Game Thread: Northwestern vs. Oregon

[mshelton33]

Northwestern (13-11, 4-9 Big Ten) is still on the west coast and will play at Oregon (16-8, 5-8 Big Ten) tonight. The game has a 10 pm CT tip off and will air on BTN.

Ducks have had a rude welcome to the conference and have lost their last five straight games, but the Wildcats are without star players Brooks Barnhizer and Jalen Leach for the rest of the season.

 

[SmellyCat]

This thing on?

 

[SimpsonElmwood]

Take care of the ball better and things would be amazing right now.

 

[Hungry Jack]

Shelstad is eating at the buffet tonight

 

[GatoLouco]

For those keeping track and who extrapolated so much out of 1 game by a guy who was being redshirted, for the first 5 minutes:

• 0-2 shooting
• 2 turnovers
• 2 brain farts on defense. One out of position gives a corner 3, the other, after turning over does not immediately run back on defense and gives up fast break

The point is not to crucify the kid, the point is that if he was 1/2 as ready as it seems the majority believed after 1 game, he would not have been red shirting.

I’d prefer seeing a freshmen learning from mistakes. But freshmen, more often than not, are just on a much shorter leash than others.

 

[rwhitney014]

Martinelli limping at the last whistle now too.

 

[HawkCat]

Hunger should not play, ever.

 

[MC_Cat]

God this offense

 

[FeralFelidae]

This game keeps getting worser and worser.

 

[SmellyCat]

I will never give up on my Cats, but…

I’ve got work in the morning.

 

[jensberg]

I will never give up on my Cats, but…

I’ve got work in the morning.

This is pitiful no offense at all. Martinelli tries to score against the 7-footer and gets blocked. Our guards shoot a bunch of bricks. Mullins back to reality 0 for two from three

 

[MC_Cat]

I don't think next year's point guard is on this year's team.

 

[Baz=Heisman]

I don't think next year's point guard is on this year's team.

It’s going to be a grad transfer with KJ and Jake West as 2 and 3.

 

[mesacat]

Or 5

 

[FeralFelidae]

FINALLY got a run going. Let's get this below 10...

 

[SimpsonElmwood]

Windham! Good for him.

 

[MC_Cat]

I like that he's not picking up his dribble 40 feet from the basket.

 

[rwhitney014]

I realize we the fans aren’t the primary consideration here, but four prime games on Peacock tonight as well as a 11/10 Central start cannot maximize the number of people watching Big Ten games.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Windham! Good for him.

He is playing well on offense. Much more aggressive.

 

[SimpsonElmwood]

Let’s get a stop here!

 

[SmellyCat]

He is playing well on offense. Much more aggressive.

I am ok with him being the guy trying to generate offense. Let’s see what he can do.

 

[GatoLouco]

Man the Oregon #3 dude is fast. Not just fast, really really fast.

 

[MC_Cat]

Offense light years better than 1st half but man the three and-nones are ugh.

 

[SimpsonElmwood]

Offense light years better than 1st half but man the three and-nones are ugh.

3 chances to get it to 9 or 10 with an and-1 and they miss all 3.

 

[MC_Cat]

Windham is incredible this half.

 

[SmellyCat]

Windham is incredible this half.

I like when he’s confident and just lets er rip.

 

[GatoLouco]

I did not stay up expecting us to make this a game. I stayed up as a fan who enjoys seeing these guys develop. This is a team that is still fun. It’s the early days of a rebuild. This 2nd half delivered.

 

[rwhitney014]

I never, ever question the toughness and want-to of a Chris Collins team.

 

[cedricmelons]

Rebounding and free throws killed us in crunch time.

 

[MC_Cat]

I'm very proud of the team for their effort and in-game improvement tonight. I think we may see some more W's this year after seeing tonight's game.

 

[MC_Cat]

Ty Berry was fantastic too what a 2nd half.

 

[Arlcatsfan]

Well another tough loss but the guys fought to the end. Oregon was 25 of 28 from the charity stripe why we were only 5 of 10 so you can say that's where the game was decided.
On the positive side Ty had a great shooting game and KJ showed why he is gonna be our PG for the next 3 yrs with his 20 pt. performance tonight. The experience he will get to the end of the year and the summer in the Wright room should do wonders for him for next year.
Sunday at home against Nebby is our next chance for a win so let's have the guys get it. Don't give up yet . GO CATS.

 

[Davidgolds5]

It is time to just let windham play. And get Angelo in there more. There is nothing to lose. Luke and Clayton really aren’t viable playable players in the big ten. Mullins is very limited except for slashing type plays. Figure out what you have for the rest of the year. KJ is not scared, similar to Boo. Let him go at it (btw I felt this way before tonight, not just hopping on a one hitter game).

 

[EagerFan]

Collins will continue riding whoever is playing well on any given game, whether it’s Mullins, KJ, Clayton, Angelo, or even Hunger - if that ever happens.

The guys who earn time on the floor will get more of it. And I suspect KJ is showing us he’s figured that out.

The team can no longer sit back and let Brooks, Nick, and Jalen carry them and they’re all realizing it.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Collins will continue riding whoever is playing well on any given game, whether it’s Mullins, KJ, Clayton, Angelo, or even Hunger - if that ever happens.

The guys who earn time on the floor will get more of it. And I suspect KJ is showing us he’s figured that out.

The team can no longer sit back and let Brooks, Nick, and Jalen carry them and they’re all realizing it.

Exactly right. KJ was aggressive and played very confidently on offense. I prefer he looks for his shot even when it isn’t going in. On defense he still has a LONG way to go.

 

[GatoLouco]

On defense he still has a LONG way to go.

You are right, but he makes less mistakes on defense than Clayton.

Clayton is good enough to deserve minutes in this roster. And he probably is putting in the work to get better. But his ceiling is way lower than KJ's. I sense his ceiling is a capable B1G 10 minute off the bench guy.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

It is time to just let windham play. And get Angelo in there more. There is nothing to lose. Luke and Clayton really aren’t viable playable players in the big ten. Mullins is very limited except for slashing type plays. Figure out what you have for the rest of the year. KJ is not scared, similar to Boo. Let him go at it (btw I felt this way before tonight, not just hopping on a one hitter game).

I am not sure why a bunch of people are giving up on Clayton. He’s played 2 games this year and is way better than he was last year. It reminds me of the Ryan Greer hate. Greer came in shell shocked too and became a steady hand for short spurts his last year. You need role players too that are ready to go. Clayton will be a Senior when the current incoming class are Sophomore's, he could be that steady hand by then to the younger talent.

He’ll probably never be a starter, but why can’t he at minimum be a 8-10 minute guy off the bench?

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

You are right, but he makes less mistakes on defense than Clayton.

I don’t know, it was late, but all I remember was that quick guard driving by him the entire game and getting Mullins or Nick to collapse the lane before he kicked out for a 3. A lot of the open 3’s were missed by the Ducks.

He played a nice game, probably the best of his NU career, so that’s encouraging. Been waiting on this game for a month.

 

[GatoLouco]

I don’t know, it was late, but all I remember was that quick guard driving by him the entire game

He drove by everyone, Clayton included. Dude was the fastest player I have seen in recent memory.

 

[Davidgolds5]

I am not sure why a bunch of people are giving up on Clayton. He’s played 2 games this year and is way better than he was last year. It reminds me of the Ryan Greer hate. Greer came in shell shocked too and became a steady hand for short spurts his last year. You need role players too that are ready to go. Clayton will be a Senior when the current incoming class are Sophomore's, he could be that steady hand by then to the younger talent.

He’ll probably never be a starter, but why can’t he at minimum be a 8-10 minute guy off the

greer— he was not a good player. . Defintley not a guy who would play on a winning big ten team. Just play the better player. Windham needs to be getting 30 minutes a game, every game. These guys need to play freely and not be worried about being pulled out of game if they miss a few shots. If kj has a bad game, keep rolling with him. He is clearly a guy that could become a star.