"Secret scrimmage" vs. Iowa State

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

Matt's free throw shooting looked improved from last season (small sample: 1-of-2). Don't get me wrong, I'm rooting hard for the guy. We'll agree to disagree about Audige. Go Cats!

I want Audige to play well this year and will be rooting for him... but I just watch the games, look at the results and form my opinions based on that. It would be a lot of fun to argue about which of our guys deserve to be 2nd team all conference and which are merely honorable mention.

But, since my daughter is at NU currently, you're not going to find me hurling personal insults at her classmates, the players. I tend to comment on strengths and weaknesses in playing performance, as I (with my limited basketball knowledge) see them. I usually try to find the positives. I want every guy on the roster to reach his full potential.

Its different with Coach Collins. With him, there is no need to sugarcoat. He's fair game because he is getting paid a lot of money to coach these student/athletes - and they deserve competent leadership.

 

[GatoLouco]

So, a question for you Gato, who is NU’s best player? I have said Boo is our best returning player with Chase next. Then it drops quite a bit. I like Roper, but if he as a Soph is in your top 3, it doesn’t bode well for winning B1G games.

Back to my point of last year that I got crucified on. NU does not have enough talent to win many B1G games. IMO, definitely holds true this year. I realize I will get labeled a CCC apologist with that thought, but to me it is undeniable. I think our B1G wins will be in the 3-4 range and if we get more, I hope Bob does his archive search to make me look foolish! I sure hope I am wrong.

While I did not agree with you that we did not have enough talent last year, I do this year. I am with you. I think our ceiling is 5 conference wins.

As of now, IMO, NU's best player is, unequivocally, Buie. It's not a game against the Washington Generals that gives me a reason to even remotely change that idea. But it can change. I would love for it to change. It would probably mean Audige improved dramatically (alternative would be Buie getting worse, yikes).

I don't know that Audige is our second best player right now. In terms of pure raw talent, he should be, by a wide margin, our best player on both ends of the floor. But we are not talking about talent or potential. We are talking what a player gives us right now. He's our best clamp down defender, but has brain farts off the ball all the time. Last year, his shot selection was, more often than not, atrocious. For that reason I wondered if the 6th man idea could have helped keeping him under control. Nothing else seemed to work.

So who is the 2nd best? No clue. If Audige plays in a somewhat similarly composed way as he played against Quincy, it could be Buie. As of now, no clue who it is. I have no opinion.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

@Purple Pile Driver Saying NU does not have enough talent is not CCC apologism — it’s actually placing the blame for this program’s condition squarely at his feet.

I don’t think NU has EVER had enough talent to be a top echelon team. So. If it’s placing the blame squarely at CCC’s feet, I guess I am doing it for every Coach in recent NU history. I personally think it is more than not recruiting enough talent and/or not developing the recruited talent. I have been on here for almost a decade saying I believe there continue to be monumental institutional challenges at NU that just about every other B1G program doesn’t face.

I was a proponent of a leadership chance after last season. CCC doesn’t have a chance this year and I expect misery. There is a black cloud over the program waiting for the inevitable. However, I do feel the next guy will be facing the same critics by year 4-5 just like every other Coach that hasn’t found the winning formula. We can only hope I am wrong and NU suddenly becomes a destination for top players like Duke did in the 80’s.

 

[ballerog711]

Change the admission standards and spread some $$$$$. NU will win.

Other than that, 2 years from now same stuff.

 

[NUCat320]

I don’t think NU has EVER had enough talent to be a top echelon team. So. If it’s placing the blame squarely at CCC’s feet, I guess I am doing it for every Coach in recent NU history. I personally think it is more than not recruiting enough talent and/or not developing the recruited talent. I have been on here for almost a decade saying I believe there continue to be monumental institutional challenges at NU that just about every other B1G program doesn’t face.

I was a proponent of a leadership chance after last season. CCC doesn’t have a chance this year and I expect misery. There is a black cloud over the program waiting for the inevitable. However, I do feel the next guy will be facing the same critics by year 4-5 just like every other Coach that hasn’t found the winning formula. We can only hope I am wrong and NU suddenly becomes a destination for top players like Duke did in the 80’s.

Whether it’s evaluating or developing players or finding the right contacts or getting an actual read on a player, NU has pretty consistently missed on its top targets, or found them to be not-that-good.

It appears that NU will have zero contribution from the freshman class this season. Also worth noting, perhaps, is that Brumbaugh is redshirting at Texas this season.

It was easy when CCC had the immediate ear of any five-star — the journalists and scouts and jock-sniffers do a good job of identifying five-stars.

But everything after that is a crapshoot, where a guy gets those four stars because of height or or an AAU coach that’s good at promoting his guys or whatever. NU has played in that area, generally unsuccessfully.

When he lost ‘be the first’, his pitch became a lot less compelling.

The highlight of the NU revenue sports season will be when any change is announced to the football coaching staff. At least most of the softball roster is back.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

Whether it’s evaluating or developing players or finding the right contacts or getting an actual read on a player, NU has pretty consistently missed on its top targets, or found them to be not-that-good.

It appears that NU will have zero contribution from the freshman class this season. Also worth noting, perhaps, is that Brumbaugh is redshirting at Texas this season.

It was easy when CCC had the immediate ear of any five-star — the journalists and scouts and jock-sniffers do a good job of identifying five-stars.

But everything after that is a crapshoot, where a guy gets those four stars because of height or or an AAU coach that’s good at promoting his guys or whatever. NU has played in that area, generally unsuccessfully.

When he lost ‘be the first’, his pitch became a lot less compelling.

The highlight of the NU revenue sports season will be when any change is announced to the football coaching staff. At least most of the softball roster is back.

I think what you are saying is valid in general, but Collins has had some success recruiting. Nance and Young were clearly capable players. Buie as well. Roper is going to be good. I think Nicholson would be welcome and productive for lots of teams. Hunger is going to play this year and be decent.

Sure there were some guys who didn't live up to the hype, but Collins has targeted the wrong type of player, to begin with, so we fail to land almost all of our targets. Once he gets players here, many don't develop. He ran players off, too. The word got out that the reality of playing for him at Northwestern did not meet the sales pitch.

 

[FeralFelidae]

So, with what Iowa State just did, maybe we got some really valuable prep from our scrimmage with them.

 

[EvanstonCat]

So, with what Iowa State just did, maybe we got some really valuable prep from our scrimmage with them.

Or maybe they did from the scrimmage with us

 

[FeralFelidae]

https://cyclonefanatic.com/forum/threads/scrimmages.281611/post-9074044

"It is possible that someone who was in the building where the scrimmage against Northwestern may have taken place this morning told me that the Clones won by about 10 but were down by more than 10 at halftime."

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

https://cyclonefanatic.com/forum/threads/scrimmages.281611/post-9074044

"It is possible that someone who was in the building where the scrimmage against Northwestern may have taken place this morning told me that the Clones won by about 10 but were down by more than 10 at halftime."

Poor halftime adjustments by CCC and staff.

 

[SDakaGordie]

Poor halftime adjustments by CCC and staff.

Lol. I might think the subs got more time in the second half.

 

[ballerog711]

From the instagram shots, looks like Martenelli, Strauss and Clayton sat out. Hopefully nothing serious

Wonder what it looked like when Boo took a break.

 

[NUThump]

Anyone hear anything on the SS, other than an alleged loss by 10?

 

[cats_man_too]

Anyone hear anything on the SS, other than an alleged loss by 10?

I heard we were up 4 at half (like 43-39) and lost by 6 (with final scores close to 80). Basically played a full game, unlike some past years where the 2nd half included situational work. Only 7 or 8 NU players were used as some are a little dinged up. Heard it felt like a top 25 game.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

I heard we were up 4 at half (like 43-39) and lost by 6 (with final scores close to 80). Basically played a full game, unlike some past years where the 2nd half included situational work. Only 7 or 8 NU players were used as some are a little dinged up. Heard it felt like a top 25 game.

Interesting info. A bit concerning actually.

I heard that Chris Collins yelled "Goddammit Robbie!" a couple times after defensive lapses, purely out of habit.

 

[NUThump]

I heard we were up 4 at half (like 43-39) and lost by 6 (with final scores close to 80). Basically played a full game, unlike some past years where the 2nd half included situational work. Only 7 or 8 NU players were used as some are a little dinged up. Heard it felt like a top 25 game.

Thanks!

 

[NYPurpleFan]

I once did the Davenport-Evanston drive in 2:10, because I was young, stupid, unafraid, and really excited to see the Hachad-Parker Cats play Penn State on a Saturday morning.

Reminds me of trying to make the drive to a game in Champaign in 2 hours back in like '06. Moving at such a clip that a cop pulled a U-turn on 57. Didn't have his radar on so best he could do was throw us a ticket for like 80mph. May've helped that Ivan Tolic was in the car - easy to sell "we're trying to make tip off" with a 7 footer.