HOPPEN: Huskers displayed uninspired effort in latest loss

There's no use beating around the bush — this has been a rough year for the Huskers.

They've lost three games by more than 24 points and it took them five games to finally get a conference win. They lost Andre Almeida, whom they were counting on for big minutes down low, before the season even started. Two key contributors, Dylan Talley and Jorge Brian Diaz both missed five games, leaving the team with a major void in the scoring department.

Despite all that, Sunday was the season's nadir. Maybe the nadir of Doc's tenure here.

I'm not trying to be harsh or overly critical here and I'm certainly in no place to call for anyone's head. But I've been going to Nebraska basketball games since before I could dribble a basketball myself, and the debacle Sunday against Minnesota was one of the toughest games I've ever watched.

It wasn't even about the final margin. Nebraska's played far worse games and suffered much more embarrassing defeats.

But as long as Doc Sadler was on the sideline, you knew the players were going to give everything. No matter how big the mismatch talent-wise, they never stopped hustling or fighting. Down 20 points, Cookie Miller would still dive on the floor for a loose ball. Down by 30, 6-foot-4 Ryan Anderson would still kill himself fighting for rebounds against guys half a foot taller than him.

The talent hasn't always been there. But the caring? That never wavered.

Until Sunday.

It was appalling to watch a Sadler-coached team, at home and with the game very much in reach, seemingly give up. After a great-shooting first half, the Huskers couldn't buy a bucket after intermission. They had a scoreless drought of more than seven minutes.

Unfortunately, we've seen plenty of those stretches before. But the offensive struggles never seem to leak into the team's effort. Sunday they did. The Gophers spent the second half getting uncontested layups and dunks. They got every loose ball and killed NU on the glass. They owned the hustle stats (second chance points, fast break points).

The Huskers didn't punch back.

They always punch back. They scrap and claw. They might take some bad shots, but it's not out of selfishness.

But there was Talley in the second half, pulling up for a 25-foot 3-pointer on the break with a wide-open Bo Spencer standing in the corner.

There was Caleb Walker half-heartedly fouling a Gopher player on a layup, giving him an and-one opportunity.

I'm not trying to single these guys out, because it wasn't just them. It was everyone. And this isn't my opinion. Sadler said his team lacked toughness and didn't grind the second half out. Brandon Richardson said the Huskers didn't leave their egos at the door.

So what's the solution? Doc says he doesn't know. He mentioned potentially playing some different guys, and with Diaz out for the foreseeable future, he's going to have to. But is that really the answer? He's only played seven players for the past couple of weeks, so he's clearly wary of throwing the other guys out there.

Nebraska's struggles aren't anything new. The team has been in a rut for a while now and attendance numbers reflect that. But there has always been a very hardcore, close-knit group of Nebrasketball fans, people that admired the hustle and tenacity Doc's teams always displayed, regardless of what the scoreboard said. They continue believing that as long as the effort is there, the talent will catch up someday.

On Sunday, that vision faded farther into the distance.

Dan Hoppen Is a senior News-Editorial Major. Reach Him At Danhoppen@dailynebraskan.com