This is a Tournament Team

[Southport Cat]

Finally saw the defensive effort we have come to expect in the second half and lo and behold the shots started falling.

As Bardo said several times, “Ty Berry is back, ladies and gentlemen.”

Yes we lack a true distributor, but Boo is gone and this is a different type of unit than ‘22 or ‘23. More wing depth and if Berry truly is back then the Mart/Barn combo is going to be beastly.

I still don’t get why we insist on playing so slow. Our offense looks so much better when we get into our sets before the shot clock is down to 15.

Besides having a bunch of farm boys with very punchable faces and rosy cheeks, that Iowa team is really good. So much shooting. They will play well into March.

 

[CatManTrue]

Finally saw the defensive effort we have come to expect in the second half and lo and behold the shots started falling.

As Bardo said several times, “Ty Berry is back, ladies and gentlemen.”

Yes we lack a true distributor, but Boo is gone and this is a different type of unit than ‘22 or ‘23. More wing depth and if Berry truly is back then the Mart/Barn combo is going to be beastly.

I still don’t get why we insist on playing so slow. Our offense looks so much better when we get into our sets before the shot clock is down to 15.

Besides having a bunch of farm boys with very punchable faces and rosy cheeks, that Iowa team is really good. So much shooting. They will play well into March.

See my other post.

This team will fall apart if Barnhizer is our ball handler for 39 minutes a game in big ten play. We were spoiled by Boo Buie. He was incredible the last two years

I love Barny, Berry, Big Matt, Mullins, and Martinelli… but this team needs more ball handling.

The better Big Ten defenses will full court press & trap this team to death when Barny gets tired. I love his game, but he ain’t a B1G point quarterback

 

[hdhntr1]

Finally saw the defensive effort we have come to expect in the second half and lo and behold the shots started falling.

As Bardo said several times, “Ty Berry is back, ladies and gentlemen.”

Yes we lack a true distributor, but Boo is gone and this is a different type of unit than ‘22 or ‘23. More wing depth and if Berry truly is back then the Mart/Barn combo is going to be beastly.

I still don’t get why we insist on playing so slow. Our offense looks so much better when we get into our sets before the shot clock is down to 15.

Besides having a bunch of farm boys with very punchable faces and rosy cheeks, that Iowa team is really good. So much shooting. They will play well into March.

He was back for this game. Hopefully he can develop some consistency because we are going to need him.

We are potentially close to being tourney team but you got to win games like this and against Butler (I don't count Dayton so much as we were short handed) if you want to get to tourney

 

[TejasCat]

Looking at our Big Ten schedule, we may not be favored in any of our first 9 conference games. Back half is much easier. We have to somehow win at least 3 of these games to have a chance at postseason. 3 probable road losses as double digit dog, would have to split the other 6.

Using KenPom and adding 3 pts for home:

@IOWA (+5) Loss
ILL (+6)
@PSU (+1.5)
@PUR (+13)
MICH ST (+1.5)
MD (+3)
@MICH (+12)
IND (Pick)
@ILL (+12)

 

[GatoLouco]

My take on the relative quality of our team:

1. We are not better or worse than we were before we played Butler or Iowa. Despite the negative hyperbole of a lot of folks around here when reacting in real time to the game. We are the same team. Gritty and stacked with decent talent
2. Iowa is not a great team, despite looking so in the first half against us. Tamper down the hyperbole swinging the other way, that we are suddenly great. Iowa is not better than last year's team, and they did not make the tournament. That is not to say they are bad, just like last year, they are probably borderline tournament quality, 10-12 wins
3. It's not an unexpected outcome to lose in Iowa City, we have not won there in ages. And Iowa always seems to put together good games against us
4. Even if we had played the 2nd half as we played the first, it would have not changed anything for us. I remember a much worse showing in Champaign last year. It's hard to win on the road. Hurts we came up so close and the way we lost. But the result is sort of normal
5. We are a 10-12 win team, same prospect of probably at least 12 other teams in the conference

 

[AdamOnFirst]

Eh. We’re a team that COULD be a tournament. We’re good enough to do it. But we have to fight and claw to actually get into that top 40-ish, we’re not clearly cut in the top 40 on talent alone.

Last night being stolen means we gotta find another one.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

Eh. We’re a team that COULD be a tournament. We’re good enough to do it. But we have to fight and claw to actually get into that top 40-ish, we’re not clearly cut in the top 40 on talent alone.

Last night being stolen means we gotta find another one.

If we aren't going to get meaningful minutes from Ciaravino or (more importantly) Windham, we're not likely to be a tournament team.

The more Blake Smith plays... the less upside we have.

Hunger looked a lot better against a physically soft Iowa frontcourt... but they're not the typical Big Ten team, so can't read too much into that.

I thought our ball-handling problems were flashing red lights - we're going to struggle against any team with quality guard play... can't imagine what we'll be doing against Penn State and their full court pressure (and Ace Baldwin).

The starters (as a unit) had nothing going on last night. Ragged on both ends of the floor.

The wins will be difficult to come by.

 

[Hungry Jack]

At some point, you have to win close games against good times. We have had 3 chances now, and come up just short. Horse shoes and hand grenades.

I don't foresee big things from this group, unfortunately. The aforementioned guard play is my biggest concern.

 

[EagerFan]

The Cats are not currently a tournament team. We've lost two of the last three games in the last second and a tournament team would instead have won them.

The Cats have the potential to become a tournament team. We need more players stepping up to score. I love Ty, but I don't think it's reasonable for us to expect him to be 5-9 from three every night. We need at least two more guys to help carry that scoring load. Bardinelli should be able to give us 35 points a night between them with the short inside game, but we're going to need a lot more production from the bench and a bit more from our centers.

I think we've seen the current Cats response to the press and I think can work in the B1G. The turnovers generally happened after the ball crossed half court, on the next pass. They need to clean that up, but three guys bringing it up with outlets on the side or middle will work while we don't have a PG with the speed and handle to break it on his own. Leach isn't there, but so far the guy is money from the FT line and looks good shooting in general.

Did everyone notice that in the second half, once Ty got pissed off and started hitting his shots, Nick suddenly had the space for his inside game? Yeah, we need more of that, too.

Luke absolutely needs to add three or four more inches to his vertical. I don't understand how a guy stands 6'10" (at 260lbs) and simply cannot dunk without a running start and good foot placement for the jump. He played so much better last night, for him, and we also need that going forward.

Once Mullins picked up his fourth foul, coach was in a bit of a substitution bind. Smith still looks faster and more agile, with experience in the defense, than our freshmen, so I get why he was on the court when Iowa was basically screening to get a mismatch for their guard drives. Angelo got a couple of minutes late and just couldn't keep up with the speed of the game from what I saw. He'll get there.

Also, let's have the kids not foul on layups when we're up by three? Please? Last night was so winnable after that heroic comeback effort. I admit I'd about given up at the half and the kids fought so hard to take over, I want that rewarded with the win.

 

[NUAlum2010]

If we aren't going to get meaningful minutes from Ciaravino or (more importantly) Windham, we're not likely to be a tournament team.

The more Blake Smith plays... the less upside we have.

Hunger looked a lot better against a physically soft Iowa frontcourt... but they're not the typical Big Ten team, so can't read too much into that.

I thought our ball-handling problems were flashing red lights - we're going to struggle against any team with quality guard play... can't imagine what we'll be doing against Penn State and their full court pressure (and Ace Baldwin).

The starters (as a unit) had nothing going on last night. Ragged on both ends of the floor.

The wins will be difficult to come by.

This is a good take. That Iowa team - like every team NU has played so far (yes, that includes Butler, UNLV and Dayton) - is unlikely to make the tournament, so I'm not sure what that says about NU.

For once, NU matches up well against Iowa relative to the rest of the conference. NU had clear 1:1 advantages last night (see Barnhizer and Martinelli in the 2nd half just backing their guys down), and Iowa just isn't capable of exposing NU's deficient ball handling skills.

I don't expect both of those things to be the case in most B1G games.

NU has 13 remaining games (all in conference) against teams with a higher NET than Iowa. The schedule is difficult. Most of those teams defend better than Iowa and have far more athletic frontcourts. This NU team is capable of hanging around, but conference wins are going to be brutally difficult to get without a true PG. I really don't see how 10 - 12 conference wins is realistic.

 

[Baz=Heisman]

This is a good take. That Iowa team - like every team NU has played so far (yes, that includes Butler, UNLV and Dayton) - is unlikely to make the tournament, so I'm not sure what that says about NU.

For once, NU matches up well against Iowa relative to the rest of the conference. NU had clear 1:1 advantages last night (see Barnhizer and Martinelli in the 2nd half just backing their guys down), and Iowa just isn't capable of exposing NU's deficient ball handling skills.

I don't expect both of those things to be the case in most B1G games.

NU has 13 remaining games (all in conference) against teams with a higher NET than Iowa. The schedule is difficult. Most of those teams defend better than Iowa and have far more athletic frontcourts. This NU team is capable of hanging around, but conference wins are going to be brutally difficult to get without a true PG. I really don't see how 10 - 12 conference wins is realistic.

What are you talking about? Dayton and Butler are likely tourney teams. UNLV and Iowa are probably NIT teams. I’m not happy and have real concerns about no PG but this is an overreaction.

 

[macarthur31]

Last night, the team showed they could play in the postseason. If they want to play in the NCAAs, they need to impose their will on the defensive end like they did in the 2nd half. I lean pessimistic on that because the B1G is a "20 round fight" and NickMart/Barnzo playing 38 ironman minutes per round just isn't sustainable. Is it possible? Sure, but that's like a 95th percentile outcome.

There are greenshoots:

• "Hungholson" can work and be a net positive at the 5. This message board seems to lean on the deficits of both of these players (Matt can't hit a post move? Why can't Hunger jump higher?). But in the aggregate the 5 will be an improvement from last year because of Matty's savvy anchoring the defense, and Luke's growth as a a scorer.
• Justin Mullins defense will continue to play (as long as he stays out of foul trouble), and the dude just cuts real well to get paint attacks. He's done a great job earning Collins' trust, and now it's time for him to be more assertive on offense.
• The Hawkeyes may not be strong, but they are long and energetic which means they're built to force TOs, and conversely despite their pace, they're adept at ball security. Last night, despite the 'Cats being without a "true PG", we played them to a draw on TOs which meant Iowa turned the ball more often AND wasn't able to turn us over as much as they had done all season.
• We don't know how bad Leach's wrist is affecting him - but he's a smart heady player, and he can get buckets (and cashes in at the line). He'll start leveling up.
• Finally, Ty Berry showed up. He could go 5/9 from 3FG every night, but the team would be good with 4/9 and that would be below where he was in B1G last year (46.3%). And now Barnzinelli has more space because opponents have to game plan for it.

Agreed with PWB, if the 'Cats are gonna get to .500 in B1G, we need something from Ciaravino and KJ. The conundrum is that can Collins live with the variance that comes with playing those frosh? At this point, he's opting not (and knowing how rugged the season is, I expect those guys to get pressed into service).

 

[NUAlum2010]

What are you talking about? Dayton and Butler are likely tourney teams. UNLV and Iowa are probably NIT teams. I’m not happy and have real concerns about no PG but this is an overreaction.

Dayton’s path to the tournament is winning the A10. It’s a sub par league and they are decent so that’s entirely possible. They aren’t likely to get an at large bid. They are currently 49 in NET. That doesn’t improve against A10 competition. They were in the teens at this point last year.

I have no idea where your confidence in Butler comes from. The MSU win? That’s a good one for sure, but even with that they aren’t on anyone’s radar because of the Austin Peay home loss. They would need to really outperform expectations in the Big East to have a shot.

 

[Hungry Jack]

What you see is what you get with Hunger: good size, some range, but limited athleticism that limits his defensive and offensive impact. Good player to have, but not a difference maker.

 

[GatoLouco]

Dayton’s path to the tournament is winning the A10. It’s a sub par league and they are decent so that’s entirely possible. They aren’t likely to get an at large bid. They are currently 49 in NET. That doesn’t improve against A10 competition. They were in the teens at this point last year.

I have no idea where your confidence in Butler comes from. The MSU win? That’s a good one for sure, but even with that they aren’t on anyone’s radar because of the Austin Peay home loss. They would need to really outperform expectations in the Big East to have a shot.

Butler is my 2nd team. At best I think they are middle of the pack Big East. Middle to 8th.

 

[olshin]

No, this isn't a tournament team at all right now (unless you mean the NIT), as a tournament team would have beaten Butler and closed out last night.

Competitive team for sure and certainly one that always plays hard. But not until the answer the point questions will they be a tournament team.

0-3 in Q1 games doesn't make us a BAD team. I mean we lost them by a total of 8 points, and two of them were true heartbreakers. But ... until we get some of those wins ......

 

[chaneccooms]

Keep in mind that Iowa was playing shorthanded in the frontcourt. They were without Seydou Traore, an outstanding and athletic frontcourt defender. They were also without 6-8 rotation forward Cooper Koch.

This Iowa team is definitely better than last year. If they stay healthy, they’ll be in the NCAA tournament. They’d be undefeated right now if it weren’t for Dix and Payton Sandfort both experiencing wrist injuries against Utah State that made shooting accurately next to impossible.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

What are you talking about? Dayton and Butler are likely tourney teams. UNLV and Iowa are probably NIT teams. I’m not happy and have real concerns about no PG but this is an overreaction.

If Dayton doesn't make the NCAA there's another team in the Atlantic-10 that is a lot better than any has shown so far this year.

As for Butler? Maybe, maybe not. Big East seems to be a bit down, so there is a good opportunity for the Bulldogs and there are no obvious problems. I'd lean yes.

 

[GatoLouco]

They’d be undefeated right now if it weren’t for Dix and Payton Sandfort both experiencing wrist injuries against Utah State that made shooting accurately next to impossible.

There are two sides to the "they'd be undefetead were it not". Were it not for NU missing freee throws, Dix could have scored 100 against Utah State and Iowa would not be undefeated.

But cool that you drank Frank's pre-game cool aid.

 

[GatoLouco]

As for Butler? Maybe, maybe not. Big East seems to be a bit down, so there is a good opportunity for the Bulldogs and there are no obvious problems. I'd lean yes.

My rationale is that, as of now, UConn, Marquette, St John's, Creighton and Xavier seem to be above the rest. That puts Butler 6th in conference. Of course they can surprise and be better than one of these teams. But so can Providence, even Villanova.

The BE had 3 bids in 2024 with Seton Hall being a part of the first teams left out.

The A10 had 2 bids as Duquesne won the conference tournament. Dayton has the chance to, again, make themselves a lock, regardless of the conference tournament, if they win the next 3 games against Marquette, UNLV and Cincinati. Not sure 2 of 3 would do it.

 

[SmellyCat]

If it weren't for those three long TD runs, the Bears would've totally stopped Barry Sanders in that one game.

 

[chaneccooms]

There are two sides to the "they'd be undefetead were it not". Were it not for NU missing freee throws, Dix could have scored 100 against Utah State and Iowa would not be undefeated.

But cool that you drank Frank's pre-game cool aid.

Iowa was 11-19 on free throws, including critical misses down the stretch. Northwestern was 13-16.

 

[Gatabowl]

Which tournament?

 

[GatoLouco]

Iowa was 11-19 on free throws, including critical misses down the stretch. Northwestern was 13-16.

I stand corrected, there are like 20 sides. Thanks for proving my point.

 

[chaneccooms]

I stand corrected, there are like 20 sides. Thanks for proving my point.

And sometimes those “sides” are completely fabricated and not based in fact, as you proved.

 

[GatoLouco]

And sometimes those “sides” are completely fabricated and not based in fact, as you proved.

Thank you for enlightning me about how good Iowa is.