Well, that sucked
- Thread starter lou v
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That's certainly the glass half empty take on the game.
In three games on the road against higher ranked teams NU won one, and lost two nail biters.
I'd rather be here with the players having a clear understanding that they can play with just about anyone....and being pissed off. Than going into the conference with no idea if they can compete against quality competition and having an inflated sense of the themselves.
Oh, I would like to see the ball in someone else's hands at the end of the game. Just for shits and giggles. Scottie or Law.
In three games on the road against higher ranked teams NU won one, and lost two nail biters.
I'd rather be here with the players having a clear understanding that they can play with just about anyone....and being pissed off. Than going into the conference with no idea if they can compete against quality competition and having an inflated sense of the themselves.
Oh, I would like to see the ball in someone else's hands at the end of the game. Just for shits and giggles. Scottie or Law.
Agreed on all counts. I would add that I thought tonight's game was played at a tremendously high level. As much as some may wish to fault us for not closing out, I think credit has to be given to ND as well.
Where one handicap basketball team Lou! we just need to learn from our little mistakes .mcintosh's penetrating too much and missing too many shots he needs to pass more. Taphorn choked big time. We had the game won! Learn and embrace the mistakes. We need more Jordan Ash! He is unselfish with the ball
You guys realize that Taphorn has been the baseline inbounder for the last 4 seasons? It isn't like this was his first rodeo. Something went wrong, it happens.
Nerves. Mc had a gap and was open. Tap hasn't been in late in many close games, even as a senior. What a shame.
Lou, your initial reaction is understandable but too negative.
The glass is definitely half full. I was in Brooklyn for the tournament and its fun to talk to other fans who are just getting to know NU. ND was the better team. All the more painful bc we had the game won. Missed opportunity for a resume builder.
However, the team has confidence in themselves, is pissed off (good), and they know they can compete in the B1G. Isiah Brown, and BMac were studs in the TX game. Not so much vs ND, but then Vic Law picked it up. This team is solid. Hello Scottie Lindsey! Gavin will contribute more and more, as will others.
Here's the real reason for optimism-instead of one guy (BMac) being the go to guy, we have many weapons. MANY of our guys want the ball. CCC just needs to figure out how to use them, and the guys need to learn how to work together. Chemistry.
The glass is definitely half full. I was in Brooklyn for the tournament and its fun to talk to other fans who are just getting to know NU. ND was the better team. All the more painful bc we had the game won. Missed opportunity for a resume builder.
However, the team has confidence in themselves, is pissed off (good), and they know they can compete in the B1G. Isiah Brown, and BMac were studs in the TX game. Not so much vs ND, but then Vic Law picked it up. This team is solid. Hello Scottie Lindsey! Gavin will contribute more and more, as will others.
Here's the real reason for optimism-instead of one guy (BMac) being the go to guy, we have many weapons. MANY of our guys want the ball. CCC just needs to figure out how to use them, and the guys need to learn how to work together. Chemistry.
Yeah, that was my knee-jerk reaction. I was frustrated. I've just seen a few too many of those.
NU is a good team. I have no doubt about that. They also have been playing pretty damn well. I'm just worried that they may not have what it takes to close out a tight game -- and there are going to be a lot of them. It's not like these guys are freshmen; they've played a lot of basketball and have come up short in the clutch time and again. It happened with Demps as the go-to guy, and now it's happening with B-Mac. At some point, they've got to start winning these games.
And I agree with you: I would like to see Law or Lindsey get the ball with the game on the line.
I can't agree with this with 15 turnovers on the board. ND's defense was nice but it wasn't stunning.
Being a Northwestern basketball fan is just a draining, only occasionally not joyless experience. But we stick with it, because we hate ourselves. 
Things happen but let's not act like Taphorn is a smooth savvy veteran in a pressure situation. He played 10 mins a game in conference last year.
Mac shouldn't be taking 18 shots on a night where it's not falling, we actually HAVE other guys who can score and it's a nice change. But ... man ... there's no glass half full / half empty thing. We're clearly better, we're clearly more able to play the way the coach wants ... and yet we choked away 2 losses that could have made a huge difference. When you see IPFW win against Indiana under pressure, it makes those 2 games and the way we turned it over late, that much more frustrating
I think the positives far outweigh the negatives. To come back against a team who has been to the Elite 8 the past two seasons by double digits and be in position to win is a step forward. To see Pardon have 6-7 blocks and play a solid overall athletic game without fouling out is an improvement. To see Lindsey become more consistent is an improvement. To see Law have a poor game on Monday night and NU still win by 18 is a good sign and then come back with a good is a positive sign. To see Brown's skills and playmaking abilities is an improvement off the bench is an improvement. To see Ash come in after not playing for 4 games as the 11th man and contribute like that is an improvement. Lastly, to play solidly for 5 games without a major contributor (no. 2 or 3 or 4 scorer) in Falzon is a big plus. Last night ND's no. 4 or 5 starter had one of his best games in Farrell. Falzon could be that guy and it would alleviate the pressure on McIntosh to be the man or alpha dog on this team all the time. Butler and ND are tournament level teams and NU will learn from these games. It hurts as players and fans but that is good because we now expect better things.
We do need to figure out how to win these close games. Until we do, we will be stuck as pretenders. I think the whole team, starting from Collins, realizes this fact. McIntosh was a clutch player throughout his high school career while leading his team to the state championship with many tight victories. He hasn't been as clutch in Divison 1 college basketball, but I hope and believe he will figure it out this season. When this team starts winning a few of these tight games that go down to the wire, then we will have a legitimate shot at the Big Dance. We could easily be 5-0 right now rather than 3-2. But we're not, and the team needs to find a way to get to that next level.
I agree. And part of the reason it is maddening is when you look at the other teams in crunch time. On its last possession, Butler went to a true freshman and he nailed the game winner. On the deciding possession last night, Notre Dame's Matt Farrell, a starter for the first time this season, made the three-point play. I'm not sure I buy the whole "they have to learn how to win" argument.
Maybe he should have looked to pass more when his shots weren't falling but he is definitely the guy you want handling and distributing the ball at the beginning, middle and end of the game. The team misses Falzone's scoring and overall toughness but certainly like what I see from Brown, Pardon and Law.
Those are good examples. I remember Tre Demps hitting some game winners, but he also had some poor performances at crunch time. McIntosh seems like he would and should play better at crunch time, but just hasn't delivered yet.
We all need to remember it's a 40 minute game. Without Taphorn's 12 points and 5 rebounds, there would have been no "crunch time". He played a great game. We also don't know whether someone was supposed to cut to the spot he was throwing toward.
Agreed. Not only is McIntosh a junior, he's an older player - he's 22. So, maybe he is what he is at this point: a very good PG who should be handling/distributing the ball at the end of the game.
I felt really bad for Taphorn on that mistake of the inbounds pass that went right to ND. I was hoping he'd take the shot afterwards to make his fifth three of the game. But he didn't. Other than that mistake, I thought he played brilliantly. The whole team seemed lost after they went up by six. I don't understand why this team has not found that killer instinct the entire time Collins has been head coach. I remember the Maryland loss a few years ago that almost gave CC a heartattack. His mentor, Coach K, advised/counseled him that his older players would get it done as they became upper-classmen- like his do. Well, they haven't figured it out. I watched the whole game Tuesday. I was really encouraged that they came back from that 10+ point deficit in the second half. But why can't they figure it out at the end of the game? It is almost like a prolonged four year extension of that game with Carmody as our coach against the Illini with Craig Moore being hugged by the Illini coach Bruce or something. The Cats were up big and it seemed like they were going to win. Then, the bottom fell out and we lost on the last play as that Illini player banked one in to win the game. The culture was supposed to change under CC. It really hasn't. And judging from the recent recruiting class, the players are starting to realize this. It makes me very sad that I most likely won't live to see the Cats make it to the tournament.
Really? His first recruiting class is only a few games into their Junior year, and the headliner of the class missed all of last year and is only a sophomore in basketball terms. I am highly encouraged by the culture and direction of the program.
Thank you for the comments about Tap. I thought he played the best game of his career. ND is a very good team but Tap belonged on the floor the way he played. I am happy for him, he seems like a good kid and even though his role is diminished he hasn't quit trying.
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