Davidgolds5 said:

Ben Johnson is not the best coach in the league. Diebler is still new. Let’s see what happens next game, McCaffrey is definitely going to have a better game plan. Cronin on ucla also very smart (500 wins), so these next two will be tough competitor coaches.

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There are some bad coaches in the B1G.

Purple Pile Driver said:

Kid, you get the victory lap for this post.

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I remember a phone call with my dad during the MSU game Buie’s freshman year. We both gushed about his potential and my dad said “I’ve seen a northwestern player breakdown a defender off the dribble like that before”. I’ve posted that quote before and will keep doing it because it was accurate then and still is to this day. I don’t think either us expected what was to come but it was pretty clear he had a shot at being special from the moment he put on an NU uniform.

Edit: Players aren’t stagnant they do change year to year game to game. Just because Buie ended up the GOAT does not necessarily mean I was right in him being a top 3 NU guard his Sophomore season since Carmody. I’d argue the tape would tell you I was right but most people thought differently at the time.

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ThatkidfromHolland said:

Message board posters say wild things in game threads.

November 2022 game thread.


December 2022 game thread




November 2022 game thread



There’s definitely worse out there but these were some of the first ones that popped up when you search old threads for Buie.

Buie is a player who a ton of people said sucked and was not a true pg. Very few defended him, especially during his sophomore season.

February 2022

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Kid, you get the victory lap for this post.

PURPLECAT88 said:

That's not really questioning his usefulness as a player. Those are from game threads. I've learned that those are just people venting. There were people in game threads who wanted Boo Buie shot into the sun.*
*hyperbole

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Message board posters say wild things in game threads.

November 2022 game thread.

PurpleWhiteBoy said:

Beran looks so much more composed than Buie and Audige on offense.

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December 2022 game thread

TheC said:

God, we are awful. Just no skill and a terrible scheme where Buie just dribbles around for 20 seconds.

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November 2022 game thread

The Purple Knight said:

Much better with buie out!

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There’s definitely worse out there but these were some of the first ones that popped up when you search old threads for Buie.

Buie is a player who a ton of people said sucked and was not a true pg. Very few defended him, especially during his sophomore season.

February 2022

ThatkidfromHolland said:

Buie is one of the better guards in the B1G. Yet I’ve read on this board that Buie is not a true point. He’s too 3 in assists in the B1G. 14th in scoring. He’s definitely a Top 3 NU PG since I’ve been watching. Idk what people expect from him to become a true point. He’s become at least a serviceable defender as well. That and his passing/court vision were his biggest areas of improvement freshman year. Now it’s just consistency and to play controlled and not go for the flashy play.

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GatoLouco said:

Does 1 BTT win move the needle at all? I can see 3, or even 2 improving things. But 1, would that not be against a bad team, therefore really just going par for the course and not really improving anything? I am not versed at all in the subject matter!

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If we qualify for the BTT, which would obviously happen by going 3-0 from here on out, the first game will be quad 2 in the NET, which would be added to quad 2 (Iowa), quad 1 (UCLA) and quad 1 (Maryland) wins. There wouldn't be many bubble teams with those kind of results down the stretch. Of course it also depends a lot on other teams near the bubble, stolen auto bids, etc.

I think winning the next 3 + 1 BTT gets us to the very edge, and it could go either way. 3 + 2 we're at least in Dayton.

There's also probably some scenario that allows for a loss to Maryland and still being in the Dayton discussion with 2 home wins and 2 BTT wins. Also could conceivably lose to UCLA and beat Maryland and have the same scenario. Losing either home game would require beating Maryland to keep any glimmer of hope. Going 1-2 not only shuts the door but might even leave us out of the BTT.

PURPLECAT88 said:

That's not really questioning his usefulness as a player. Those are from game threads. I've learned that those are just people venting. There were people in game threads who wanted Boo Buie shot into the sun.*
*hyperbole

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There are a ton of misguided posts every week. The Boo stinks posts were not unusual. We have Nick taking hits. Barney even took hits earlier this year. Berry, destroyed at the beginning of this year. Clayton is the Jack Lausch of basketball.

Big Matt is far closer to THE fan favorite around here than the guy who always gets criticized. People pointing out that he has limited offensive game and is a poor free throw shooter aren’t wrong, yet that seems to rub some the wrong way.

There are no sacred cows here, and we’ll see the same “victory lap” from some here with KJ and Gelo when they noticeably improve next season! Most young players improve. They aren’t the same player they were 1 year ago or even 5 months ago. Big Matt dramatically improved during his time at NU. We can find incorrect takes from EVERY poster here even thought some don’t ever admit it.

Catreporter said:

Other guys hitting open shots is the way to keep the Martinelli roll going. That has happened the last two games and that is what did NOT happen in the second half collapse against Nebraska.

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In the Nebraska game, NU was 5 of 17 from the 3 point arc in the first half.
We got a ton of offensive rebounds off those misses.
We were 9 of 21 inside the arc.

In the 2nd half, we were 2 of 3 from outside the arc.
Berry made his first two attempts of the 2nd half, but missed at the 14:31 mark and NU never attempted another 3 pointer.

Either Nebraska shut us down on the perimeter OR we decided to try to pound the ball inside.
We were 10 of 31 inside the arc in the 2nd half.

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PURPLECAT88 said:

That's not really questioning his usefulness as a player. Those are from game threads. I've learned that those are just people venting. There were people in game threads who wanted Boo Buie shot into the sun.*
*hyperbole

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You're being way too kind.

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If you shot Boo into the sun, he'd crossover, accelerate, hesitate, accelerate and then shoot one of those lollipop floaters that goes over the sun and gets nothing but net.

That's not really questioning his usefulness as a player. Those are from game threads. I've learned that those are just people venting. There were people in game threads who wanted Boo Buie shot into the sun.*
*hyperbole

Davidgolds5 said:

Yeah think he scored 25 against us last year.

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Well Hungry is correct, he hit the buzzer beater 3 against us this season.

CoralSpringsCat said:

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She's probably the best player in the country, but she isn't a one person show. The 'Cats have a number of excellent players on the squad, including Sammy White, who just dominated against Syracuse.

PURPLECAT88 said:

I don't think anyone has questioned Matt's usefulness since 2022.

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We'd all love to think so, but Nicholson has been criticized for so long, people just forget how much he was criticized.
Yes there were a few of us who realized he was going to be a decent player before (or by) November of 2022, but it has taken forever for many others

Here's an example from a month ago...

MC_Cat said:

Nicholson is pretty awful sorry

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and another from 4 weeks ago

SDakaGordie said:

Nicholson with two awful defensive possessions. Coach needs to do something.

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and this from Novermber 2024

Gatabowl said:

I said Nicholson and Berry needed to be benched. Now I’m thinking they need to be expelled.

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Gatabowl said:

Nicholson suuuuuuuuucks

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There are hundreds of comments along those lines. Maybe even a thousand.

This one assesses the commentary as of Feb 2024...

techtim72 said:

Interesting to read how Preston was a great addition at the beginning of the season and Nicholson was terrible. Now opinions on balance are completely reversed. Still a lot of season left.

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Any postseason play is good, IMO. More work for our young guards and a few more moments for our seniors.

Davidgolds5 said:

Yeah think he scored 25 against us last year.

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Then he must be destroyed

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Other guys hitting open shots is the way to keep the Martinelli roll going. That has happened the last two games and that is what did NOT happen in the second half collapse against Nebraska.