybody is trying to do everything they can, and hopefully they understand that.

Q. I want to ask -- you guys won 19 games last year. Looks like you have several returning players. If you could, give us an idea where you feel this program is at. Are you guys ready to take that next step? Nebraska hasn't been to the tournament since 1998. Do you feel that this team or within the next couple of years you're ready to take that step? And maybe talk about your team a little bit.
COACH SADLER: I hope so. I mean, we've been close. I think, you know, we've been to the NIT three of the last four years.
But that's not the reason we go to practice every day. I think that's a great tournament. But every kid that comes to Nebraska, we talk to them about being a team that consistently gets to the NCAA tournament.
We do have a lot of guys back, but you look around the league this year and there's a lot of guys back on a lot of teams. So the competition night in, night out is going to be great.
But we need to get there. I think, again, if everything stays the way we'd like for it to, without injuries and making a shot here or there, throw in one at half court, maybe have someone else not make one from half court, then I think this team does have a chance to be a team that, when it comes March, can be a team that plays in the NCAA tournament.
I mean, that's our goal. At least that's one of them. And hopefully we achieve that this year.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297