The schedule was simply too soft....again. Sorry

[Turk]

This basketball team is a goodie, maybe the best that I've seen here but wouldn't our sword be sharper, at this point, if we actually scheduled better OOC teams? Wow, that was a great experience for our team but even if we had a few more losses playing quality opponents, I think it is worth it. Not just for this year but next year as well. MSU plays a wicked OOC schedule. Not saying that we are Michigan State but I'm also watching a young Indiana team that is finding its groove by playing teams like
Butler
Louisville
Arkansas
Duke.

A Wisconsin team that has sharpened against:
Marquette
Oklahoma
NC State
Xavier
Virginia
Stanford

How are our players going to learn against Columbia, Chicago State, Sisters of the poor?
If we want to be contenders, we have to fight the contenders, not jump in against schools that just play for the money. Our team will be good but it won't have its sword sharpened until mid season. There is a reason why we are losing last second games. We learned MIGHTEDLY last night, and that experience will be deadly against the Big Ten but we shouldn't be walking into January with only 1 OOC contender. Just not how you make a team into a solid program.

 

[Catreporter]

Well, Penn State has tried to beef up their non-con schedule and are 6-6 to show for it (illini are 4-7 with a tougher schedule). We have yet to beat a really good team yet so I don't know if the schedule's toughness makes much difference. Plenty of tough games in the Big Ten this year anyway but a mediocre non-con record really puts the pressure on a conference schedule.

 

[olshin]

Best you've seen here, at every position except point guard. Which is going to turn out to be a big deal, if it hasn't already.

 

[Wrestlerneverdiesasacatfan]

This basketball team is a goodie, maybe the best that I've seen here but wouldn't our sword be sharper, at this point, if we actually scheduled better OOC teams? Wow, that was a great experience for our team but even if we had a few more losses playing quality opponents, I think it is worth it. Not just for this year but next year as well. MSU plays a wicked OOC schedule. Not saying that we are Michigan State but I'm also watching a young Indiana team that is finding its groove by playing teams like
Butler
Louisville
Arkansas
Duke.

A Wisconsin team that has sharpened against:
Marquette
Oklahoma
NC State
Xavier
Virginia
Stanford

How are our players going to learn against Columbia, Chicago State, Sisters of the poor?
If we want to be contenders, we have to fight the contenders, not jump in against schools that just play for the money. Our team will be good but it won't have its sword sharpened until mid season. There is a reason why we are losing last second games. We learned MIGHTEDLY last night, and that experience will be deadly against the Big Ten but we shouldn't be walking into January with only 1 OOC contender. Just not how you make a team into a solid program.

We need 12 or 11 Big Ten Conference wins

 

[mikewebb68]

Well, the lolIllini's noncon sched has ruined them for this season and perhaps beyond. No thanks.

 

[Walker Fan]

Off base again. NU’s out of conference schedule has nothing to do with their current state. The problem with this team is they do not have a point guard. Turner is not a PG and as a result the offense takes a lot longer in getting set up and we have problems guarding lightning quick point guards who can get by Turner and Law. CC’s stubbornness to stick with a position less lineup hurts us at the end of games. Also, his reluctance to use the bench hurts us in end game situations as Taylor gets the shot in most end game situations or Law has to throw up a fallway jumper because our starters are exhausted and Turner and Gaines are not good jump shooters or offensive creators.

Lon Kruger totally outcoached CC on Friday night in plays out of timeouts, using a 3-2 zone to better guard the perimeter and much better use of his bench. I believe OU had 6 guys in double figures. Lastly, CC should have called a TO with 20 seconds left in regulation so that Brian James could draw up a last second shot, but he could not get Law to see him try to call a TO.

They need to play Greer more than one minute and might need to play Benson and Pardon on the floor to combat teams with two bigs like OU who abused us on the offensive glass.

One thing is for sure. The CC to Duke rumors should be done as former Dukies: Steve Wojo from Marquette and Bobby Hurley have exceeded CC’s accomplishments.

This team needs a lot of work, changed or improvements to succeed or go .500 in a loser Big 10 which may have 8-9 teams in the tourney.

 

[mikewebb68]

Off base again. NU’s out of conference schedule has nothing to do with their current state. The problem with this team is they do not have a point guard. Turner is not a PG and as a result the offense takes a lot longer in getting set up and we have problems guarding lightning quick point guards who can get by Turner and Law. CC’s stubbornness to stick with a position less lineup hurts us at the end of games. Also, his reluctance to use the bench hurts us in end game situations as Taylor gets the shot in most end game situations or Law has to throw up a fallway jumper because our starters are exhausted and Turner and Gaines are not good jump shooters or offensive creators.

Lon Kruger totally outcoached CC on Friday night in plays out of timeouts, using a 3-2 zone to better guard the perimeter and much better use of his bench. I believe OU had 6 guys in double figures. Lastly, CC should have called a TO with 20 seconds left in regulation so that Brian James could draw up a last second shot, but he could not get Law to see him try to call a TO.

They need to play Greer more than one minute and might need to play Benson and Pardon on the floor to combat teams with two bigs like OU who abused us on the offensive glass.

One thing is for sure. The CC to Duke rumors should be done as former Dukies: Steve Wojo from Marquette and Bobby Hurley have exceeded CC’s accomplishments.

This team needs a lot of work, changed or improvements to succeed or go .500 in a loser Big 10 which may have 8-9 teams in the tourney.

Agreed about the scheduke, but don't know about the rest of this.

Recall the same or worse trouble getting into our sets last year when we had BMac at PG.

A coach that totally outcoavhes us doesn't count on overtime to beat us-- his strategy of overusing guys on his bench who were totally schooled by us only worked because we missed an ooen shot in the end that our player should have made in its sleep. They had 4 guys in double figures, one more than us, and only because one guy scored 6 pts in OT when we were gassed. And at least one of his bench players was flat-out terrible. Though in hindsight we could have benefitted from a late sub or two, I like that we did not play for overtime; it was the same strategy that helped us come back and beat DePaul and nearly come back and beat Michigan.

And extremely dubious that we should have called a TO on that last possession. We had an excellent shot against a great defensive team. If you call timeout you give an excelkent defensive team a chance to get set and counter; how'd that work out for us vs. Michigan?

The reason we are losing games is that we are missing too many wide open 3s, especially by guys who usually make them. If we make just one more of those per game, no one is talking about why we are losing nailbiters in games that, on paper, we should have lost by double digits.

 

[Walker Fan]

A 32 foot shot by Taylor in Bloomington was a great shot while the ball did not find Pardon who had his best game of the year? Was that great coaching?

 

[mikewebb68]

A 32 foot shot by Taylor in Bloomington was a great shot while the ball did not find Pardon who had his best game of the year? Was that great coaching?

Uh, where did I mention Bloomigton or Pardon in my post? Assumjng you were referring to my post...

Does, CC make 100% correct coaching decisions every game? Of course not, he's not a robot. Was he "thoroughly outcoached" on Friday by a team with veteran talent that had to pray for OT to beat us? Hardly.

If you want to see an example of someone being thoroughly outcoached, check out Umderwood vs. Missouri last night. Better talent than Missouri, better depth, and best player on the floor, by far, somehow lost by 16 due to totally collapsing down the streatch by having zero answers to what the other coach (Cuonzo Martin, no coaching genius himself) was doing after a timeout when Illinois had the lead and all the momentum...

Also, thus "get to ball to Pardon" stuff is already getting a bit old. We get the ball to him plemty, as evidenced by his shots taken per game. Do you think the other teams are not prepoing for that? If I was the opposition, I'd double Pardon every frickin' time until NU proves that they can beat me from outside. It is almost as if we are assuming the other team is not thinking at all. Watch the tape; Pardon did not get the ball in OT on Friday because OU has a clue defensively and would not allow it...

 

[Walker Fan]

Too funny. Were you aware that Juwan Morgan was out of the game in the last minutes in Bloomington? We could not figure out a way to get the ball to Pardon in late game situations? Your response is too funny. LOL.

Kruger’s team made basket after basket out he set up plays after a timeout.

The OU guards were aggressive knowing full well that NU does not have a point guard.

They altered their defense in game to cool pardon down Pardon by double teams. No changes in NU’s defense all game or all season.

Kruger has coached 4 college basketball teams to the Sweet 16 - KState (Elite 8), UofI (Elite 8), UNLV (Sweet 16) and OU (Final 4). He has not done so by osmosis. Let’s give credit to OU whose team is 11-1 and No.2 in RPI. NU had opportunities to win this game time and again and NU players and coaches could not take advantage of it and get a quality or signature win. Too bad some could not figure that out.

 

[Mr Wickerpark]

A 32 foot shot by Taylor in Bloomington was a great shot while the ball did not find Pardon who had his best game of the year? Was that great coaching?

Even if double teamed, Pardon finds a way when the game is on the line. Why do we have a 100% tendancy to burn the seconds off only to throw up aimless shots from 3pt line to half court in utter madness with our last possession?
As the one poster noted, this was our unlucky 13th time in 14 tries where we had the ball for our final possession and lost (exception was Taphorn pass to Pardon).
That tells me that we have to fix it because its broke.

 

[mikewebb68]

Too funny. Were you aware that Juwan Morgan was out of the game in the last minutes in Bloomington? We could not figure out a way to get the ball to Pardon in late game situations? Your response is too funny. LOL.

Kruger’s team made basket after basket out he set up plays after a timeout.

The OU guards were aggressive knowing full well that NU does not have a point guard.

They altered their defense in game to cool pardon down Pardon by double teams. No changes in NU’s defense all game or all season.

Kruger has coached 4 college basketball teams to the Sweet 16 - KState (Elite 8), UofI (Elite 8), UNLV (Sweet 16) and OU (Final 4). He has not done so by osmosis. Let’s give credit to OU whose team is 11-1 and No.2 in RPI. NU had opportunities to win this game time and again and NU players and coaches could not take advantage of it and get a quality or signature win. Too bad some could not figure that out.

Uh, I didn't even comment ob the Indiana game, that was you, moving the goalposts. Yes perhaps we dhpuld hsve tried to force the ball to Pardon late mpre in the IU game. But that is easier said than done when the other team has acdefensive pulse and knows that is what you are going to do. So yes, perhaps one mistake in one game that we had no business being in on paper when we lost by 2. Do you think Collins made some goid calls in that game as well?

Then, with all these advantages of ehich you speak, how in the world did Kruger have to rely on us missing a wide open shot in regulation to beat us after just carving up teams (e.g. Creighton) with similar talent to us, and with all the senior experience and eepth he has (most experienced team in the country, sccording to the broadcast)

And yeah, keep saying to yourself that other teams are just going to lay down and allow us to simply get the ball to Pardon. What makes more sesnse if you're coaching defense-- to let Pardon get the ball in the paint, or to keep it away from him?

 

[mikewebb68]

Even if double teamed, Pardon finds a way when the game is on the line. Why do we have a 100% tendancy to burn the seconds off only to throw up aimless shots from 3pt line to half court in utter madness with our last possession?
As the one poster noted, this was our unlucky 13th time in 14 tries where we had the ball for our final possession and lost (exception was Taphorn pass to Pardon).
That tells me that we have to fix it because its broke.

You do realize as a defensive coach I can gameplan so that Pardon absolutely never gets the ball in the paint unless soneone makes a mistake correct? If not, watch the OU defensive scheme again in OT and report back to me...

And there's a reason why last-second shots to win games make highlight reels. They don't happen a lot...We had the absolute perfect play drawn up for OU at the end, CC can't make wide open shots for the players.

 

[Walker Fan]

Did you say that we are losing because we are missing too many wide open 3s. A 32 footer is not an easy shot.

 

[mikewebb68]

Did you say that we are losing because we are missing too many wide open 3s. A 32 footer is not an easy shot.

The OU game. We missed a lot of wide open 3s. Taylor was 2-11, most of them were open. And we've been missing them all season; sure there were plenty in the IU game as well. Probably among the worst in the conference in shooting them if I had to guess (didn't look it up). In fact, many (not me) thought handling pressure would be pur achilles' heel, which it most certainly has not been. Still early, but 3pt shooting certainly appears to be the weak link. We lack that unconscious spot 3pt shooter that people like Taphorn have been in the past; hopefully Falzon can get healthy and be that guy, as I think it can make a HUGE difference for this team to prevent opponents from sagging in the paint.

 

[Mr Wickerpark]

You do realize as a defensive coach I can gameplan so that Pardon absolutely never gets the ball in the paint unless soneone makes a mistake correct? If not, watch the OU defensive scheme again in OT and report back to me...

And there's a reason why last-second shots to win games make highlight reels. They don't happen a lot...We had the absolute perfect play drawn up for OU at the end, CC can't make wide open shots for the players.

Did you watch Taylor's shot at the end of regulation? I know Collins said it was wide open but it was only open, not wide open. Yea Kruger was nervous with that look.

But whether open or wide open, we didnt make it. We need to fix this. We have to recognize that 1 out of 14 is broke.And that exception was Taphorns full court heave.

Collins needs to find the answer. Is it being gassed? Maybe he needs to install more confidence in them? Who knows?
But doing the same thing over and over is insane and its starting to resemble curselike symptoms.

 

[mikewebb68]

Did you watch Taylor's shot at the end of regulation? I know Collins said it was wide open but it was only open, not wide open. Yea Kruger was nervous with that look.

But whether open or wide open, we didnt make it. We need to fix this. We have to recognize that 1 out of 14 is broke.And that exception was Taphorns full court heave.

Collins needs to find the answer. Is it being gassed? Maybe he needs to install more confidence in them? Who knows.
But doing the same thing over and over is insane and its starting to resemble curselike symptoms.

Their was a clear defensive breakdown, and Taylor's defender was trailing him by three feet. About as open as you're gojng to get in a late game situation. Watch Collins postgame presser if you want to get his take on how open Taylor was...

Give me the stats as to how other teams do in late-game situations and I will let you know if we have a problem. I think that you will find that there are a lot more possesions like the one that OU had immediately prior to the Taylor shot than there are with game-winners.

At any rate, having the chance to win at the end of every game vs. top flight conpetition is a good problem to have; things have a way of evening out if you put yourself in that position enough times...