A few observations

[Secho99]

1) Coming up short against Wisconsin, a likely 4 seed as of today, without Barnhizer doesn't mean we're a bad team. Yes, we're probably somewhere between the 12th and 17th-best Big 10 team now but still a top 60-ish team in the country. We just play in an unforgiving league and came up on the wrong end of some close ones we needed to win. I'm not giving up on these guys making a run to some sort of postseason play.

2) As a Pacific NW resident/native, I'm loving the upcoming trip up this way even though they'll be late start times for most fans watching on TV. I'm happy to be able to be close enough to support the team in person, I'm driving to Seattle on Saturday and Eugene next Tuesday to attend both games.

3) There's been a lot of talk about Nicholson on another thread. EvanMiya has a metric called "Defensive Bayesian Performance Rating" (DBPR) that measures a player's total impact on defense (including how their presence on the floor increases the defensive performance of teammates). Nicholson is tied for 2nd *in the entire Big 10* in this rating with Danny Wolf, just below Morez Johnson. Looking at "on/off the floor" ratings, our defensive rating is 16.4 points better per 100 possessions with Matt on the floor than when he sits. No other player on our team is worth more than 4.6 points per 100 possessions on D, and that's KJ Windham who hasn't played much in conference games. Unsurprisingly, Matt leads our team in raw +/- and we outscored both Wisconsin and Rutgers by 7 points when Matt was on the floor. He's really important despite the lack of development in his offensive game.

4) This may be unpopular, but I don't think "making this Nick's team" is a winning approach the rest of this season. I hope Leach is at least considered option 1B moving forward as he's been playing very well. I like how Leach is able to dribble into good looks from 3 and from the elbow off of high screens, and I think those are much better looks than what Nick throws up 6 or 7 times a game. I love Nick but teams are starting to solve him a bit, and he's forcing shots that just aren't there. I like when the ball moves on offense and Nick is able to get into a move quickly after the catch. I don't like when he gets the ball at the arc and spends 11 seconds backing down a defender only to end up forcing up an off-balance leaner with 3 guys on him. Because he has this funky arsenal of moves it seems like he thinks he can improvise under pressure and it's becoming less successful. He's 18-for-53 the last 3 games, but more concerning is that he's 13-for-36 on 2-pointers. That's too many wasted possessions.

5) Gelo was horribad on Saturday, but he has to play. So does KJ. They're the future of the team. Get them minutes while still keeping the core of Martinelli/Leach/Berry/Nicholson. I used to be higher on Mullins but I'm coming back the other way. Mullins with the other 4 starters is our worst-performing lineup. Let's prioritize the freshmen and use Mullins when needed.

6) I think we'll be fine next year. The incoming class is good. We have two young guys who should take big jumps. Martinelli will be back. We'll have a wide open spot for a big man in the portal who wants to start in the Big 10. We've landed two nice guards out of mid-major programs the last two years, so hopefully we can do that again. I'm not gloomy about the future.

 

[Hungry Jack]

Outstanding post!

Could not agree more about time for Gelo and KJ. Gelo was really bad vs Sconnie, but he was pretty good vs Dayton, Purdue and Rutgers. He can play. Same for KJ.

I am fine with Nick dribbling into the paint, drawing a double team, and kicking it to Jalen or Berry, or even a back-cutting Matt. I just hate the forced shots.

 

[Davidgolds5]

1) Coming up short against Wisconsin, a likely 4 seed as of today, without Barnhizer doesn't mean we're a bad team. Yes, we're probably somewhere between the 12th and 17th-best Big 10 team now but still a top 60-ish team in the country. We just play in an unforgiving league and came up on the wrong end of some close ones we needed to win. I'm not giving up on these guys making a run to some sort of postseason play.

2) As a Pacific NW resident/native, I'm loving the upcoming trip up this way even though they'll be late start times for most fans watching on TV. I'm happy to be able to be close enough to support the team in person, I'm driving to Seattle on Saturday and Eugene next Tuesday to attend both games.

3) There's been a lot of talk about Nicholson on another thread. EvanMiya has a metric called "Defensive Bayesian Performance Rating" (DBPR) that measures a player's total impact on defense (including how their presence on the floor increases the defensive performance of teammates). Nicholson is tied for 2nd *in the entire Big 10* in this rating with Danny Wolf, just below Morez Johnson. Looking at "on/off the floor" ratings, our defensive rating is 16.4 points better per 100 possessions with Matt on the floor than when he sits. No other player on our team is worth more than 4.6 points per 100 possessions on D, and that's KJ Windham who hasn't played much in conference games. Unsurprisingly, Matt leads our team in raw +/- and we outscored both Wisconsin and Rutgers by 7 points when Matt was on the floor. He's really important despite the lack of development in his offensive game.

4) This may be unpopular, but I don't think "making this Nick's team" is a winning approach the rest of this season. I hope Leach is at least considered option 1B moving forward as he's been playing very well. I like how Leach is able to dribble into good looks from 3 and from the elbow off of high screens, and I think those are much better looks than what Nick throws up 6 or 7 times a game. I love Nick but teams are starting to solve him a bit, and he's forcing shots that just aren't there. I like when the ball moves on offense and Nick is able to get into a move quickly after the catch. I don't like when he gets the ball at the arc and spends 11 seconds backing down a defender only to end up forcing up an off-balance leaner with 3 guys on him. Because he has this funky arsenal of moves it seems like he thinks he can improvise under pressure and it's becoming less successful. He's 18-for-53 the last 3 games, but more concerning is that he's 13-for-36 on 2-pointers. That's too many wasted possessions.

5) Gelo was horribad on Saturday, but he has to play. So does KJ. They're the future of the team. Get them minutes while still keeping the core of Martinelli/Leach/Berry/Nicholson. I used to be higher on Mullins but I'm coming back the other way. Mullins with the other 4 starters is our worst-performing lineup. Let's prioritize the freshmen and use Mullins when needed.

6) I think we'll be fine next year. The incoming class is good. We have two young guys who should take big jumps. Martinelli will be back. We'll have a wide open spot for a big man in the portal who wants to start in the Big 10. We've landed two nice guards out of mid-major programs the last two years, so hopefully we can do that again. I'm not gloomy about the future.

Awesome stuff. Enjoy the west coast games.

 

[SmellyCat]

5) Gelo was horribad on Saturday.

It was not his best game, but he did come up for a loose ball by diving on the floor, and a move like that will always endear him to this fan, as well as many others. He'll have better games but I admire the hustle. He'll be at least a poor man's Barnhizer by the time he's a senior.

 

[Davidgolds5]

It was not his best game, but he did come up for a loose ball by diving on the floor, and a move like that will always him to this fan, as well as many others. He'll have better games but I admire the hustle. He'll be at least a poor man's Barnhizer by the time he's a senior.

You can see the skill is there. And great hops too. Just looks like the game is moving too quickly for him, which is to be expected for a freshman with limited time. He will get there.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

One problem Collins faced before the Wisconsin game was figuring out a rotation.

Barnhizer had been on the court for maybe 90% of the minutes against the Big Ten, so there wasn't a lot to go on - with Mullins or Ciaravino replacing Barnhizer. The starting lineup of Nicholson/Martinelli/Barnhizer/Ciarvino/Leach had been playing very well as a unit
(80-54 over 41:43) but that is gone.

The best chance for us to be competitive is that Ciaravino or Windham starts making shots. Or Mullins, I suppose.

We need something respectable from Hunger or Fitzmorris - something other than an ass-kicking.

Maybe Collins will finally try Hunger at the 4. I would be so proud of him - no matter what happens.

I admit that it isn't a lot to hang your hat on.

 

[macarthur31]

4) This may be unpopular, but I don't think "making this Nick's team" is a winning approach the rest of this season. I hope Leach is at least considered option 1B moving forward as he's been playing very well. I like how Leach is able to dribble into good looks from 3 and from the elbow off of high screens, and I think those are much better looks than what Nick throws up 6 or 7 times a game. I love Nick but teams are starting to solve him a bit, and he's forcing shots that just aren't there. I like when the ball moves on offense and Nick is able to get into a move quickly after the catch. I don't like when he gets the ball at the arc and spends 11 seconds backing down a defender only to end up forcing up an off-balance leaner with 3 guys on him. Because he has this funky arsenal of moves it seems like he thinks he can improvise under pressure and it's becoming less successful. He's 18-for-53 the last 3 games, but more concerning is that he's 13-for-36 on 2-pointers. That's too many wasted possessions.

I'm good with Nick taking those 3 pointers if the opponent is in drop coverage, but I align with you in that we can't make "Nick takes tough contested drives" our primary action. Agreed that Leach can hit that 3 off the dribble; and we gotta keep working the pindown screens for Ty. Matty Nix had 10 points last game cause opponents were overplaying the perimeter and he had oop looks and pocket passes. Finally, I'm thinking Jello and Mullins are gonna be able to get points off slashes or open 3 looks.

Cats offense gonna need alot of different types of contributions to make the aggregate work alongside a defense that stays stout for all 40 minutes. It's a very tall order.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

You can see the skill is there. And great hops too. Just looks like the game is moving too quickly for him, which is to be expected for a freshman with limited time. He will get there.

His problem is lazy passes and horrible defense. Both can be fixed. I am not sure shooting a high % will be his thing unless he learns to finish inside. He is athletic and shows glimpse, but that same athleticism that bailed him out on the defensive end in HS gets matched in the Big,

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Outstanding post!

Could not agree more about time for Gelo and KJ. Gelo was really bad vs Sconnie, but he was pretty good vs Dayton, Purdue and Rutgers. He can play. Same for KJ.

I am fine with Nick dribbling into the paint, drawing a double team, and kicking it to Jalen or Berry, or even a back-cutting Matt. I just hate the forced shots.

Nick has been making those wild shots all season up until the last 4 games. We don’t have any other scores inside. Zero. Luka would have trouble facing 3 defenders most plays. I like him being aggressive and shooting whenever he doesn’t have two guys draped on him.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

1) Coming up short against Wisconsin, a likely 4 seed as of today, without Barnhizer doesn't mean we're a bad team. Yes, we're probably somewhere between the 12th and 17th-best Big 10 team now but still a top 60-ish team in the country. We just play in an unforgiving league and came up on the wrong end of some close ones we needed to win. I'm not giving up on these guys making a run to some sort of postseason play.

2) As a Pacific NW resident/native, I'm loving the upcoming trip up this way even though they'll be late start times for most fans watching on TV. I'm happy to be able to be close enough to support the team in person, I'm driving to Seattle on Saturday and Eugene next Tuesday to attend both games.

3) There's been a lot of talk about Nicholson on another thread. EvanMiya has a metric called "Defensive Bayesian Performance Rating" (DBPR) that measures a player's total impact on defense (including how their presence on the floor increases the defensive performance of teammates). Nicholson is tied for 2nd *in the entire Big 10* in this rating with Danny Wolf, just below Morez Johnson. Looking at "on/off the floor" ratings, our defensive rating is 16.4 points better per 100 possessions with Matt on the floor than when he sits. No other player on our team is worth more than 4.6 points per 100 possessions on D, and that's KJ Windham who hasn't played much in conference games. Unsurprisingly, Matt leads our team in raw +/- and we outscored both Wisconsin and Rutgers by 7 points when Matt was on the floor. He's really important despite the lack of development in his offensive game.

4) This may be unpopular, but I don't think "making this Nick's team" is a winning approach the rest of this season. I hope Leach is at least considered option 1B moving forward as he's been playing very well. I like how Leach is able to dribble into good looks from 3 and from the elbow off of high screens, and I think those are much better looks than what Nick throws up 6 or 7 times a game. I love Nick but teams are starting to solve him a bit, and he's forcing shots that just aren't there. I like when the ball moves on offense and Nick is able to get into a move quickly after the catch. I don't like when he gets the ball at the arc and spends 11 seconds backing down a defender only to end up forcing up an off-balance leaner with 3 guys on him. Because he has this funky arsenal of moves it seems like he thinks he can improvise under pressure and it's becoming less successful. He's 18-for-53 the last 3 games, but more concerning is that he's 13-for-36 on 2-pointers. That's too many wasted possessions.

5) Gelo was horribad on Saturday, but he has to play. So does KJ. They're the future of the team. Get them minutes while still keeping the core of Martinelli/Leach/Berry/Nicholson. I used to be higher on Mullins but I'm coming back the other way. Mullins with the other 4 starters is our worst-performing lineup. Let's prioritize the freshmen and use Mullins when needed.

6) I think we'll be fine next year. The incoming class is good. We have two young guys who should take big jumps. Martinelli will be back. We'll have a wide open spot for a big man in the portal who wants to start in the Big 10. We've landed two nice guards out of mid-major programs the last two years, so hopefully we can do that again. I'm not gloomy about the future.

I have never heard of this defensive rating you referenced, but Big Matt is an elite defender. It’s magnified because Luke and Fitz really struggle on that end. There are two extremes there. I would guess that if they had WAR (wins over replacement) like they do in MLB, Big Matt would lead the team.

 

[Hungry Jack]

I have never heard of this defensive rating you referenced, but Big Matt is an elite defender. It’s magnified because Luke and Fitz really struggle on that end. There are two extremes there. I would guess that if they had WAR (wins over replacement) like they do in MLB, Big Matt would lead the team.

My second cousin flies a cargo prop for Air Kentucky and knows a ton about basketball. He says Matt is one of the best big man defenders he has seen.

 

[Baz=Heisman]

1) Coming up short against Wisconsin, a likely 4 seed as of today, without Barnhizer doesn't mean we're a bad team. Yes, we're probably somewhere between the 12th and 17th-best Big 10 team now but still a top 60-ish team in the country. We just play in an unforgiving league and came up on the wrong end of some close ones we needed to win. I'm not giving up on these guys making a run to some sort of postseason play.

2) As a Pacific NW resident/native, I'm loving the upcoming trip up this way even though they'll be late start times for most fans watching on TV. I'm happy to be able to be close enough to support the team in person, I'm driving to Seattle on Saturday and Eugene next Tuesday to attend both games.

3) There's been a lot of talk about Nicholson on another thread. EvanMiya has a metric called "Defensive Bayesian Performance Rating" (DBPR) that measures a player's total impact on defense (including how their presence on the floor increases the defensive performance of teammates). Nicholson is tied for 2nd *in the entire Big 10* in this rating with Danny Wolf, just below Morez Johnson. Looking at "on/off the floor" ratings, our defensive rating is 16.4 points better per 100 possessions with Matt on the floor than when he sits. No other player on our team is worth more than 4.6 points per 100 possessions on D, and that's KJ Windham who hasn't played much in conference games. Unsurprisingly, Matt leads our team in raw +/- and we outscored both Wisconsin and Rutgers by 7 points when Matt was on the floor. He's really important despite the lack of development in his offensive game.

4) This may be unpopular, but I don't think "making this Nick's team" is a winning approach the rest of this season. I hope Leach is at least considered option 1B moving forward as he's been playing very well. I like how Leach is able to dribble into good looks from 3 and from the elbow off of high screens, and I think those are much better looks than what Nick throws up 6 or 7 times a game. I love Nick but teams are starting to solve him a bit, and he's forcing shots that just aren't there. I like when the ball moves on offense and Nick is able to get into a move quickly after the catch. I don't like when he gets the ball at the arc and spends 11 seconds backing down a defender only to end up forcing up an off-balance leaner with 3 guys on him. Because he has this funky arsenal of moves it seems like he thinks he can improvise under pressure and it's becoming less successful. He's 18-for-53 the last 3 games, but more concerning is that he's 13-for-36 on 2-pointers. That's too many wasted possessions.

5) Gelo was horribad on Saturday, but he has to play. So does KJ. They're the future of the team. Get them minutes while still keeping the core of Martinelli/Leach/Berry/Nicholson. I used to be higher on Mullins but I'm coming back the other way. Mullins with the other 4 starters is our worst-performing lineup. Let's prioritize the freshmen and use Mullins when needed.

6) I think we'll be fine next year. The incoming class is good. We have two young guys who should take big jumps. Martinelli will be back. We'll have a wide open spot for a big man in the portal who wants to start in the Big 10. We've landed two nice guards out of mid-major programs the last two years, so hopefully we can do that again. I'm not gloomy about the future.

Great post. Pumped we will have some of our diehards with the boys on the WC trip! Also, agreed we need to run the show through Jalen (Batman) and let Nick be in the side car (Robin) going forward. Guards run college basketball.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

His problem is lazy passes and horrible defense

You posted several opinions, I agree with most of it, but the "horrible defense" part is just wrong.
Ciaravino plays defense. In fact he's not bad at it.

His problems are that refs target him for cheap fouls because he is aggressive - and he's not hitting his shots right now.

Here's the data for Mullins and Ciaravino with the regulars...
Big Ten games only.

					Minutes	NU	Oppt	NU/40	Oppt/40
Nicholson	Martinelli	Barnhizer	Leach	Ciaravino	41.7	80	54	76.70	51.78
Nicholson	Martinelli	Barnhizer	Leach	Mullins	19.5	31	39	63.75	80.21
Nicholson	Martinelli	Barnhizer	Berry	Ciaravino	8.75	13	13	59.43	59.43
Nicholson	Martinelli	Barnhizer	Berry	Mullins	6.17	6	16	38.92	103.78

Head to head with Mullins and the data is telling us that Ciaravino has been the better defender when part of the veteran lineups.

As I mentioned, that could change with Barnhizer gone, but we'll have to wait and see.

 

[ThatkidfromHolland]

You posted several opinions, I agree with most of it, but the "horrible defense" part is just wrong.
Ciaravino plays defense. In fact he's not bad at it.

His problems are that refs target him for cheap fouls because he is aggressive - and he's not hitting his shots right now.

Here's the data for Mullins and Ciaravino with the regulars...
Big Ten games only.

					Minutes	NU	Oppt	NU/40	Oppt/40
Nicholson	Martinelli	Barnhizer	Leach	Ciaravino	41.7	80	54	76.70	51.78
Nicholson	Martinelli	Barnhizer	Leach	Mullins	19.5	31	39	63.75	80.21
Nicholson	Martinelli	Barnhizer	Berry	Ciaravino	8.75	13	13	59.43	59.43
Nicholson	Martinelli	Barnhizer	Berry	Mullins	6.17	6	16	38.92	103.78

Head to head with Mullins and the data is telling us that Ciaravino has been the better defender when part of the veteran lineups.

As I mentioned, that could change with Barnhizer gone, but we'll have to wait and see.

The data you're referencing doesn't provide any insight into the individual defender's performance. It completely overlooks variables like the skill level of opposing players, game context (such as defensive substitutions or garbage time), and situational factors that can heavily influence defensive outcomes. Moreover, the sample size is so small that it's highly susceptible to runs. At this scale, it’s impossible to isolate whether another player in the lineup just happened to be playing better for a brief 3-5 minute stretch or an opponent being unstoppable while hot, which could skew the numbers. When you look at the tape, it's clear: Mullins is a significantly better defender, and the gap is substantial.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

The data you're referencing doesn't provide any insight into the individual defender's performance. It completely overlooks variables like the skill level of opposing players, game context (such as defensive substitutions or garbage time), and situational factors that can heavily influence defensive outcomes. Moreover, the sample size is so small that it's highly susceptible to runs. At this scale, it’s impossible to isolate whether another player in the lineup just happened to be playing better for a brief 3-5 minute stretch or an opponent being unstoppable while hot, which could skew the numbers. When you look at the tape, it's clear: Mullins is a significantly better defender, and the gap is substantial.

Thats crazy talk. Really bizarro-world.
I mean, I get it, some of you fellas think you are experts on these things, but I rely on the data and I get it right most of the time.

Face it, you're saying Collins is an idiot for benching Mullins and starting Ciaravino.
When the data and the coach see the same thing, thats convincing enough for me.
But I'm surprised Gordie thinks that Collins made a mistake.

No offense.

 

[Hungry Jack]

You posted several opinions, I agree with most of it, but the "horrible defense" part is just wrong.
Ciaravino plays defense. In fact he's not bad at it.

His problems are that refs target him for cheap fouls because he is aggressive - and he's not hitting his shots right now.

Here's the data for Mullins and Ciaravino with the regulars...
Big Ten games only.

					Minutes	NU	Oppt	NU/40	Oppt/40
Nicholson	Martinelli	Barnhizer	Leach	Ciaravino	41.7	80	54	76.70	51.78
Nicholson	Martinelli	Barnhizer	Leach	Mullins	19.5	31	39	63.75	80.21
Nicholson	Martinelli	Barnhizer	Berry	Ciaravino	8.75	13	13	59.43	59.43
Nicholson	Martinelli	Barnhizer	Berry	Mullins	6.17	6	16	38.92	103.78

Head to head with Mullins and the data is telling us that Ciaravino has been the better defender when part of the veteran lineups.

As I mentioned, that could change with Barnhizer gone, but we'll have to wait and see.

Interesting to see the drop from Leach to Berry. As Gordie notes, it’s a small sample. But it passes the sniff test.

 

[Secho99]

The data you're referencing doesn't provide any insight into the individual defender's performance. It completely overlooks variables like the skill level of opposing players, game context (such as defensive substitutions or garbage time), and situational factors that can heavily influence defensive outcomes. Moreover, the sample size is so small that it's highly susceptible to runs. At this scale, it’s impossible to isolate whether another player in the lineup just happened to be playing better for a brief 3-5 minute stretch or an opponent being unstoppable while hot, which could skew the numbers. When you look at the tape, it's clear: Mullins is a significantly better defender, and the gap is substantial.

The Barnhizer/Martinelli/Ciaravino/Nicholson/Leach lineup has been our best this season by a fairly wide margin (+53 pts per 100 possessions, adjusted for quality of competition, which is 23 pts higher than our 2nd-best lineup). The same lineup with Mullins inserted for Ciaravino is our worst lineup this season out of 8 units that have been together for at least 40 possessions (-9.4 pts per 100 possession). And the lineup that includes Ciaravino has been facing higher-quality opposing lineups than the one that includes Mullins (largely because Gelo has been starting for a few weeks now). We can argue eye test all we want but those are the results.

 

[SDakaGordie]

Thats crazy talk. Really bizarro-world.
I mean, I get it, some of you fellas think you are experts on these things, but I rely on the data and I get it right most of the time.

Face it, you're saying Collins is an idiot for benching Mullins and starting Ciaravino.
When the data and the coach see the same thing, thats convincing enough for me.
But I'm surprised Gordie thinks that Collins made a mistake.

No offense.

You do get it right a fair amount, but many times you make mistakes interpreting your data. Have you ever heard of statistical credibility or confounding variables? Collins sees this stuff every day in practice and you think the very few minutes you track above are more credible? Not a chance.

 

[Secho99]

I'm good with Nick taking those 3 pointers if the opponent is in drop coverage, but I align with you in that we can't make "Nick takes tough contested drives" our primary action. Agreed that Leach can hit that 3 off the dribble; and we gotta keep working the pindown screens for Ty. Matty Nix had 10 points last game cause opponents were overplaying the perimeter and he had oop looks and pocket passes. Finally, I'm thinking Jello and Mullins are gonna be able to get points off slashes or open 3 looks.

Cats offense gonna need alot of different types of contributions to make the aggregate work alongside a defense that stays stout for all 40 minutes. It's a very tall order.

Yeah, I agree on not minding Nick's 3s and mid-range jumpers when he's got the space to square up. Overall like you say I think the key is making a concerted effort to find shots for different guys. For the most part, Leach and Berry's shots are good shots. They might not all go in and they occasionally force one, but I prefer those to some (not all) of Nick's contortions. And for Mullins, when he's been able to get to the rim it seems like he's a good finisher. I agree that using him and Ciaravino as slashers would be a good use of their talent. I think Ciaravino is about to get the full Mullins treatment from opposing defenses of "if you think you can make that 3, go for it."

 

[Secho99]

I have never heard of this defensive rating you referenced, but Big Matt is an elite defender. It’s magnified because Luke and Fitz really struggle on that end. There are two extremes there. I would guess that if they had WAR (wins over replacement) like they do in MLB, Big Matt would lead the team.

The "on/off the floor" defensive rating numbers for Matt are definitely higher because of the struggles Fitzmorris and Hunger have defensively, since one of those guys is on the floor when Matt is off. But as I understand it the DBPR rating does not hinge on those 2 guys at all, it just demonstrates Matt's value as a defender and how he makes the whole lineup better.

 

[EagerFan]

Nick will get plenty of opportunities to get his points as long as Berry and Leach are hitting from outside, and he'll try to share some of those with Matt - Matt just needs to catch the passes. I think the offense runs thru Leach until and unless he runs into an elite guard he can't get past, and then he gets it to Nick and the set moves forward. Angelo will make those threes in time, I think he was just too aware of the shots and rushing himself, like a freshman. And I agree he is best suited slashing for the dunk/layup/putback as is Mullins.

I'd be entertained by trying a few minutes of Luke at center with Keenan as power forward. I don't know it would work at all, but I'd enjoy the play.

 

[ThatkidfromHolland]

Thats crazy talk. Really bizarro-world.
I mean, I get it, some of you fellas think you are experts on these things, but I rely on the data and I get it right most of the time.

Face it, you're saying Collins is an idiot for benching Mullins and starting Ciaravino.
When the data and the coach see the same thing, thats convincing enough for me.
But I'm surprised Gordie thinks that Collins made a mistake.

No offense.

That’s not what I’m saying at all. It’s almost like you didn’t read what I typed. I just called out that that specific data table doesn’t quantify who the better individual defender is. I’m not saying who should play above who. I’m not commenting on Collins. I’m commented on the misinterpretation of the data. Please tell me how what I typed about is incorrect on the variables it doesn’t measure and the short comings of sample size.

The tape does not lie on who the better defender is.

 

[Southport Cat]

Great thread, couldn’t agree more on the optimism for next year and that this year’s team is good even if we had worse outcomes than we wanted so far.

The take that Mullins isn’t a good defender is a head scratcher to me if you are actually watching the games. I wonder if the short leash and his yo-yo minutes haven’t sapped a lot of his abilities. He has nowhere near the leeway for mistakes that Leach or even Ty get. He seems to check in when one of our scorers goes ice cold and the other team is going on a run. I’d argue the data set is skewed against him in that regard. Or I am just a mark because his game reminds me of one of my favorite all time Wildcats, Mo Hachad.

Martinelli should be living at the foul line but the fact that he wears purple and has an unorthodox arsenal seems to preclude such a reality. A lot of his bad shots to my eyes come from his man playing grab a$$ with him when he goes into YMCA tazmanian devil mode.

Is anyone else wanting to see what Blake Barkley could do with 10 of those Barnhizer minutes each game the rest of the way?

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

You posted several opinions, I agree with most of it, but the "horrible defense" part is just wrong.
Ciaravino plays defense. In fact he's not bad at it.

His problems are that refs target him for cheap fouls because he is aggressive - and he's not hitting his shots right now.

Here's the data for Mullins and Ciaravino with the regulars...
Big Ten games only.

					Minutes	NU	Oppt	NU/40	Oppt/40
Nicholson	Martinelli	Barnhizer	Leach	Ciaravino	41.7	80	54	76.70	51.78
Nicholson	Martinelli	Barnhizer	Leach	Mullins	19.5	31	39	63.75	80.21
Nicholson	Martinelli	Barnhizer	Berry	Ciaravino	8.75	13	13	59.43	59.43
Nicholson	Martinelli	Barnhizer	Berry	Mullins	6.17	6	16	38.92	103.78

Head to head with Mullins and the data is telling us that Ciaravino has been the better defender when part of the veteran lineups.

As I mentioned, that could change with Barnhizer gone, but we'll have to wait and see.

I guess we will just disagree. I watched very closely the last few games on why we seemed to give up a lot of threes to our opponents. The clear main reason was Gelo getting beat off the dribble and either Big Matt or Nick were forced slide over for rim protection. If they didn't it was a lay up. When they did generally the penetrating player kicked it to the perimeter where that player either shot the three or moved it one more pass to an open player. Gelo will be fine as he gets more experienced. In fact, I believe he will be a good defender, he just isn’t very good at it now and it kills us.