Gillispie watches Doc's team practice
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BY BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star
Billy Gillispie sat at the scorer’s table during the Nebraska men’s basketball team’s scrimmage Wednesday.
The former Texas A&M and Kentucky coach, a good friend of Nebraska coach Doc Sadler, had an NU roster and media guide at his side. Gillispie scribbled many notes on several sheets of a large notepad. Meanwhile, Sadler roamed the court, barking instructions to his players.
After the scrimmage, freshman Christian Standhardinger approached Gillispie, addressed him as “Coach” and asked for Gillispie’s honest opinion of his game.
“You looked great,” Gillispie said with a smile.
Not exactly thorough in-depth analysis. But Gillispie isn’t here to give Sadler any player reports.
“I’m not helping him,” Gillispie said. “He’s helping me.”
Gillispie, who was fired in March after two seasons at Kentucky, is spending this season traveling and studying practices of other teams. It’s part of his preparation in becoming a head coach again — somewhere — for 2010-11.
“I plan to. Whatever happens, happens,” said Gillispie, who recently settled a contract dispute with Kentucky in which he’ll be paid $2.98 million.
“I love basketball and I love coaching. Hopefully (a new job) will happen. I’m just enjoying every single day. There’s not too many times you get a chance to not have a team, so I’m going to make the best use of my time by learning and trying to become a better coach.”
Gillispie said he wants to study successful coaches and successful programs, regardless the sport, regardless the gender.
“Just watching players respond to coaches, watching how coaches utilize their assistant coaches in practice,” he said.
“I’ve never watched Doc’s teams practice because I’ve always had a team, but they practice as hard as anyone and as effectively as anyone. They definitely use their time great.”
Sadler was an assistant on Gillispie’s staff at UTEP in 2003-04, then became head coach there when Gillispie left for Texas A&M the following season.
Gillispie said he won’t be offering Sadler any tips after watching the Huskers scrimmage.
“They don’t need any help. He’s done as good a job as anyone,” Gillispie said. “It looks to me like they have a lot of good pieces to have a really good team. I’ve been away from the Big 12 for a couple of years, but I would think it’s as good a collection of players he’s had since he’s been here.”
McNeaill signing later
Point guard Kenyon McNeaill of Conway, Ark., who orally committed to Nebraska in June, will wait until the spring before signing, said McNeaill’s father, Kenyon Sr.
“We talked with Coach Sadler about it,” the father said, “and we thought we would wait and kind of see what their issues are going to be, as far what their roster is going to look like.”
Nebraska is expected sign junior college center Andre Almeida when the weeklong early signing period begins Wednesday. Almeida committed a month ago, putting Nebraska one player over the 13-player scholarship limit — counting McNeaill — for 2010-11.
McNeaill took an official visit to Lincoln two weeks ago. His father said Nebraska remains the “No. 1” option.
“I have very high confidence he’ll be signing in the spring with Nebraska,” the elder McNeaill said.
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.
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