Really - that’s the bottom line? It’s not fun to watch? Give me a break, and give the coaches and players some credit. We are so much more athletic than years past, and at a level that’s much closer to most teams now. We are trying to play the game that recruits want to play, and we’re competitive in way more games than any time in the last 34 years I have been watching. We just aren’t quite as talented basketball-wise up and down the lineup, and that has overall consequences that aren’t always pretty or “fun”. But our enjoyment factor is not the bottom line. This is still college athletics, and that means something to NU and many of its supporters.
I get that you’re probably the most pro Collins guy on this board right now (totally fine) and I find merit in some of the points you’ve made, but this one really misses the mark. This team is not fun to watch.
The starting lineup has players with multiple seasons of experience, yet puts up 46 points when their season is on the line against a depleted Gophers squad. How could anyone enjoyable that?
You say you’ve watched 34 years of Northwestern basketball, but as for watchability, I’d much rather observe the gritty, defensive minded teams of the early Collins years. Same goes for the late era Carmondy teams that were near the top of the BIG in offense. How about Brydsong’s 1993-94 group? That team was much more satisfying than the current product out there.
Shoot, I might even prefer one of Bill Foster’s teams with Rex Walters or O’Neil’s NIT run (which says alot because I find little redeeming about that man) over the 2020-21 version of Northwestern basketball. Those squads were less talented top to bottom, but they played a more pleasant brand of basketball.