That was probably the best combination of discipline and energy I’ve seen from the Cats in years, and I thought they were the better team today: it was not a fluke. The Spartans did not play with that intensity, but that does nothing to tarnish NU’s play. Hats off both to Coach Collins and the players.
Watching the game and comparing it to NU’s last four conference losses, and their play the last several years, one huge difference struck me. By necessity, NU played what amounts to a low post based game, relying on Young and Nicholson to control play near the basket on both ends of the floor. The offense went through the post more than it normally does. Amazingly, Young and Nicholson pretty much controlled the post area, and the Cats got points by Young’s drop step, by passing out of the post and off offensive rebounds. They reminded me of some of Wisconsin’s winning teams. MSU had a hard time adjusting to the way the Cats played.
The reason I mention this relative to the future is that a team built around post play is pretty much a rarity in today’s game. The Cats have been trying to be Duke light, playing off high ball screens and perimeter motion trying to create open 3 looks. The style requires quickness, strong ball handling and the ability to create shots in order to be successful. Recruiting a full rotation of players that can play that style is really hard at Northwestern. Generally, Collins hasn’t been able to field enough skilled players to make the system work. If whoever is the Cats’ coach going forward made a decision to go against the grain and build a team from the post out, slowing tempo and emphasizing controlling the area around the basket, they could probably have enough success getting post players they need. Neither Young nor Nicholson was a top 50 prospect, but they showed today that they can play competently when the game plan recognizes their limitations. Audige was a better player today on the offensive side because the ball came out of the post to him rather than from the perimeter with the hope he create a shot. On the defensive end, their were fewer times where the wing defender was needed to double down to help on the post player. On both sides of the ball things were simpler and generally within the player’s ability to execute.
In the current era, I do think a team that is built around low post play is unlikely to win a national championship, but I do think it would be easier to recruit to a nine or ten player rotation that could make the most of that configuration because the skills needed to play that way are not in as high demand as the ones needed to play the way we have been trying the last eight years, and the offer of playing time could get enough players to compete.
I guess my main point is, given the limitations in recruiting NU has, building a team on a style that is not the prevailing mainstream is probably the best way to get to 10 to 11 conference wins a year consistently; once you reach that point you can start to attract the occasional blue chip to move up to contend for a championship. That is pretty much what Wisconsin did. The style that lends itself to that blueprint is the one we saw today.
Watching the game and comparing it to NU’s last four conference losses, and their play the last several years, one huge difference struck me. By necessity, NU played what amounts to a low post based game, relying on Young and Nicholson to control play near the basket on both ends of the floor. The offense went through the post more than it normally does. Amazingly, Young and Nicholson pretty much controlled the post area, and the Cats got points by Young’s drop step, by passing out of the post and off offensive rebounds. They reminded me of some of Wisconsin’s winning teams. MSU had a hard time adjusting to the way the Cats played.
The reason I mention this relative to the future is that a team built around post play is pretty much a rarity in today’s game. The Cats have been trying to be Duke light, playing off high ball screens and perimeter motion trying to create open 3 looks. The style requires quickness, strong ball handling and the ability to create shots in order to be successful. Recruiting a full rotation of players that can play that style is really hard at Northwestern. Generally, Collins hasn’t been able to field enough skilled players to make the system work. If whoever is the Cats’ coach going forward made a decision to go against the grain and build a team from the post out, slowing tempo and emphasizing controlling the area around the basket, they could probably have enough success getting post players they need. Neither Young nor Nicholson was a top 50 prospect, but they showed today that they can play competently when the game plan recognizes their limitations. Audige was a better player today on the offensive side because the ball came out of the post to him rather than from the perimeter with the hope he create a shot. On the defensive end, their were fewer times where the wing defender was needed to double down to help on the post player. On both sides of the ball things were simpler and generally within the player’s ability to execute.
In the current era, I do think a team that is built around low post play is unlikely to win a national championship, but I do think it would be easier to recruit to a nine or ten player rotation that could make the most of that configuration because the skills needed to play that way are not in as high demand as the ones needed to play the way we have been trying the last eight years, and the offer of playing time could get enough players to compete.
I guess my main point is, given the limitations in recruiting NU has, building a team on a style that is not the prevailing mainstream is probably the best way to get to 10 to 11 conference wins a year consistently; once you reach that point you can start to attract the occasional blue chip to move up to contend for a championship. That is pretty much what Wisconsin did. The style that lends itself to that blueprint is the one we saw today.
