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Who are you most excited to see play...

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Medill90

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Jan 30, 2011
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Pretty pumped that we're getting closer to the bball season. I'm looking forward to a larger, longer, more athletic and more experienced team.

Here's the top 5 I'm most excited to see play.

1. Rap: Looks like a big boy who eats all his vegetables. Will be interesting to see what he does in the paint against college competition;
2. Gaines: Looks like a Big Ten ready body. If he can play, a couple guys that wanted minutes are going lose them;
3. Falzon: Sure, sure, the three pointers. I've argued for years on this board that he's a feisty rebounder and defender. Want to see how the quiet assassin bounces back;
4. Benson: Want to see that leap. Sounds like Dererk is taking a leap, Benson needs to leap too;
5.a BMac: I just believe he's going to shoot lights out from distance this year. He's not going to be the bailout guy every time the shot clock winds down. Turnovers which were decent last year but up a bit will be back down. Like basement down;
5.b Brown: Does Collins always yell at him cuz he needs it, or cuz he just enjoys yelling at him? Will Collins yell at him less? Will he wait longer to yell? If Gaines takes his minutes, will Collins yell at Borwn on the bench?

Anyone? Bueller?
 
Medill90 said:
Pretty pumped that we're getting closer to the bball season. I'm looking forward to a larger, longer, more athletic and more experienced team.

Here's the top 5 I'm most excited to see play.

1. Rap: Looks like a big boy who eats all his vegetables. Will be interesting to see what he does in the paint against college competition;
2. Gaines: Looks like a Big Ten ready body. If he can play, a couple guys that wanted minutes are going lose them;
3. Falzon: Sure, sure, the three pointers. I've argued for years on this board that he's a feisty rebounder and defender. Want to see how the quiet assassin bounces back;
4. Benson: Want to see that leap. Sounds like Dererk is taking a leap, Benson needs to leap too;
5.a BMac: I just believe he's going to shoot lights out from distance this year. He's not going to be the bailout guy every time the shot clock winds down. Turnovers which were decent last year but up a bit will be back down. Like basement down;
5.b Brown: Does Collins always yell at him cuz he needs it, or cuz he just enjoys yelling at him? Will Collins yell at him less? Will he wait longer to yell? If Gaines takes his minutes, will Collins yell at Borwn on the bench?

Anyone? Bueller?
Click to expand...
1) Gaines. Would love to see a version of a healthy Jershon Cobb.
2) Scottie. He could be all Big 10 this season.
3) Vic. Can he create a shot for himself this year?
4) Charlie Hall. Will he score against anyone not named Lewis?
 
I think IvRap is going to be a star. Barrington was his initial hs- right next to where I live. I saw him before he transferred to the private school. He was really good. I hope to see how he has gotten even better against better competition. Gosh, I hope his shoulder is OK now. I hope Falzon is even better than his frosh year. I hope his injury is healed too. I want Benson to be as good as Eshmeyer for us. I want to see Pardon rebound and score like every team is Nebraska. I want BMac to be the kick ass leader that he is every nite. I want to see Ash and Brown be so good that Collins goes nuts trying to figure out which of them to put in the game. Overall, I want to return to the Ncaa tourney and do even better than last season!
 
Pardon. Love watching him grab rebounds and play tough D with his disproportionate wingspan (not to mention catch Hail Mary bombs), as well as his post game and elbow jumper when it's falling. I think he's going to get to a double-double this year and build serious national buzz going into his senior year.
 
Medill90 said:
Pretty pumped that we're getting closer to the bball season. I'm looking forward to a larger, longer, more athletic and more experienced team.

Here's the top 5 I'm most excited to see play.

1. Rap: Looks like a big boy who eats all his vegetables. Will be interesting to see what he does in the paint against college competition;
2. Gaines: Looks like a Big Ten ready body. If he can play, a couple guys that wanted minutes are going lose them;
3. Falzon: Sure, sure, the three pointers. I've argued for years on this board that he's a feisty rebounder and defender. Want to see how the quiet assassin bounces back;
4. Benson: Want to see that leap. Sounds like Dererk is taking a leap, Benson needs to leap too;
5.a BMac: I just believe he's going to shoot lights out from distance this year. He's not going to be the bailout guy every time the shot clock winds down. Turnovers which were decent last year but up a bit will be back down. Like basement down;
5.b Brown: Does Collins always yell at him cuz he needs it, or cuz he just enjoys yelling at him? Will Collins yell at him less? Will he wait longer to yell? If Gaines takes his minutes, will Collins yell at Borwn on the bench?

Anyone? Bueller?
Click to expand...

1. Lindsey - will last year carry over
2. Law - will he have a growth spurt in his game like Lindsey last year
3. Rap - truly interested to see his game in a college atmosphere
4. Skelly - purely want him to be great
5. Gaines wearing red - because it means everything else is working out
 
xyzbobxyz said:
1. Lindsey - will last year carry over
2. Law - will he have a growth spurt in his game like Lindsey last year
3. Rap - truly interested to see his game in a college atmosphere
4. Skelly - purely want him to be great
5. Gaines wearing red - because it means everything else is working out
Click to expand...

Gaines is not going to redshirt under any scenario other than if he sustains an injury. Which no one wants.
 
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I'll go with:

1) Pardon. Already is a good player, but would like to see another jump this year that really shows more consistency from game to game. Basically, play like you are playing Nebraska every game. Okay, he'd be an All-American based on that, but you get my point. Want to see some growth on the defensive end that sees him in foul trouble less often.
2) Falzon. He is a more complete player than Taphorn, but I think it's important that we have a "dead eye" type shooter like Taphorn that when we set up plays to get him an open look, he drains them more times than not. Also, want to see how he comes back from injury, and once that rust is off, how has he improved since his Freshman year?
3) Law. Over his two playing years, he has had moments on the offensive end where he has gotten hot and really seems to have put it together. Like Pardon, I want to see that more consistently. Law on the offensive end during the back half of his Freshman year was really fun to watch. I'd like to see that plus some this year.
4) Benson. Showed some flashes last year, but obviously still had a good amount of rawness to his game. Does he look more comfortable on the floor this year and can he give us solid minutes when Pardon has foul trouble?
5) Brown. Similar to the other guys in that I want to see more consistency to his flashes of good. I don't want to take away his aggressiveness, but can we balance that out a little bit with a year under his belt?

I am excited to see young guys like Rap and Gaines, but as you can tell, the things I am most excited about are our core players improving and becoming more consistent players. If even a couple of these guys have big jumps in their game this year, this year will be A LOT of fun.
 
BMac because it’s his last season and I’m already dreading it.

Gaines because he’s going to be in the rotation.

Falzon because we need that lights out shooter to spread the floor to create driving lanes.
 
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I'm most excited to see Vic law this year. Vic is so versatile. He does what ever CCC asks of him and makes CCC look like a genius. Vic is the key. IMO. I really think that CCC is a great coach and Vic is his secret weapon right now. We see the great play of BMac but Law is the the Real Glue.
 
I know it's a copout, but I want to see everybody. I'm excited for them all. If I have to pick one, it's Pardon, because he was probably already my favorite last year and I expect him to become a double-double machine. Also, anybody who wants to become All-Big 10 this year is just fine with me.
 
SmellyCat said:
I know it's a copout, but I want to see everybody. I'm excited for them all. If I have to pick one, it's Pardon, because he was probably already my favorite last year and I expect him to become a double-double machine. Also, anybody who wants to become All-Big 10 this year is just fine with me.
Click to expand...

I'm with you -- this program have never been about one guy. Last year was a magical season, and nearly everyone is returning. No doubt we will miss Sanjay and Tap, and I loved rooting for both of them. But I'm excited to see the strides all the others have made, see Aaron back, and finally get to see Rap and Gaines in action.

I'm looking forward to winning, and to competing at the top of the Big Ten.
 
I like that only the guy from his hometown (oh, and mick) is looking forward to watching the senior season of the best player in program history.

Me? I'm partial to 'rerk.
 
freewillie07 said:
Gaines is not going to redshirt under any scenario other than if he sustains an injury. Which no one wants.
Click to expand...

If Ash and Skelly don't make the rotation, then Gaines is #9 which is realistic. But in the 'what I would like to see' world, no significant injuries, Skelly big in rotation and Ash breaking into the rotation - well, now Gaines would make an 11 man rotation. That is not realistic. So while I will not say Gaines redshirts, I will say if he redshirts then we skirted the injury bug and Ash improved notably. And I will say it is possible.
 
I'm with you, SmellyCat. This is a tough question because I have a hard time choosing just a couple guys who I'm interested to see.

If I had to choose a few guys, I'd probably choose Pardon, Benson and Gaines simply because CC has highlighted them as three who are doing things that I didn't really expect. However, we've also seen things in the past from BMac, Falzon, Lindsey, Rap, Law, Isaiah and Skelly that I wondering if we'll see more consistently this year. I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility except that I'd be surprised to see strong improvement from every one of these guys.

We should consider how much all of this says about this staff. I think a lot of us are listing half the roster because we've seen several examples of how much of an ongoing effect this staff can have on players.
 
NUCat320 said:
I like that only the guy from his hometown (oh, and mick) is looking forward to watching the senior season of the best player in program history.

Me? I'm partial to 'rerk.
Click to expand...

Is this post coded? What? Me or someone else?
I think RIvan will be foaming at the mouth and firmly chomping on the bit to play lights out this season for us. I really think he will start for us soon and average 15/game like John Shurna before all is said and done!
 
Last edited:
mickbula said:
Is this post coded? What? Me or someone else?
I think RIvan will be foaming at the mouth and firmly chomping on the bit to play lights out this season for us. I really think he will start for us soon and average 15/game like John Surna before all is said and done!
Click to expand...
No code. You and kelly_32 were the only ones to mention Mc, which is pretty hilarious. Mc is da man.
 
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NUCat320 said:
No code. You and kelly_32 were the only ones to mention Mc, which is pretty hilarious. Mc is da man.
Click to expand...

Yes. I want to see BMac be even better this year. When I suggested or even mentioned the possibility of BMac playing in the NBA, the act was immediately shot down. How unrealistic is it? The rationale was that Melo from MD was better than BMac and Tremble didn't make the NBA. I hope BMac winds up an All-BIG and All-american this year. I think he has it in him. He is an excellent college player. If he doesn't make it in the nba, I am sure he will in europe or asia. Either way, he is going to be very successful in whatever he does in the future. I talked to him briefly once too. He is a high-quality person too- very eloquent and smart.
 
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As some have said, I'm just looking forward to watching the whole team. It was a breakthrough season for me last year on a couple of fronts with NU reaching its first NCAA tournament and my Division II undergraduate alma mater, with a past resembling Northwestern's in basketball, going 27-4, winning its conference and scoring its first with in the Division II NCAA tourney. It's so great to actually be looking forward to the basketball season at both schools for a change.
 
SmellyCat said:
I know it's a copout, but I want to see everybody. I'm excited for them all. If I have to pick one, it's Pardon, because he was probably already my favorite last year and I expect him to become a double-double machine. Also, anybody who wants to become All-Big 10 this year is just fine with me.
Click to expand...
That is a really excelling preseason cop out.
 
Medill90 said:
Pretty pumped that we're getting closer to the bball season. I'm looking forward to a larger, longer, more athletic and more experienced team.

Here's the top 5 I'm most excited to see play.

1. Rap: Looks like a big boy who eats all his vegetables. Will be interesting to see what he does in the paint against college competition;
2. Gaines: Looks like a Big Ten ready body. If he can play, a couple guys that wanted minutes are going lose them;
3. Falzon: Sure, sure, the three pointers. I've argued for years on this board that he's a feisty rebounder and defender. Want to see how the quiet assassin bounces back;
4. Benson: Want to see that leap. Sounds like Dererk is taking a leap, Benson needs to leap too;
5.a BMac: I just believe he's going to shoot lights out from distance this year. He's not going to be the bailout guy every time the shot clock winds down. Turnovers which were decent last year but up a bit will be back down. Like basement down;
5.b Brown: Does Collins always yell at him cuz he needs it, or cuz he just enjoys yelling at him? Will Collins yell at him less? Will he wait longer to yell? If Gaines takes his minutes, will Collins yell at Borwn on the bench?

Anyone? Bueller?
Click to expand...

I think Isiaih will make a leap. He's got moxy and he's got a knack for scoring. Coaches generally yell the most at people they think have the most potential (ok, so I made that up). But, biggest leap is between freshman and sophomore year. So, let's see. (goes for Benson and Falzon too).
 
Since the "full team" answer has been ruled a cop out, I will go with Pardon and Falzon. What I really want to get a sense of is whether we will have 3 veteran stars plus a strong supporting cast--or if it is possible that we will have a 4th or even 5th legitimate star in the lineup.

I keep thinking about the 2005-06 Iowa Hawkeyes. They had 3 veteran stars: seniors Horner and Brunner (who had started their entire careers) and Haluska (a redshirt junior who would later become a 2nd Round draft pick.) Beyond these three experienced players who built the team together, Iowa had a nice cast of supporting players. This Hawkeyes team tied for 2nd in the B1G, won the BTT and earned a 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament*. They were not overly athletic, but they were seasoned, played hard and were well coached.

It is easy to draw parallels between our 'Cats and that (quite good) 2005-06 Iowa team. And it is reasonable to imagine NU having similar success this coming season. But I keep thinking that if we can add an additional star player (or two) to our already experienced core of 3 likely All-B1G players, we could be special/great/legendary/pick your adjective!

--

*Footnote: Iowa fans will remember the shocking upset loss in the First Round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament to 14th seeded Northwestern State on one of the all-time great buzzer beaters. (And this was after Iowa led by 17 points with 8.5 minutes to go. Ouch.)
 
Other than BMac and Scottie (who I'm watching to see if they can become the undisputed best backcourt in the Big Ten), excited to see Pardon and Gaines.

I agree with all of the sentiments that Pardon has all the potential in the world to take the next steps, especially if he can shoot more consistently from 10 - 15 feet out, and at the free throw line. Likewise, for Gaines, folks have told me he has all-conference potential in his future and has been showing well in practice.
 
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If you haven’t seen the “home grown” series I think Scottie’s is particularly good. It’s also pure gold for local recruiting. There’s a great line about “Northwestern believing in me”. Couldn’t be more excited. See you at the scrimmage.


 
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