Who wouldn't be satisfied with setting the all time record for victories in a season?
- Thread starter spartcat
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Because of the nature of your post -- some sad, sad, sad stats
We have been playing college basketball for 111 seasons.
This CURRENTLY is tied for our 6th most wins in a season. EVER. We're 16-8.
We've only had FIVE SEASONS with more than 16 wins
FOUR OF THEM CAME IN A ROW!
Then there was the 18 win team in 82-83
We won 16 in our National Championship year of 1930-31 and in Carmody's second season.
Now this.
So yes, I DO think it would be an accomplishment to win more than 20. Because we've never done it.
We have been playing college basketball for 111 seasons.
This CURRENTLY is tied for our 6th most wins in a season. EVER. We're 16-8.
We've only had FIVE SEASONS with more than 16 wins
FOUR OF THEM CAME IN A ROW!
Then there was the 18 win team in 82-83
We won 16 in our National Championship year of 1930-31 and in Carmody's second season.
Now this.
So yes, I DO think it would be an accomplishment to win more than 20. Because we've never done it.
Generally, I'll take anything that can point toward definite progress. You can't keep winning more games every season and not eventually get to your goal.
Too be fair, there has been an increase in games played. Still, getting to 21 wins would still be an accomplishment
So far, NU has beaten exactly 5 teams with winning records (Fairfield, Columbia, Va Tech, Nebraska and Wisconsin). UNL and VaTech may not finish the season above 0.500 though. Let's not get crazy about winning 20 games with as weak an OOC schedule as NU had.
Yea, everybody settle down with your hootin' and hollerin'!! Your references to it as an "accomplishment" are way over the top. In fact, it's such a minimal feat that complete words in the English language are no longer allowed to describe this season.
Having said that, I'm still surprised the program has only won 16 games in five years. I knew it was bad, but that says something.
God bless you guys who sat through this in the 70s and 80s.
It is still an accomplishment for us. We are still in the BIG and it would mean that we won at least 9 games against conference foes for only about the 3rd time and represents the high water mark. It isn't where we want to be but still it is a mark of achievement The conference is about 3rd best so still an accomplishment. Is it the end? No but it represents matching our highest level in recent history.
I take your point about winning 9 Big 10 games. That would be significant no matter who the wins came against.
Setting the record would be nice. I'll be satisfied if we win our last game, whatever and wherever that may be.
We've had MANY embarrassing schedules before. And still, only 5 seasons with 16 wins or more. 21 would be amazingly, amazingly good for me, with arguably our best player never setting foot on the floor this season, and two of our three centers breaking their feet....
Meh. Right now we have two, three, maybe four wins of note. Otherwise, we haven't beaten anybody where it is anything to hang your hat on. If we get to 21, I'll be happy because we took care of business, but I don't really see anything amazing about it. It's no reason to sound the alarms either, but we need another nice win or two for it to be considered substantial progress. I think we can get them if we make shots like we did on Thursday.
Pretty high hurdle, because winning NU's "last game" will mean they either win the National Championship or the NIT Championship. A loss in the BTT will probably finish their season.......
Even against a weak OOC schedule, NU took care of business. That hasn't always been the case. In other words, no embarrassing losses, and the only loss to a top 5 UNC team. Getting to 9 wins in the B1G is a significant accomplishment. Yes, so winning 20 games should be celebrated.
I don't see us getting to nine wins in the B1G. The away games at Purdue and Michigan are likely losses. And which of the other five games, other than Rutgers, will NU be a big favorite to win? We already lost to Ohio State at home and can't seem to beat Penn State, no matter how bad they are and where we play them. Illinois is down, but that's a rivalry game, and Nebraska won't be easy, either.
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I don't see it either. But if somehow they got 9 wins that would be quite an accomplishment.
Please don't lump me in with the moaners on this thread who seem intent on shooting down the tone of slight consideration, but, I'd call the Penn State loss pretty embarrassing. Unfortunately, it could mean be the difference in their NIT status. For me, that's a painful loss.
Otherwise, I agree this season is worth noting.
The goal for NIT is 8 during the regular season which means 4 more. Then maybe one in the BTT to get to 9. So far, CC has had guys ready to play down the stretch. Last year something like 5-2 in last 7.
It would mean getting at least 9 BIG wins including BTT and that is an accomplishment. It would probably have us in the NIT. That does not mean it is as far as we want to go. Just that it is a mile marker along the way and marks getting back to the highest level we attained in earlier years. It also marks an improvement over CCs first two years and shows we are on the right track. As such, it is significant.
Oh, I AGREE that setting a school record for wins is a great accomplishment. you have to start somewhere!
It just made me look at how dismal our history really was. That was the sad part.
As far as the schedule .... I mean we've played weak schedules plenty of times before and never won more than 20 games!
It just made me look at how dismal our history really was. That was the sad part.
As far as the schedule .... I mean we've played weak schedules plenty of times before and never won more than 20 games!
Well said, 112. While notable wins have been pretty scarce, Penn State also represents our only legitimately bad loss. On balance, we're pretty much right where most had pegged us before the season started; not a lot of truly unpredictable outcomes to this point in the season. Kinda sucks that we've come closer to beating Maryland on their floor (in both games we've played there) than any other Big Ten team has done since the Terps joined the conference . . . but that and six bucks'll get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks.
Penn St just beat IndianaWell said, 112. While notable wins have been pretty scarce, Penn State also represents our only legitimately bad loss. On balance, we're pretty much right where most had pegged us before the season started; not a lot of truly unpredictable outcomes to this point in the season. Kinda sucks that we've come closer to beating Maryland on their floor (in both games we've played there) than any other Big Ten team has done since the Terps joined the conference . . . but that and six bucks'll get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks.
And PSU's KenPom is 132 right now. Not great, but I suspect that if you took the worst KenPom team we lost to in the each of the last 15 years, 132 might be a high water mark....
This IS fair -- so I wanted to see how many seasons we won 2/3 of our games or more, regardless of number of games played.
Still 8. Out of 111. (Not the same 8 of course -- we didn't come close to .667 in any of Carmody's seasons or Falk's 82-83 season. But ... I think the point is still there ... the increase in games matters but not THAT much)
Pat Chambers is building something in State College. His teams are physical and play hard. NU seems to struggle with physical teams. I don't like the Cats chances in the rematch @PSU.
He also has what probably is Penn State's best recruiting class in history coming in next year. Looks as if his Philadelphia connections are finally starting to pay off.
I'm not sure I buy into Indiana. Honestly, I haven't watched them a lot this year, but I also know they haven't played a single game to date against Iowa, Purdue, Michigan State or Maryland. So I'm not sure that 9-2 record is very realistic.
Crean seems to have trouble with teams that can slow the tempo on him. Syracuse undressed him in the NCAAs a couple of years ago when he had Cody Zeller and a stud team by playing their 2-3 zone and slowing the pace. Wisconsin gives him fits. Penn State was able to be patient for most of the game and keep the score into the 60s.
You have to go all the way back to the long-lost year of 2012, when our worst loss was to KenPom #82 Illinois.
(And last year our worst loss was #133 Nebraska, which is basically the same)
Do you mean the 2012-13 season. UIC was not a worse loss? Can't imagine that they were better or ended up better than Illinois. Ditto last year with Central Michigan.
Styre's referring to the 2011-12 season. We all had hoped no bad losses would make up for the near misses against the top 50 and the 8-10 BIG mark. The committee didn't buy it, especially after blowing a late lead to Minnesota in Indy.
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