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Anyone on this board actually know anything about basketball?

heet75

heet75

Redshirt
Jun 5, 2001
1,111
4
38
All these one game analysis...it is a long season....everything written on this board is always based on offense....shooting percent...saying we are terrible and it is going to be a long season after a loss or whatever....bad shooting days can happen....bad turnovers can happen...others teams shooting lights out can happen....consistency in basketball has to come from defense, rebounding and free throw shooting....the other stuff will take care of itself...you do those things you will be in every game...our defense etc. is not too impressive right now and the baseline defense is really bad....lumpkin was very important...and Tap off the bench could stop scoring droughts...it is a different team now...a good one...don't be a raincloud and panic over this early season stuff....give CCC and the team a break,,, they will figure it out....support...don't detract without basis
 
SmellyCat

SmellyCat

Junior
May 29, 2001
7,290
340
83
It's a long season, and maybe the team isn't as good (yet) as we hoped, but nobody goes through the season undefeated. Arizona has lost three games this week, and they're going to be right there as a Final Four contender when all is said and done.
 
W

Wrestlerneverdiesasacatfan

Sophomore
Feb 25, 2015
8,494
148
0
heet75 said:
All these one game analysis...it is a long season....everything written on this board is always based on offense....shooting percent...saying we are terrible and it is going to be a long season after a loss or whatever....bad shooting days can happen....bad turnovers can happen...others teams shooting lights out can happen....consistency in basketball has to come from defense, rebounding and free throw shooting....the other stuff will take care of itself...you do those things you will be in every game...our defense etc. is not too impressive right now and the baseline defense is really bad....lumpkin was very important...and Tap off the bench could stop scoring droughts...it is a different team now...a good one...don't be a raincloud and panic over this early season stuff....give CCC and the team a break,,, they will figure it out....support...don't detract without basis
Click to expand...
Well said! I am the voice of wildcat basketball! This team can be elite eight! Love it!
 
Purple Pile Driver

Purple Pile Driver

All-Conference
May 14, 2014
27,072
2,504
113
Mr Wickerpark said:
Who do you think is our best player? Should Charlie see any minutes? Thus far i dont believe he has played. Rap looks outright awful. How can a 4 star look so slow and uncomfortable against sacred heart?
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Rap played about 4 minutes with the last minute and a half with 2 walk on’s.
 
N

NJCat

All-Conference
Mar 7, 2016
21,326
1,500
113
Purple Pile Driver said:
Didn’t say he is or will be a world beater, but geez the guy is playing his first year and had an injury last year. Can we wait awhile to kick him to the curb?
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Not "kicking him to the curb". He just looks like he has a high hill to climb to be a productive player. Still has almost 4 years of competition ahead and I hope he becomes a regular feature in the rotation.
 
P

phatcat_rivals223240

All-Conference
Nov 5, 2001
18,852
1,021
113
heet75 said:
All these one game analysis...it is a long season....everything written on this board is always based on offense....shooting percent...saying we are terrible and it is going to be a long season after a loss or whatever....bad shooting days can happen....bad turnovers can happen...others teams shooting lights out can happen....consistency in basketball has to come from defense, rebounding and free throw shooting....the other stuff will take care of itself...you do those things you will be in every game...our defense etc. is not too impressive right now and the baseline defense is really bad....lumpkin was very important...and Tap off the bench could stop scoring droughts...it is a different team now...a good one...don't be a raincloud and panic over this early season stuff....give CCC and the team a break,,, they will figure it out....support...don't detract without basis
Click to expand...
I don't. But I limit my griping to the football board
 
X

xxxbobxxx

Sophomore
Mar 12, 2005
10,806
163
43
Fitzphile said:
Not "kicking him to the curb". He just looks like he has a high hill to climb to be a productive player. Still has almost 4 years of competition ahead and I hope he becomes a regular feature in the rotation.
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Back in 2015, people were talking up Rap as a program changer, including Haywood. Either som people around here got one really wrong or his injury was devastating and makes me wonder if he will ever really contribute.

Coupled with brown stalling out and Gaines being a normal freshman, and I worry about returning to the dance...
 
N

NJCat

All-Conference
Mar 7, 2016
21,326
1,500
113
xyzbobxyz said:
Coupled with brown stalling out and Gaines being a normal freshman, and I worry about returning to the dance...
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It won't be easy this year. But it has never been easy for NU. Took a miracle 80+ foot heave to do it last season. Lose the UoM game and we're still Danceless.
 
S

scru

Redshirt
Sep 4, 2005
2,388
8
0
xyzbobxyz said:
Back in 2015, people were talking up Rap as a program changer, including Haywood. Either som people around here got one really wrong or his injury was devastating and makes me wonder if he will ever really contribute.

Coupled with brown stalling out and Gaines being a normal freshman, and I worry about returning to the dance...
Click to expand...

Anyone downplaying the disappointment that is the current state of Rap's game is not being honest. He was THE #1 target for CCC in the 2016 class and was considered a huge recruiting win. So, the question I have is "what's really going on here?"

He held his own in the competitive HS league out East that he transferred to in order to increase the level of competition. He played AAU ball, right? So, there were plenty of opportunities to evaluate his ability and the staff made him their top target.

His injury was to his shoulder which could certainly affect his shooting as he recovers and rebuilds. He also was a very long and lanky kid coming out of HS and appears to have hit the weights hard to bulk up to be B1G ready.

So, does he just need to get used to his new body shape, size, and weight along with the shoulder recovery to get his touch back? Has the addd weight and strength actually slowed him down significantly, or reduced his quickness that was relied on for his game in HS? I'm recalling his ability to make moves in the lane, spins and such.

Is the staff trying to completely tear down and rebuild his playing style to one that will actually work at D1 and beyond levels?

This mystery is the most intriguing to me as I had such entirely unfounded high expectations for Rap's contributions this season.
 
S

Styre

Junior
Oct 14, 2004
7,728
399
83
Fitzphile said:
It won't be easy this year. But it has never been easy for NU. Took a miracle 80+ foot heave to do it last season. Lose the UoM game and we're still Danceless.
Click to expand...

Judged purely on results, we could have lost that game and still made it - the Maryland win in the conference tournament was more than enough to make up for a potential Michigan loss. Of course, that doesn't account for how the season may have gone differently had we actually lost to Michigan.
 
N

NJCat

All-Conference
Mar 7, 2016
21,326
1,500
113
Styre said:
Judged purely on results, we could have lost that game and still made it - the Maryland win in the conference tournament was more than enough to make up for a potential Michigan loss. Of course, that doesn't account for how the season may have gone differently had we actually lost to Michigan.
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NU would have finished 9-9 and been an 8 seed in the Tournament, and assuming they won against Illinois in their first round game (they would have!!) would have played #1 seed Purdue not MD in the second game. NU didn't match up well with the Boilers and I doubt would have beaten them.
 
W

Wildcatfootball12

Sophomore
Sep 3, 2011
614
115
0
scru said:
Anyone downplaying the disappointment that is the current state of Rap's game is not being honest. He was THE #1 target for CCC in the 2016 class and was considered a huge recruiting win. So, the question I have is "what's really going on here?"

He held his own in the competitive HS league out East that he transferred to in order to increase the level of competition. He played AAU ball, right? So, there were plenty of opportunities to evaluate his ability and the staff made him their top target.

His injury was to his shoulder which could certainly affect his shooting as he recovers and rebuilds. He also was a very long and lanky kid coming out of HS and appears to have hit the weights hard to bulk up to be B1G ready.

So, does he just need to get used to his new body shape, size, and weight along with the shoulder recovery to get his touch back? Has the addd weight and strength actually slowed him down significantly, or reduced his quickness that was relied on for his game in HS? I'm recalling his ability to make moves in the lane, spins and such.

Is the staff trying to completely tear down and rebuild his playing style to one that will actually work at D1 and beyond levels?

This mystery is the most intriguing to me as I had such entirely unfounded high expectations for Rap's contributions this season.
Click to expand...

I think all of us thought "Coble" and "Shurna" when we saw his frame and high school tape. Hope he can turn it around
 
W

Wrestlerneverdiesasacatfan

Sophomore
Feb 25, 2015
8,494
148
0
heet75 said:
All these one game analysis...it is a long season....everything written on this board is always based on offense....shooting percent...saying we are terrible and it is going to be a long season after a loss or whatever....bad shooting days can happen....bad turnovers can happen...others teams shooting lights out can happen....consistency in basketball has to come from defense, rebounding and free throw shooting....the other stuff will take care of itself...you do those things you will be in every game...our defense etc. is not too impressive right now and the baseline defense is really bad....lumpkin was very important...and Tap off the bench could stop scoring droughts...it is a different team now...a good one...don't be a raincloud and panic over this early season stuff....give CCC and the team a break,,, they will figure it out....support...don't detract without basis
Click to expand...
Not me, but I stayed at a Holiday Inn last night!
 
S

scru

Redshirt
Sep 4, 2005
2,388
8
0
heet75 said:
All these one game analysis...it is a long season....everything written on this board is always based on offense....shooting percent...saying we are terrible and it is going to be a long season after a loss or whatever....bad shooting days can happen....bad turnovers can happen...others teams shooting lights out can happen....consistency in basketball has to come from defense, rebounding and free throw shooting....the other stuff will take care of itself...you do those things you will be in every game...our defense etc. is not too impressive right now and the baseline defense is really bad....lumpkin was very important...and Tap off the bench could stop scoring droughts...it is a different team now...a good one...don't be a raincloud and panic over this early season stuff....give CCC and the team a break,,, they will figure it out....support...don't detract without basis
Click to expand...

As to the title of the post, not really, but I do enjoy acting like I do on these boards.
 
V

VirginiaWildcat

Junior
Aug 31, 2001
23,343
332
0
I'm being completely honest when I say I think he'll be fine. Maybe no superstar, but he'll be a future contributor. If we know anything, it's that Collins' guys develop well.
 
S

Sec_112

Sophomore
Jun 17, 2001
6,597
194
63
Wrestlerneverdiesasacatfan said:
... I am the voice of wildcat basketball! ...
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I have to say this is one of my more favorite recent threads for a good laugh. It's like a Trump cabinet meeting with our self-proclaimed leader yammering away and some equally blind opinions to go with it.

The bench is one of the the top things absolutely KILLING the Cats right now. The first guys off are barely holding their own. And some of you want to talk up Rapolas. You saw him on Friday night, right?

See if Ash can get to a B10-replacement-player-level on EITHER side of the court, then we can move down the bench.
 
N

NJCat

All-Conference
Mar 7, 2016
21,326
1,500
113
Sec.112 said:
The bench is one of the the top things absolutely KILLING the Cats right now. The first guys off are barely holding their own. And some of you want to talk up Rapolas. You saw him on Friday night, right?
Click to expand...
To be fair, Falzon is the first guy off the bench and he's been fine. The top 6 guys can play. I agree with you on the rest of the bench though....zero offensive production.
 
V

VirginiaWildcat

Junior
Aug 31, 2001
23,343
332
0
Sec.112 said:
The bench is one of the the top things absolutely KILLING the Cats right now. The first guys off are barely holding their own. And some of you want to talk up Rapolas.
Click to expand...

Now hold up, 112. Who here is "talking up Rap"? Nobody is calling for him to play right now. Is saying that at some point he'll be a useful player "talking him up"?
 
K

Kat burglar

Redshirt
Sep 5, 2017
231
8
18
To answer the thread question, No, that's why I'm on a board and not on ESPN getting paid to be wrong.

I was at the Sacred Heart game and the bench looked weak. Falzon is good, but it falls off from there. I was surprised to not see Brown shoot more, but thought overall he added to the game. When Ash first came in, he slowed down the offense. It was like they were a half step slower. Maybe he makes up for that on the defensive side. Gaines is a slasher, so going against a zone makes his contribution tougher, but still got 6 points.

The jury is out on Rap. I had high hopes. We'll see. Heck, did anyone think the football team would be 9-3 after starting 2-3???? Rap may still surprise us.
 
S

Styre

Junior
Oct 14, 2004
7,728
399
83
Kat burglar said:
I was at the Sacred Heart game and the bench looked weak. Falzon is good, but it falls off from there. I was surprised to not see Brown shoot more, but thought overall he added to the game.
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I don't think Brown adds much of anything apart from speed. His minutes have been cut in half from last year and he's somehow shooting even worse now than he was then. It's a small sample, and we'll see what happens as things progress, of course, but early returns are not promising.
 
K

Kat burglar

Redshirt
Sep 5, 2017
231
8
18
Styre said:
I don't think Brown adds much of anything apart from speed. His minutes have been cut in half from last year and he's somehow shooting even worse now than he was then. It's a small sample, and we'll see what happens as things progress, of course, but early returns are not promising.
Click to expand...
I think your comments apply to the first few games and I would agree. Against Sacred Heart he played better, albeit against a worse team. Only 1 turnover so he played with better control. 1 assist and 2 steals. Not bad. Got fouled on drives and went 4-4 at the line. Thats pretty good for only 7 minutes played with 2 mins of Charlie and Tino time... We'll see if he gets better or worse
 
W

Walker Fan

Freshman
Feb 16, 2015
751
88
0
The team needs to play better. To make overarching generalization about a backup PG in Isiah Brown is pointless. Since NU has played much tighter games, Collins has played McIntosh a close to maximum number of minutes. I believe against Creighton, McIntosh played close to 40 minutes that leaves very few minutes left for the bench. Brown was injured for much of the preseason and did not suit up for the scrimmage, so he may be just getting back to game shape. We will know a lot more about this team after the next three games at GTech, UofI and at Purdue. But they need more consistent performances out of Pardon who has gotten into early foul trouble and which has hindered his on-court production. But yes, they need more bench contributions which means Falzon and/or Skelly, Benson, Brown and Gaines have to contribute more.
 
E

elgatoloco_rivals308553

Redshirt
May 29, 2001
2,860
28
0
This year's team reminds me a little of last year's Michigan team that struggled defensively for the first half of the year as they adapted to Donlan's system. They improved greatly the second half of the season. I'm seeing communication errors and blown assignments that should work themselves out as the season progresses.

The bench needs three solid, consistent contributors.
 
F

freewillie07

Sophomore
Aug 22, 2017
5,240
100
33
scru said:
Anyone downplaying the disappointment that is the current state of Rap's game is not being honest. He was THE #1 target for CCC in the 2016 class and was considered a huge recruiting win. So, the question I have is "what's really going on here?"

He held his own in the competitive HS league out East that he transferred to in order to increase the level of competition. He played AAU ball, right? So, there were plenty of opportunities to evaluate his ability and the staff made him their top target.

His injury was to his shoulder which could certainly affect his shooting as he recovers and rebuilds. He also was a very long and lanky kid coming out of HS and appears to have hit the weights hard to bulk up to be B1G ready.

So, does he just need to get used to his new body shape, size, and weight along with the shoulder recovery to get his touch back? Has the addd weight and strength actually slowed him down significantly, or reduced his quickness that was relied on for his game in HS? I'm recalling his ability to make moves in the lane, spins and such.

Is the staff trying to completely tear down and rebuild his playing style to one that will actually work at D1 and beyond levels?

This mystery is the most intriguing to me as I had such entirely unfounded high expectations for Rap's contributions this season.
Click to expand...

Great post. Sums up my thinking exactly.
 
S

scru

Redshirt
Sep 4, 2005
2,388
8
0
freewillie07 said:
Great post. Sums up my thinking exactly.
Click to expand...

Hey Lou, do you think here's any chance to get some comments, even if off the record, from CCC on what his impression is of Rap's status at this point? Is Rap where he had expected him to be in his ability and development? Thx!
 
K

Katatonic

Sophomore
Oct 23, 2004
86,854
134
0
Wildcatfootball12 said:
I think all of us thought "Coble" and "Shurna" when we saw his frame and high school tape. Hope he can turn it around
Click to expand...

Really?

Rap is not as much of a shooter and more of a take it to the basket F than Coble or Shurna.

Think most of us were thinking Falzon in that regard (altho, he hasn't exactly lived up to the billing quite yet).
 
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