+/- for the triumph over Purdue

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

Quite the victory for the Wildcats last night. Got a couple of court-storming videos from my daughter, one of Buie and one of a roaring Big Matt and somebody rubbing Barnhizer's new buzzcut.
The atmosphere was wild and the students were packed in 75 minutes before tipoff, according to "my source."

With NU playing a really tight rotation and the refs doing as much as they could do to put NU's big guys on the bench, the Wildcats were up against it - on their home floor, no less - but NU still found a way to beat the Boilermakers. Again.

Player	Minutes	NU Pts	PU Pts	Raw +/-	Player Adj	Net +/-
Buie	43	89	81	+8	+10.24	+18.24
Berry	35	74	66	+8	+4.34	+12.34
Langborg	42	92	87	+5	-0.26	+4.74
Hunger	14	35	33	+2	+0.3	+2.3
Preston	19	40	36	+4	-2.2	+1.8
Martinelli	19	34	33	+1	-4.2	-3.2
Nicholson	12	14	19	-5	+0.85	-4.15
Clayton	4	5	7	-2	-0.53	-2.53
Barnhizer	38	77	78	-1	-8.54	-9.54

I don't know what the refs are thinking when they allow Edey to initiate contact with the defender, push him down the lane and then call fouls on the defender for trying to hold his ground. There were probably 5 calls like that. The defender is entitled to his position on the floor. Calling a foul on Nicholson away from the ball 15 seconds into the game for brushing up against Edey is inexcusable because it has such an effect on the game. Blatantly pro-Purdue, pro-Edey in the post. Had we not won, I'd be fuming. As it is, it was the only blemish on a great game.

After the Northern Illinois game, I wrote about the success of the Nicholson / Martinelli / Barnhizer frontcourt. The refs messed that up, limiting that trio to 4 minutes together, which NU lost 6-2. Obviously it wasn't really working on the offensive end. I think thats an aberration.

My previously-expressed optimism about Luke Hunger is now obviously justified. He is going to be a good player for us. I've liked him since the Pitt debacle last year - before he broke his foot.
Plays hard, big energy, not afraid. Can shoot the ball - may even light Edey up from outside when the two teams meet again. Collins has to be excited about his potential as a stretch 4 or 5.

Blake Preston played admirably under severe duress. He will probably finish the season as the best 3rd string center in America. Great credit to him for playing the last 9 minutes of the game and getting two big steals.

Can't let the comments end without praising Buie, Berry and Langborg. All 3 were awesome, with Boo putting up one of the best games of his career.

 

[catcrazy]

I couldn't agree with you more about the Edey comment. I felt like it was the NBA where he got calls just because of who he is not anything our centers did.

 

[Hungry Jack]

In general, I thought there was too much officiating. They seemed to be reacting to last year’s game and all the whining that followed. Matt was capped at the knees early by the zebras.

The silver lining is that Hunger was summoned and did some Hunger game things. Edey fairly abused him, but Hunger compensated with some offensive skills we will come to appreciate very soon, I think.

My son’s middle school team played a game Thursday against some really big kids—probably 50-70 pounds on them and often 6-12” inch height advantage. They just pushed them out of the way as the refs watched (down 27-9 at half they rallied to within 9 late). Watching Edey move guys last night reminded me of that dynamic. He’s just an overwhelming force, and Big Matt is one of a handful of college players who can somewhat defend him.

But, Lord Jesus, what a game. My life is better for having seen it.

 

[MC_Cat]

Quite the victory for the Wildcats last night. Got a couple of court-storming videos from my daughter, one of Buie and one of a roaring Big Matt and somebody rubbing Barnhizer's new buzzcut.
The atmosphere was wild and the students were packed in 75 minutes before tipoff, according to "my source."

With NU playing a really tight rotation and the refs doing as much as they could do to put NU's big guys on the bench, the Wildcats were up against it - on their home floor, no less - but NU still found a way to beat the Boilermakers. Again.

Player	Minutes	NU Pts	PU Pts	Raw +/-	Player Adj	Net +/-
Buie	43	89	81	+8	+10.24	+18.24
Berry	35	74	66	+8	+4.34	+12.34
Langborg	42	92	87	+5	-0.26	+4.74
Hunger	14	35	33	+2	+0.3	+2.3
Preston	19	40	36	+4	-2.2	+1.8
Martinelli	19	34	33	+1	-4.2	-3.2
Nicholson	12	14	19	-5	+0.85	-4.15
Clayton	4	5	7	-2	-0.53	-2.53

I don't know what the refs are thinking when they allow Edey to initiate contact with the defender, push him down the lane and then call fouls on the defender for trying to hold his ground. There were probably 5 calls like that. The defender is entitled to his position on the floor. Calling a foul on Nicholson away from the ball 15 seconds into the game for brushing up against Edey is inexcusable because it has such an effect on the game. Blatantly pro-Purdue, pro-Edey in the post. Had we not won, I'd be fuming. As it is, it was the only blemish on a great game.

After the Northern Illinois game, I wrote about the success of the Nicholson / Martinelli / Barnhizer frontcourt. The refs messed that up, limiting that trio to 4 minutes together, which NU lost 6-2. Obviously it wasn't really working on the offensive end. I think thats an aberration.

My previously-expressed optimism about Luke Hunger is now obviously justified. He is going to be a good player for us. I've liked him since the Pitt debacle last year - before he broke his foot.
Plays hard, big energy, not afraid. Can shoot the ball - may even light Edey up from outside when the two teams meet again. Collins has to be excited about his potential as a stretch 4 or 5.

Blake Preston played admirably under severe duress. He will probably finish the season as the best 3rd string center in America. Great credit to him for playing the last 9 minutes of the game and getting two big steals.

Can't let the comments end without praising Buie, Berry and Langborg. All 3 were awesome, with Boo putting up one of the best games of his career.

Where's Barnhizer's ÷/-?

 

[thewildcat2011]

In general, I thought there was too much officiating. They seemed to be reacting to last year’s game and all the whining that followed. Matt was capped at the knees early by the zebras.

The silver lining is that Hunger was summoned and did some Hunger game things. Edey fairly abused him, but Hunger compensated with some offensive skills we will come to appreciate very soon, I think.

My son’s middle school team played a game Thursday against some really big kids—probably 50-70 pounds on them and often 6-12” inch height advantage. They just pushed them out of the way as the refs watched (down 27-9 at half they rallied to within 9 late). Watching Edey move guys last night reminded me of that dynamic. He’s just an overwhelming force, and Big Matt is one of a handful of college players who can somewhat defend him.

But, Lord Jesus, what a game. My life is better for having seen it.

Same crew did Marquette and Wisconsin today. I only watched a few minutes late in the second half, but they didn’t call anything for Marquette. Shaka Smart was really heated and almost got himself T’ed up.

 

[Hungry Jack]

Where's Barnhizer's ÷/-?

His hair was -10 but that’s understandable

 

[GatoLouco]

I wrote in the game thread, like 4 minutes into the game, that the refs believed Edey was made of porcelain.

The way this was officiated makes you believe refs are reading stuff online, listening to talking heads, etc. And, consciously or not, get affected by all the whining that went on about last year’s game.

 

[EagerFan]

The move that seems to almost guarantee a beneficial foul call in bump the guy back, bump him back again, maybe bump him back a third time if he's big enough, and then as he is recovering, turn into him so "he contacts you" as you move toward the basket.

 

[IGNORE2]

Quite the victory for the Wildcats last night. Got a couple of court-storming videos from my daughter, one of Buie and one of a roaring Big Matt and somebody rubbing Barnhizer's new buzzcut.
The atmosphere was wild and the students were packed in 75 minutes before tipoff, according to "my source."

With NU playing a really tight rotation and the refs doing as much as they could do to put NU's big guys on the bench, the Wildcats were up against it - on their home floor, no less - but NU still found a way to beat the Boilermakers. Again.

Player	Minutes	NU Pts	PU Pts	Raw +/-	Player Adj	Net +/-
Buie	43	89	81	+8	+10.24	+18.24
Berry	35	74	66	+8	+4.34	+12.34
Langborg	42	92	87	+5	-0.26	+4.74
Hunger	14	35	33	+2	+0.3	+2.3
Preston	19	40	36	+4	-2.2	+1.8
Martinelli	19	34	33	+1	-4.2	-3.2
Nicholson	12	14	19	-5	+0.85	-4.15
Clayton	4	5	7	-2	-0.53	-2.53

I don't know what the refs are thinking when they allow Edey to initiate contact with the defender, push him down the lane and then call fouls on the defender for trying to hold his ground. There were probably 5 calls like that. The defender is entitled to his position on the floor. Calling a foul on Nicholson away from the ball 15 seconds into the game for brushing up against Edey is inexcusable because it has such an effect on the game. Blatantly pro-Purdue, pro-Edey in the post. Had we not won, I'd be fuming. As it is, it was the only blemish on a great game.

After the Northern Illinois game, I wrote about the success of the Nicholson / Martinelli / Barnhizer frontcourt. The refs messed that up, limiting that trio to 4 minutes together, which NU lost 6-2. Obviously it wasn't really working on the offensive end. I think thats an aberration.

My previously-expressed optimism about Luke Hunger is now obviously justified. He is going to be a good player for us. I've liked him since the Pitt debacle last year - before he broke his foot.
Plays hard, big energy, not afraid. Can shoot the ball - may even light Edey up from outside when the two teams meet again. Collins has to be excited about his potential as a stretch 4 or 5.

Blake Preston played admirably under severe duress. He will probably finish the season as the best 3rd string center in America. Great credit to him for playing the last 9 minutes of the game and getting two big steals.

Can't let the comments end without praising Buie, Berry and Langborg. All 3 were awesome, with Boo putting up one of the best games of his career.

Hey pwb - where is BB?

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

Hey pwb - where is BB?

My bad. I added it. I guess I'm too much of a homer to have to report bad news...

It may appear overly punitive, but one way to think about it is the net of the player adjustments has to be zero.

Or, relative to his raw +/- (which was only -1) Barnhizer's performance was a net negative, while Buie and (to a lesser degree) Berry were carrying the team.

 

[IGNORE2]

My bad. I added it. I guess I'm too much of a homer to have to report bad news...

It may appear overly punitive, but one way to think about it is the net of the player adjustments has to be zero.

Or, relative to his raw +/- (which was only -1) Barnhizer's performance was a net negative, while Buie and (to a lesser degree) Berry were carrying the team.

It was the haircut

 

[Zootcat]

I don’t think I’ve ever seen Barnhizer’s rating that low before. It’s especially interesting given how much he’s been praised regarding his defense during this game.

 

[SmellyCat]

Something definitely felt off about him Friday. Maybe it was just the haircut, but I wouldn't be surprised if he had a mild cold or something. Not saying he played poorly by any means, but he just didn't seem quite as in the middle of all the action as usual. He did get a dunk though, so that was nice.

I think the best thing about it is NU won the game despite its (arguably) second-best player having an off game, and if you told me Barnhizer would have an off game AND Nicholson would foul out in just 12 minutes of action going up against Edey, I would've assumed a double-digit loss. Really says a lot about how Berry and Langborg picked up the slack. They don't all have to be perfect to beat a great team.

 

[KittyLover24]

Seems like a disproportionate amount of talk about Buzzcut Barney’s hair in multiple threads. I’m more interested in who gave Preston the shiner he was sporting.

I’m not much of a poster (read that as never), but Barney’s critical steal from Gillis with about 1:00 left in regulation and taking the charge against Smith when he was saddled with 4 fouls showed me some serious toughness and “big plums” (as someone else says) down the stretch. When I watched the game on replay, there was also a clip of him coaching up Preston during OT when they came out of a timeout. I’ve learned a great deal from following this forum, so I won’t pretend to know the game like you all do, but I saw a 6’6” Barney playing the 4 defensively against a trio of Boilers who were either 6’9, 6’10, or comparable in height but 10-15 pounds heavier while also consistently having to trap a 7’4” mammoth for 38 minutes. Bummer he wasn’t able to display his usual offensive productivity, but like another poster mentioned, at least he didn’t force things. Pretty formidable task defensively.

Now can someone please tell me how the team can fix this rebounding issue that has reared its ugly head??? 👀

 

[ballerog711]

Barnhizor and Marteinelli need to get a face up game. They tend to back their player down and use a shot fake. Teams are starting to make that difficult. Both do other things that are winnings plays

Boo, Berry, Lanborg and Hunger have face up games where they can drive past their men and score or set up a teammate.

 

[TheC]

Something definitely felt off about him Friday. Maybe it was just the haircut, but I wouldn't be surprised if he had a mild cold or something. Not saying he played poorly by any means, but he just didn't seem quite as in the middle of all the action as usual. He did get a dunk though, so that was nice.

I think the best thing about it is NU won the game despite its (arguably) second-best player having an off game, and if you told me Barnhizer would have an off game AND Nicholson would foul out in just 12 minutes of action going up against Edey, I would've assumed a double-digit loss. Really says a lot about how Berry and Langborg picked up the slack. They don't all have to be perfect to beat a great team.

NU's second best player did have a big game!

-- Signed, big Ty Berry fan

 

[IGNORE2]

Seems like a disproportionate amount of talk about Buzzcut Barney’s hair in multiple threads. I’m more interested in who gave Preston the shiner he was sporting.

I’m not much of a poster (read that as never), but Barney’s critical steal from Gillis with about 1:00 left in regulation and taking the charge against Smith when he was saddled with 4 fouls showed me some serious toughness and “big plums” (as someone else says) down the stretch. When I watched the game on replay, there was also a clip of him coaching up Preston during OT when they came out of a timeout. I’ve learned a great deal from following this forum, so I won’t pretend to know the game like you all do, but I saw a 6’6” Barney playing the 4 defensively against a trio of Boilers who were either 6’9, 6’10, or comparable in height but 10-15 pounds heavier while also consistently having to trap a 7’4” mammoth for 38 minutes. Bummer he wasn’t able to display his usual offensive productivity, but like another poster mentioned, at least he didn’t force things. Pretty formidable task defensively.

Now can someone please tell me how the team can fix this rebounding issue that has reared its ugly head??? 👀

Butt out, arms back

 

[Hungry Jack]

Send Barney to the bench!

/s (hoping it was obvious)

 

[GatoLouco]

Seems like a disproportionate amount of talk about Buzzcut Barney’s hair in multiple threads. I’m more interested in who gave Preston the shiner he was sporting.

I’m not much of a poster (read that as never), but Barney’s critical steal from Gillis with about 1:00 left in regulation and taking the charge against Smith when he was saddled with 4 fouls showed me some serious toughness and “big plums” (as someone else says) down the stretch. When I watched the game on replay, there was also a clip of him coaching up Preston during OT when they came out of a timeout. I’ve learned a great deal from following this forum, so I won’t pretend to know the game like you all do, but I saw a 6’6” Barney playing the 4 defensively against a trio of Boilers who were either 6’9, 6’10, or comparable in height but 10-15 pounds heavier while also consistently having to trap a 7’4” mammoth for 38 minutes. Bummer he wasn’t able to display his usual offensive productivity, but like another poster mentioned, at least he didn’t force things. Pretty formidable task defensively.

Now can someone please tell me how the team can fix this rebounding issue that has reared its ugly head??? 👀

I thought he tried to be aggressive early one and realized it was just not a night things clicked for him. So he found other ways of being helpful, like mature players do.

This is probably not supported by actual numbers, but to me he looked like the only one who bothered Edey when he was the one coming over to double team.

 

[CappyNU]

I thought he tried to be aggressive early one and realized it was just not a night things clicked for him. So he found other ways of being helpful, like mature players do.

This is probably not supported by actual numbers, but to me he looked like the only one who bothered Edey when he was the one coming over to double team.

I also thought he played within himself and did a lot more passing out of the post vs forcing a shot when it was clear that backing his man down with the dribble wasn't working.

 

[SmellyCat]

PWB - I know you don't usually do this, but I'd be curious about Purdue's +/- and adjusted +/- as well, particularly Edey's and Smith's.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

Barnhizor and Marteinelli need to get a face up game. They tend to back their player down and use a shot fake. Teams are starting to make that difficult. Both do other things that are winnings plays

Boo, Berry, Lanborg and Hunger have face up games where they can drive past their men and score or set up a teammate.

This is an astute comment. Hadn't thought about it that way. Neither guy is a great 3 point shooter (at least not yet) but I can see both doing more in the midrange.

My guess, without being snarky, is that Martinelli and Barnhizer were somewhat intimidated about taking the ball into the paint with Edey down there, especially with Nicholson on the bench.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

PWB - I know you don't usually do this, but I'd be curious about Purdue's +/- and adjusted +/- as well, particularly Edey's and Smith's.

That feels sacrilegious to me....
I have never thought about doing that, but its a long time to the next game, so I might take you up on that.
Give me a few days!

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

Seems like a disproportionate amount of talk about Buzzcut Barney’s hair in multiple threads. I’m more interested in who gave Preston the shiner he was sporting.

I’m not much of a poster (read that as never), but Barney’s critical steal from Gillis with about 1:00 left in regulation and taking the charge against Smith when he was saddled with 4 fouls showed me some serious toughness and “big plums” (as someone else says) down the stretch. When I watched the game on replay, there was also a clip of him coaching up Preston during OT when they came out of a timeout. I’ve learned a great deal from following this forum, so I won’t pretend to know the game like you all do, but I saw a 6’6” Barney playing the 4 defensively against a trio of Boilers who were either 6’9, 6’10, or comparable in height but 10-15 pounds heavier while also consistently having to trap a 7’4” mammoth for 38 minutes. Bummer he wasn’t able to display his usual offensive productivity, but like another poster mentioned, at least he didn’t force things. Pretty formidable task defensively.

Now can someone please tell me how the team can fix this rebounding issue that has reared its ugly head??? 👀

You should post more often!

Its amazing what you see when you watch a replay of a game - especially when the TV analyst knows what he is talking about.

For what its worth, I'm a big fan of Barnhizer, but the numbers are what they are....
He plays best at the 4 when Big Matt is at the 5 - because of the size issues you mentioned.

 

[ballerog711]

Barnhizor/mMartinelli will be fine. Couple off weeks before the next BIG10 game. Just something to work in over the next couple weeks,

 

[SmellyCat]

That feels sacrilegious to me....
I have never thought about doing that, but its a long time to the next game, so I might take you up on that.
Give me a few days!

It does, doesn't it? And the next game that you would provide the +/- for is even farther away, as the next few opponents aren't exactly Power 5 teams.

 

[hdhntr1]

Quite the victory for the Wildcats last night. Got a couple of court-storming videos from my daughter, one of Buie and one of a roaring Big Matt and somebody rubbing Barnhizer's new buzzcut.
The atmosphere was wild and the students were packed in 75 minutes before tipoff, according to "my source."

With NU playing a really tight rotation and the refs doing as much as they could do to put NU's big guys on the bench, the Wildcats were up against it - on their home floor, no less - but NU still found a way to beat the Boilermakers. Again.

Player	Minutes	NU Pts	PU Pts	Raw +/-	Player Adj	Net +/-
Buie	43	89	81	+8	+10.24	+18.24
Berry	35	74	66	+8	+4.34	+12.34
Langborg	42	92	87	+5	-0.26	+4.74
Hunger	14	35	33	+2	+0.3	+2.3
Preston	19	40	36	+4	-2.2	+1.8
Martinelli	19	34	33	+1	-4.2	-3.2
Nicholson	12	14	19	-5	+0.85	-4.15
Clayton	4	5	7	-2	-0.53	-2.53
Barnhizer	38	77	78	-1	-8.54	-9.54

I don't know what the refs are thinking when they allow Edey to initiate contact with the defender, push him down the lane and then call fouls on the defender for trying to hold his ground. There were probably 5 calls like that. The defender is entitled to his position on the floor. Calling a foul on Nicholson away from the ball 15 seconds into the game for brushing up against Edey is inexcusable because it has such an effect on the game. Blatantly pro-Purdue, pro-Edey in the post. Had we not won, I'd be fuming. As it is, it was the only blemish on a great game.

After the Northern Illinois game, I wrote about the success of the Nicholson / Martinelli / Barnhizer frontcourt. The refs messed that up, limiting that trio to 4 minutes together, which NU lost 6-2. Obviously it wasn't really working on the offensive end. I think thats an aberration.

My previously-expressed optimism about Luke Hunger is now obviously justified. He is going to be a good player for us. I've liked him since the Pitt debacle last year - before he broke his foot.
Plays hard, big energy, not afraid. Can shoot the ball - may even light Edey up from outside when the two teams meet again. Collins has to be excited about his potential as a stretch 4 or 5.

Blake Preston played admirably under severe duress. He will probably finish the season as the best 3rd string center in America. Great credit to him for playing the last 9 minutes of the game and getting two big steals.

Can't let the comments end without praising Buie, Berry and Langborg. All 3 were awesome, with Boo putting up one of the best games of his career.

Refs were ridiculous on many of the foul calls particularly in first half, Edy probably got half his points from the line. 41 FTs? Two fouled out and 3 more with 4?

 

[hdhntr1]

Where's Barnhizer's ÷/-?

It was there. It was a -1

 

[hdhntr1]

I don’t think I’ve ever seen Barnhizer’s rating that low before. It’s especially interesting given how much he’s been praised regarding his defense during this game.

Well he wasn't really scoring like usual so that might be a reason he was on wrong side of plus minus

 

[hdhntr1]

My bad. I added it. I guess I'm too much of a homer to have to report bad news...

It may appear overly punitive, but one way to think about it is the net of the player adjustments has to be zero.

Or, relative to his raw +/- (which was only -1) Barnhizer's performance was a net negative, while Buie and (to a lesser degree) Berry were carrying the team.

Him not getting his normal points might have gotten him there

 

[hdhntr1]

You should post more often!

Its amazing what you see when you watch a replay of a game - especially when the TV analyst knows what he is talking about.

For what its worth, I'm a big fan of Barnhizer, but the numbers are what they are....
He plays best at the 4 when Big Matt is at the 5 - because of the size issues you mentioned.

And with big Matt only playing 12 minutes that was tough

 

[hdhntr1]

Seems like a disproportionate amount of talk about Buzzcut Barney’s hair in multiple threads. I’m more interested in who gave Preston the shiner he was sporting.

I’m not much of a poster (read that as never), but Barney’s critical steal from Gillis with about 1:00 left in regulation and taking the charge against Smith when he was saddled with 4 fouls showed me some serious toughness and “big plums” (as someone else says) down the stretch. When I watched the game on replay, there was also a clip of him coaching up Preston during OT when they came out of a timeout. I’ve learned a great deal from following this forum, so I won’t pretend to know the game like you all do, but I saw a 6’6” Barney playing the 4 defensively against a trio of Boilers who were either 6’9, 6’10, or comparable in height but 10-15 pounds heavier while also consistently having to trap a 7’4” mammoth for 38 minutes. Bummer he wasn’t able to display his usual offensive productivity, but like another poster mentioned, at least he didn’t force things. Pretty formidable task defensively.

Now can someone please tell me how the team can fix this rebounding issue that has reared its ugly head??? 👀

That is a couple games that we have been out rebounded by 20-25

 

[NJCat]

Barnhizor/mMartinelli will be fine. Couple off weeks before the next BIG10 game. Just something to work in over the next couple weeks,

Maybe you could work on spelling Barnhizer over the next couple weeks....

 

[Hungry Jack]

Maybe you could work on spelling Barnhizer over the next couple weeks....

Give him credit for nailing "Hunger."

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

Maybe you could work on spelling Barnhizer over the next couple weeks....

Here's something I did not know until now...

Dusty May, the coach of Florida Atlantic (yes the Final Four surprise) gives some credit for his coaching success to... Brooks Barnhizer's dad, Mark, who coached Dusty May in high school.

"The foundation of basketball I learned from coach Barnhizer," May said Thursday. "He was a lot like coach Knight where the team came first. You sacrificed for your teammates.

"You played with a great deal of intensity and enthusiasm and you worked incredibly hard every day. Those are all the traits that we still try for our program to be about."

Nice article here

FAU's Dusty May got 'foundation of basketball' from Lafayette Jeff's Mark Barnhizer

Mark Barnhizer coached Dusty May at Eastern Greene High School.

www.jconline.com

 

[macarthur31]

Now can someone please tell me how the team can fix this rebounding issue that has reared its ugly head??? 👀

Appreciated your reflection on Barnhizer. I join you in that he is a terrific fundamentally sound 2-way player that even on nights he's not hitting shots, he brings much to the table.

With regards to "rebounding issue" - if you mean by our apparent propensity to give up offensive rebounds, then yes, early signs show concern. To compare during the Collins era (stats per kenpom)

Season	OREB% Allowed	Nat'l Rank
2024 (7 games)	32.7	282nd
2023	27.7	142nd
2022	25.3	67th
2021	25.9	90th
2020	29.2	235th
2019	26.3	90th
2018	27.7	129th
2017	30.6	239th
2016	28.3	104th
2015	30.9	165th
2014	30.6	135th

Already, this edition of 'Cats are performing worst among any Collins coached team -prior to this year and there are more "double digit" nationally ranked squads (3) compared to 200s ranked (2). Historically, this particular factor among Dean Oliver "four factors" tends to be a slight edge for his teams.

Perhaps its still "too early to tell." And OREB prevention is just one factor for winning teams, which can be mitigated by forcing TOs, in which the 'Cats are elite = 23.6% of the time, 11th nationally.

 

[GatoLouco]

Appreciated your reflection on Barnhizer. I join you in that he is a terrific fundamentally sound 2-way player that even on nights he's not hitting shots, he brings much to the table.

With regards to "rebounding issue" - if you mean by our apparent propensity to give up offensive rebounds, then yes, early signs show concern. To compare during the Collins era (stats per kenpom)

Season	OREB% Allowed	Nat'l Rank
2024 (7 games)	32.7	282nd
2023	27.7	142nd
2022	25.3	67th
2021	25.9	90th
2020	29.2	235th
2019	26.3	90th
2018	27.7	129th
2017	30.6	239th
2016	28.3	104th
2015	30.9	165th
2014	30.6	135th

Already, this edition of 'Cats are performing worst among any Collins coached team -prior to this year and there are more "double digit" nationally ranked squads (3) compared to 200s ranked (2). Historically, this particular factor among Dean Oliver "four factors" tends to be a slight edge for his teams.

Perhaps its still "too early to tell." And OREB prevention is just one factor for winning teams, which can be mitigated by forcing TOs, in which the 'Cats are elite = 23.6% of the time, 11th nationally.

As the team improved last year, we got worst on the defensive glass. Obvious hypothesis/theory is that we keep doubling and even when not, taking risks on passing lanes, which lead to not being well aligned to box out every player on the other ream.

Kind of a tax paid for forcing TO's

 

[hdhntr1]

Give him credit for nailing "Hunger."

That is just because he was Hungry

 

[CappyNU]

Appreciated your reflection on Barnhizer. I join you in that he is a terrific fundamentally sound 2-way player that even on nights he's not hitting shots, he brings much to the table.

With regards to "rebounding issue" - if you mean by our apparent propensity to give up offensive rebounds, then yes, early signs show concern. To compare during the Collins era (stats per kenpom)

Season	OREB% Allowed	Nat'l Rank
2024 (7 games)	32.7	282nd
2023	27.7	142nd
2022	25.3	67th
2021	25.9	90th
2020	29.2	235th
2019	26.3	90th
2018	27.7	129th
2017	30.6	239th
2016	28.3	104th
2015	30.9	165th
2014	30.6	135th

Already, this edition of 'Cats are performing worst among any Collins coached team -prior to this year and there are more "double digit" nationally ranked squads (3) compared to 200s ranked (2). Historically, this particular factor among Dean Oliver "four factors" tends to be a slight edge for his teams.

Perhaps its still "too early to tell." And OREB prevention is just one factor for winning teams, which can be mitigated by forcing TOs, in which the 'Cats are elite = 23.6% of the time, 11th nationally.

I mean, it worked out ok in our previous worst rebounding year.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

It does, doesn't it? And the next game that you would provide the +/- for is even farther away, as the next few opponents aren't exactly Power 5 teams.

Okay SmellyCat, here's a table to evaluate the enemy...

Player	Minutes	PU Pts	NU Pts	Raw +/-	Player Adjust	Net +/-
Edey	38	74	76	-2	+15.1	+13.1
Heide	18	36	33	+3	+0.3	+3.3
Morton	8	15	13	+2	-2.1	-0.1
Furst	11	18	22	-4	+3.2	-0.8
Loyer	34	73	79	-6	+2.9	-3.1
Gillis	28	54	55	-1	-3.1	-4.1
Colvin	2	2	5	-3	-1.2	-4.2
Kaufman	13	30	31	-1	-5.5	-6.5
Jones	31	57	59	-2	-6.1	-8.1
Smith	42	81	87	-6	-3.4	-9.4

Obviously Edey was and is their best player.
Loyer, Heidi and Furst played okay individually.
Braden Smith had 9 assists and 6 rebounds, but 6 turnovers.