Second-half thread for Purdue vs. NU

[lou v]

This was looking like it was going to be an ugly slog, but NU found its shooting touch halfway through the opening period. The Cats are shooting 48% from the floor and a sizzling 50% from the arc, thanks to Miller Kopp, who has drained three of four.

We'll see if the Cats can come through in the second half and get the W. They haven't outscored a team in the second half since Hartford back in December.

 

[NUThump]

Boo is back!

 

[catfans5]

The game is fun. Pretty balanced scoring at the 12 minute mark.

The worst part of being at the game is that they show no replays

 

[Titanium999]

This was looking like it was going to be an ugly slog, but NU found its shooting touch halfway through the opening period. The Cats are shooting 48% from the floor and a sizzling 50% from the arc, thanks to Miller Kopp, who has drained three of four.

We'll see if the Cats can come through in the second half and get the W. They haven't outscored a team in the second half since Hartford back in December.

Wrassler is back and so are my beloved wildcat hoops players! Let's get this party started!

 

[GatoLouco]

We needed Spencer back in the game

 

[LansingCat]

Close this one out cats!

 

[LansingCat]

Kopp with four key points down the stretch!

 

[LansingCat]

Ugh we're taking the air out of the ball way too soon

 

[Medill '03]

Sure was nice of Chris Collins to let Purdue easily come back into the game with his patented hero ball at the end of games. I hated it with BMac, and it's somehow even worse with Spencer.

 

[GatoLouco]

Not the first game we stop running the offense with a lot of time to go

 

[chicagocatfan24]

Playing not to lose, so embarrassing

 

[catfans5]

Terrible end of the game offense: isolation and shoot a 3.

 

[Medill '03]

Not the first game we stop running the offense with a lot of time to go

It's been a staple of NU basketball under Collins from the beginning. You'd think he'd learn the lesson the first, say, 20 times it happens. But he never does.

 

[zbag51]

Have a lead? Why try to score, just let the clock run and put up a terrible shot.

 

[mekCat]

This is all on Collins

 

[mekCat]

So predictable

 

[chicagocatfan24]

Absolutely hilarious

 

[catfans5]

Collins has no defense.. His explanation was that we got open looks. We shot no free throws.

 

[jensberg]

Unbelievable. Not only do we take the air out of the ball and not score but they make a long 3-pointer with no time left .. it's that kind of year.

 

[catcrazy]

Collins needs to be fired. That’s embarassing

 

[CappyNU]

I'm at the game, did the ball really go off Young?

 

[zbag51]

Nothing like losing on an 11-0 run. Someone said earlier “first to 60 wins”- I’ll buy that guy a beer! I also thought, when we were up 58-50, that we would be the team to hit 60 first...

 

[SmellyCat]

I'm just glad there were no NCAA tourney hopes on the line this year, or some of these losses would be absolutely devastating. As it is, this one really hurt.

 

[Medill '03]

I'm at the game, did the call really go off Young?

Yes.

 

[Kelly_32]

I'm at the game, did the call really go off Young?

Yes

 

[zbag51]

I'm at the game, did the call really go off Young?

Yeah, on replay pretty clear

 

[catcrazy]

Losing an 8 point lead is embarassing. Let them play enough with the BS. I say fire Collins and get a coach who can...coach

 

[JournCat]

Ten games left. Thank God.

 

[zbag51]

What a disaster

 

[Medill '03]

Collins needs to be fired. That’s embarassing

He has no one to blame at this point but himself. If he wants to continue coaching this way, he can expect the same results. His failed leadership has become the character of this team. At some point he has to figure out a way to change that narrative. Lucky for him no one really cares if NU wins or loses, so he can just chalk up another wasted season and collect his check.

 

[LansingCat]

Heartbreak

 

[NUera]

Collins needs to be fired. That’s embarassing

Collins didn’t make Spencer turn it over, or Buie have two threes go in and out. Or Baran miss wide-open threes. It’s a controversial thought, but sometimes the responsibility of winning and losing games falls on the players.

 

[Catslash]

Well just not our day again and again and again.....................

 

[Kelly_32]

Only the third time I’ve watched Northwestern this year. Gotta be frustrating as this team is so young. Thought Painter really out coached Collins down the stretch. Way too many poor offensive possessions running the shot clock down and then having to force a shot.

 

[Medill '03]

Collins didn’t make Spencer turn it over, or Buie have two threes go in and out. Or Baran miss wide-open threes. It’s a controversial thought, but sometimes the responsibility of winning and losing games falls on the players.

I think it's pretty funny to let a true freshman coming off an injury and a lacrosse player in his only season of basketball go up against one of the best defenders in the best basketball conference in America and somehow blame them for failing.

 

[GatoLouco]

Ended the game with a time out to call. Because, you know, could not have used it to wake the players up at the 3 minute mark when they were just running down the clock.

 

[NUera]

I think it's pretty funny to let a true freshman coming off an injury and a lacrosse player in his only season of basketball go up against one of the best defenders in the best basketball conference in America and somehow blame them for failing.

Lmaoooooo What??? So it’s Collins’ fault that we took the air out of the ball and shot threes (that Baran missed) and it’s also Collins’ fault that we tried to get something going to the basket but Spencer threw it into the second row, or Ryan Young lost the ball out of bounds?

 

[Medill '03]

Lmaoooooo What??? So it’s Collins’ fault that we took the air out of the ball and shot threes (that Baran missed) and it’s also Collins’ fault that we tried to get something going to the basket but Spencer threw it into the second row, or Ryan Young lost the ball out of bounds?

Spencer is turnover-prone. You can't leave the ball in his hands at the end of the game. He tries to make passes you just can't make. You need to run a play to force the defense (especially in the bonus) and pick up a foul, and get the ball into the hands of your best player, Kopp. Beran had decent looks, but they were contested, NU didn't need to be taking threes, they came at the end of the shot clock. All NU needed to do was get to the line once or twice.

 

[Medill '03]

Lmaoooooo What??? So it’s Collins’ fault that we took the air out of the ball and shot threes (that Baran missed) and it’s also Collins’ fault that we tried to get something going to the basket but Spencer threw it into the second row, or Ryan Young lost the ball out of bounds?

I'm assuming Collins called the same play on four straight possessions with point guard high and four on the baseline. If he didn't I assume he could have used the timeout he had remaining at the end of the game.

 

[Medill '03]

I'm assuming Collins called the same play on four straight possessions with point guard high and four on the baseline. If he didn't I assume he could have used the timeout he had remaining at the end of the game.

I'm encouraged that none of this matters. There are no stakes here. Spencer isn't coming back. If Collins can learn from his mistakes, then there's no need to force this same gameplan. So if you're gonna learn the hard way, there couldn't be a better time.