Admittedly, I had my doubts about NU achieving long-term success in basketball two years ago. While I always recognized CCC as a good coach, I felt that the lack of a strong historical program, academic challenges, actual coursework expectations, and the overall basketball atmosphere posed significant challenges. However, within this time frame, we have witnessed the establishment of a new legacy under CCC's leadership. The basketball atmosphere has transformed into one that rivals any in the nation. Though obstacles still remain for NU, CCC and his team deserve credit for surpassing them.
Initially, I feared that NU would part ways with CCC and that he would find success elsewhere. From the beginning, CCC has proven himself as a good coach, continuously improving along the way. I am not convinced that his in-game coaching abilities or X's and O's strategies have drastically changed. Rather, his greatest progression has been in learning how build a strong team culture and effectively managing egos within the program. The 2017 team is a perfect example of lost culture and mismanaging egos. The progression is evident in his strategic selection of assistant coaches. In the past, there was a good recruiter and questionable team culture influence brought to the coaching staff that helped secure a solid recruit for NU.
If you had told me we’d be having back to back tournament trips two years ago, I would have thought you were insane.
