Open scrimmage Observations

[GOUNUII]

1. Pardon...His quickness is what separates him. Great hands too. Looks very confident in his maturation to becoming a consistent scoring threat.
2. Benson...Still plays smaller than his size. But he's fearless and plays hard. A hard to find back up big who will defend, rebound, make a hustle basket or two and keep getting better.
3. Falzon...Ouch. Was hoping for more. The legs limit his versatility. Still not strong enough down low. Strictly a spot up shooter. Will likely struggle to score against any man to man defense.
4. Rap...Right now .... Falzon without a 3 point threat to his game.
5. Skelly...How do you keep this guy out of the starting lineup? Ideally a lots of minutes off the bench kind of player, but he's our second best big and one of the top 5-6 eligible players on the team. Look for him and Pardon to up their offensive production this year.
6-7-8...B-Mac Law and Lindsey. Only some missed FTs to complain about. If Law could take defenders off the dribble they would be really special. Just special will have to do.
9. Turner...Damn. What an asset this guy would be this year. Solid in all phases. Can knock down the jumper and take it to the rim. One of the top 6-7 players on the team.
10. Gaines....Nothing about this kid says freshman. Plays much larger than 6-4 anywhere near the basket. A fearless, confident warrior who draws fouls taking it to the hoop and finishes through contact. Look for him to have some rock the house dunks this year. The kind of player every good player wants to play with.
11. Ash...Played a lot of minutes and played hard. Gave B-Mac fits at times defending him. Knocked down some shots, but it's still obvious he struggles with his mechanics and confidence. Those limitations may keep him behind Brown and Gaines in the minutes chart.
12. Brown...Inactive

GOUNUII

 

[backdoorpass]

1. Pardon...His quickness is what separates him. Great hands too. Looks very confident in his maturation to becoming a consistent scoring threat.
2. Benson...Still plays smaller than his size. But he's fearless and plays hard. A hard to find back up big who will defend, rebound, make a hustle basket or two and keep getting better.
3. Falzon...Ouch. Was hoping for more. The legs limit his versatility. Still not strong enough down low. Strictly a spot up shooter. Will likely struggle to score against any man to man defense.
4. Rap...Right now .... Falzon without a 3 point threat to his game.
5. Skelly...How do you keep this guy out of the starting lineup? Ideally a lots of minutes off the bench kind of player, but he's our second best big and one of the top 5-6 eligible players on the team. Look for him and Pardon to up their offensive production this year.
6-7-8...B-Mac Law and Lindsey. Only some missed FTs to complain about. If Law could take defenders off the dribble they would be really special. Just special will have to do.
9. Turner...Damn. What an asset this guy would be this year. Solid in all phases. Can knock down the jumper and take it to the rim. One of the top 6-7 players on the team.
10. Gaines....Nothing about this kid says freshman. Plays much larger than 6-4 anywhere near the basket. A fearless, confident warrior who draws fouls taking it to the hoop and finishes through contact. Look for him to have some rock the house dunks this year. The kind of player every good player wants to play with.
11. Ash...Played a lot of minutes and played hard. Gave B-Mac fits at times defending him. Knocked down some shots, but it's still obvious he struggles with his mechanics and confidence. Those limitations may keep him behind Brown and Gaines in the minutes chart.
12. Brown...Inactive

GOUNUII

Many thanks from all the out-of-towners for the great overview.

Based on your report and the box score, it was a tough night for Falzon. I had assumed Falzon would start and Skelly would be the energy guy of the bench... But if Skelly is able to force a couple former 4-star recruits to fight for backup playing time, good for him--and good for the development of Falzon and Ivanauskas.

Across the board, it seems like each of the starters will have stiff competition in practice, which should pay off against real competition.

Ash may never be skilled enough as an offensive player (lack of scoring and too many turnovers) to be a regular contributor at PG...but that defensive intensity will push BMac to be better on offense. Similarly, Brown's offensive skills should push BMac to become a better defender every day in practice.

The news about Gaines is awesome. It sounds like Gaines is someone who will be a mainstay in the lineup this year and into the future. Of course, the starting spot is currently held by a pre-season All-B1G pick in Scottie Lindsey. The battle and mentorship in practice at this position should make both players better.

The interview that LouV did the the BC beat writer in the spring about AJ Turner convinced m that we were getting someone special. Turner is reportedly a well rounded all around player, strong athlete, hard worker and great locker room guy. It is good to know that the scrimmage backed up these reports. Turner obviously cannot play this season due to transfer rules, so his entire mission will be to battle Vic Law in practice. This can only be a good thing for Vic and for the future of Turner.

I already talked about the competitive depth and fierce battle for playing time between Skelly, Falzon and Ivanauskas...

Finally, I hope that Pardon becomes a star in the B1G this season. In practice, Dererk will be battling Benson and Skelly, both strong players with different styles to match some of the different types of bigs Pardon will have to face throughout the season.

If our big 4 can stay healthy, we have a chance to be really, really good. And if any of the starters go down, their replacements (at the very least) will have plenty of experience playing against All-B1G level competition in practice.

Go 'Cats!

 

[SmellyCat]

I’m absolutely giddy. NU is playing Iowa in football today and I’m over here on the basketball board hitting refresh. It’s going to be a great season!

 

[scru]

Thanks for all of the detailed reports! This goes for those on the their thread as well.

Very excited to hear about AG. Looking forward to watching him play and providing some Wing depth we didn't have last season.

Concerned about the play of the 4* 4s. Before he was injured last season, Falzon was really cold shooting. More of the same last night, it appears. I really hope he is able to work his way out of it. He has excellent mechanics and could be a real asset to open lanes for our slashers if he's hitting shots. I wonder, if he is struggling to find his shot and Rap is still finding his game at this level, does CCC go small ball with LG, 3 Wings and a Big, no 4? Lindsey, AG, and Law. Not sure who rotates in, though.

 

[IdahoAlum]

Sounds to me like we’re going to be seeing a lot of small ball this year, not as much Falzon and Rap as anticipated. I worry about NU’s ability to make 3s with Tap’s departure and Falzon’s struggles. But it’s early and hopefully Falzon will find his shot.

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

Sounds to me like we’re going to be seeing a lot of small ball this year, not as much Falzon and Rap as anticipated. I worry about NU’s ability to make 3s with Tap’s departure and Falzon’s struggles. But it’s early and hopefully Falzon will find his shot.

Sheesh...you’re postulating based on 32 minutes of an intrasquad scrimmage? Falzon and Rap haven’t experienced “live game action” in over a year. Can we give them a bit more time to get their games going before we adjust the rotation? I’m still expecting Falzon to start, with Kelly providing energy off the bench.

 

[NJCat]

Sheesh...you’re postulating based on 32 minutes of an intrasquad scrimmage? Falzon and Rap haven’t experienced “live game action” in over a year. Can we give them a bit more time to get their games going before we adjust the rotation? I’m still expecting Falzon to start, with Kelly providing energy off the bench.

Precisely. Give both of them some time to get their legs and timing. Rap in particular hasn't played one second of college ball yet.

 

[Kelly_32]

Sheesh...you’re postulating based on 32 minutes of an intrasquad scrimmage? Falzon and Rap haven’t experienced “live game action” in over a year. Can we give them a bit more time to get their games going before we adjust the rotation? I’m still expecting Falzon to start, with Kelly providing energy off the bench.

I’m way out of shape but I do have eligibility remaining. I can still shoot it.

 

[Medill90]

I’m way out of shape but I do have eligibility remaining. I can still shoot it.

Who from Indiana can't?

 

[Medill90]

I did not go to the scrimmage last night. But I did drive by the Horizon late afternoon.

Some thoughts from the comments and boxscore.

Less worried about Falzon than Rap. First game in front of humanoids for both in a year. Falzon's performance does not align with Collins' recent comments, so not really concerned. Concern about Rap is that coach only played him 15 minutes. Was he dinged?

Backdoorpass, agree with you on Ash. He's got to show in the next month that he can handle the ball or he's only going to get spot minutes for situational defense.

But the big reason for my post, (burying the lede here) based on what I'm reading about Gaines, if true, is testament to how exceptional this staff is at identifying talent. NU's roster has two three-stars considered top ten Big Ten players. I'd argue Pardon is top 20-15, somewhere in there. And now we have Gaines to deal with.

If Gaines is grabbing minutes on a roster this senior it's a bit mind-boggling.

There could have been another player or two they could have gotten in Gaines' class. But these are not the Chicago Bulls. NU only offers quality Big Ten talent that projects to improve.

Just an exceptional job of recruiting for a school that historically, and I'm talking 40-50 years, has been incredibly difficult to recruit for.

 

[Medill90]

Sounds to me like we’re going to be seeing a lot of small ball this year, not as much Falzon and Rap as anticipated. I worry about NU’s ability to make 3s with Tap’s departure and Falzon’s struggles. But it’s early and hopefully Falzon will find his shot.

Falzon is a better three point shooter than Tap was. Quicker release and can get into his shot in lots more ways.

 

[IdahoAlum]

Falzon is a better three point shooter than Tap was. Quicker release and can get into his shot in lots more ways.

Unfortunately his actual shooting percentage is much lower than Taps. Eventually Falzon is going to have to make shots.

 

[freewillie07]

Unfortunately his actual shooting percentage is much lower than Taps. Eventually Falzon is going to have to make shots.

There's been virtually no evidence of a player regressing during Collins's tenure. We should all relax. Aaron will, at the very least, get back to his freshman year self.

Rap, on the other hand, is a complete unknown. But, again, Collins has a great track record of finding and offering guys before they blow up...and Rap from many accounts was on the verge of doing so before committing to NU. So, we'll see.

Wouldn't be the end of the world for Skelly to be the starter, at least at the beginning of the season. A lot of rapport with the rest of the team.

 

[Figrating]

12. Brown...Inactive

With a year of experience on the court an in the gym, here's hoping for a breakout season from him.

 

[Medill90]

Unfortunately his actual shooting percentage is much lower than Taps. Eventually Falzon is going to have to make shots.

Not as freshmen. Falzon shot 35% from three as a frosh, versus 28% for Tap. And Falzon only played his freshman year.

He's got to get it done, I agree. My confidence comes from Collins' comments. Since he's been coach, Falzon is the only guy he's described as an elite three-point shooter and he's continued with that language this season. I expect Falzon to improve that percentage this year.

Tap was great, though.

 

[clarificationcat]

Precisely. Give both of them some time to get their legs and timing. Rap in particular hasn't played one second of college ball yet.

Yeah. That's just silly. Falzon was just very streaky his freshmen year. He is never going to be able to create his own shot consistently but he can carry the offense for stretches. And he is still going to have 0 for 5 nights. Comes with the territory. It's going to be up to the other players to create opportunities for him. The big question will be if he can guard the 4 and hold his own on the boards.

Rap is taller and more athletic. He will contribute eventually.

I am guessing Shelly will get 25 plus minutes against teams with a real 4.

 

[Kat burglar]

I did not go to the scrimmage last night. But I did drive by the Horizon late afternoon.

Very funny lead in. "I'm not a doctor, but I live near a hospital, so here is my medical opinion.? Just kidding you.

I was thinking that Falzon and Rap would add shooting and athleticism. Now I'm not so sure. I'm still hopeful, but not as certain any more. Gaines is a great surprise.

 

[IdahoAlum]

Not as freshmen. Falzon shot 35% from three as a frosh, versus 28% for Tap. And Falzon only played his freshman year.

He's got to get it done, I agree. My confidence comes from Collins' comments. Since he's been coach, Falzon is the only guy he's described as an elite three-point shooter and he's continued with that language this season. I expect Falzon to improve that percentage this year.

Tap was great, though.

Tap was a 41 percent career three-point shooter. If Falzon gives us that this year I’ll be happy. NU needs to be more efficient from 3 this year, and Falzon is a good candidate to help in that area.

 

[rwhitney014]

Tap was a 41 percent career three-point shooter. If Falzon gives us that this year I’ll be happy. NU needs to be more efficient from 3 this year, and Falzon is a good candidate to help in that area.

Considering that only eight qualifying power conference players shot 41% or better from 3 last season, I'd be pretty happy with that too.

 

[IdahoAlum]

Considering that only eight qualifying power conference players shot 41% or better from 3 last season, I'd be pretty happy with that too.

Yep he leaves a bigger hole than I think a lot of people realize.

 

[NJCat]

Yep he leaves a bigger hole than I think a lot of people realize.

Tap was a good kid who made the most important pass in the history of NU basketball. But he made an average of one 3 a game (a total of 39 all season) in his senior year, I think that hole can be filled pretty readily.

 

[IdahoAlum]

Tap was a good kid who made the most important pass in the history of NU basketball. But he made an average of one 3 a game (a total of 39 all season) in his senior year, I think that hole can be filled pretty readily.

NU was tenth in the BIG in three-point shooting last year, despite Tap making 47 percent of his admittedly limited number of attempts. It would be a good thing if Falzon or someone else gives the Cats a dependable three-point shooter.

 

[Turk]

Many thanks from all the out-of-towners for the great overview.

Based on your report and the box score, it was a tough night for Falzon. I had assumed Falzon would start and Skelly would be the energy guy of the bench... But if Skelly is able to force a couple former 4-star recruits to fight for backup playing time, good for him--and good for the development of Falzon and Ivanauskas.

Across the board, it seems like each of the starters will have stiff competition in practice, which should pay off against real competition.

Ash may never be skilled enough as an offensive player (lack of scoring and too many turnovers) to be a regular contributor at PG...but that defensive intensity will push BMac to be better on offense. Similarly, Brown's offensive skills should push BMac to become a better defender every day in practice.

The news about Gaines is awesome. It sounds like Gaines is someone who will be a mainstay in the lineup this year and into the future. Of course, the starting spot is currently held by a pre-season All-B1G pick in Scottie Lindsey. The battle and mentorship in practice at this position should make both players better.

The interview that LouV did the the BC beat writer in the spring about AJ Turner convinced m that we were getting someone special. Turner is reportedly a well rounded all around player, strong athlete, hard worker and great locker room guy. It is good to know that the scrimmage backed up these reports. Turner obviously cannot play this season due to transfer rules, so his entire mission will be to battle Vic Law in practice. This can only be a good thing for Vic and for the future of Turner.

I already talked about the competitive depth and fierce battle for playing time between Skelly, Falzon and Ivanauskas...

Finally, I hope that Pardon becomes a star in the B1G this season. In practice, Dererk will be battling Benson and Skelly, both strong players with different styles to match some of the different types of bigs Pardon will have to face throughout the season.

If our big 4 can stay healthy, we have a chance to be really, really good. And if any of the starters go down, their replacements (at the very least) will have plenty of experience playing against All-B1G level competition in practice.

Go 'Cats!

My observations are a bit different than GOUNU

Mostly agree with him. Where I don't agree is below
1. Rap. He has an inside game. He is not Falzon without a 3 point. He actually made a nice outside shot but does show an inside game as well. Falzon has nothing other than a 3 pt shot. Advantage Rap for sure.

2. Gaines. He belongs but not as impressed as others were...but I was impressed enough. He is a freshman. Obviously, we didn't want to play hard with hard fouls or deny drives with anything other than general defense. So, anyone who wanted to dribble down in the lane and push it to the hoop had an opportunity. I'm not sure that same opportunity will exist for Gaines in a live game. Believe me, at this point, Gaines is not truly capable of scoring 20 points against our team. Sanjay could have done the same thing and scored 20 points if he wanted to drive to the hoop. Nonetheless, he can ball handle, I think he will produce better on offense than sanjay, and will be decent on defense but not as good as Sanjay.

3. Turner is the real deal. That was easy to see. He will start next year. Period.

4. Benson needs to improve. Pardon may be the best player on the team. Skelly is the same Skelly. I think he reached his max potential last year and he looked about the same in the scrimmage. I think he offers us much better chances than Rap or Falzon, at least at this point.

Charlie Hall needs to take a shot. We want to see him break the ice.

 

[Smolmania]

With Turner and Gaines, in whichever order you want to list them, I absolutely love our wing play. Athletic, versatile both offensively and defensively, and Lindsay and Law won't have to play 38 minutes a night. Can't wait to see what AG is going to look like by the end of this year!

 

[EvanstonCat]

With Turner and Gaines, in whichever order you want to list them, I absolutely love our wing play. Athletic, versatile both offensively and defensively, and Lindsay and Law won't have to play 38 minutes a night. Can't wait to see what AG is going to look like by the end of this year!

Turner has to sit this year for transferring, but he (or Gaines）can slide in next to Law next year to take Lindsey's spot.

 

[Walker Fan]

Gaines has 100 times more offensive penetration skills than Sanjay. Sanjay was not an offensive player and against Big 10 teams, he disappeared. He was a strong defender but his role was to guard taller and bigger players and he would get manhandled. Let’s not make things up. Teams would lay off Lumpkin and clog up the middle when he was on the floor.

 

[Medill90]

My observations are a bit different than GOUNU

Mostly agree with him. Where I don't agree is below
1. Rap. He has an inside game. He is not Falzon without a 3 point. He actually made a nice outside shot but does show an inside game as well. Falzon has nothing other than a 3 pt shot. Advantage Rap for sure.

2. Gaines. He belongs but not as impressed as others were...but I was impressed enough. He is a freshman. Obviously, we didn't want to play hard with hard fouls or deny drives with anything other than general defense. So, anyone who wanted to dribble down in the lane and push it to the hoop had an opportunity. I'm not sure that same opportunity will exist for Gaines in a live game. Believe me, at this point, Gaines is not truly capable of scoring 20 points against our team. Sanjay could have done the same thing and scored 20 points if he wanted to drive to the hoop. Nonetheless, he can ball handle, I think he will produce better on offense than sanjay, and will be decent on defense but not as good as Sanjay.

3. Turner is the real deal. That was easy to see. He will start next year. Period.

4. Benson needs to improve. Pardon may be the best player on the team. Skelly is the same Skelly. I think he reached his max potential last year and he looked about the same in the scrimmage. I think he offers us much better chances than Rap or Falzon, at least at this point.

Charlie Hall needs to take a shot. We want to see him break the ice.

Good post Turk.

I thought Skelly had more than enough to offer last year. His issues are confidence and consistency. Confidence with his shooting and decision making. And he'd take himself out of games with dumb fouls. Less of that this year.

 

[Wrestlerneverdiesasacatfan]

Gaines has 100 times more offensive penetration skills than Sanjay. Sanjay was not an offensive player and against Big 10 teams, he disappeared. He was a strong defender but his role was to guard taller and bigger players and he would get manhandled. Let’s not make things up. Teams would lay off Lumpkin and clog up the middle when he was on the floor.

Will Gaines take Rap's minutes or Skelly?

 

[NJCat]

Will Gaines take Rap's minutes or Skelly?

Neither. He plays a wing position and will split time with Lindsey, Law and Brown.

 

[Wildcatfootball12]

I really don't like Falzon, does anyone else feel that way?

He is NOT as good of a 3 point shooter as Tap was, and that is basically is only strength.

I understand that he is coming off an injury...but he looks out of shape and frankly, chubby. Vic Law and Drew Crawford both came off shoulder surgeries looking ripped up.

Based on what I have seen I would much rather see Skelly at the 4 or even see if Gaines can be a Sanjay replacement.

Watching Falzon is especially painful because Collins seems to like him and gives him the green light to unload

 

[NJCat]

I understand that he is coming off an injury...but he looks out of shape and frankly, chubby. Vic Law and Drew Crawford both came off shoulder surgeries looking ripped up.

You realize that Aaron is coming off knee surgery, not shoulder surgery? And that it takes time to get the legs back after a significant knee injury?

Rap was the one with shoulder surgery last year.

Give the kid time. In the word of Aaron Rodgers,

R-E-L-A-X.............

 

[Wildcatfootball12]

You realize that Aaron is coming off knee surgery, not shoulder surgery? And that it takes time to get the legs back after a significant knee injury?

Rap was the one with shoulder surgery last year.

Give the kid time. In the word of Aaron Rodgers,

R-E-L-A-X.............

Fair enough. I still think he could be in better shape (he has had nearly a calendar year to rehab) and predict skelly will be more productive than him this year

 

[NJCat]

Fair enough. I still think he could be in better shape (he has had nearly a calendar year to rehab) and predict skelly will be more productive than him this year

Actually, he played in 3 games last year before having surgery, so its only been about 10 months post-op.

 

[Sec.112]

Gaines has 100 times more offensive penetration skills than Sanjay. Sanjay was not an offensive player and against Big 10 teams, he disappeared ... Let’s not make things up. Teams would lay off Lumpkin and clog up the middle when he was on the floor.

First, we have the concern about replacing Tap's 47% on his 2.5 3-pt ATTEMPTS per game.

Now we have the declaration that Lumpkin could have scored 20 per game.

The evolution of the perception of last year's team sure is going to be interesting.

Don't be surprised if Gaines is like Lumpkin or Jitim on defense by the time he's done. He's already pretty aggressive and smart out there.

 

[Sec.112]

I really don't like Falzon, does anyone else feel that way?

I don't totally disagree with you, but I'm not there yet. He never had great footwork, so that doesn't help him on defense, his drive or his shot.

I was hoping to see something different on Friday, but it's only one game.

Personally, I'll be pretty happy if we see a good shooter who doesn't need the most luxurious red carpet laid out for him to make his threes. Ask me after two or three games.

 

[VirginiaWildcat]

Now we have the declaration that Lumpkin could have scored 20 per game.

Especially considering Lumpkin couldn't shoot with anyone in his face, nor did he have the ball-handling skills to penetrate regularly. We all loved Lumpkin around here, but his strength was on the defensive end. Still remember him guarding Purdue's 7-footer during overtime!

 

[Medill90]

Bunch of you guys are smoking some serious dope early in the work week. I dislike comparisons between NU players when it comes off as crapping on another Wildcat but the "I really don't like Falzon" line is bullshit.

Falzon was asked to take 178 threes his freshman year and made them at a .35 clip.

Through two years Tap took 137 threes, shooting .31 and .52 respectively.

Looking at their freshman years (Falzon piayed more than 2x Tap's minutes):

Falzon is a better rebounder...3.4 to 1. Better assists...28 to 8. Better shot blocker...10 to 1. And better protecting the ball....21 turnovers to 22 for Tap (in less than half the minutes).

Tap was a great, off-the-bench three point shooter. But he gave up a lot on defense, didn't rebound especially well and turned the ball over.

Strictly on basketball criteria, it's not a close call. There's a reason - a bunch of reasons - why a frosh Falzon started over a junior Tap.

 

[Wildcatfootball12]

Bunch of you guys are smoking some serious dope early in the work week. I dislike comparisons between NU players when it comes off as crapping on another Wildcat but the "I really don't like Falzon" line is bullshit.

Falzon was asked to take 178 threes his freshman year and made them at a .35 clip.

Through two years Tap took 137 threes, shooting .31 and .52 respectively.

Looking at their freshman years (Falzon piayed more than 2x Tap's minutes):

Falzon is a better rebounder...3.4 to 1. Better assists...28 to 8. Better shot blocker...10 to 1. And better protecting the ball....21 turnovers to 22 for Tap (in less than half the minutes).

Tap was a great, off-the-bench three point shooter. But he gave up a lot on defense, didn't rebound especially well and turned the ball over.

Strictly on basketball criteria, it's not a close call. There's a reason - a bunch of reasons - why a frosh Falzon started over a junior Tap.

Sure, I'll clarify, I don't like what he contributes as a player and am disappointed that he seems to be exactly what I thought he would. A high volume shooter who is <40%, a poor defender who will snag a couple rebounds on the basis of being nearly 80 inches tall. If he shoots closer to the 40% range I'll eat my words.

I'm sure he is an upstanding young man with a splendid personality working his butt off.

 

[Wildcatfootball12]

I want to remind you that falzon was more highly touted than vic law (anyone else on the roster)

 

[NJCat]

I want to remind you that falzon was more highly touted than vic law (anyone else on the roster)

True.
But Nate Taphorn was higher rated than John Shurna, Johnny Vassar higher than Dererk Pardon, and Jordan Ash higher than Bryant McIntosh (according to the same ratings on 247).

We've all learned not to put too much stock into high school recruiting ratings.