Fastbreak: Miles previews AdvoCare Invite
Here is a recap of what Nebraska head coach Tim Miles had to say during his press conference on Monday afternoon, as the Huskers get ready to travel to the AdvoCare Invitational this week in Orlando…
***Miles said there was one young player on the team who before the season said winning the AdvoCare tournament was one of his personal goals going into the year.
***Miles said he was confident in his team’s talent level, but said there were obviously still a lot of questions about how good this team actually was. He said the Huskers would either rise to the challenge or fail, and NU would find out a lot about itself over the next few days.
***With UCF’s 7-foot-6 center Tacko Fall, Miles said Nebraska would try something unique in practice the next few days like have a person on a box (or elevated somehow) so they’ll actually have arms to swat the ball
***Miles said he definitely has noticed how much center Jordy Tshimanga has struggled the past few games. Miles said he already talked a bit with him today and would meet with him further tomorrow. Miles stressed that confidence was earned, and while Tshimanga was still coming back off his knee surgery, and he’s not sure where Jordy’s confidence was but it seems like it’s nowhere it should be.
***Asked if going up against another true center could help Tshimanga after playing against smaller, faster bigs, Miles said “Fall is the No. 1 defensive center in the country. That’s not going to help anybody who’s struggling.”
***While the Huskers are obviously preparing for Thursday night’s game vs. UCF, they’re also getting some work in on their potential second-round opponents, West Virginia and Marist.
***Miles said freshman guard Thomas Allen was still considered day to day with a bruised tailbone. Miles said he probably shouldn’t have played Allen at St. John’s, but fouls by NU’s other guards forced the issue.
***On junior forward Isaac Copeland’s breakout 30-point day vs. North Dakota, Miles said “whatever size that gorilla on his back was” it was very important to it off now. Miles said Copeland even said after the game: “Man, I needed that.”