Second-half thread for NU vs. Rutgers

[lou v]

What a crazy first half. NU looked dead in the water, down 31-11 with 8:50 left. They looked listless and Rutgers looked ready to run them out of their own gym.

Then Audige stole the ball from Geo Baker and slammed it home and a switch seemed to flip. NU ripped off the next 15 points while Rutgers turned into a turnover machine and scored just three free throws the rest of the half.

So it's Rutgers 34 NU 29 at the break.

Audige, who has been a man on a mission after that early technical foul, leads NU with eight points, while Kopp and Young have seven apiece.

NU has a shot here.

 

[GatoLouco]

Please please please, do not come out of the locker room with the regular starting 5

 

[LansingCat]

Who was on the floor for that 18-3 run?

 

[GatoLouco]

Who was on the floor for that 18-3 run?

Audige/Berry/Kopp/Nance/Young

 

[DaCat]

Buie is useless this game. Overall we look awful. Can't make open shots again, air balling free throws... just out of kilter.

 

[GatoLouco]

Buie is useless this game. Overall we look awful. Can't make open shots again, air balling free throws... just out of kilter.

Even worse, looks completely lost on what he’s supposed to do on offense. And he’s the PG

 

[jne381]

They gave a flop warning on that!?!?

These refs stink.

 

[rwhitney014]

They gave a flop warning on that!?!?

These refs stink.

What a joke.

Our problems are far beyond officiating, but that's truly a joke.

 

[DaCat]

We are struggling and bad refereeing is only exacerbating the problem.

 

[Jonny2TheP]

We could use a little run right about now.

 

[GatoLouco]

What a joke.

Our problems are far beyond officiating, but that's truly a joke.

Audige is clearly a marked man

 

[TheC]

Nance looked so much better earlier in the season. What is going on with him?

 

[SimpsonElmwood]

Rutgers puts up a ton of bricks.

 

[lunker35]

We are struggling and bad refereeing is only exacerbating the problem.

We absolutely suck, but the refs are also pathetic. Collins needs to go ballistic for once and strike the fear of god into the refs. I’ve seen other B1G coaches do it countless times.

 

[Titanium999]

Take it in the paint

 

[Titanium999]

Six point turnaround. Kopp misses three and they come back on us! Take i

 

[Titanium999]

Kopp misses two threes and we are blown out of the gym and they take it inside on us! Just bad coaching! Pound it inside

 

[DaCat]

Collins having an intense discussion with the refs at the break.

 

[PurpleFaze]

At least Kopp looks like he cares

 

[SimpsonElmwood]

Bardo is essentially saying the Cats are not playing hard, are undisciplined and soft. I agree.

 

[GatoLouco]

Collins having an intense discussion with the refs at the break.

Some of the best coaching I’ve seen him doing. Wish he had not believed in Buie for 1/2 of the 2nd

 

[catfans5]

Going inside to get back into the game. Who would have thought?

 

[rwhitney014]

Despite everything else, we're 4-19 from 3. We fell behind by 20 at the beginning of the game, thanks to scoring 11 points in the first 10 minutes..

And we could still win this game.

But if we don't, we're going to point to those two things. Again.

 

[PurpleFaze]

Too bad we’ve played so poorly and made such bad decisions because this was very much a winnable game.

 

[DaCat]

Just one word: pathetic.

 

[TheC]

Get the game to 5 but just never seem to know how to close the deal on games like this. So.... another loss.

 

[jne381]

This team makes me sad.

 

[SimpsonElmwood]

I know some of you aren’t fans of Lisa Byington and Steven Bardo, but they did a good job tonight.

Anyone who watched the entire game should get some extra karma points. That was brutal.

 

[HawkCat]

This team is comically unclutch, turning the ball over repeatedly on key possessions at the end.

 

[DaCat]

This team is comically unclutch, turning the ball over repeatedly on key possessions at the end.

That was an inept performance. This team just melted under pressure.

 

[NJCat]

Cats likely on a 15 game losing streak when they play Nebraska........

Sad.

 

[SDakaGordie]

I feel like it’s due a lot (not all) to the ineffective point guard play. I hope Barnhizer or Roper step in and change this team, as Buie can’t lead it. If he’s our long-term solution, as someone on InsideNu said, Collins should be fired.

 

[PurpleFaze]

10 assists. 20 turnovers. Enough said. Think Nance led in assists tonight with 2 or 3...

 

[catfans5]

The sophomore class box score as follows:

Player points rebs fouls assists turnovers
Beran 0 0 3 0 1

Buie 2 3 2 3 5

Greer 0 0 0 0 0

Young 14 3 3 1 2

Young did not start. Except for Young, a complete whiff.

 

[RU1-Newtown_ Pa]

We will see you on Saturday February 13th at the RAC. Is Chris Collins safe in Evanston or on the hot seat.

This was a dirt fight tonight. NU is better than their record.

 

[MC_Cat]

I feel like it’s due a lot (not all) to the ineffective point guard play. I hope Barnhizer or Roper step in and change this team, as Buie can’t lead it. If he’s our long-term solution, as someone on InsideNu said, Collins should be fired.

He can be a great scorer but his mentality and ability are not representative of an elite PG. His ball handling, passing and quickness are not there right now.

 

[Dugan15]

We will see you on Saturday February 13th at the RAC. Is Chris Collins safe in Evanston or on the hot seat.

This was a dirt fight tonight. NU is better than their record.

He is safe because:

1) He got us to the tourney.
2) We gave our previous Coach 13 seasons (This is Collins's 8th year)
3) His contract still has quite a ways to run. (Does anyone recall how many more years?)
And vastly more importantly,
4) As of tomorrow, we have no Athletic Director. The next hire will be paying attention next year. The seat starts getting pretty warm with a team that similarly struggles in the B1G.

 

[NJCat]

The sophomore class box score as follows:

Player points rebs fouls assists turnovers
Beran 0 0 3 0 1

Buie 2 3 2 3 5

Greer 0 0 0 0 0

Young 14 3 3 1 2

Young did not start. Except for Young, a complete whiff.

Uh, Greer is a Junior eligibility wise. And by eligibility, Audige is just a Sophomore, just like Young. So not a complete whiff.....

 

[RU1-Newtown_ Pa]

Coach Collins is a class act. I have some skin in the game with Northwestern since my wife is an NU alum. Been following NU football and basketball since the late 90’s. Was in Washington DC when NU went to the semifinals of the B1G tourney in 2017 and the loss to Michigan. The program has slid somewhat since 2017 but you have assets such as Ryan Young, Buie, Pete Nance and Miller Kopp.
Best of luck versus Purdue and Indiana before coming to the RAC on 2/13.