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CHICAGO – Johnny Trueblood looked in front of the locker at the far right, leaning back in a black leather chair. the video again with a smile the size of the flooded Platte River.
He tapped on rewind. And there, his trainer went again, greeting the crowd, then flipping his face first on the black plush carpet inside the tunnel.
"Oh my God!" Trueblood said with a sneer.
SURE @CoachMiles takes a fall, but it's a good sport about it. ? pic.twitter.com/t7cBBEdpnr
– Nebraska on BTN (@NebraskaOnBTN) March 14, 2019
The video toured the locker room of the United Center, which smelled of sweat and looked like March. The reality of the 68-61 victory over Nebraska vs. Rutgers slowly settled as the team joked about Tim Miles' crash, planned cold baths and nibbled fruit.
"I do not know what happened," said the young Isaiah Roby, shaking his head.
It was not pretty. Nebraska missed three assists and two dunks in the first 10 minutes, shot 20% off the 3-point range and missed nine free throws. Miles could not even leave the field without slipping.
Nevertheless, with six players and two assistants, Nebraska eliminated Rutgers to qualify for the Big Ten tournament for the first time since 2016.
"It shows that we will fight to the end," said James Palmer.
Squeezing on an unlikely win over Iowa, Nebraska used a little more madness in the month of March in Chicago. The Huskers were led 51-48 with about five minutes remaining. Then after 35 minutes of mediocre play, everything was finally clicked.
Nebraska has returned Rutgers four times and Palmer has taken over. He hit a 3-pointer on an isolation game to give the Huskers a 55-51 lead. He followed with two dunks two Trueblood flights to seal the victory, one of them arrived despite an intentional foul.
"We continued to fight," said Trueblood, who added that he had an extra share of inspiration after watching a documentary about the North Carolina title team in 1983 , Tuesday evening.
Trueblood has not played for four years in Nebraska. He is now part of the group of Huskers who are trying to save the disappointment of a season once full of hope. A group that, according to some, is extending Miles' time in Nebraska.
"I just told guys, you know, it's a big boy affair, and whatever it will be," Miles said. "I want to be the Nebraska coach. I like Nebraska. The decision is out of my hands. "
But Miles and Nebraska have not yet done so, including 11 points, including five assists Glynn Watson and 10 points and six rebounds Roby. Trueblood played 26 minutes, scored three points and conceded four rebounds and four interceptions.
Nebraska will play Thursday against Maryland, number 5, about 25 minutes after the end of the Indiana-Ohio State match, which begins at 11:30.
The two games this season against Maryland have been decisive moments for Nebraska. In the first game, a 74-72 loss to College Park, the Terrapins scored in the final seconds to bring down NU. On Feb. 6, Nebraska shot the worst 21 percent of the Pinnacle Bank Arena and lost 60 to 45.
After defeating Rutgers, who pitched the Dutch in a win after a NU victory in January, Tanner Borchardt said the Huskers were on a revenge tour.
"It can happen," Borchardt said. "We won one. We could as well win five. "
Nebraska will probably be an outsider against the Terrapins. It was against Rutgers. But the belief inside the UN locker room is as strong as it has been for months.
Assistant Michael Lewis told the team that it was the basics of March. Miles said he thought there was a game plan to overthrow Maryland.
"Many people counted us and especially when we lost (Isaac) Copeland, we lost the game. The season did not go as planned, "Roby said. "People can abandon us. But we will not give up. It does not matter if we have six guys, eight guys, five guys. This is our state of mind. "
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