Nicholson gets his own thread

[SmellyCat]

Best game of the season - by far - for Nicholson, and a lot of us have been hard on him this year. It's not just that he put some crooked numbers in the box score, it's that a light switch seemed to go on to tell him he can go up for rebounds and be active all over the place. I really can't complain about him tonight. He was fantastic.

 

[GatoLouco]

Agreed. More than anything else, it was the offensive rebounds for me.

 

[AdamOnFirst]

Remember like eight days ago when we couldn’t figure out what on earth happened to him? ANCIENT HISTORY.

He’s a beast of a big ol boy again. Dunks and oops and making people regret their life in the paint and huge rebounds.

 

[phatcat]

We needed all of it. Even his tip on the last pass. Glad to see it. I was complaining bitterly about him. Really need him at a high level to get anywhere

 

[UpsetAlert]

Remember like eight days ago when we couldn’t figure out what on earth happened to him? ANCIENT HISTORY.

He’s a beast of a big ol boy again. Dunks and oops and making people regret their life in the paint and huge rebounds.

He’s also getting healthier - Collins intimated as such.

 

[AdamOnFirst]

This is a completely trite thought, but all I can think of is how in college when me or one of my fraternity brothers were (very very rarely) struggling to sink shots in beer pong we would physically leave the room into a closet or bedroom, then open the door and introduce ourselves to everybody present as “a new man.” This was pretty funny when we were drunk, especially when you made your next couple of shots.

It’s ridiculous, but it’s all I can think of. It’s like Matty walked into a broom closet at halftime of the Penn State game and walked out announcing he was a new man… and he just was.

 

[phatcat]

He’s also getting healthier - Collins intimated as such.

I wonder what was wrong and for how long. Dude had a Harry Potter invisibility cloak until the last couple of games.

 

[Baz=Heisman]

Hopefully those dunks will get him rolling. Like was said… we needed every single one. PHEW.

 

[IGNORE2]

Best game of the season - by far - for Nicholson, and a lot of us have been hard on him this year. It's not just that he put some crooked numbers in the box score, it's that a light switch seemed to go on to tell him he can go up for rebounds and be active all over the place. I really can't complain about him tonight. He was fantastic.

Around the 15 of second half, he goes up strong like he’s prepared to crush any defending hands against the iron. That’s the MN I have been wanting to see.

 

[NUCat320]

Around the 15 of second half, he goes up strong like he’s prepared to crush any defending hands against the iron. That’s the MN I have been wanting to see.

Earlier on that possession, he doubled off the screen to prevent the drive, then retreated to the paint. It was the guy we saw 11 months ago. Really nice to see.

 

[purplejustice]

He played a great game except at the free throw line. He has to keep working on it. He showed lots of energy throughout the game. He was a force on the boards and with his dunks. Fun evening at Welsh Ryan.

 

[rwhitney014]

He wasn’t moving well. The only way a guy stops moving well is if he’s out of shape - which Matt has not visibly been - or if he’s hurt.

Brooks’ hand was hurt when he went through his slump. The wrap has slowly come off, was fully off tonight, and look! He’s been much better across the board.

Gotta think Nicholson was fighting something too. Getting this version of him consistently would be an excellent development. He and Hunger bring different things to the position in different matchups but make a nice combo.

 

[SmellyCat]

He wasn’t moving well.

I'm sure that contributed to his foul problems this year. He moved better last night and lo and behold - no foul problems! I think he ended with three, which is still more than most, but I think he probably had at least one very late in the game.

 

[TheC]

Yep.... huge props to Big Matt for last night. Let's hope this is the start of something. We become a different team if he is contributing like that.

 

[hdhntr1]

Best game of the season - by far - for Nicholson, and a lot of us have been hard on him this year. It's not just that he put some crooked numbers in the box score, it's that a light switch seemed to go on to tell him he can go up for rebounds and be active all over the place. I really can't complain about him tonight. He was fantastic.

Other than the Free Throws

 

[hdhntr1]

Remember like eight days ago when we couldn’t figure out what on earth happened to him? ANCIENT HISTORY.

He’s a beast of a big ol boy again. Dunks and oops and making people regret their life in the paint and huge rebounds.

It seems like a change in focus to get him the ball in a position to score, They have not done that much lately but last night it seemed a point of emphasis. Could be just who we were going up against but it was nice to see regardless

 

[AdamOnFirst]

He wasn’t moving well. The only way a guy stops moving well is if he’s out of shape - which Matt has not visibly been - or if he’s hurt.

Brooks’ hand was hurt when he went through his slump. The wrap has slowly come off, was fully off tonight, and look! He’s been much better across the board.

Gotta think Nicholson was fighting something too. Getting this version of him consistently would be an excellent development. He and Hunger bring different things to the position in different matchups but make a nice combo.

I think it has to be a mixture of physical and mental factors. He was a non-factor all season, slow and confused, and then basically overnight he was just right back. It doesn't make sense for him to have been so hurt for months and then get totally healthy in like three days and look completely like himself again. In addition to slow he just looked out of place and like he wasn't processing the game well. Maybe he had a nagging injury and it hurt is mental state, wouldn't be the first time that's happened.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

I think it has to be a mixture of physical and mental factors. He was a non-factor all season, slow and confused, and then basically overnight he was just right back. It doesn't make sense for him to have been so hurt for months and then get totally healthy in like three days and look completely like himself again. In addition to slow he just looked out of place and like he wasn't processing the game well. Maybe he had a nagging injury and it hurt is mental state, wouldn't be the first time that's happened.

He's been playing better for about 3 games. I do think its possible he was hurt at the beginning of the season. He was carrying extra weight. Thought maybe a knee or toe or ankle.

I base that on one incident in the first few games where he seemed to stub his toe at midcourt, throw his arms up and signal that he wanted to come out of the game.

 

[SmellyCat]

It might be a combination of minor injury, weight, AND coaches yelling at him/benching him. Someone the other night said the bench is the most powerful motivator in sports.

 

[phatcat]

It might be a combination of minor injury, weight, AND coaches yelling at him/benching him. Someone the other night said the bench is the most powerful motivator in sports.

Especially when your replacement plays better than you were

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

It might be a combination of minor injury, weight, AND coaches yelling at him/benching him. Someone the other night said the bench is the most powerful motivator in sports.

I'm hoping there was also a little re-assessment of Nicholson from the coaching side.

Why do we have him out there defending the perimeter and switching onto guards?
He gets tired, he's not in rebounding position and he doesn't get to defend the basket, which is his biggest strength...
And on offense, yes he is our best screener by a mile, and he does okay passing the ball to guys posting up or cutting, but other than that, he belongs near the basket...

The last couple games he did less running on both ends of the floor.

One can dream...

 

[PurpWildCatNation]

The north remembers the chicago state game

 

[FeralFelidae]

There were multiple Nicholbombs last night. It's great to see him back in top form.

 

[SmellyCat]

I think it was five dunks and one putback layup in OT. He had to make a move for at least half of them, rather than just accepting an alley oop (not that that isn’t a move in its own right).

 

[AdamOnFirst]

I think it was five dunks and one putback layup in OT. He had to make a move for at least half of them, rather than just accepting an alley oop (not that that isn’t a move in its own right).

He was at absolute peak form moving offensively last night. One dribble, two steps, and an open jam max, but that all works when you frequently get wide open on the space Buie creates for you. I’ll take 12 quick points on 6-7 any day, especially when your last two points before fouling out are basically the dagger.

 

[EagerFan]

My favorite part was in the OT when they totally lost him covering our weavers and a bounce pass thru their wall for a big boom. Losing track of him at the rim was great.

 

[Hungry Jack]

Last night was a Nicholbomb fest. They probably should replace the rims at WRA.

 

[GatoLouco]

Last night was a Nicholbomb fest. They probably should replace the rims at WRA.

In seriousness, the WRA rims have been soft and noisy for a long time. Kind of like IL trolls on this board.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Last night was a Nicholbomb fest. They probably should replace the rims at WRA.

He played very well last night. His best game of the year!

 

[IGNORE2]

He was at absolute peak form moving offensively last night. One dribble, two steps, and an open jam max, but that all works when you frequently get wide open on the space Buie creates for you. I’ll take 12 quick points on 6-7 any day, especially when your last two points before fouling out are basically the dagger.

He threw one day through a block like he wanted to break the opposing hand. That’s how to play. Big kudos to Berry and MN. Frankly the whole team played strong. Love that Boo never whines after taking an uncalled beating - simply gets up, runs back and waits to do it again.

 

[AdamOnFirst]

Matt Nicholson smash. Matt Nicholson take ball and give ball to Boo. Matt not pawn in game of life, sometimes Boo reward Matt and give ball back for Matt to smash.

 

[ubercat]

Matt Nicholson smash. Matt Nicholson take ball and give ball to Boo. Matt not pawn in game of life, sometimes Boo reward Matt and give ball back for Matt to smash.

Classic.

 

[SmellyCat]

Matt Nicholson smash. Matt Nicholson take ball and give ball to Boo. Matt not pawn in game of life, sometimes Boo reward Matt and give ball back for Matt to smash.

Blazing Saddles references always get a like from me. But yes, one of my favorite plays last night is when he passed to Boo and it made it back into his hands for an alley-oop just past the outstretched hand of Hawkins. I could watch that play a hundred times and probably will.

 

[NUThump]

MN gets the crowd going for sure. He doesn’t just dunk it - he adds style points like he is in a dunk contest.

 

[Hungry Jack]

MN gets the crowd going for sure. He doesn’t just dunk it - he adds style points like he is in a dunk contest.

Yes. His two-handed tomahawk jams are Northwestern basketball porn.