To paraphrase former NU Football Coach...

[Dugan15]

Dennis Green: "We are who we think we are".

I haven't evaluated other teams, but we have only one good KenPom win (defined as someone ranked above us)...and we have only one bad loss. I have to believe most teams in the KenPom 75-100 range have more variability.

Let's hope we can get revenge on PSU Thursday for our one bad loss.

Go 'Cats!

 

[NJCat83588]

Let's hope we can get revenge on PSU Thursday for our one bad loss.
Go 'Cats!

KenPom notwithstanding, I would not call PSU a "bad loss". They have more good wins than NU does, including wins against Top 25 teams, and are playing better basketball. It may have been a disappointing loss, but the better team won that day. Here's hoping NU gets revenge Thursday and pulls the upset.

 

[spartcat]

Actually, I would call PSU a bad loss at home. But beating them at their place would be a pretty good win. On the positive side, both of this week's opponents are well below us in this set of rankings. Maybe.....

http://kenpom.com/

 

[IdahoAlum]

KenPom gives us a 49 percent chance to win at Penn State, 68 percent chance at home against Nebraska.

 

[NJCat83588]

KenPom gives us a 49 percent chance to win at Penn State, 68 percent chance at home against Nebraska.

KenPom is overly optimistic about NU's chances at PSU........

 

[pawildcat]

KenPom is overly optimistic about NU's chances at PSU........

I agree. Penn State is almost always tough at home and considering the way we've played against them the past few years I'd consider it an upset if we win.

 

[Catreporter]

KenPom is overly optimistic about NU's chances at PSU........

Key to beating Penn State is getting off to a fast start and forcing them to play faster. They like to slow it down and keep the scores in the 50s and 60s. We fell behind at early at home and never put any pressure on them due to horrendous 3-point shooting despite wide open looks. We should have a good chance to win the game if we play like we have at Purdue and Michigan.

 

[Sec.112]

If you lose to PSU twice in a year, enjoy the CBI. You can't lose to the same crap team twice in a year.

 

[NJCat83588]

If you lose to PSU twice in a year, enjoy the CBI. You can't lose to the same crap team twice in a year.

That "crap" team has beaten then-#4 Iowa and #18 Indiana......

 

[rwhitney014]

That "crap" team has beaten then-#4 Iowa and #18 Indiana......

And is 15-14 overall, despite those two very nice wins.

 

[Sec.112]

That "crap" team has beaten then-#4 Iowa and #18 Indiana......

You must have missed the part of the schedule where they lost to Duquesne and Radford. How about the 20 point loss to OSU? Shall I continue? I can.

Would you feel better if I called them "mediocre?" They are the same pile of mediocrity as NU. The Cats can't lose to the same mediocre team twice.

 

[spartcat]

One more piece of forgetfulness in this thread. We were 3/26 from 3 in that first game (.115) and only lost by 9. Our D was solid against them. We can beat them with a decent offensive performance, no question.

 

[Catreporter]

One more piece of forgetfulness in this thread. We were 3/26 from 3 in that first game (.115) and only lost by 9. Our D was solid against them. We can beat them with a decent offensive performance, no question.

Tre was in the midst of a long distance shooting slump in that game and Olah was still hurting. Hopefully, we get a different result this time.

 

[CappyNU]

One more piece of forgetfulness in this thread. We were 3/26 from 3 in that first game (.115) and only lost by 9. Our D was solid against them. We can beat them with a decent offensive performance, no question.

Our interior D was solid against them - but we let them shoot 43% from 3-point range. They also shot 33 free throws to our 15. If we want to win this game, we better fix both of those areas. Olah has been playing much better lately, he should be a big improvement on the last time we played them when it was his first game back.

 

[NUCat320]

Tre was in the midst of a long distance shooting slump in that game and Olah was still hurting. Hopefully, we get a different result this time.

Tre went 14 for 64 (22%) from outside in January. Sheesh. And that includes his 6-for-15 in the blowout loss to Iowa that closed the month. Between the conference season opener (December 30) and 1/28, he was 8 for 49 (16%) from outside.

Tre was 20-for-45 in February (44%). Or, if you prefer to add that Iowa game, he was 26-60 (43%). This simply tells you that January in Chicago is miserable.

Anyway, Tre's January is reminiscent - though a smaller time frame, and much worse - of Winston Blake's disastrous senior season. (You don't remember, but I do - Winston was 37% from outside his soph and junior seasons, and was actually a pretty good player - then he inexplicably hit only 24% from outside as a senior.)