Wow! Just wow!!
Depending on how the rest of this season goes and the progression of the program going forward, we may look back on last night as one of the most important wins in NU hoops history. That was such an incredibly hard fought victory over an outstanding opponent in the face of multiple moments during that game where it would have been understandable if they gave in. These young men did not!
It did not look good at about the midway point of the first half. Edey was already logging close to a double-double. Half our team was in foul trouble. We couldn't hit a shot and Purdue looked like they were pulling away. I posted in the thread that I thought Purdue was better this year and we may be slightly worse. I really have thought that Chase Audige was the true heart and soul of last year's team despite his wildness. It was not just about his great defense, elite athleticism and occasional crazy scoring bursts. He just carried himself with such a swagger that I always felt gave confidence to the rest of the guys. I was worried that without him, this team might not have the same attitude.
Last night put those concerns to rest!!
For starters, regardless of what happened last year, this is clearly Boo Buie's team. He is the heart, the soul, the guts, the brain and whatever organ you want to pick. That's the kind of clutch performance I have longed to see a guy playing for my school display. How awesome was that?!?
He wasn't alone, though, in showing incredible courage. Ty Berry was fantastic. In that poll on here earlier about who would be our second leading scorer, I picked Ty. That didn't look like such a good prediction early on, but last night Ty came through! He has some of that swagger now.
So does Luke Hunger! The freshman, though physically overmatched, was giving it to Edey while he was in there. He was driving Edey crazy and showed no fear. That was exciting to see. Hopefully he'll keep developing this year, but I have to imagine he got a huge boost of confidence after last night.
Also, hats off to our coaches. What a beautiful game plan. They executed as well as you could on the defensive end, making Edey do all the work. He had a monster game, but one guy, even the great Zach Edey, can't win all by himself. But what was really great was the offense. It is easier to dial up good offense when you have a point guard like Boo, but the creative ways they got him in good matchups was excellent. Other guys also effectively drove with the ball to either set themselves up for a midrange shot or lead to a kickout for an open three. Remember how bad this team was on offense this time last year?? Incredible.
Fun night for sure. I hope this team continues to improve and makes noise again all season. I also hope recruits are taking notice. This is a well run program now with an exciting atmosphere and one of the world's greatest universities. It's time to make Northwestern a true basketball power!!!
Depending on how the rest of this season goes and the progression of the program going forward, we may look back on last night as one of the most important wins in NU hoops history. That was such an incredibly hard fought victory over an outstanding opponent in the face of multiple moments during that game where it would have been understandable if they gave in. These young men did not!
It did not look good at about the midway point of the first half. Edey was already logging close to a double-double. Half our team was in foul trouble. We couldn't hit a shot and Purdue looked like they were pulling away. I posted in the thread that I thought Purdue was better this year and we may be slightly worse. I really have thought that Chase Audige was the true heart and soul of last year's team despite his wildness. It was not just about his great defense, elite athleticism and occasional crazy scoring bursts. He just carried himself with such a swagger that I always felt gave confidence to the rest of the guys. I was worried that without him, this team might not have the same attitude.
Last night put those concerns to rest!!
For starters, regardless of what happened last year, this is clearly Boo Buie's team. He is the heart, the soul, the guts, the brain and whatever organ you want to pick. That's the kind of clutch performance I have longed to see a guy playing for my school display. How awesome was that?!?
He wasn't alone, though, in showing incredible courage. Ty Berry was fantastic. In that poll on here earlier about who would be our second leading scorer, I picked Ty. That didn't look like such a good prediction early on, but last night Ty came through! He has some of that swagger now.
So does Luke Hunger! The freshman, though physically overmatched, was giving it to Edey while he was in there. He was driving Edey crazy and showed no fear. That was exciting to see. Hopefully he'll keep developing this year, but I have to imagine he got a huge boost of confidence after last night.
Also, hats off to our coaches. What a beautiful game plan. They executed as well as you could on the defensive end, making Edey do all the work. He had a monster game, but one guy, even the great Zach Edey, can't win all by himself. But what was really great was the offense. It is easier to dial up good offense when you have a point guard like Boo, but the creative ways they got him in good matchups was excellent. Other guys also effectively drove with the ball to either set themselves up for a midrange shot or lead to a kickout for an open three. Remember how bad this team was on offense this time last year?? Incredible.
Fun night for sure. I hope this team continues to improve and makes noise again all season. I also hope recruits are taking notice. This is a well run program now with an exciting atmosphere and one of the world's greatest universities. It's time to make Northwestern a true basketball power!!!
