by Philip Straus
WildcatReport Staff Writer
EVANSTON-Less than 48 hours after what he called the worst game of the season, Northwestern head coach Chris Collins is not prepared to throw the towel in just yet.
"You have two choices -- you can lay down and pity, or you can choose to get up and start throwing punches and fight your way out of it," Collins said before practice Thursday afternoon.
The second-year coach stressed the importance of staying in the moment, and not trying to do too much at once.
"You can't get on a winning track without winning the next game, we can't win six in a row on Sunday." He then said that he thinks the only way his team can be successful is by "playing with amazing energy" and by "fighting like crazy."
Collins was critical of his team's effort on the defensive end of late, saying that they can't afford to get discouraged by tough shots made by the opponent.
"Denzel Valentine banks one in falling out of bounds… you can't get discouraged by those. The ones you have to eliminate are the ones you can control, which are the open layups, open threes, and putting them on the foul line when it's unnecessary."
While he has been critical of his team's energy, Collins put things in perspective by noting the amount of playing time the Cats' freshmen receive compared to other schools. In its last contest, two Northwestern freshmen recorded over 30 minutes of playing time (Bryant McIntosh). By contrast, Michigan State's freshman played a total of nine minutes in the game.
Regarding the younger members of the team, Collins said the team's recent stretch of blowout losses will be an "invaluable experience" for them.
"Sometimes you gotta get your head kicked in a little bit and learn what it takes to get better," Collins said.
Collins also discussed his team's offensive strategy, saying his team needs to focus on the basics and fundamentals before becoming preoccupied with strategy. He bluntly stated that his team does not have the personnel quite yet to play an up-tempo style à la Michigan State or Iowa.
"Right now we don't have speed and athleticism to play that way… I don't see Branden Dawson on our team."
This post was edited on 2/12 8:28 PM by Lou V
WildcatReport Staff Writer
EVANSTON-Less than 48 hours after what he called the worst game of the season, Northwestern head coach Chris Collins is not prepared to throw the towel in just yet.
"You have two choices -- you can lay down and pity, or you can choose to get up and start throwing punches and fight your way out of it," Collins said before practice Thursday afternoon.
The second-year coach stressed the importance of staying in the moment, and not trying to do too much at once.
"You can't get on a winning track without winning the next game, we can't win six in a row on Sunday." He then said that he thinks the only way his team can be successful is by "playing with amazing energy" and by "fighting like crazy."
Collins was critical of his team's effort on the defensive end of late, saying that they can't afford to get discouraged by tough shots made by the opponent.
"Denzel Valentine banks one in falling out of bounds… you can't get discouraged by those. The ones you have to eliminate are the ones you can control, which are the open layups, open threes, and putting them on the foul line when it's unnecessary."
While he has been critical of his team's energy, Collins put things in perspective by noting the amount of playing time the Cats' freshmen receive compared to other schools. In its last contest, two Northwestern freshmen recorded over 30 minutes of playing time (Bryant McIntosh). By contrast, Michigan State's freshman played a total of nine minutes in the game.
Regarding the younger members of the team, Collins said the team's recent stretch of blowout losses will be an "invaluable experience" for them.
"Sometimes you gotta get your head kicked in a little bit and learn what it takes to get better," Collins said.
Collins also discussed his team's offensive strategy, saying his team needs to focus on the basics and fundamentals before becoming preoccupied with strategy. He bluntly stated that his team does not have the personnel quite yet to play an up-tempo style à la Michigan State or Iowa.
"Right now we don't have speed and athleticism to play that way… I don't see Branden Dawson on our team."
This post was edited on 2/12 8:28 PM by Lou V
