Great win @Maryland - player comments

[ricko654321]

Awesome to start the conference season with a road win. Maryland may not be a great team, and we didn't play awesome, but we ground out a win and were fairly strong in crunch time, with the exception of Buie missing a front-end of 1&1. Our team defense throughout was really good - our rotations and help were much better than they had been against WF, when in my opinion we gave away a game we should have won due to poor team defense (and probably overuse of the zone). I was at the 8-12 range to start the year for my guess of what we could accomplish in conference season. I'm sticking there for now, but with the conference not looking as scary this year I have some hope that maybe we can beat that number.

Players, in order of importance:
1. Nance- Clearly the top dog, at least in my eyes. I think he could make it to the NBA as a late draft pick. Does he have option for one more year of eligibility? One thing I don't understand is his minutes restriction. Collins seems to play him a bit more in the 2H, but he sits on the bench too much for my liking. He is averaging 26 mpg for the season (vs 31.8 for Boo), and while I get that a lot of those are weaker competition where we want to save his energy and get the depth some work, even against WF it was 29 minutes and Maryland 31 (while Boo had 33 in each). Maybe there is some health reason for this, but otherwise I'd like to see him get 33-36 minutes and only sit for one 2-4 minute spell in each half. I would start our rotations around Pete, and work in the rest of the guys after you've considered him. He had two crucial baskets to secure the MD game, and he almost brought us back against WF - wish we would have re-inserted him earlier and ran the offense through him more often, if we had I think we might have won. He's also our best interior defender on the other side of the ball, and has improved at avoiding fouls. 5th in the B1G with 1.9 blocks per game.

2. Buie- He's our second best offensive player, no question. Everyone else has debated him ad nauseum here so I won't add more. I wish he was a bit more reactive on defense and more efficient on offense, but we need him. Still leads the B1G in assists at 6 apg, with a A/TO ratio of 2.5 which is pretty solid also.

3. Young- I would like to see him get more minutes than the 11 he had yday, but with Beran playing better it's hard to see where they come from. I don't want to remove Williams from the rotation, I like him at 10-15 mins, so maybe Young still has to take some from Beran. He didn't have a very good game against Maryland so struggled with whether he should be listed this high, maybe not. But after the top 2 there's a decent gap.

4. Audige- He's back, and he clearly does things that other players on our team cannot. He's our best defender on the wing, so that's huge to have back. Still not clear to me that he helps out our offense though... the 7-17 (41%) in the Maryland game probably accurately reflects the quality of shots he was taking. He is better at driving to the hole and finishing than other guards on our team (Buie mostly has the mid-range floater, while Chase has the length to finish at the hoop), and he did make a couple of big buckets in the 2H, just some other wasted possessions though.

5. Berry- Has done a solid job as his assigned role right now - which is to be a pesky defender on defense and be a spot-up shooter off kick-outs on offense. He is 16-37 (43%) from 3 pt this year, the best combination of production and efficiency on our team from behind the arc (Nance is 11-24 for 46% probably next, Greer 7-15 for 47%, Beran 8-19 for 42%, Boo 16-51 for 31%). I'm hoping that over time he will improve with the ball in his hands, but he doesn't quite seem to be there yet. Will need to next season for sure.

6. Beran- Seems to be very up-and-down. If he does things right early or makes a 3, then he plays with confidence and is a much better contributor on both sides of the ball. If he misses shots, he seems to lose energy. Wish there was more consistency in his game - you could theoretically play him more when he's playing well, though that sort of reinforces the mopey-ness if he doesn't play well.

7. Greer- Maybe he should be higher? He doesn't necessarily have the upside of the guys above him, but I admire how he's really developed over the course of his time here. He's an efficient player on offense, has improved his decision making, and remains a consistently good defender. I have no issue with him getting late-game minutes.

8. Williams- Feels weird that he's this low, I guess that's a testament to the depth we have this year which is impressive. Williams does a lot of the little things right. Good defender, rebounder, and passer. It's too small sample size to assess his shooting yet I think - the stroke looks a bit awkward but I think he has the ability to make shots. There might be 1-2 conference games where he has a big impact this year.

9/10. Roper and Simmons- Hard to split up these guys, both seem to be a similar mold. I'm slightly partial to Roper right now as he seems to be a bit smoother with the ball which makes me think he has more upside in the future. Right now both of these guys are likely to be in the ~10 mpg role where they bring defense, energy, some floor spacing on offense (Simmons 3-7 from 3, while Roper is 3-12 thus far), and some slashing. The thing is, with Chase back, I think their minutes might wane a bit as conference season rolls on. They both might be better spot-up 3pt shooters than Chase, but they can't yet bring all the other aspects of his game - the length on defense, and ability to create their own shot effectively on offense when things bog down.

Barnhizer and Nicholson - TBD.

Go Cats!

 

[GatoLouco]

Great observations. A couple of thoughts:

1) Greer - Realistically, yesterday, he did not have a great game. He hit two clutch free throws. Could be filed under the "how little he has to do to make us so happy". Maybe those free throws would have been hit by someone else. Who knows? I don't disagree with him being on the court at the end. I'd be skeptical of putting Roper or Simmons in. And Berry I'll give the coach the benefit of the doubt that his free throw shooting might not be reliable. That really leaves no option but to play Greer. But, pragmatically, other than the free throws? What did he do? Did not turn the ball over is the best I can come up with.

2) Beran - No doubt in my mind he is held to different standards than the rest of the team. He had a decent game yesterday. Maybe even a bit better than decent considering his rebounding. But I'd argue Williams had at least as good a game. And we comment on Beran so much more. I understand, we all desperately (me included, for real) want the kid to be better. We know Collins is going to play him, so might as well cheer something clicks and he gives us something. Yesterday he did, hope it's the end of that being the exception. Oh, and Williams also did.

 

[catcrazy]

Nance is by far the most important player and a big mismatch for most teams. He has got to be the person who says give me the ball and I’m going to win the game for us. We have missed that type of player since McIntosh. The two players that have impressed me the most as I did not expect much from them is Williams and Greer. Greer has become a solid dependable player who can hit a big shot from time to time. Williams is a literal skilled junkyard dog. Can rebound, pass, handle a bit and doesn’t have a bad shot

 

[PURPLECAT88]

Collins seems to play him a bit more in the 2H, but he sits on the bench too much for my liking.

I would love to see Nance on the floor for 40 minutes a game, but we need to be realistic. I think Collins' strategy of limiting his minutes in the first half keeps him fresh for the second half and out of foul trouble, which has been a bit of an issue throughout his career.

 

[GatoLouco]

Collins seems to play him a bit more in the 2H, but he sits on the bench too much for my liking.

I would love to see Nance on the floor for 40 minutes a game, but we need to be realistic. I think Collins' strategy of limiting his minutes in the first half keeps him fresh for the second half and out of foul trouble, which has been a bit of an issue throughout his career.

You can put some numbers to that:
2020 - 2.6 fouls on 26.2 minutes - 3.97 fouls per 40
2021 - 2.6 fouls on 27.7 minutes - 3.75 fouls per 40
2022 YTD - 2.5 fouls on 26 minutes - 3.85 fouls per 40

 

[TheC]

You can put some numbers to that:
2020 - 2.6 fouls on 26.2 minutes - 3.97 fouls per 40
2021 - 2.6 fouls on 27.7 minutes - 3.75 fouls per 40
2022 YTD - 2.5 fouls on 26 minutes - 3.85 fouls per 40

Except it may not be that linear. More minutes, means more fatigue, which often leads to more fouls.

 

[GatoLouco]

Except it may not be that linear. More minutes, means more fatigue, which often leads to more fouls.

True. Or that experience being a senior should teach how to not get into foul trouble as often.

Another good data point is that he fouled out 2 times in 2020. Has not fouled out since.

 

[Alan Smithee]

True. Or that experience being a senior should teach how to not get into foul trouble as often.

Another good data point is that he fouled out 2 times in 2020. Has not fouled out since.

True. He had a reputation (with me) as prone to getting into foul trouble. Now it’s just another area where he’s improved.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

Nance is a mismatch against most Big Ten teams when Young is playing the 5.

 

[GatoLouco]

True. He had a reputation (with me) as prone to getting into foul trouble. Now it’s just another area where he’s improved.

In theory, he'd commit less fouls guarding a 4 as one commits more fouls when being posted up or guarding players who penetrate. A 4 usually posts up less than a 5, and is usually not a penetrator.

 

[jensberg]

Great observations. A couple of thoughts:

1) Greer - Realistically, yesterday, he did not have a great game. He hit two clutch free throws. Could be filed under the "how little he has to do to make us so happy". Maybe those free throws would have been hit by someone else. Who knows? I don't disagree with him being on the court at the end. I'd be skeptical of putting Roper or Simmons in. And Berry I'll give the coach the benefit of the doubt that his free throw shooting might not be reliable. That really leaves no option but to play Greer. But, pragmatically, other than the free throws? What did he do? Did not turn the ball over is the best I can come up with.

2) Beran - No doubt in my mind he is held to different standards than the rest of the team. He had a decent game yesterday. Maybe even a bit better than decent considering his rebounding. But I'd argue Williams had at least as good a game. And we comment on Beran so much more. I understand, we all desperately (me included, for real) want the kid to be better. We know Collins is going to play him, so might as well cheer something clicks and he gives us something. Yesterday he did, hope it's the end of that being the exception. Oh, and Williams also did.

I like Greer and what he is capable of especially as a steadying influence but in yesterday's game he missed three wide open shots in the key

 

[TheC]

In theory, he'd commit less fouls guarding a 4 as one commits more fouls when being posted up or guarding players who penetrate. A 4 usually posts up less than a 5, and is usually not a penetrator.

Except Nance is a better shot eraser than Young. If he's out of the paint guarding a stretch-4, then we've lost his rim protection. I don't consider Young much of a rim protector.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

Except Nance is a better shot eraser than Young. If he's out of the paint guarding a stretch-4, then we've lost his rim protection. I don't consider Young much of a rim protector.

Nance seems like he gets a lot of those blocks when he comes over to help. Thats a definite talent.

 

[GatoLouco]

Except Nance is a better shot eraser than Young. If he's out of the paint guarding a stretch-4, then we've lost his rim protection. I don't consider Young much of a rim protector.

That might make some sense on paper, assuming you are talking about a stretch 4. But in reality is not necessarily like that. I've always have more memories of Nance's effectiveness as a help defender. Much more than as a straight on ball defender. But that's my memory and it's, of course, very prone to error.

Block stats point to inconclusive:
2020 - Playing 4, 1.0 blocks per game
2021 - Playing 5, 0.7 blocks per game
2022 - Playing 5, YTD, 1.9 blocks per game. Too early to say conference will bring that number down.

Of course it's not just blocks that tell the story. That's why most coaches track deflections for example. I wish stats tracked deflections as well as shots "altered" (understanding the difficulties of considering a shot altered)

 

[Jonny2TheP]

There were a lot of great things about yesterday's game, but probably my favorite part was that we were clearly a deeper team than Maryland was. Maryland looks to be a little down this year, but they are a team that has recruited well for many years and is MUCH more of a known basketball program than we are. Yet we had the depth that they did not and were able to sub a lot more with quality players that can contribute. The fact that we can play 10 guys that can on any given night get more than 10 minutes is huge. Yes, it still comes down to having a guy like Nance late in close games, but having that much depth is a really nice thing to see. Says a lot about how our recruiting has improved and will benefit us a lot as the season goes on.

One other note...Simmons is a hell of a defender. As of now, it's mostly limited to perimeter and on ball defending since he's still pretty skinny, but I love the way he plays on that end. Uses his athleticism very well and has excellent controlled close outs. Give him another year or two of growth on offense and he could be a really good player for us

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

I like the potential of both Roper and Simmons, but lean somewhat towards Simmons upside at this point. They should both be considered backups to Audige at the 3 until we have tried that and evaluated the results.

Buie, Greer and Berry should get almost all of the playing time at the two traditional guard positions. Maybe some backcourt minutes for Audige if Simmons or Roper steps up at the 3.

In the frontcourt, Young has proven he is effective with anyone who is willing to help him rebound.
Nance should play 30 minutes a night and is more effective at the 5 when Williams, not Beran, is at the 4.

If Young gets the 25 minutes a game that he clearly deserves, all we need to do is mix and match Nance, Williams or Beran with him at the 4.

This approach is our best.

 

[ThatkidfromHolland]

Nance is a mismatch against most Big Ten teams.

Fixed it

 

[ThatkidfromHolland]

Awesome to start the conference season with a road win. Maryland may not be a great team, and we didn't play awesome, but we ground out a win and were fairly strong in crunch time, with the exception of Buie missing a front-end of 1&1. Our team defense throughout was really good - our rotations and help were much better than they had been against WF, when in my opinion we gave away a game we should have won due to poor team defense (and probably overuse of the zone). I was at the 8-12 range to start the year for my guess of what we could accomplish in conference season. I'm sticking there for now, but with the conference not looking as scary this year I have some hope that maybe we can beat that number.

Players, in order of importance:
1. Nance- Clearly the top dog, at least in my eyes. I think he could make it to the NBA as a late draft pick. Does he have option for one more year of eligibility? One thing I don't understand is his minutes restriction. Collins seems to play him a bit more in the 2H, but he sits on the bench too much for my liking. He is averaging 26 mpg for the season (vs 31.8 for Boo), and while I get that a lot of those are weaker competition where we want to save his energy and get the depth some work, even against WF it was 29 minutes and Maryland 31 (while Boo had 33 in each). Maybe there is some health reason for this, but otherwise I'd like to see him get 33-36 minutes and only sit for one 2-4 minute spell in each half. I would start our rotations around Pete, and work in the rest of the guys after you've considered him. He had two crucial baskets to secure the MD game, and he almost brought us back against WF - wish we would have re-inserted him earlier and ran the offense through him more often, if we had I think we might have won. He's also our best interior defender on the other side of the ball, and has improved at avoiding fouls. 5th in the B1G with 1.9 blocks per game.

2. Buie- He's our second best offensive player, no question. Everyone else has debated him ad nauseum here so I won't add more. I wish he was a bit more reactive on defense and more efficient on offense, but we need him. Still leads the B1G in assists at 6 apg, with a A/TO ratio of 2.5 which is pretty solid also.

3. Young- I would like to see him get more minutes than the 11 he had yday, but with Beran playing better it's hard to see where they come from. I don't want to remove Williams from the rotation, I like him at 10-15 mins, so maybe Young still has to take some from Beran. He didn't have a very good game against Maryland so struggled with whether he should be listed this high, maybe not. But after the top 2 there's a decent gap.

4. Audige- He's back, and he clearly does things that other players on our team cannot. He's our best defender on the wing, so that's huge to have back. Still not clear to me that he helps out our offense though... the 7-17 (41%) in the Maryland game probably accurately reflects the quality of shots he was taking. He is better at driving to the hole and finishing than other guards on our team (Buie mostly has the mid-range floater, while Chase has the length to finish at the hoop), and he did make a couple of big buckets in the 2H, just some other wasted possessions though.

5. Berry- Has done a solid job as his assigned role right now - which is to be a pesky defender on defense and be a spot-up shooter off kick-outs on offense. He is 16-37 (43%) from 3 pt this year, the best combination of production and efficiency on our team from behind the arc (Nance is 11-24 for 46% probably next, Greer 7-15 for 47%, Beran 8-19 for 42%, Boo 16-51 for 31%). I'm hoping that over time he will improve with the ball in his hands, but he doesn't quite seem to be there yet. Will need to next season for sure.

6. Beran- Seems to be very up-and-down. If he does things right early or makes a 3, then he plays with confidence and is a much better contributor on both sides of the ball. If he misses shots, he seems to lose energy. Wish there was more consistency in his game - you could theoretically play him more when he's playing well, though that sort of reinforces the mopey-ness if he doesn't play well.

7. Greer- Maybe he should be higher? He doesn't necessarily have the upside of the guys above him, but I admire how he's really developed over the course of his time here. He's an efficient player on offense, has improved his decision making, and remains a consistently good defender. I have no issue with him getting late-game minutes.

8. Williams- Feels weird that he's this low, I guess that's a testament to the depth we have this year which is impressive. Williams does a lot of the little things right. Good defender, rebounder, and passer. It's too small sample size to assess his shooting yet I think - the stroke looks a bit awkward but I think he has the ability to make shots. There might be 1-2 conference games where he has a big impact this year.

9/10. Roper and Simmons- Hard to split up these guys, both seem to be a similar mold. I'm slightly partial to Roper right now as he seems to be a bit smoother with the ball which makes me think he has more upside in the future. Right now both of these guys are likely to be in the ~10 mpg role where they bring defense, energy, some floor spacing on offense (Simmons 3-7 from 3, while Roper is 3-12 thus far), and some slashing. The thing is, with Chase back, I think their minutes might wane a bit as conference season rolls on. They both might be better spot-up 3pt shooters than Chase, but they can't yet bring all the other aspects of his game - the length on defense, and ability to create their own shot effectively on offense when things bog down.

Barnhizer and Nicholson - TBD.

Go Cats!

Beran is very up and down offensively and tends to disappear at times. He’s a solid rebounder and one of the better defenders on our team at the 4-5. His D shouldn’t be in question but his offense 100% deserves it. Especially given his high upside. I hope he figures it out and it clicks.

 

[ricko654321]

Collins seems to play him a bit more in the 2H, but he sits on the bench too much for my liking.

I would love to see Nance on the floor for 40 minutes a game, but we need to be realistic. I think Collins' strategy of limiting his minutes in the first half keeps him fresh for the second half and out of foul trouble, which has been a bit of an issue throughout his career.

I don't expect him to play 40 minutes, but I would like to think he can get from 29-31 in our last two close games, to 33-35. I dunno, maybe I'm wrong, it was just an idea. I feel like he sits more than other top players in the conference. I just looked up a couple other F/C - EJ Liddell played 36 mins against Duke and 33 mins against Florida. Hunter Dickinson played 36 mins against UNLV and a whopping 39 minutes against San Diego St in their last game. Nance by comparison did have one 34 minute game against Providence, but 31 is his next most (Maryland), and he only played 29 @wake. Watching both Wake and MD I was itching for him to get back in there sooner.

 

[Figrating]

The experience of staying strong to close out that game was huge.

 

[NUThump]

I don't expect him to play 40 minutes, but I would like to think he can get from 29-31 in our last two close games, to 33-35. I dunno, maybe I'm wrong, it was just an idea. I feel like he sits more than other top players in the conference. I just looked up a couple other F/C - EJ Liddell played 36 mins against Duke and 33 mins against Florida. Hunter Dickinson played 36 mins against UNLV and a whopping 39 minutes against San Diego St in their last game. Nance by comparison did have one 34 minute game against Providence, but 31 is his next most (Maryland), and he only played 29 @wake. Watching both Wake and MD I was itching for him to get back in there sooner.

Nance has picked up his second foul early in some games which reduces his first half minutes.

 

[Turk]

Nance is a mismatch against most Big Ten teams when Young is playing the 5.

Collins doesnt see that. Not every game, but some games will be an opportunity for this.

 

[hdhntr1]

You can put some numbers to that:
2020 - 2.6 fouls on 26.2 minutes - 3.97 fouls per 40
2021 - 2.6 fouls on 27.7 minutes - 3.75 fouls per 40
2022 YTD - 2.5 fouls on 26 minutes - 3.85 fouls per 40

But that means he is only about 1 off of fouling out and with getting tired at trying to do 40 minutes it would likely mean fouling out of a number of games. 25-30 seems about right with the ability to add a few more

 

[ricko654321]

But that means he is only about 1 off of fouling out and with getting tired at trying to do 4- monutes it would likely mean fouling out of a number of games. 25-30 seems about right with the ability to add a few more

Well the solution to this isn't that hard - if he gets in foul trouble (2) early in a game, then you limit his 1H minutes. If he's not in foul trouble, then he can play 33-35 minutes. I guess unless he says that he is tired and needs a blow (or looks like it). If that's the case, then fair enough.

 

[NUThump]

Well the solution to this isn't that hard - if he gets in foul trouble (2) early in a game, then you limit his 1H minutes. If he's not in foul trouble, then he can play 33-35 minutes. I guess unless he says that he is tired and needs a blow (or looks like it). If that's the case, then fair enough.

I think that is exactly what has been done so far this year.

 

[GatoLouco]

I think that is exactly what has been done so far this year.

I think that applies to the 2nd half, not so much the 1st. 1st half, give Young some minutes, give more if Nance has two fouls. 2nd half, sit Young down unless Nance has foul problems. Maybe the numbers prove me wrong, don't know, eye test here.

And god forbid playing them together as the roof of the arena could collapse.

 

[Deeringfish]

I think that applies to the 2nd half, not so much the 1st. 1st half, give Young some minutes, give more if Nance has two fouls. 2nd half, sit Young down unless Nance has foul problems. Maybe the numbers prove me wrong, don't know, eye test here.

And god forbid playing them together as the roof of the arena could collapse.

I'm not any kind of BB expert but is there any chance that Collins thinks Young isn't quite quick enough to be effective in the opening minutes of play? Seems like he puts him in after the game settles down a little.

 

[GatoLouco]

I'm not any kind of BB expert but is there any chance that Collins thinks Young isn't quite quick enough to be effective in the opening minutes of play? Seems like he puts him in after the game settles down a little.

Maybe. IMO it is more that he wants to play as much of the game as possible with a stretch 5. So Young is relegated to the role of giving Nance rest. More or less according to Nance's foul trouble. Even if Young is super productive, like against Providence, he does not seem to give him more minutes than he absolutely has to.

I sense the first time we will see significant minutes for Young, outside Nance being in foul trouble, is when we are having a terrible game.

 

[clarificationcat]

Maybe. IMO it is more that he wants to play as much of the game as possible with a stretch 5. So Young is relegated to the role of giving Nance rest. More or less according to Nance's foul trouble. Even if Young is super productive, like against Providence, he does not seem to give him more minutes than he absolutely has to.

I sense the first time we will see significant minutes for Young, outside Nance being in foul trouble, is when we are having a terrible game.

I hope that Collins is flexible in his use of Young depending on matchups and how Beran is playing. I think he likes playing Nance at the 5 because it can create mismatches on offense and Nance is comfortable away from the basket (I am not trying to start another long discussion about whether this is a sound approach). And Nance and Beran are better at help defense and at contesting shots at the rim. I saw Collins pull Young for not contesting a drive to the basket earlier this year (I have no idea if that has anything to do with his overall playing time). However, if the other team has a really effective post player and Nance is struggling defending him and is not taking advantage of a mismatch at the offensive end, let's get Young as many minutes as he can handle. Unfortunately, Beran is not able to exploit a mismatch offensively. If he is guarded by a smaller player, he is not able to back him down and score. And if he is guarded by a bigger player, he is not able to take him off the dribble. So if we play a team like Michigan that has true center, they can put him on Beran and put their 4 (last year it was Wagner) on Nance. Wagner completely shut down Nance because he is his size and a better athlete. I think we are much better off in that situation going with Nance and Young. And, of course, if Beran is not being active on both ends of the court, put Young or Williams in the game.

 

[SimpsonElmwood]

I hope that Collins is flexible in his use of Young depending on matchups and how Beran is playing. I think he likes playing Nance at the 5 because it can create mismatches on offense and Nance is comfortable away from the basket (I am not trying to start another long discussion about whether this is a sound approach). And Nance and Beran are better at help defense and at contesting shots at the rim. I saw Collins pull Young for not contesting a drive to the basket earlier this year (I have no idea if that has anything to do with his overall playing time). However, if the other team has a really effective post player and Nance is struggling defending him and is not taking advantage of a mismatch at the offensive end, let's get Young as many minutes as he can handle. Unfortunately, Beran is not able to exploit a mismatch offensively. If he is guarded by a smaller player, he is not able to back him down and score. And if he is guarded by a bigger player, he is not able to take him off the dribble. So if we play a team like Michigan that has true center, they can put him on Beran and put their 4 (last year it was Wagner) on Nance. Wagner completely shut down Nance because he is his size and a better athlete. I think we are much better off in that situation going with Nance and Young. And, of course, if Beran is not being active on both ends of the court, put Young or Williams in the game.

I like what you are saying here. I have seen the Nance / Beran combo be very effective at collapsing on someone in the post. There are numerous times this year when the ball has gone there and they've been able to block the shot, cause a miss or steal or a kick out (this last point is where posters get irritated with the help defense but I see this defense as a + for NU).

The X factor this year is Beran's ability to exploit matchups on offense. In the Maryland game, he hit the 3 pointer from several feet beyond the arc and also had the dunk. If he can do these types of things consistently, it opens up the offense a ton in a way that Young cannot.

Young can be devastating on the offensive side and good on defense. His offense used to be matchup dependent but he's been solid or better no matter who we are playing. He's been able to hang on defense too.

The development of all three - Nance, Young, Beran - is one of many reasons why I am very bullish on this team. There are others - Greer is much more strong and confident. He was short on two shots against Maryland. He will hit those later in the year. I hope he comes back for a 5th year. Simmons/Roper - great on defense, looking forward to seeing them develop on offense. Simmons in particular is an excellent rebounder. Williams is a seasoned player who doesn't get frazzled. Berry can hit the open 3 and is good in defending passing lanes. He can take it to another level. Boo has matured a lot and Audige adds a lot on both ends that we missed for 7 games. We will see Barnhizer and Nicholson contribute at some point.

Can't wait for this season unfold and see where they end up. BELIEVE!

 

[SDakaGordie]

According to some, shame on me for giving it any credence, but the woman announcer on the Maryland game literally called Beran “the X-factor”. Collins must think he adds a dimension that no one else does, though of course he/we are not seeing as much of it as we’d all like.

 

[GatoLouco]

According to some, shame on me for giving it any credence, but the woman announcer on the Maryland game literally called Beran “the X-factor”. Collins must think he adds a dimension that no one else does, though of course he/we are not seeing as much of it as we’d all like.

I don't think she called him an X-factor, but rather said Collins calls him an X-factor. I am not positive of that though.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

According to some, shame on me for giving it any credence, but the woman announcer on the Maryland game literally called Beran “the X-factor”. Collins must think he adds a dimension that no one else does, though of course he/we are not seeing as much of it as we’d all like.

x factor
/ˈeksfaktər/

noun
2. a variable in a given situation that could have the most significant impact on the outcome.

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

Well the solution to this isn't that hard - if he gets in foul trouble (2) early in a game, then you limit his 1H minutes. If he's not in foul trouble, then he can play 33-35 minutes. I guess unless he says that he is tired and needs a blow (or looks like it). If that's the case, then fair enough.

Not rocket science. Coaching 101.

 

[hdhntr1]

Well the solution to this isn't that hard - if he gets in foul trouble (2) early in a game, then you limit his 1H minutes. If he's not in foul trouble, then he can play 33-35 minutes. I guess unless he says that he is tired and needs a blow (or looks like it). If that's the case, then fair enough.

Sorry but if he is averaging about 4 fouls per 40 minutes, playing him that much is going to lead to him being out of a lot of games at the end. It is an average which means a fair amount of the time it would be the over. Don't run into it now because he is not generally trying to play 40. Just remember as players get tired they are also more likely to get charged with fouls.

As it is, if they get two fouls in first half they are often pulled even earlier but generally seems better to try to limit them to about 15 in first half to keep them fresher for second half and add the extra minutes then if needed

 

[lunker35]

Sorry but if he is averaging about 4 fouls per 40 minutes, playing him that much is going to lead to him being out of a lot of games at the end. It is an average which means a fair amount of the time it would be the over. Don't run into it now because he is not generally trying to play 40. Just remember as players get tired they are also more likely to get charged with fouls.

As it is, if they get two fouls in first half they are often pulled even earlier but generally seems better to try to limit them to about 15 in first half to keep them fresher for second half and add the extra minutes then if needed

Perfect. They get 5 per 40!

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

Sorry but if he is averaging about 4 fouls per 40 minutes, playing him that much is going to lead to him being out of a lot of games at the end. It is an average which means a fair amount of the time it would be the over. Don't run into it now because he is not generally trying to play 40. Just remember as players get tired they are also more likely to get charged with fouls.

As it is, if they get two fouls in first half they are often pulled even earlier but generally seems better to try to limit them to about 15 in first half to keep them fresher for second half and add the extra minutes then if needed

in general, coaches are awfully cautious about having guys foul out.
Just my opinion, no stats to back it.
Probably more games lost trying to protect a player than lost because a guy fouls out.
Most players aren't fools.

 

[GatoLouco]

I’d suggest playing him 15 minutes so that he has fouls to give in case we go into 5 overtimes.

So much noise. He does not play more because Collins does not want to play him with Young. That simple. That’s why most of the time he spends on the bench is first half, you know when he is not in foul trouble. Everything that is being said here is to avoid just saying the no Young and Nance at the same time is somehow justified by anything other than the fact Collins likes positionless ball.

 

[SDakaGordie]

Gato - what is your rationale for why Collins recruited Young, and then why Young seems to buy into his role and the program?

 

[NUThump]

I’d suggest playing him 15 minutes so that he has fouls to give in case we go into 5 overtimes.

So much noise. He does not play more because Collins does not want to play him with Young. That simple. That’s why most of the time he spends on the bench is first half, you know when he is not in foul trouble. Everything that is being said here is to avoid just saying the no Young and Nance at the same time is somehow justified by anything other than the fact Collins likes positionless ball.

Two fouls in the first half is in foul trouble since you don’t want to pick up the third.