I, for one, am glad that Collins went off on the refs!

[TheC]

Coach Collins had some heated words both during and after the game about the obvious missed calls at a crucial moment in yesterday's game. And I, for one, am glad he did for a number of reasons:

1) Because Fu@& Michigan. Stupid Wolverines. While I really have little animosity for their basketball program and their coach seems like a pretty decent guy, that god-awful football team with their ugly-ass helmets, and obnoxious, arrogant fans and a head coach who right now is probably the single biggest prick of a coach for any team at any level from kindergarten up through the pros.... its so bad that it bleeds over and taints the basketball team.

2) He was right. The refs didn't have the balls to make the right call at a key point that might have altered the outcome of a very intense, emotional game. And at Northwestern, we have been on the short end of calls like that for as long as I have been a fan. And it sucks and I'm glad we have a coach with the balls to finally stand up and say it. He has probably witnessed this happening many times in his short tenure at NU. And I wouldn't be surprised if he recognized it happening in reverse during all his years in the Duke program. You don't think Coach K gets more than his fair share of calls? I'm sure Coach Collins knows it happens.

3) He was sticking up for his team. They played their hearts out and deserved better than what happened. And Coach Collins cares about them and about this program.

4) But most importantly, he was setting the tone for this team going forward. This team is getting better, but we still lack that mental toughness.... that attitude that says we don't care if you're a bigger program than us and higher ranked than us, we're still going to punch you in the nose and then rip your heart out. I think if Coach Collins can instill in his younger guys an us against the world mentality, it might help give them the drive, the anger to not get intimidated in those difficult situations where right now they crumble far too often.

 

[NJCat]

Coach Collins had some heated words both during and after the game about the obvious missed calls at a crucial moment in yesterday's game. And I, for one, am glad he did for a number of reasons:

1) Because Fu@& Michigan. Stupid Wolverines. While I really have little animosity for their basketball program and their coach seems like a pretty decent guy, that god-awful football team with their ugly-ass helmets, and obnoxious, arrogant fans and a head coach who right now is probably the single biggest prick of a coach for any team at any level from kindergarten up through the pros.... its so bad that it bleeds over and taints the basketball team.

2) He was right. The refs didn't have the balls to make the right call at a key point that might have altered the outcome of a very intense, emotional game. And at Northwestern, we have been on the short end of calls like that for as long as I have been a fan. And it sucks and I'm glad we have a coach with the balls to finally stand up and say it. He has probably witnessed this happening many times in his short tenure at NU. And I wouldn't be surprised if he recognized it happening in reverse during all his years in the Duke program. You don't think Coach K gets more than his fair share of calls? I'm sure Coach Collins knows it happens.

3) He was sticking up for his team. They played their hearts out and deserved better than what happened. And Coach Collins cares about them and about this program.

4) But most importantly, he was setting the tone for this team going forward. This team is getting better, but we still lack that mental toughness.... that attitude that says we don't care if you're a bigger program than us and higher ranked than us, we're still going to punch you in the nose and then rip your heart out. I think if Coach Collins can instill in his younger guys an us against the world mentality, it might help give them the drive, the anger to not get intimidated in those difficult situations where right now they crumble far too often.

I'm with you. Your point 4) is the key: he isn't going to accept losing. It is not enough to try. He expects results from himself and his team. The guy just gets it and will eventually be a success at NU.

 

[phatcat]

Coach Collins had some heated words both during and after the game about the obvious missed calls at a crucial moment in yesterday's game. And I, for one, am glad he did for a number of reasons:

1) Because Fu@& Michigan. Stupid Wolverines. While I really have little animosity for their basketball program and their coach seems like a pretty decent guy, that god-awful football team with their ugly-ass helmets, and obnoxious, arrogant fans and a head coach who right now is probably the single biggest prick of a coach for any team at any level from kindergarten up through the pros.... its so bad that it bleeds over and taints the basketball team.

2) He was right. The refs didn't have the balls to make the right call at a key point that might have altered the outcome of a very intense, emotional game. And at Northwestern, we have been on the short end of calls like that for as long as I have been a fan. And it sucks and I'm glad we have a coach with the balls to finally stand up and say it. He has probably witnessed this happening many times in his short tenure at NU. And I wouldn't be surprised if he recognized it happening in reverse during all his years in the Duke program. You don't think Coach K gets more than his fair share of calls? I'm sure Coach Collins knows it happens.

3) He was sticking up for his team. They played their hearts out and deserved better than what happened. And Coach Collins cares about them and about this program.

4) But most importantly, he was setting the tone for this team going forward. This team is getting better, but we still lack that mental toughness.... that attitude that says we don't care if you're a bigger program than us and higher ranked than us, we're still going to punch you in the nose and then rip your heart out. I think if Coach Collins can instill in his younger guys an us against the world mentality, it might help give them the drive, the anger to not get intimidated in those difficult situations where right now they crumble far too often.

1) Can I get an 'Amen'?
2) I don't watch the NBA but it is the same as Kobe and LeBron getting calls they don't deserve
3) Amen
4) Agree

 

[Medill90]

Unless NU is leaving the Big Ten, I'm really glad he went off on the refs. Last year there were clear goal tending misses that completely turned around games. The missed travel yesterday was egregious. If the uniforms were reversed there would have been whistles like a construction site across from a strip joint.

Collins has to make a big deal in order to bank these errors. This is a man-to-man thing. "You did not do the job you're paid to do....why are you here?"

And then next year, and the year after, in the middle of a game that one ref will feel the heat from Collins and it will be much, much tougher to be the historically monumental truck-up that he was yesterday when it should have mattered.

 

[Figrating]

< 2) He was right. The refs didn't have the balls to make the right call at a key point that might have altered the outcome of a very intense, emotional game. And at Northwestern, we have been on the short end of calls like that for as long as I have been a fan. And it sucks and I'm glad we have a coach with the balls to finally stand up and say it. He has probably witnessed this happening many times in his short tenure at NU. And I wouldn't be surprised if he recognized it happening in reverse during all his years in the Duke program. You don't think Coach K gets more than his fair share of calls? I'm sure Coach Collins knows it happens. >

GO ON, The C!

 

[Sec.112]

I agree with you, C, that it's nice to have a coach who has the balls to stand up and say it. It's also good to have a coach who understands the other politics of the game itself: "You screwed me on that call. I expect a makeup." I don't think it's an accident that Steratore went out of his way to make sure the final Michigan out-of-bounds call was correct. In most other games, that last shot is not available and teams are shaking hands ... as Collins was.

Also, I agree there's a toughness every good team needs.

However, good teams don't come out of the gate down 16-3. They also don't rely on offensive non-factors and DNP-CDs in tournament games in March - especially to make the final shot.

So I really want to tell CC to understand the reality of his team, keep the attitude out of the press room and shape up the other 98% of your game. Do we need to discuss how many possessions EVERY game CC teams give away to "just go ahead and shoot" and poor defensive switching?

 

[TheC]

I agree with you, C, that it's nice to have a coach who has the balls to stand up and say it. It's also good to have a coach who understands the other politics of the game itself: "You screwed me on that call. I expect a makeup." I don't think it's an accident that Steratore went out of his way to make sure the final Michigan out-of-bounds call was correct. In most other games, that last shot is not available and teams are shaking hands ... as Collins was.

Also, I agree there's a toughness every good team needs.

However, good teams don't come out of the gate down 16-3. They also don't rely on offensive non-factors and DNP-CDs in tournament games in March - especially to make the final shot.

So I really want to tell CC to understand the reality of his team, keep the attitude out of the press room and shape up the other 98% of your game. Do we need to discuss how many possessions EVERY game CC teams give away to "just go ahead and shoot" and poor defensive switching?

If he didn't take that attitude into the press room, then none of us here would know he was saying those things, and I'm glad to hear it!

I'm not going so far as to say the refs cost us the game, but it is tiring to have to keep climbing over extra hurdles all the time.

And I'm sick of it.

And the hell with everyone - which I hope is the new mantra for Northwestern basketball!

 

[hdhntr1]

I agree with you, C, that it's nice to have a coach who has the balls to stand up and say it. It's also good to have a coach who understands the other politics of the game itself: "You screwed me on that call. I expect a makeup." I don't think it's an accident that Steratore went out of his way to make sure the final Michigan out-of-bounds call was correct. In most other games, that last shot is not available and teams are shaking hands ... as Collins was.

Also, I agree there's a toughness every good team needs.

However, good teams don't come out of the gate down 16-3. They also don't rely on offensive non-factors and DNP-CDs in tournament games in March - especially to make the final shot.

So I really want to tell CC to understand the reality of his team, keep the attitude out of the press room and shape up the other 98% of your game. Do we need to discuss how many possessions EVERY game CC teams give away to "just go ahead and shoot" and poor defensive switching?

I would disagree that a good team cannot come out of the gate slow. They can also have a dead period any time during the game or a period where the opposition is very hot. It even happens with great teams. It happens to every team. With top teams, they happen less often or are of shorter duration , but they still happen. One thing that good teams do do, when they have one of those periods, they do not panic. They keep working, make adjustments and tend to claw back in and that is what we saw yesterday.

Also if you just watched yesterday, basically all games came down to the final minute or two or final shot. IA, IL came down to the end. (I did not see OSU, PSU but it looked like it was close as well)

 

[Gladeskat]

However, good teams don't come out of the gate down 16-3. They also don't rely on offensive non-factors and DNP-CDs in tournament games in March - especially to make the final shot.

16-3 happens to every team, good or bad. All one has to do is look at the tourney so far, with underdogs grabbing double-digit leads early on in several games. Good teams overcome those weak starts and close out games when the pressure is on. Tap is an experienced 3rd-year player, one of our top 3-point shooters, had been in the game for a while, and wouldn't have drawn as much defensive attention as Mac and particularly Demps after last year. Demps took his defender to the corner enabling Tap to get a decent look.

Good teams don't have starters who disappear in games or small forwards who cannot drive or create their own shots.

 

[hdhntr1]

16-3 happens to every team, good or bad. All one has to do is look at the tourney so far, with underdogs grabbing double-digit leads early on in several games. Good teams overcome those weak starts and close out games when the pressure is on. Tap is an experienced 3rd-year player, one of our top 3-point shooters, had been in the game for a while, and wouldn't have drawn as much defensive attention as Mac and particularly Demps after last year. Demps took his defender to the corner enabling Tap to get a decent look.

Good teams don't have starters who disappear in games or small forwards who cannot drive or create their own shots.

Sure they do. Just doesn't happen as often as with mediocre teams. Also we are talking good teams, not great teams.