That was fantastic

[MC_Cat]

Now we have some legitimate momentum. I honestly think we beat Indiana by double digits Tuesday. This is a good, deep team that just hasn't gotten out of its own way. A dominant road win over a team we should handle was exactly what was needed.

Random thoughts:
Buie has real star potential. He's getting better and better and his confidence is soaring. Some great passing to complement his offensive output.

Greer is so solid. I hope he cones back next year. Given the Brumbaugh loss it would really help.

Audige is first team all BIG defense. He just needs to let the game come to him on offense but he's showing some patience and that is encouraging.

Ty Berry was great in the first half and got the run started. As he gets stronger, he'll finish at the rim better.

Ryan Young was super aggressive and overall played very well.

Take note we won this game with very little from Nance. Hope he is healing and plays well down the stretch but the fact we don't need a big game from him to succeed bodes very well for the future.

 

[Hungry Jack]

FAR from the worst team in the B1G. We destroyed UNL.

 

[DaCat]

Zero points from Beran today but Buie made up for a lot with his hot hand. Nance was also off after making his first shot. Audige shut down their leading scorer again. He has become an elite defender.

 

[PurpleFaze]

Made for a good Saturday so far. I see the great Miller Kopp also scored ZERO today for the Hoosiers vs Illinois.

He’s got to have those pro scouts drooling.

 

[NJcatsfan]

Nice to see a crushing road win. Returning the favor for football in Lincoln.

 

[Catreporter]

I wonder if Kopp will still be a starter Tuesday. The guy has done very little since the Big Ten started. He did have 30 in the 112-111 loss at Syracuse but that's about it for his production.

 

[hoosboot]

I wonder if Kopp will still be a starter Tuesday. The guy has done very little since the Big Ten started. He did have 30 in the 112-111 loss at Syracuse but that's about it for his production.

It seems likely. He's fourth on the team in minutes, fifth in scoring, and third in 3-point %, so I'd be surprised if he didn't start. Woodson likes to play a lot of guys though, so he seems to be keying on matchups and who has the hot hand amongst a lot of guys who are getting some run.

Made for a good Saturday so far. I see the great Miller Kopp also scored ZERO today for the Hoosiers vs Illinois.

He’s got to have those pro scouts drooling.

Don't really get the bitterness and vitriol. It certainly doesn't make Kopp look bad.

 

[No Chores]

It seems likely. He's fourth on the team in minutes, fifth in scoring, and third in 3-point %, so I'd be surprised if he didn't start. Woodson likes to play a lot of guys though, so he seems to be keying on matchups and who has the hot hand amongst a lot of guys who are getting some run.

Don't really get the bitterness and vitriol. It certainly doesn't make Kopp look bad.

I get it. Kopp makes himself look bad. 0 points in 16 minutes in an important game doesn't show me much. Neither does being the 5th leading scorer on a so-so team. We're better off without him. Hope we shut him down too.

 

[NUera]

I wonder if Kopp will still be a starter Tuesday. The guy has done very little since the Big Ten started. He did have 30 in the 112-111 loss at Syracuse but that's about it for his production.

My guess is he starts and scores 15+.

 

[Catreporter]

My guess is he starts and scores 15+.

He's averaging like about 6 a game in the Big Ten so that would be quite a leap for him. WE'll see.

 

[peatymeanis]

I get it. Kopp makes himself look bad. 0 points in 16 minutes in an important game doesn't show me much. Neither does being the 5th leading scorer on a so-so team. We're better off without him. Hope we shut him down too.

Says more about Collins that Kopp was a core recruit of his. Another swing and miss along the lines of Falzon, Rap, Beran, Lathon, Benson, Brown, Ash. Like Lathon, Kopp saved Collins some headache by leaving (getting kicked out in the case of Lathon) the program.

 

[ThatkidfromHolland]

Says more about Collins that Kopp was a core recruit of his. Another swing and miss along the lines of Falzon, Rap, Beran, Lathon, Benson, Brown, Ash. Like Lathon, Kopp saved Collins some headache by leaving (getting kicked out in the case of Lathon) the program.

Beran is a really good defender and has a nice outside shot. He has Uber high offensive potential. Granted, he hasn’t come close to it. I hope it comes together at some point. Needs to be aggressive and learn how to post up smaller defenders and take bigger guys off the dribble. He has the ability. It’s just not clicking for whatever reason. He is, however, an excellent defender and help defender and pretty good on the D boards. It’s the guys with the highest upside (nance Buie audige and Beran) that get the most crap on this board imo.

 

[hoosboot]

It’s the guys with the highest upside (nance Buie audige and Beran) that get the most crap on this board imo.

What's the other thing those guys are?

Guys in their 3rd year or more of >20 minutes per game in D1 basketball.

Shouldn't a fair amount be expected of guys like that? You want people to give crap to the freshmen? To Greer and Williams? Those four players should have expectations attached to them and I suspect they want those kinds of expectations.

 

[peatymeanis]

Beran is a really good defender and has a nice outside shot. He has Uber high offensive potential. Granted, he hasn’t come close to it. I hope it comes together at some point. Needs to be aggressive and learn how to post up smaller defenders and take bigger guys off the dribble. He has the ability. It’s just not clicking for whatever reason. He is, however, an excellent defender and help defender and pretty good on the D boards. It’s the guys with the highest upside (nance Buie audige and Beran) that get the most crap on this board imo.

So Beran is currently a poor man’s Sanjay Lumpkin. He’s nearing the end of his junior year. Collins absolutely needs more out of his 4 star recruits.

 

[CatManTrue]

Beran is a really good defender and has a nice outside shot. He has Uber high offensive potential. Granted, he hasn’t come close to it. I hope it comes together at some point. Needs to be aggressive and learn how to post up smaller defenders and take bigger guys off the dribble. He has the ability. It’s just not clicking for whatever reason. He is, however, an excellent defender and help defender and pretty good on the D boards. It’s the guys with the highest upside (nance Buie audige and Beran) that get the most crap on this board imo.

Could poor coaching be a possible explanation w/r to his lack of offensive development?

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Could poor coaching be a possible explanation w/r to his lack of offensive development?

Listen to some and it’s the only thing wrong with this team.

 

[ricko654321]

Now we have some legitimate momentum. I honestly think we beat Indiana by double digits Tuesday. This is a good, deep team that just hasn't gotten out of its own way. A dominant road win over a team we should handle was exactly what was needed.

Random thoughts:
Buie has real star potential. He's getting better and better and his confidence is soaring. Some great passing to complement his offensive output.

Greer is so solid. I hope he cones back next year. Given the Brumbaugh loss it would really help.

Audige is first team all BIG defense. He just needs to let the game come to him on offense but he's showing some patience and that is encouraging.

Ty Berry was great in the first half and got the run started. As he gets stronger, he'll finish at the rim better.

Ryan Young was super aggressive and overall played very well.

Take note we won this game with very little from Nance. Hope he is healing and plays well down the stretch but the fact we don't need a big game from him to succeed bodes very well for the future.

Yeah excellently played game all around. That was some of the best offensive execution I've seen in years from the Cats. Part of it was that Nebraska's defense was very poor (they kept leaving guys open, especially as the 2nd half went on they seemed to kinda give up), but still we ran good sets, kept motion going on O, moved the ball well, and took advantage of their defensive absentmindedness. And it helped that Boo was hot from deep. Greer and Ty Berry also had very solid games.

Great win Cats. Beating Indiana by double digits sounds like a bit of a stretch... I would take any sort of W!

PS the reserves really were trying to softpedal our KenPom improvement from the blow out. It was 87-52 when we benched the starters and they gave up 11 straight to make it 87-63. We still picked up about a 1 pt in the average to rise from 74 to 63, but it would have gone to 59-60 if it ended at a 35 point win. Oh well, that gets us an extra half point ATS for Indiana I guess.

 

[ThatkidfromHolland]

What's the other thing those guys are?

Guys in their 3rd year or more of >20 minutes per game in D1 basketball.

Shouldn't a fair amount be expected of guys like that? You want people to give crap to the freshmen? To Greer and Williams? Those four players should have expectations attached to them and I suspect they want those kinds of expectations.

Buie is one of the better guards in the B1G. Yet I’ve read on this board that Buie is not a true point. He’s too 3 in assists in the B1G. 14th in scoring. He’s definitely a Top 3 NU PG since I’ve been watching. Idk what people expect from him to become a true point. He’s become at least a serviceable defender as well. That and his passing/court vision were his biggest areas of improvement freshman year. Now it’s just consistency and to play controlled and not go for the flashy play.

Nance was a developmental prospect from the get go. He was highly rated for his upside. He has developed into a very good player. A lot of what he needs to improve on is mental as he’s a very skilled capable player. 13th in scoring leads the team. 12th in rebounds leads the team. 6th in blocks lead the team. Is 2nd on the team in assists. It felt like people were writing him off on the board this sophomore year. He had/has a lot expectations placed on him due to name and ranking. He needs a couple years to get to develop into a B1G player. Now he needs to own it and take over at times. Hasn’t played up to his potential lately.

Audige has drastically improved his shot selection lately. Let’s his amazing defense lead to offense. He might have been talked to about forcing his shot. That might have been coaching. Dude is an elite defender. He owns and plays hard. Don’t forget this man has been fighting back spasms all year.

I’m aware the team should have won more games. I’m not happy with it. But let’s keep expectations of players reasonable.

 

[hoosboot]

Buie is one of the better guards in the B1G. Yet I’ve read on this board that Buie is not a true point. He’s too 3 in assists in the B1G. 14th in scoring. He’s definitely a Top 3 NU PG since I’ve been watching. Idk what people expect from him to become a true point. He’s become at least a serviceable defender as well. That and his passing/court vision were his biggest areas of improvement freshman year. Now it’s just consistency and to play controlled and not go for the flashy play.

Nance was a developmental prospect from the get go. He was highly rated for his upside. He has developed into a very good player. A lot of what he needs to improve on is mental as he’s a very skilled capable player. 13th in scoring leads the team. 12th in rebounds leads the team. 6th in blocks lead the team. Is 2nd on the team in assists. It felt like people were writing him off on the board this sophomore year. He had/has a lot expectations placed on him due to name and ranking. He needs a couple years to get to develop into a B1G player. Now he needs to own it and take over at times. Hasn’t played up to his potential lately.

Audige has drastically improved his shot selection lately. Let’s his amazing defense lead to offense. He might have been talked to about forcing his shot. That might have been coaching. Dude is an elite defender. He owns and plays hard. Don’t forget this man has been fighting back spasms all year.

I’m aware the team should have won more games. I’m not happy with it. But let’s keep expectations of players reasonable.

Agree with your take on those players across the board. But they still have faults and they are going to get crap for them because they are the guys who are in high leverage situations when it matters and those situations haven't generally resulted in wins...as you noted. My only point is that they are the guys who are going to get crap, but I agree that fans should do a better job of appreciating what they do well.

And interestingly, towards that idea, on Buie...I just read posts where people hypothesized how NU would have been and be better had Mulcahy from Rutgers been the PG recruit in Buie's class instead of Boo. Mulcahy is a nice player, but i don't think he's one of the best guards in the B1G. Buie's not perfect, but I'm not sure that Mulcahy could have walked in and done what Buie did as a frosh.

 

[willycat]

Could poor coaching be a possible explanation w/r to his lack of offensive development?

Doubt it. he is who he is.

 

[PurpleFaze]

It seems likely. He's fourth on the team in minutes, fifth in scoring, and third in 3-point %, so I'd be surprised if he didn't start. Woodson likes to play a lot of guys though, so he seems to be keying on matchups and who has the hot hand amongst a lot of guys who are getting some run.

Don't really get the bitterness and vitriol. It certainly doesn't make Kopp look bad.

Because he was handed minutes here last year, didn’t play well, and always looked like he hadn‘t taken a dump in 3 weeks.

Then when he transferred he talked about how he was going to finally get a real chance to showcase his all around elite skillz… like he wasn‘t given that chance at NU. I’m sure CC told him to miss lots of shots.

Happy he’s gone. Frankly his teammates look a lot happier this year. He’s no longer a cat so more than happy to see him flounder

 

[PurpleFaze]

Beran is a really good defender and has a nice outside shot. He has Uber high offensive potential. Granted, he hasn’t come close to it. I hope it comes together at some point. Needs to be aggressive and learn how to post up smaller defenders and take bigger guys off the dribble. He has the ability. It’s just not clicking for whatever reason. He is, however, an excellent defender and help defender and pretty good on the D boards. It’s the guys with the highest upside (nance Buie audige and Beran) that get the most crap on this board imo.

Beran is like nance was a couple years back. A guy with a nice skill set who for some reason isn’t assertive at all. I think it’s more his attitude than lack of talent. Doesn’t have that killer instinct that is needed to be better on the court.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

Beran is not a "really good" defender.
He will occasionally help in the post and block a shot, get a steal or force a turnover.
However, he gets dominated and pushed around by bigger guys (normal Big Ten power forwards).
He gets lost on defense more than anybody on the team, leaving his man open to score all too often.

He is average defensively, below average offensively and should probably be our 3rd string power forward behind Nance and Williams.
He might be a better performer at small forward.
Unfortunately, he is unlikely to get that opportunity because... well, I don't know why.

 

[Hans]

Beran is a really good defender and has a nice outside shot. He has Uber high offensive potential. Granted, he hasn’t come close to it. I hope it comes together at some point. Needs to be aggressive and learn how to post up smaller defenders and take bigger guys off the dribble. He has the ability. It’s just not clicking for whatever reason. He is, however, an excellent defender and help defender and pretty good on the D boards. It’s the guys with the highest upside (nance Buie audige and Beran) that get the most crap on this board imo.

Beran is not a really good defender, he knows where he is supposed to be and comes in on help d well, but gets outmuscled and outworked on rebounds all the time. Decent, yes but a far cry from "really good". I'll agree he has the skill, length, nice looking shot and I agree that assertiveness/aggression is lacking not sure you can teach something like that though.

 

[GatoLouco]

I agree on Beran not being all that as a defender. But what baffles me even more is the idea that he's an athletic dude. I think it comes from the fact he can catch the ball on the occasional alley hoop. For me athleticism is jumping ability, which he has, and speed. And he is slow, pretty darn slow.

 

[ricko654321]

Beran is not a "really good" defender.
He will occasionally help in the post and block a shot, get a steal or force a turnover.
However, he gets dominated and pushed around by bigger guys (normal Big Ten power forwards).
He gets lost on defense more than anybody on the team, leaving his man open to score all too often.

He is average defensively, below average offensively and should probably be our 3rd string power forward behind Nance and Williams.
He might be a better performer at small forward.
Unfortunately, he is unlikely to get that opportunity because... well, I don't know why.

I don't think Beran at SF is a good idea... imagine him trying to defend 3's in the B1G against the dribble drive, get over screens etc. Not quick or shifty enough, this would not end well in my estimation. And I haven't seen the post-up moves from him to let us believe that he could make a smaller defender pay on the other end to make up for it.

 

[GatoLouco]

I don't think Beran at SF is a good idea... imagine him trying to defend 3's in the B1G against the dribble drive, get over screens etc. Not quick or shifty enough, this would not end well in my estimation. And I haven't seen the post-up moves from him to let us believe that he could make a smaller defender pay on the other end to make up for it.

You don’t have to imagine. You just have to remember two years ago. Though we did play a fair amount of zone.

There are advantages to a 6’10/6’10/6’9 lineup. You close out aggressive, you are beat a lot off the dribble, but you have a ton of height floating around.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

You don’t have to imagine. You just have to remember two years ago. Though we did play a fair amount of zone.

There are advantages to a 6’10/6’10/6’9 lineup. You close out aggressive, you are beat a lot off the dribble, but you have a ton of height floating around.

I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that Beran, Young and Nance are better defensively than they were two years ago.

My whole thing with Beran is that

a) He is hurting the team at power forward because he doesn't play inside. Not his fault really - thats what the coach keeps asking him to do.
b) Collins claims he is a great defender, so that has to be based on something other than what he shows on the court playing the 4.
c) He's not really any different than Kopp, just a touch bigger. If Kopp can (theoretically) defend at small forward, why wouldn't Beran be able to defend there? Kopp was indispensable to Collins last year, playing 34 minutes a game or whatever it was.
d) Is Beran really 6'9"? I'll go with 6'8" 215.
e) He can score against smaller guys. Shoot over them or post them up. He's just lacking confidence because he gets pushed around a lot by legitimate power forwards.

Thats my rationale for playing Beran at the 3 - he plays like a small forward and the coach keeps telling us he is a great defender.

 

[ricko654321]

I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that Beran, Young and Nance are better defensively than they were two years ago.

My whole thing with Beran is that

a) He is hurting the team at power forward because he doesn't play inside. Not his fault really - thats what the coach keeps asking him to do.
b) Collins claims he is a great defender, so that has to be based on something other than what he shows on the court playing the 4.
c) He's not really any different than Kopp, just a touch bigger. If Kopp can (theoretically) defend at small forward, why wouldn't Beran be able to defend there? Kopp was indispensable to Collins last year, playing 34 minutes a game or whatever it was.
d) Is Beran really 6'9"? I'll go with 6'8" 215.
e) He can score against smaller guys. Shoot over them or post them up. He's just lacking confidence because he gets pushed around a lot by legitimate power forwards.

Thats my rationale for playing Beran at the 3 - he plays like a small forward and the coach keeps telling us he is a great defender.

While Kopp was not a great defender, his first step and lateral quickness are noticeably better than Beran's. I think Robbie actually has pretty decent straight line speed (and good hops), he just has slow change of direction. IMO Kopp is better suited to defending perimeter players than Beran is.

I haven't really observed Beran as being a liability defending the 4 position generally, the thing I notice mostly is on offense he just sits out there doing nothing but waiting for a kick-out 3 (so similar to Kopp in that regard), and if he misses his first couple then he tends to not have confidence and his game becomes ineffective the rest of the day. He is a pretty good screener I think, maybe we should incorporate him into the screen/roll more often.

I agree with you that I'd be interested to see him try to post up against smaller guys. Maybe he can do it and the coaches haven't given him a chance. I guess that would be a reason to try him at 3 - because he can't easily shoot over a lot of the B1G 4's.

 

[Titanium999]

Now we have some legitimate momentum. I honestly think we beat Indiana by double digits Tuesday. This is a good, deep team that just hasn't gotten out of its own way. A dominant road win over a team we should handle was exactly what was needed.

Random thoughts:
Buie has real star potential. He's getting better and better and his confidence is soaring. Some great passing to complement his offensive output.

Greer is so solid. I hope he cones back next year. Given the Brumbaugh loss it would really help.

Audige is first team all BIG defense. He just needs to let the game come to him on offense but he's showing some patience and that is encouraging.

Ty Berry was great in the first half and got the run started. As he gets stronger, he'll finish at the rim better.

Ryan Young was super aggressive and overall played very well.

Take note we won this game with very little from Nance. Hope he is healing and plays well down the stretch but the fact we don't need a big game from him to succeed bodes very well for the future.

I hope we win against Indiana!

 

[go cats go]

While Kopp was not a great defender, his first step and lateral quickness are noticeably better than Beran's. I think Robbie actually has pretty decent straight line speed (and good hops), he just has slow change of direction. IMO Kopp is better suited to defending perimeter players than Beran is.

I haven't really observed Beran as being a liability defending the 4 position generally, the thing I notice mostly is on offense he just sits out there doing nothing but waiting for a kick-out 3 (so similar to Kopp in that regard), and if he misses his first couple then he tends to not have confidence and his game becomes ineffective the rest of the day. He is a pretty good screener I think, maybe we should incorporate him into the screen/roll more often.

I agree with you that I'd be interested to see him try to post up against smaller guys. Maybe he can do it and the coaches haven't given him a chance. I guess that would be a reason to try him at 3 - because he can't easily shoot over a lot of the B1G 4's.

I'm with Collins on this one. I think that Beran is a really good defender at his position. He moves his feet and stays in front of his man, tries to jump straight up. He draws charges, blocks shots and gets his hands on balls in the passing lanes. Admittedly, he is a tad foul-prone.

Beran also doesn't get enough credit for setting great screens on offense. A few of Buie threes on Saturday were a direct result of strong screens by Beran.

I understand that Beran has not realized the potential of becoming the next Vedran Vukusic, but he's pretty good all-around player and I hope he'll return next season!

 

[stpaulcat]

FAR from the worst team in the B1G. We destroyed UNL.

Fire Collins anyway. I hope they win out, so we can finally put this to bed.