There was no stopping them. I'm more dejected about the PSU and tOSU losses. Those were more painful.
The 'Cats desperately need to beat the Spartans.
The 'Cats desperately need to beat the Spartans.
These things happen on the road. Indiana was on fire.
- Thread starter FeralFelidae
- Start date
About the loss to PSU: Very good teams and near-great teams can take a loss like that in stride. They can say, “flush it, because turds happen”.
But we are not one of those teams yet and therefore the loss to PSU at home, coming when it did, was a critical event in this season. Not that Penn State is an easy out, but at home against teams with whom you are pretty evenly matched you have to arch your back, bare your teeth, snarl, and glare with that “you ain’t gettin' outta here with no damn road win” resolve. In such a game, if “this” isn’t working, then you have to do “that”. If neither this nor that are not working, you have to do "something else” to change the course of the game. Full court pressure, swarming defense, whatever. Then, you either have to win or be “robbed” by so much bad luck, such bad officiating, such a crushing injury during the game, or some other thing that you can rationalize over it to salve the wound.
Re: “very good and near-great teams” can take a home PSU loss in stride. We aren’t one of those teams so we either have to (1) find a way to beat a PSU-like team at home, or (2) prove it was an aberration by going out and beating a couple of teams that are heavily favored, and doing it before too much time goes by. That’s why losing BOTH the PSU game and then the Maryland game made today’s poor showing quite predictable.
Now, I hope the Wildcats go forth and prove what is entirely possible: that I am a fool and have no clue about the subject of Hoops Psych 101.
Completely agree. I think that's why so many were very dejected about PSU. We knew if the team lost its MOJO in that game, the stretch coming up would be extremely hard to regain it. The way we are playing, the next win may be a while.
When do we start shooting the lights out. I'm sick and tired of our constant slow starts. I want to see us absolutely torch someone. Maybe it won't be till next year. Maybe it's because the biggest loss this year is Vic Law. A player who was starting to find his offense and could play defense
But the way Indiana was shooting today, they were able to create their own shots anywhere on the court. When a player just jumps back and pops a three, or is able to nail a jump shot off the dribble at will, there's really no guarding that. And that opens things up quite a bit.
That's how basketball should be played at the top level. Guys able to create and make shots. IU is better than NU at every position. Give them credit.
Indiana has players than can create which opens up the shooters. We don't have that. It was the obvious reason they got wide open looks and we didn't. Until we can get multiple players that can create, we probably are a NIT team at best.
BMac can create (thought he had a bad game today). Falzon may be able to make that leap next year. We need Law and some freshman to step up as well. It doesn't appear Lindsey is gonna make that leap, but maybe he can know down open jumpers.
BMac can create (thought he had a bad game today). Falzon may be able to make that leap next year. We need Law and some freshman to step up as well. It doesn't appear Lindsey is gonna make that leap, but maybe he can know down open jumpers.
PSU has cost this program yearly. PSU has whipped our butts 3 of last 4 games at W/R and even before CC, Carmody struggled against PSU.
Not sure why peeps were surprised this year.
Because many peeps believe this is the most athletic NU team ever and could/should beat teams in the bottom half of the Big 10.
Those peeps would be wrong I'm afraid.
I saw indiana working hard to get open, uncontested shots. OTOH, when NU had the ball, 2 or more players were set on the perimeter waiting for a pass. Very few cuts and screens, off ball movement to get open. Felt like a very simple collegiate offesive set where the scoring options were ball handler shoots or passes to the open perimeter player for a shot. Easy to defend man to man (especially when the other team has strong athletes) when both the ball and player movement is limited.
Indiana had wing players switching sides or comming off off-ball screens, and they seemed to consistently swing the ball from one side to the other. Our players must have been gassed and confused trying to play defense. Indiana on defense, not so much...
it isn't really. I mean not with Law hurt. Our starting 5 isn't that athletic at all imo. Olah, Demps, BMC, Lumpkin, Falzon. It's a nice team but I don't see these guys as overly athletic. And the bench isn't that athletic either, Taphorn, Lindsay, JVG. Pardon seems athletic but can't jump too high it seems.
I think that you have to look at Indiana's team. They are smoking hot right now. In the last week or so, they have beaten OSU, UofI and NU by 30 points or more. Why? 1) They have hit an enormous number of threes, 2) They spread the floor well and can numerous guys who can hit threes, 3) They have experienced athletic wings like top 50 recruit Troy Williams who can flash deep into the zone and shoot over our bigs and one of the two top Point Guards in the Big 10 in Yogi Forrell who can dribble and drive or hit the threes, 4) Their bench is on fire with No. 9 Biefelt, 5) lastly, they recruit top recruits who fill voids. They recruited no. 31 a five star center Bryant who adds a new dimension and have other key frosh who are contributed and shooting at 70% in Bryant, No. 3 and No. 13 Juwan Morgan who NU recruited hard. Right now IU is hitting on all cylinders and playing much better defense since James Blackmon's season ending knee injury.
As for NU, they got smoked but it looked like McIntosh is finally realizing that on pick and roll Pardon is open a ton and he does not need to try to take three guys off the dribble, Olah looked much better than he had in the three prior games, Demps looked a lot better even though he has to bail NU out on numerous occasion with too tough shots as the shot clock is running out. I would like to see Pardon start at PF, Olah at C and Falzon at SF in the upcoming games against the top of the conference teams like MSU, Iowa and at Purdue and at UM. The nucleus of the future is McIntosh, Pardon, Falzon and hopefully, knock on wood, a 100% healthy Law.
So yes, today was awful, but Pardon's explosiveness and athleticism is promising.
And we need the continued development of Falzon who is really he needs to take it to the basket if opponents are overplaying and guarding him tight at the 3-point line. Now he has to learn not how to foul out of every game.
As for NU, they got smoked but it looked like McIntosh is finally realizing that on pick and roll Pardon is open a ton and he does not need to try to take three guys off the dribble, Olah looked much better than he had in the three prior games, Demps looked a lot better even though he has to bail NU out on numerous occasion with too tough shots as the shot clock is running out. I would like to see Pardon start at PF, Olah at C and Falzon at SF in the upcoming games against the top of the conference teams like MSU, Iowa and at Purdue and at UM. The nucleus of the future is McIntosh, Pardon, Falzon and hopefully, knock on wood, a 100% healthy Law.
So yes, today was awful, but Pardon's explosiveness and athleticism is promising.
And we need the continued development of Falzon who is really he needs to take it to the basket if opponents are overplaying and guarding him tight at the 3-point line. Now he has to learn not how to foul out of every game.
We had no MOJO vs. Maryland? Sorry, didn't see that. Saw a focused and motivated team.
You're agreeing with Turk which should clue you in to the fact that you are absolutely wrong here. Has Collins lost this team again?
Wrong? Isn't the 'Cats only loss to that group Penn State? Every other loss is to a top half team and the win in Lincoln is looking better by the week.
PSU has had our number for a while. I feel like back when DeChellis was coach they were the first team to really figure out the way to beat our 1-3-1: just chuck up any halfway decent look at a 3 from outside (often from the corner), and have multiple big guys vulturing near the rim for O rebounds. They would crush us on the O boards.
Unfortunately new coaches both places and we are still struggling with them. Believe we have one more late this year so hopefully we figure it out.
DeChellis was (and still is) the bane of Carmody's existence (he seemed to fair better against Dunn/Chambers). That man could have very well prevented NU from snagging a tourney bid in 2009-10.
I do not like him. Not one bit.
Last edited:
Like probably most people on this board, I'm not a big Crean fan, but have to admit the guy is doing a nice job of coaching so far this year. To do what they've been doing minus a player such as Blackmon is pretty impressive. I do think having a big guy in the middle has helped them. We'll see how they do when they start running into Iowa, Maryland, Purdue, Michigan State etc.
Similar threads
