Who is your favorite Cat on this year's team?
- Thread starter SmellyCat
- Start date
Would have been fun to do at the beginning of year vs now.
I've been an Audige guy (apologist?) on this board for a while now so I'll stick with him, but it's Buie who is the undisputed leader making the team go.
Prestigious Gato's awards (I realize I just referred to myself in the 3rd person. I am not Wrassler, it won't happen again. Not cool enough here):
MVP - Boo
Defensive King - Audige
Unexpected stats contribution - Berry
Biggest Plums - Barnhizer
Goofiest - Martinelli
Crowd Favorite - Dixon
Most intimidating - Matt
Best looking wearing a boot - Hunger
Best at representing the D - Roper
David Copperfield, now you see me, now you dont't award - Beran
MVP - Boo
Defensive King - Audige
Unexpected stats contribution - Berry
Biggest Plums - Barnhizer
Goofiest - Martinelli
Crowd Favorite - Dixon
Most intimidating - Matt
Best looking wearing a boot - Hunger
Best at representing the D - Roper
David Copperfield, now you see me, now you dont't award - Beran
I know it's not considered good sportsmanship, but I hope Dixon is allowed to take a shot soon. That three Buie made at the end of the Iowa game was really great, and it gave NU the 20-point win I wanted, but that could have just been Dixon on the floor, Buie on the bench, and Dixon taking that shot.
I think somehow Buie needed to take that shot sort of like when guys take a shot even though they heard the whistle. He was just feeling it. The aggressive , competitive blood was flowing and they didn't even try to pressure him. It was a real , "Take that Iowa" move. just irresistible.
Hard to pick just one. I love Boo for his maturation and overall "alphaness." He is the Alpha on this team, and we are better for it.
Chase's crazy athleticism is a sight to behold, and his effort is always there. His contributions on offense, though inconsistent, are timely. Those last 3:43 vs Purdue were all Chase. He was the fuse that lit the bomb that blew Purdue out of WR in a painful way.
And Big Matt, let's just say that big, clunky white guys have a reason to smile. I love his defense. He changes the way teams attack us.
Martinelli is impossible not to root for: a goofy-looking first year who know one noticed as a recruit, and shows up for a few minutes each night with some offense. I really think he's fearless. He's also a guy that drives opposing fans nuts when he scores, because he looks like he has no business scoring. Smart player.
Barnhizer has made me forget my painful longing for Sanjay. JK. I just love how he plays so smart.
Chase's crazy athleticism is a sight to behold, and his effort is always there. His contributions on offense, though inconsistent, are timely. Those last 3:43 vs Purdue were all Chase. He was the fuse that lit the bomb that blew Purdue out of WR in a painful way.
And Big Matt, let's just say that big, clunky white guys have a reason to smile. I love his defense. He changes the way teams attack us.
Martinelli is impossible not to root for: a goofy-looking first year who know one noticed as a recruit, and shows up for a few minutes each night with some offense. I really think he's fearless. He's also a guy that drives opposing fans nuts when he scores, because he looks like he has no business scoring. Smart player.
Barnhizer has made me forget my painful longing for Sanjay. JK. I just love how he plays so smart.
I couldn't vote for Boo just because it's too obvious. Certainly, he deserves it.
I chose Matt because he seems to be getting more and more impactful with each game. I think he is getting a better feel for how to use his size and how people will use their size against him. The pure physicality of it all. I think his full potential has yet to be seen.
I chose Matt because he seems to be getting more and more impactful with each game. I think he is getting a better feel for how to use his size and how people will use their size against him. The pure physicality of it all. I think his full potential has yet to be seen.
I may be mistaken, but I don't think he had a dunk against Iowa. All his makes were off the backboard. That's a great development, though the dunks are more fun.
My actual answer should be Buie, but I just can't help but vote for the fearless bench leader we have in Martinelli. I can't help but wonder if he's been a bit of competition from the bottom of the lineup that's inspired/driven other role players to step up their game. Buie leads from the top, Martinelli leads from underneath.
Also... Does B. Mac deserve a spot in this poll? His presence on the coaching staff is also huge.
Also... Does B. Mac deserve a spot in this poll? His presence on the coaching staff is also huge.
That's often the case with large centers. Olah was the same way. Matt has impressed me with his play this year. He's a legit center. His steal, half court drive and dunk against a recent opponent was an eye opener. How many college 7-footers have you seen do that? It's not a common occurrence, usually because centers often lack the skills and confidence in games to do that and would rather hand off to a guard. Big Matt took it to the hole and slammed it!
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The turnaround by Buie this year is astounding. I was his biggest critic and thought he was hopeless when it came to decision-making on the floor, but he's become a much different player. On some occasions you can literally see him stopping himself from jacking up a shot, instead he puts the ball on the floor and either makes a floater or else dishes to a teammate for a dunk or an open three. I think there's a high correlation between Mac and Talor's presence as coaches and the massive improvement in Buie's game. Kudos to the coaches.
I love 'em all!
I picked Martinelli because I love his can do attitude and the effort he puts in when on the court. He makes the freshman mistakes, but he isn't out there waiting for an upperclassman to do something. He had a couple of bad bounces against Iowa, but the way he moved says those shots will start falling. He goes for the rebounds, fights for the ball, and has delivered pretty darned well when called on.
Not bad for a guy who was probably headed for a red shirt until Hunger and Roper got hurt.
On another note, I'm confident Dixon will both start and take some shots at our next home game.
I picked Martinelli because I love his can do attitude and the effort he puts in when on the court. He makes the freshman mistakes, but he isn't out there waiting for an upperclassman to do something. He had a couple of bad bounces against Iowa, but the way he moved says those shots will start falling. He goes for the rebounds, fights for the ball, and has delivered pretty darned well when called on.
Not bad for a guy who was probably headed for a red shirt until Hunger and Roper got hurt.
On another note, I'm confident Dixon will both start and take some shots at our next home game.
What I like about Martinelli is he doesn't look just "happy to be there." You can tell he worked hard, and when Roper got hurt, he was ready and clearly has shown he belongs on the court.
I'm a Hoosier which makes me a Barnhizer guy. But I've also enjoyed watching Nicholson's progress. He just keeps getting better.
Very mobile for a true big. Makes Edey look like Godzilla stomping on railway cars.
As one of his biggest defenders, I feel compelled to point out a few things.
Boo has gotten better every year. He made big strides last year that most people didn't acknowledge because we lost a bunch of close games (most of which were not his fault).
He's averaging the same amount of 3-point attempts this season (5.9) as last season but shooting a much lower percentage. He's averaging 2 more 2-point shots a game this year (which is a good thing given his how he is finishing). His turnovers per game have actually increased from 1.9 to 2.6 this year. His assist to turnover ratio of 4.3 to 1.9 last year was as good as almost any point guard we have had.
In the last 12 regular season games last year, he had 1, 1, 2, 1, 0, 1, 2, 0, 2, 0, 0, and 1 turnover.
I agree that he has made amazing strides as a closer and finisher. I have no idea how that happened. He missed a lot of the same shots last year and earlier this year that he is consistently making the past couple of months. And he clearly is playing with extreme confidence right now. But his decision making last year was generally fine. It has gotten even better in the past couple of months. When you have the ball in your hands as much has he does, though, you are going to make some bad decisions and have some turnovers. Let's not forget that folks were calling him the same old Boo on this board after the Rutgers game.
All of the above, though the correct answer is Boo.
I'll finally admit Boo is better than Chase, at least recently, but Chase is my guy. But I love defense.
The huge increase in free-throw percentage is actually a big part of why he's been so much better this year. I think he's far more confident taking it to the rim now, because he knows if he gets fouled he's automatic. Seriously, watching him swish the first seven technical fouls shots against Indiana and Iowa made the eighth one (also a swish, but the only one that wasn't a perfect swish) so jarring.
These are the numbers for Buie in the last two seasons.
I'm looking at productivity, so using the Stats/40 minutes in conference games only...
He has played 36 minutes per game this year as opposed to 30 last year.
Buie struggled early this season with the new offense, but has really stepped it up getting into the paint and finishing. Part of that is because he gets better screens this year and because the threat of a lob dunk to (primarily) Nicholson keeps the shot blockers off him. The turnovers are up a little, but thats to be expected, given how much more he is attacking the defense.
edit: I can't believe i left "assists" out of the original table!
I'm looking at productivity, so using the Stats/40 minutes in conference games only...
He has played 36 minutes per game this year as opposed to 30 last year.
| Season | 2PtA | 2Pt% | 3PtA | 3Pt% | FTA | FT% | Assts | TO | Steals | Rebs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21-22 | 8.7 | 43.8 | 7.5 | 34.2 | 4.3 | 76.6 | 5.1 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 3.9 |
| 22-23 | 10.2 | 52.4 | 5.8 | 28.6 | 6.4 | 90.2 | 5.1 | 2.7 | 1.3 | 3.9 |
Buie struggled early this season with the new offense, but has really stepped it up getting into the paint and finishing. Part of that is because he gets better screens this year and because the threat of a lob dunk to (primarily) Nicholson keeps the shot blockers off him. The turnovers are up a little, but thats to be expected, given how much more he is attacking the defense.
edit: I can't believe i left "assists" out of the original table!
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Can I choose all of the above? Each one is special in their own right. It was hard for Verhoeven early but now he too is easy to get behind
And a big part of it is that he is just making really hard shots. He shot over and around Edey and TJD and just went right at Galloway on the last play. One thing that he is doing better is not leaving his feet when he doesn’t have a clear shot. He has been driving and stopping in the middle of the lane to either pivot and create that little runner/hook or find the 5 under the basket or a cutter. I don’t remember him doing that very much last year. I think he may have left his feet more last year and forced a shot or a pass. He’s dragged his pivot foot a couple of times (ask Woodson) but otherwise it’s been pretty effective. And Nicholson is definitely a threat on the roll. But I think teams are probably more focused on stopping Buie at this point.
I voted "Julian Roper and the rest of the team" because I interpret that as a vote for everybody on the team.
I love how much Boo has improved. I don't have the numbers myself, but PWB's chart above supports my feeling that Boo is taking fewer threes this year. What I have really seen drop off tho is the number of deep hero-ball type threes taken super early in the shot clock. His made threes may have dropped off, but I generally like his shot selection so much more this year even if he is missing more.
Boo went 3-for-10 from outside against OSU in the New Year’s Day loss, then shot like garbage but got 15 points on 11-12 free throws in the win against Illinois.
Since then, he’s shot more threes than twos only once, in the Nebraska game (5-of-9 overall, 3-5 from 3).
He’s been a changed player since Illinois.
Boo Buie is a marvel.
This whole team is really fun and it’s a team effort, but Boo is THE MAN, and one of the fun things to watch has been him slowly climb towards potential Northwestern sports immortality and true godhood. He’s on the cusp of achievements that would put him on Northwestern Mount Rushmore. It’s a thrill to behold.
This whole team is really fun and it’s a team effort, but Boo is THE MAN, and one of the fun things to watch has been him slowly climb towards potential Northwestern sports immortality and true godhood. He’s on the cusp of achievements that would put him on Northwestern Mount Rushmore. It’s a thrill to behold.
It’s Boo. Really like some of the other guys, and I get the love for Brooks. But it’s Boo. Not just his performances on the floor, but his confident, almost defiant, leadership. Some of his quotes from postgame interviews and press conferences give me chills. So with due respect and great affection for all others up and down the roster (and this group of coaches), I repeat: It’s Boo.
Anyone who votes for Boo is not wrong, but I voted for the other BB. Love how he takes charges (and takes charge!).
It seems that every game the announcers say something along the lines of how NU needs that third scorer, and they always site Berry or Beran (and sometimes even Nicholson), but even as is scoring has increased, it's never Barnhizer who gets called out. It seems though by the way he confidently plays offense that he wants that third scorer to be himself.
The question was
I'd be lying if I didn't pick Matt Nicholson.
That doesn't mean I think Big Matt is the best player on the team!!!!!! (yet)
If Gus had gotten a separate listing, I may have chosen him.
Who is your favorite Cat on this year's team?
I'd be lying if I didn't pick Matt Nicholson.
That doesn't mean I think Big Matt is the best player on the team!!!!!! (yet)
If Gus had gotten a separate listing, I may have chosen him.
But admit it.... he's been your favorite player for the past three seasons!
He is an incredible athlete. Watch his one handed alley oop dunk in the first game with Iowa this year. Not many people on this planet can do that.
MN, gotta love of guy who plays his butt off.
If he finds some offense, to me, he would be the most pro ready center. His footwork on defense and setting screens is amazing for someone his size.
If he stays two years and develops offensively, could make some $$$.
Don't laugh Taco Fall did it.
If he finds some offense, to me, he would be the most pro ready center. His footwork on defense and setting screens is amazing for someone his size.
If he stays two years and develops offensively, could make some $$$.
Don't laugh Taco Fall did it.
