Gaines: a breakout performance

[freewillie07]

Anthony Gaines was my breakout player of the year candidate before the season, and today he made the strongest case yet for why I was right to make that call.

As you may have heard from the announcers, NU was something like +21 in this game when he was on the floor. A big reason why was his unselfish play on the offensive end (7 assists, more than any player on either team) and his outstanding defense on Max Strus, limiting a guy who is averaging close to 20 points per game to 8 points on 3-for-13 shooting, including 2-for-11 on 3s.

Just outstanding work from Anthony. He very well could be put on the opponent's best player going forward, allowing Vic Law to save some energy for the offensive end. A.J. Turner may get more credit for his hot shooting, but I still say Gaines was the MVP. Congratulations to him on the performance and look forward to many more like this to come.

 

[NUCat320]

Just outstanding work from Anthony. He very well could be put on the opponent's best player going forward, allowing Vic Law to save some energy for the offensive end. A.J. Turner may get more credit for his hot shooting, but I still say Gaines was the MVP. Congratulations to him on the performance and look forward to many more like this to come.

This would be a wonderful development. Vic is now averaging 20.5 ppg. He’s good enough to stay about there.

 

[DaCat]

At the beginning of the game, Strus looked like he was going to put up 30+ on NU today. He got quiet in a hurry after Gaines clamped down on him.

 

[Wrestlerneverdiesasacatfan]

Anthony Gaines was my breakout player of the year candidate before the season, and today he made the strongest case yet for why I was right to make that call.

As you may have heard from the announcers, NU was something like +21 in this game when he was on the floor. A big reason why was his unselfish play on the offensive end (7 assists, more than any player on either team) and his outstanding defense on Max Strus, limiting a guy who is averaging close to 20 points per game to 8 points on 3-for-13 shooting, including 2-for-11 on 3s.

Just outstanding work from Anthony. He very well could be put on the opponent's best player going forward, allowing Vic Law to save some energy for the offensive end. A.J. Turner may get more credit for his hot shooting, but I still say Gaines was the MVP. Congratulations to him on the performance and look forward to many more like this to come.

Strus is an excellent player. Glad we shut him down!

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Anthony Gaines was my breakout player of the year candidate before the season, and today he made the strongest case yet for why I was right to make that call.

As you may have heard from the announcers, NU was something like +21 in this game when he was on the floor. A big reason why was his unselfish play on the offensive end (7 assists, more than any player on either team) and his outstanding defense on Max Strus, limiting a guy who is averaging close to 20 points per game to 8 points on 3-for-13 shooting, including 2-for-11 on 3s.

Just outstanding work from Anthony. He very well could be put on the opponent's best player going forward, allowing Vic Law to save some energy for the offensive end. A.J. Turner may get more credit for his hot shooting, but I still say Gaines was the MVP. Congratulations to him on the performance and look forward to many more like this to come.

You make a lot of right calls with this and your take on Kopp.

 

[curdog]

Anthony Gaines was my breakout player of the year candidate before the season, and today he made the strongest case yet for why I was right to make that call.

As you may have heard from the announcers, NU was something like +21 in this game when he was on the floor. A big reason why was his unselfish play on the offensive end (7 assists, more than any player on either team) and his outstanding defense on Max Strus, limiting a guy who is averaging close to 20 points per game to 8 points on 3-for-13 shooting, including 2-for-11 on 3s.

Just outstanding work from Anthony. He very well could be put on the opponent's best player going forward, allowing Vic Law to save some energy for the offensive end. A.J. Turner may get more credit for his hot shooting, but I still say Gaines was the MVP. Congratulations to him on the performance and look forward to many more like this to come.

I liked Gaines a whole lot last year and it looks like he has gotten better. He is the glue guy the every team needs. Unselfish, rebounds, passes, lock down defender. He can finish at the rim also. Only thing missing is a consistent jumper and a little better handle

 

[Turk]

Anthony Gaines was my breakout player of the year candidate before the season, and today he made the strongest case yet for why I was right to make that call.

As you may have heard from the announcers, NU was something like +21 in this game when he was on the floor. A big reason why was his unselfish play on the offensive end (7 assists, more than any player on either team) and his outstanding defense on Max Strus, limiting a guy who is averaging close to 20 points per game to 8 points on 3-for-13 shooting, including 2-for-11 on 3s.

Just outstanding work from Anthony. He very well could be put on the opponent's best player going forward, allowing Vic Law to save some energy for the offensive end. A.J. Turner may get more credit for his hot shooting, but I still say Gaines was the MVP. Congratulations to him on the performance and look forward to many more like this to come.

Yes, he was truly the MVP. Strus got a quck 5 points and one foul on Law before Gaines came in and locked him down BIGTIME. He did fairly well at Indiana as well but the guy he guarded there was simply just too big. I'm not complaining but this team would be really tough to beat if Gaines ever learned to take that open shot from Pardon's kickout, via Nash or Sanjay. I'd say that Gaines defense is already on par with Nash and Sanjay (Two of the best defenders I've seen at NU), but maybe he can trust to take that wide open shot like Sanjay and Nash did when they were seniors.

And even though Gaines defense is so solid, he still barely gets fouls.

 

[mikewebb68]

Yes, he was truly the MVP. Strus got a quck 5 points and one foul on Law before Gaines came in and locked him down BIGTIME. He did fairly well at Indiana as well but the guy he guarded there was simply just too big. I'm not complaining but this team would be really tough to beat if Gaines ever learned to take that open shot from Pardon's kickout, via Nash or Sanjay. I'd say that Gaines defense is already on par with Nash and Sanjay (Two of the best defenders I've seen at NU), but maybe he can trust to take that wide open shot like Sanjay and Nash did when they were seniors.

And even though Gaines defense is so solid, he still barely gets fouls.

Thing is, if he continues to have stat lines like he did today on the assist/rebound/TO front, we may not NEED him to score mich at all...

 

[EagerFan]

Love his defense!

 

[wocka]

Love to see a guy develop into a Sanjay-like player and he's just a sophomore. I think Collins has found his real starting lineup in Gaines/Turner/Taylor/Law/Pardon.

Personally, I like the idea of having Gaines be the go-to defender when that lineup is in (to free up Vic on offense), and then Vic move there when Gaines comes out (to open up offense for the Kopp/Nance types should they be more aggressive and improved)

 

[Turk]

Love to see a guy develop into a Sanjay-like player and he's just a sophomore. I think Collins has found his real starting lineup in Gaines/Turner/Taylor/Law/Pardon.

Personally, I like the idea of having Gaines be the go-to defender when that lineup is in (to free up Vic on offense), and then Vic move there when Gaines comes out (to open up offense for the Kopp/Nance types should they be more aggressive and improved)

I think that Collins keeps Kopp in the starting lineup. I'm not sure but it has thus far appeared to me that Collins leaves Gaines on the bench until he sees who may be hot on the other team or who is struggling, defensively for us. I say that because a previous game he was sent in for Taylor who was getting spent on defense. Yesterday, that one guy got 5 quick points and Vic Law a foul, so he inserted Gaines.

Gaines' play yesterday was exceptional.

 

[NJCat]

I think that Collins keeps Kopp in the starting lineup. I'm not sure but it has thus far appeared to me that Collins leaves Gaines on the bench until he sees who may be hot on the other team or who is struggling, defensively for us. I say that because a previous game he was sent in for Taylor who was getting spent on defense. Yesterday, that one guy got 5 quick points and Vic Law a foul, so he inserted Gaines.

Gaines' play yesterday was exceptional.

Great take.

Second game in a row that Vic has a foul in the first minute and a half or so. He needs to calm down. He's playing the best all around game of anyone I can remember since Billy McKinney.

 

[Wrestlerneverdiesasacatfan]

Great take.

Second game in a row that Vic has a foul in the first minute and a half or so. He needs to calm down. He's playing the best all around game of anyone I can remember since Billy McKinney.

Vic looks like an NBA player

 

[Max_Power]

Anthony Gaines was my breakout player of the year candidate before the season, and today he made the strongest case yet for why I was right to make that call.

As you may have heard from the announcers, NU was something like +21 in this game when he was on the floor. A big reason why was his unselfish play on the offensive end (7 assists, more than any player on either team) and his outstanding defense on Max Strus, limiting a guy who is averaging close to 20 points per game to 8 points on 3-for-13 shooting, including 2-for-11 on 3s.

Just outstanding work from Anthony. He very well could be put on the opponent's best player going forward, allowing Vic Law to save some energy for the offensive end. A.J. Turner may get more credit for his hot shooting, but I still say Gaines was the MVP. Congratulations to him on the performance and look forward to many more like this to come.

Just asking if you saw who he was guarding against Michigan in the second half? Because he did a really nice job on one of the breakout players in the country. This performance was more an encore to that than anything else. Gaines still gets trapped on the offensive end a few times a game but he's definitely become an elite defender giving NU 3 on the floor. Just got to keep winning ....

 

[TheC]

Just asking if you saw who he was guarding against Michigan in the second half? Because he did a really nice job on one of the breakout players in the country. This performance was more an encore to that than anything else. Gaines still gets trapped on the offensive end a few times a game but he's definitely become an elite defender giving NU 3 on the floor. Just got to keep winning ....

Gaines had one really nice play on the offensive end on Saturday. When DP got doubled in the post, Gaines slashed into the lane, got the feed and went up for the layup. He should be doing a lot more of that. Make teams pay for double teaming Pardon. If he can get 6-8 points in the paint every game to go along with his stifling D, then that would really be something.

 

[freewillie07]

Just asking if you saw who he was guarding against Michigan in the second half? Because he did a really nice job on one of the breakout players in the country. This performance was more an encore to that than anything else. Gaines still gets trapped on the offensive end a few times a game but he's definitely become an elite defender giving NU 3 on the floor. Just got to keep winning ....

Sure. Didn’t mean to imply that his defense this game was the sole revelation — more that this was the first game I can remember where I couldn’t think of a bad out-of-control play by Gaines that negated his good work on defense. He played within himself. And not just that, he helped make the offense work! Seven assists, a career high! He has 14 in the first nine games of the season. Took only one shot and made it. Hit both free throws. Certainly, defense is going to be where he stands out, but his development in learning to pick his spots on offense will be crucial to the team’s success, too.

 

[hdhntr1]

Gaines had one really nice play on the offensive end on Saturday. When DP got doubled in the post, Gaines slashed into the lane, got the feed and went up for the layup. He should be doing a lot more of that. Make teams pay for double teaming Pardon. If he can get 6-8 points in the paint every game to go along with his stifling D, then that would really be something.

Would still like to see him take some of those open jumpers, If he could get some proficiency there, it would really open things up

 

[NUCat320]

Gaines worked really, really hard between March and October.

He looks a bit trimmer, equally strong, and significantly quicker than last season.

 

[IGNORE2]

Gaines worked really, really hard between March and October.

He looks a bit trimmer, equally strong, and significantly quicker than last season.

He also looks more impressive on the Offensive side.