Life of the SportsGuy

What’s the future for the Nebraska men’s basketball program?
Ask nearly anyone and you’ll get a snipe about Doc Sadler.
The Huskers have not been performing well. There is no doubt of that.
And Sadler being the head coach, he is going to hear plenty of complaints.
But is Sadler the main problem in Lincoln?
It’s tough to know.
For a moment, think of the basketball program without thinking about Coach Sadler.
If the current environment is any indicator, he won’t be here in a few months. And the Huskers will be looking for a new coach.
Who is that going to be? Just how hopeful can Husker basketball fans be about the future?
Everyone heard all about the new basketball facilities in Lincoln and how they rank right up there with college basketball royalty. Just as good or better than places where basketball is sacred, like Kansas, North Carolina, or Duke.
And we know that there is a new arena going up in Lincoln. That is going to be first class.
On a side note, it’s going to be good for the volleyball team, a national power, to get some new toys with a work-over of the Devaney.
Back to basketball.
Can the fans of this Husker program dream of, well, it’s hard to say it or type it.
Final four?
Is that ridiculous?
Certainly most Husker fans, this writer included, trust AD Tom Osborne to go out and find a coach that meshes with the culture in Lincoln and who also gives us the best chance to win.
How much winning?
Should Nebraska fans be satisfied with being competitive in the league, getting an at-large NCAA bid, and falling in the first round?
Should we believe in the team’s ability to get one or two wins in the madness that is March?
Elite eight?
How about a Big 10 Conference title? In this league, those are never going to be easy.
There is much uncertainty around the Husker program right now. At this point, there is also a lot of apathy.
Here is hoping Osborne can find the Bob Devaney of Husker hoops.
We need something to believe in so that we can dream. So that we can type and say the words, Final Four, and not feel like we are kidding ourselves.
Sadler had that ability when he got here. Coach has always had the ability to sound genuine and give the impression that big things are around the corner.
Our complete ineptitude on the court, however, has left fans shaking their heads and plugging their ears to Coach Sadler and his positive talk.
Fans dismiss the Huskers chances before the start of seasons. They point to the university’s status as a football school.
And that’s the ones that even care to think Nebraska basketball at all.
One of two things need to happen soon. Sadler needs to win. Or Osborne needs to find a coach that can sell this program, not just to recruits, or the players on his team, but to the entire state of Nebraska.
Unless that happens soon, this new arena in downtown Lincoln is going to be empty most of the time.