Greek Game live stream
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It's been a close game so far against a 1st division Greek league team. Good early test for the young guys with 3 starters out.
3rd quarter was ugly in all directions. Need to reduce fouls even if the refs are calling it close.
Leach is going to have to play a LOT of minutes.
Fitz needs work.
Going to miss Boo's FT shooting.
Nick is a baller.
Fitz needs work.
Going to miss Boo's FT shooting.
Nick is a baller.
I thought we got blown out by reading some of these messages, but fast forwarding to the end of this clip shows we're leading by 3 after 3 quarters. Though... the score looks more like a middle school score, so I guess that's what you mean?
Wait, was that the end of the game at 40-38? It didn't seem like there was any end of game urgency or handshakes at the end, so I thought it was just a break. Not sure where I came up with the 3rd quarter though. It says 2nd Period.
Aris Salonica competes in the top tier of the Greek League, and based on their performance last year, they're little bit better than mid-table. Based on checking out their Eurobasket page, they're readying to play EuroCup games in late September. This is the 2nd tier European Continental league. I'm unsure if the team they scrimmaged today is the senior team, or part of their developmental pipeline team (Euro teams have U23, U19 type levels).
Either way, I'd rate the 'Cats play in the first two periods (that's as much as the livestream showed, and I couldn't locate part 2 on YouTube), as what's to be expected given the stage they're in. If anything, it was great to see the 'Cats play ball again.
Either way, I'd rate the 'Cats play in the first two periods (that's as much as the livestream showed, and I couldn't locate part 2 on YouTube), as what's to be expected given the stage they're in. If anything, it was great to see the 'Cats play ball again.
Seems like they played a lot of guys...looked like defense ahead of offense....made you realize how much Boo meant to initiating and driving the offense.....but 3 components still not involved....Most of these teams are comprised of experienced graduated college players...Loyola ran a scrimmage between this years team and past players most of whom are playing in foreign leagues...a couple more than 5 years or so.....and even w/o practice their maturity and experience really showed and left some of the new kids heads, spinning......So good experience for the Cats.
They played everyone basically. Clayton in particular seemed to be outmatched. Agree re: Mullins and Wyndham. Blakely has some nice movements and D and has clearly made huge strides. When Berry, Barnhiser and Nicholson are added, and Collins plays perhaps 8-9 people against better teams, I think we'll be fine against teams of this level.
Back in the mid-late 80's Aris Salonica was the main team in Greece. This was the time Greece went from mediocre to relevant at the european level, culminating with winning, at home, the European championship in 1987 under the leadership of legendary Greek American Nikos Gallis. Underdogs in the final against the Soviets, the game was one of the most intense games I ever watched, even if it was just on TV.
While the national team kept gettting stronger, they never won an international title again. At the same time the clubs climbed to the top of euro club competition. Olympiacos and Panathinaikos became dominant. Dominique Wilkins ended his career at Panathinaikos I believe.
Anyway, this is a guess, but the opponents of today looked athletic, tall and strong enough to be part of the pro roster of the team. They might be missing key players, but they were strong enough to give the cats a better practice than other teams did. That's good!
Thoughts on a 1/2 of bball:
1) Leach is the best ball handler. Clayton continues to be unreliable and quickly a team that knew nothing about NU decided to press him. Woof
2) Ciaravino did not have superb first half but looks very physically ready to contribute
3) Mullins is just an athletic freak. Lacks control, a lot, but, man, what an athlete
4) Martinelli was poised from day one. Still looks more and more poised every day
5) Windham can be a spark off the bench for Leach/Berry/Barnhizer. Mostly because he looks unintimidated
6) Hunger looked OK
7) Fitzmorris, TBD, looked hella lost
8) Barkley, no clue
I get the feeling we are, once again, being underrated by the "experts". We have a chance of being solid.
While the national team kept gettting stronger, they never won an international title again. At the same time the clubs climbed to the top of euro club competition. Olympiacos and Panathinaikos became dominant. Dominique Wilkins ended his career at Panathinaikos I believe.
Anyway, this is a guess, but the opponents of today looked athletic, tall and strong enough to be part of the pro roster of the team. They might be missing key players, but they were strong enough to give the cats a better practice than other teams did. That's good!
Thoughts on a 1/2 of bball:
1) Leach is the best ball handler. Clayton continues to be unreliable and quickly a team that knew nothing about NU decided to press him. Woof
2) Ciaravino did not have superb first half but looks very physically ready to contribute
3) Mullins is just an athletic freak. Lacks control, a lot, but, man, what an athlete
4) Martinelli was poised from day one. Still looks more and more poised every day
5) Windham can be a spark off the bench for Leach/Berry/Barnhizer. Mostly because he looks unintimidated
6) Hunger looked OK
7) Fitzmorris, TBD, looked hella lost
8) Barkley, no clue
I get the feeling we are, once again, being underrated by the "experts". We have a chance of being solid.
Agree regarding Clayton.
Windham looked comfortable and capable.
He handled the ball well enough to inspire some hope...
Leach and Fitz didn't impress me.
Hunger was moving well and getting to the offensive boards.
Not much from Blake Smith - assuming Mullins is ahead of him at this point.
Ciavarino will presumably be in the rotation as a freshman.
Nicholson/Martinelli/Barnhizer/Berry/Leach
Windham subs in for Berry or Leach...
Hunger subs in for Nicholson.
Ciavarino or Mullins sub in for Barnhizer or Martinelli?
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Some bad ball handling - our guards look like they'll need a lot of help getting the ball up in conference (as of this watching).
Some bad three point shooting.
Some bad three point defense. Like last season, opponents almost guaranteed a shot from the left corner with a tiny bit of ball movement.
I appreciated how hard we went for the ball and the rebounds. Ciavarino didn't give up on anything that I saw.
Lots of physical play and hard contact from both sides.
This was very much the new kids learning to play with each other and that's excellent imho.
It was apparent that the Aris team was familiar with each other and that helped keep them in the first half.
No idea how the game turned out.
Thanks for posting the video!
Some bad three point shooting.
Some bad three point defense. Like last season, opponents almost guaranteed a shot from the left corner with a tiny bit of ball movement.
I appreciated how hard we went for the ball and the rebounds. Ciavarino didn't give up on anything that I saw.
Lots of physical play and hard contact from both sides.
This was very much the new kids learning to play with each other and that's excellent imho.
It was apparent that the Aris team was familiar with each other and that helped keep them in the first half.
No idea how the game turned out.
Thanks for posting the video!
This loss will ruin NU's NCAA hopes!
In all seriousness, while a win would be nice for confidence, a loss in this particular game isn't really that bad. Cats played in a close game against a (presumably) better and (definitely) more physically mature/experienced opponent, not unlike many games they'll play this year. Anything bad they have plenty of time to work on. They get experience with best players on the bench. Boo played like 38 minutes a game last year, and those two minutes I was always like "I hope we can hold this lead!" Meanwhile, frosh like Ciavarino and Windham get serious run, and Leach gets to play a lot with his new team. Martinelli gets to be the captain on the floor. Clayton doesn't have to worry about getting benched if he makes a mistake. It's all good.
In all seriousness, while a win would be nice for confidence, a loss in this particular game isn't really that bad. Cats played in a close game against a (presumably) better and (definitely) more physically mature/experienced opponent, not unlike many games they'll play this year. Anything bad they have plenty of time to work on. They get experience with best players on the bench. Boo played like 38 minutes a game last year, and those two minutes I was always like "I hope we can hold this lead!" Meanwhile, frosh like Ciavarino and Windham get serious run, and Leach gets to play a lot with his new team. Martinelli gets to be the captain on the floor. Clayton doesn't have to worry about getting benched if he makes a mistake. It's all good.
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Actually fitzsimmons git several boards first half tho agree didn’t do well offensively. With berry and Barney could be decent. Time will tell.
Blakey has nice shot and started and D was solid today and I think will play as sub for martinelli too
Will we have +/- numbers from this game?
In the little bit I’d read of Windham, it seemed like he’d be a Clayton-as-frosh contributor. Good floor game. Not his team’s top scorer, nor really lead ballhandler. Hoops family and hoops school.
I’m pleasantly surprised to read that — at least in this series of preseason games — he looks like he belongs.
Mostly posting, however, to emphasize that his last name is a compound word (wind-ham), and not a mid-tier hotel chain.
I’m pleasantly surprised to read that — at least in this series of preseason games — he looks like he belongs.
Mostly posting, however, to emphasize that his last name is a compound word (wind-ham), and not a mid-tier hotel chain.
Not sure what the percentage was but guessing it was significant of the offensive opportunities created by Bo breaking down the defense and either hitting the floater..dumping off an assist because he was double teamed or he drew a foul. Gonna be a different offense this year or did you see someone who looked like they could approximate the skills of Bo ?
Boo was a nightmare for opposing guards. He could break down pretty much anyone, and excelled at guarding the ball. Even in the paint amongst the trees he could score. He made everyone around him better. Only the biggest, most athletic guards could defend him. Purdue could not. The key was to make him go sideways. Once he got to speed vertically, the guard was helpless.
This team is going to have to move the ball to get good looks.
I saw him play 3 times in high school, all last season. Unlike Clayton, you can see he is a very good 3 pt shooter. You can see that even if he had a couple of sub par shooting games. I believe he has been working on the speed of his shooting, looks faster. We saw a young Berry struggle with having to speed up his shooting to the college speed, before figuring it out. Hope KJ adapts faster.
The thing that makes me excited is that he seems unintimidated. A lot of 18 kids have the tools and skills but are shy, intimidated by the older guys, faster game. Hopefully I am right and Windham is along the lines of Martinelli, never seemed like a scared pup out there.
I think you nailed it. I was hoping it wasn't my purple colored glasses tricking me, but Windham looked good out there. Not "freshman-good" but "good."
Was looking to score and got his shot up quickly. His shooting stroke looked good to me, whereas Leach seemed to be throwing knuckleballs. He also led a fastbreak and dumped it to a teammate for a layup. Not all of our guys can do that.
Lots of reasons to like him - and it looked to me like he can handle the ball. We need a 3rd legit guard in the rotation.
I never saw him handling the ball in HS. But his team had a terrific PG.
I sense we will se a lot of Point Forward this season, that is to say Barnhizer handling the ball.
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I suspect we’ll see a lot of two or three guys bringing the bell up, and a lot more passing than dribbling.
Based on that one half of the game we saw, I didn’t see any Cat looking like they had a strong handle on the ball. So I expect we’ll see a lot of presses as teams know Boo is gone and we don’t have a strong point.
Based on that one half of the game we saw, I didn’t see any Cat looking like they had a strong handle on the ball. So I expect we’ll see a lot of presses as teams know Boo is gone and we don’t have a strong point.
Re Fitzmagic, it took some time for Tydus to adjust to B1G play coming from UTEP, but I thought he became an effective bench player. His ORtg - DRtg for us was 18.6, which is really damn good (although a bit exaggerated for guys with limited minutes).
I think Fitz can have a similar impact, though his skills are more geared to offense.
Between Leach, Berry, Martinelli, and Barnhizer, I think we’ll be fine.
Who the heck is "Blakeley"?????
If you mean Barkley (like the Round Mound of Rebound), then.....no.
I had the same reaction when I saw someone writing it. 1 second of confusion on who the guy is. Followed by strangeness. Followed by embracing it.
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