View from CT

[TheC]

A few things...

1) Despite the outcome on Sunday, it was still a thrill to see the Cats in person on Saturday and Sunday. We had a great time. My son got to slap the players' hands as they went in and out of the locker room. We were jumping around on tv. And we got to see one win in person.

2) Ok.... now for the bad news. We aren't very good right now. We were the least athletic team in the 4 team tournament (I didn't see any of the other bracket). While we were better than LaSalle, they were quicker and more athletic. I don't think we would have beaten BC this weekend either based on what I saw from them. They played TT tight (it was a close game until the last minute) and blew out LaSalle.

3) CCC hit a home run with his first recruiting class and hopefully hit one with next year's incoming class. But in between, he may have struck out. Falzon might be a serious player, but I see very little from the rest. Benson plays decent D at times, but is too slow and gets outjumped on rebounds by quicker big men. Ash and Brown unfortunately just are not ready to play at this level. They were running the offense for the last 2:30 and were getting beat by TT's walk-ons. Ash's shot looks ok in warm-ups when he has 3 seconds to get set and release, but at game speed, his mechanics are all over the place. Brown has no confidence. His body language is pretty obvious. Maybe CCC should just let him go nuts again and take the good with the bad because this version of Brown is all bad at the moment.

4) Related to point #3, I knew we were in trouble at the 17:50 mark of the first half. TT was up 9-3, but still sent in two subs. That was a pretty good indication that their plan was to rotate fresh guys in all day and work us over - which they did. Their defense was relentless. They picked up BMac full court all day. They pressured our ball handlers beyond the 3 point line all day. They beat us to the spot on screens and cuts. They suffocated us. That also wore us down as we didn't have any other guards to spell Mac and Scotty. Hopefully, there won't be too many teams that can do that to us like Tech did, but it was troubling.

5) I still love this team and CCC. Even if they don't win another game, they will be legends.

 

[Medill90]

I've crowed about the staff's talent evaluation...I think the truth is somewhere in between. I'm fine with the bigs, issue is more at pg. I like what I've seen from Benson and think he'll get more and more comfortable. Maybe Ash will show it here in the next few weeks. Agree with what you said re Brown...I'd take last year's version over this. It's between the ears for him, he'll come around.

Next year you trade BMac for a frosh, Lindsey for Turner/Kopp and Skelly for Nance. Net, net, a potential improvement.

BMac is amazing and you're not going to replace what he does. But traditionally point guard hasn't been the biggest lift for NU recruiting. It's now an issue.

 

[Sec.112]

Thanks for the good report, C.

I was somewhat wondering last year why more teams don't press NU full court. We'll see what happens this year.

 

[NUCat320]

Brown's confidence is shot. It makes me nervous. He was all guts and moxie last year - well, that, and too many misses - but he added energy and, to me, looked like a guy that could harness it in a year or two. I thought he'd follow the four-year Demps model - from chucker to leader/cold-blooded killer.

Five games isn't much to go on - but he's definitely not the same guy. Tell the truth, I had forgotten about him when he made his appearance in the final five last night.

 

[Hungry Jack]

Awesome post C. Sorry you had to bear witness to that.

I do not watch tons of hoops, but it seems that Creighton and TT are just at another level in terms of length and quickness. Law and Lindsey are pretty explosive, longer guys, but our roster has nowhere near the defense-shredding athleticism I saw on display in those two games. Even LaSalle had a few guys that outclassed us physically.

So--have other conferences bypassed the B1G in terms of athletic players like this? I don't recall seeing guys in the B!G like this last season outside of MSU and maybe a few guys on PU, Indiana, Penn St. But TT and Creighton seemed to have 5-6 guys who could run circles around us all day long.

 

[BosCat]

Great, unfortunately accurate, report.

I will add to #1: great NU fan support, especially NU hoops family section - they were leading the loud defense chants. Unfortunately no closer than 10 and the best thing was SL's half-courter.

On #4 - agreed, tight coverage they were in the passing lanes, almost like NU football vs Minny - 15 first half turnovers... They did "pick up" BMac all game, but only one real press, which of course resulted in a turnover.

Real issue was that I didn't see any moose, only multiple wolves throughout the casino (lifelike animatronics, howling and everything)

 

[docrugby1]

Texas Tech's defense reminded me of 80's Georgetown. They pressed the PG, denied passes, cut off passing lanes and generally harassed NU for 40 minutes, rotating fresh players in to continue the defensive pressure.
NU's offense is so dependent on BMac that if he is pressured the entire offense falls apart

 

[freewillie07]

I've crowed about the staff's talent evaluation...I think the truth is somewhere in between. I'm fine with the bigs, issue is more at pg. I like what I've seen from Benson and think he'll get more and more comfortable. Maybe Ash will show it here in the next few weeks. Agree with what you said re Brown...I'd take last year's version over this. It's between the ears for him, he'll come around.

Next year you trade BMac for a frosh, Lindsey for Turner/Kopp and Skelly for Nance. Net, net, a potential improvement.

BMac is amazing and you're not going to replace what he does. But traditionally point guard hasn't been the biggest lift for NU recruiting. It's now an issue.

Agree with this. As good as last year's team was, breaking the streak and all that, they still effectively only had one player who could create his own shot reliably -- BMac. Even some of the weaker teams that NU has faced have had guards who are capable of taking their man off the dribble and getting past them. Scottie can't really do it still, nor can Law. Brown could last year, not so much this year.

I have no problem with Benson as a sophomore backup center. Pardon has been turnover-prone to say the least. But NU's problem first and foremost is lack of quality guard play. Lindsey and Law can cut off the ball and shoot 3s with anyone, but ONLY BMac can create those opportunities. If teams completely sell out and send waves of defenders at him, NU is in trouble, in my opinion.

 

[Medill90]

Texas Tech's defense reminded me of 80's Georgetown. They pressed the PG, denied passes, cut off passing lanes and generally harassed NU for 40 minutes, rotating fresh players in to continue the defensive pressure.
NU's offense is so dependent on BMac that if he is pressured the entire offense falls apart

This is dead on.

 

[willycat]

Agree with this. As good as last year's team was, breaking the streak and all that, they still effectively only had one player who could create his own shot reliably -- BMac. Even some of the weaker teams that NU has faced have had guards who are capable of taking their man off the dribble and getting past them. Scottie can't really do it still, nor can Law. Brown could last year, not so much this year.

I have no problem with Benson as a sophomore backup center. Pardon has been turnover-prone to say the least. But NU's problem first and foremost is lack of quality guard play. Lindsey and Law can cut off the ball and shoot 3s with anyone, but ONLY BMac can create those opportunities. If teams completely sell out and send waves of defenders at him, NU is in trouble, in my opinion.

NU is definitely in trouble in the backcourt because of a lack of depth. Just noticed that they only have 11 schlorship players on the roster with I guess transfer in Turner is #12. Thinking they sure could have used a 5th year transfer for the PG spot. Any football players available, who could handle the point after their season ends ?

 

[NJCat]

NU is definitely in trouble in the backcourt because of a lack of depth. Just noticed that they only have 11 schlorship players on the roster with I guess transfer in Turner is #12. Thinking they sure could have used a 5th year transfer for the PG spot. Any football players available, who could handle the point after their season ends ?

So Charlie Hall and Tino Malnatti have been practicing with the team for 2 years+ and aren't good enough to see the court. You really think there is a guy on the football team who could get minutes at Guard when he hasn't been playing competitive basketball since high school?

C'mon Willy, give up the 13th scholarship thing. NU will be at full strength next season.

 

[willycat]

So Charlie Hall and Tino Malnatti have been practicing with the team for 2 years+ and aren't good enough to see the court. You really think there is a guy on the football team who could get minutes at Guard when he hasn't been playing competitive basketball since high school?

C'mon Willy, give up the 13th scholarship thing. NU will be at full strength next season.

Maybe. Yes, they will be back up to 13 scholarships next season but not having fulfilled all of your schlorship spots every season is not good. Do you think that an extra guard might have come in handy this season.

 

[NJCat]

Do you think that an extra guard might have come in handy this season.

They have plenty of Guards. They just don't have plenty of Guards who can play. I'm not optimistic that adding a 13th Guard via grad transfer would have improved the team that much.

Can't wait until next season when you can't whine about the unused scholly. No pot holes in the West lot, 13 scholarship players, all you will be able to complain about will be the massive "donation" required to get a season ticket!! And that capacity is just 7,039.......

 

[IGNORE2]

They have plenty of Guards. They just don't have plenty of Guards who can play. I'm not optimistic that adding a 13th Guard via grad transfer would have improved the team that much.

Can't wait until next season when you can't whine about the unused scholly. No pot holes in the West lot, 13 scholarship players, all you will be able to complain about will be the massive "donation" required to get a season ticket!! And that capacity is just 7,039.......

Plus another trip to the tourney (probably sweet sixteen), a new OL and WR coach, odds on favorite for B!G FB Division winner and good shot to win conference - possible run for the CFP.... boy, those will be the days... VA, Walkamole, mike and I will be hosting hugfests with wrassler and turk, cats and dogs will be living in bliss, ice glaciers will reform, a neutral figure will be appointed czar and given a lifetime term....such glory days ahead....

 

[willycat]

They have plenty of Guards. They just don't have plenty of Guards who can play. I'm not optimistic that adding a 13th Guard via grad transfer would have improved the team that much.

Can't wait until next season when you can't whine about the unused scholly. No pot holes in the West lot, 13 scholarship players, all you will be able to complain about will be the massive "donation" required to get a season ticket!! And that capacity is just 7,039.......

Well just maybe that other guard might be a bit better then the guards they now have coming off the bench. Guess I will just have to whine about you and problems you seem to have about my mostly truthful posts.

 

[EvanstonCat]

What I don't get is that we lose Sanjay (and Taphorn) and all of a sudden we aren't as good as we were last year? We should be better with the infusion of reinforcements and the development of all of our returning players. If we were sufficiently athletic to win last year, then why aren't we as good this year? WTF!?!??!? 4 pt loss to Creighton isn't that alarming - could have gone either way and didn't help that they shot lights out and we were put in a whole, but a 4 point loss to a decent team isn't anything to get panicked about. Texas Tech is a different story. Sanjay was a great defender, but I don't know that we should be losing to teams like Texas Tech by 35 and looking like nothing remotely resembling an NCAA tourney team just because Sanjay isn't here.

 

[NJCat]

What I don't get is that we lose Sanjay (and Taphorn) and all of a sudden we aren't as good as we were last year? We should be better with the infusion of reinforcements and the development of all of our returning players. If we were sufficiently athletic to win last year, then why aren't we as good this year? WTF!?!??!? 4 pt loss to Creighton isn't that alarming - could have gone either way and didn't help that they shot lights out and we were put in a whole, but a 4 point loss to a decent team isn't anything to get panicked about. Texas Tech is a different story. Sanjay was a great defender, but I don't know that we should be losing to teams like Texas Tech by 35 and looking like nothing remotely resembling an NCAA tourney team just because Sanjay isn't here.

Watch and listen to Collins in the post-game presser. Sounds like the team had a come-to-Jesus meeting after CT. Collins seems to indicate the the comment one poster made about jealousy was correct. He stressed how they need each other and that the preseason hype may have impacted how they play together. It's just one game, but apart from the first half turnovers they played much more connected than in the first 5 games.

https://twitter.com/NUMensBball

 

[Medill90]

Watch and listen to Collins in the post-game presser. Sounds like the team had a come-to-Jesus meeting after CT. Collins seems to indicate the the comment one poster made about jealousy was correct. He stressed how they need each other and that the preseason hype may have impacted how they play together. It's just one game, but apart from the first half turnovers they played much more connected than in the first 5 games.

https://twitter.com/NUMensBball

Thanks for posting. It's actually a revealing interview.

 

[scru]

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