All it took was a little pressure and a defensive change. This team has been transformed from last year.
Maybe there’s hope for Fitz after all
Maybe there’s hope for Fitz after all
Collins Might Actually Be Saving His Job
- Thread starter Gocatsgo2003
- Start date
Too bad there's no external pressure on Fitz. He ought to be coaching next year like his job is on the line, even though we all know it isn't.All it took was a little pressure and a defensive change. This team has been transformed from last year.
Maybe there’s hope for Fitz after all
Check back on this in a month or so. Hope he keeps his job because this team earns a tourney bid in March!
Lock em up till 2035!All it took was a little pressure and a defensive change. This team has been transformed from last year.
Maybe there’s hope for Fitz after all
They are playing for his job every night. He’s post season or bust. He should donate his salary to team as NIL if they keep his jobAll it took was a little pressure and a defensive change. This team has been transformed from last year.
Maybe there’s hope for Fitz after all
We put up 84 in Bloomington with guys with more limited offensive abilities vs. their competitors. We won’t see this consistently, but that’s not because of the coach.
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Interesting comment by Bardo today during the game.. he said "... Chris Collins' offensive playbook - they got more plays than almost any team in the Big Ten..." at 0:22 of the video.
Again, this si the best coaching job we have seen at least since the tourney team. Have to have the right mix of players and asst coaches. They are buying into the D for sure. 26 pts off Turnovers is one heck of a stat. It looked like we were being out rebounded by a lot but it was one guy with 24 and we were actually only down 6All it took was a little pressure and a defensive change. This team has been transformed from last year.
Maybe there’s hope for Fitz after all
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Do you think that is an opinion based on his actual observations? Most of the time I think these announcers are just trying to blow smoke up both fan bases ***. It's big money entertainment after all.
Bardo has good knowledge of NU basketball. For an Illannoys alum, he says a lot of good things about NU.
NU has always tried to be a defense first team under Collins. Issue was the last 2-3 years they didn’t have the defenders they do this year. Adding a defensive minded assistant to further enforce the culture you’re trying to reclaim and help improve defending the passing lanes never hurts either. The biggest difference imo is the personnel. As far as X’s and O’s go NU has run good enough sets imo. Shots just haven’t fallen in and execution hasn’t been there. Today there was much better ball movement than earlier this season and that caused more open looks and shots fell early.
I don't get it. What different players? Big Matty instead of Nance or Young?
He has seen a lot of our games (say him at the dOSU game for example) And as an ex player, I don't see him just blowing smoke
Kopp and Young are minus defenders. Nance was a good help defender and poor post defender. Audige is healthy. Matt is a plus defender in the post. Added year of development for Berry Roper & Brooks. The teams whole chemistry is different. Different top dogs on this team.
That could also be partly because IU is wounded on D missing a couple of their best defenders. They are still an O power though and they did score 83 vs our D
Yeah the Audige injury (shudders at today's game) was a big deal last year. Kopp was gone last year. Young didn't play much (rememberall the complaints?). Saying that losing Nance, notwithstanding any scheme change, is a "plus" is being disingenuous. He's a good player, certainly better than big Matty atm. I feel like Lowery is the difference. I agree that Nance and Young played soft, though.
The difference could just be a healthy and more mature Audige. He plays like a very confident player, and you can't help but notice.
He's always been fearless. And now he is feared. This scheme plays to his strengths. His attitude seems to be "you have the ball, I want it back"
That helps but it is more than just that. There is much more of a buy in at the D end and it seems there is much better team chemistry
Agreed. Boo abused Kopp so badly one on one that Kopp was removed from the game.
Agree. He's the biggest difference this year. Maybe it's just that the players as a whole have improved as they got a year older (gasp - could it be development?).
Compared to last season:
Audige +
Buie +
Berry ++
Beran <>
Nicholson ++
Roper +
Barnhizer ++
Verhoeven ?
I definitely think it's more than just Audige. I was just responding to the "what players?" question. He was supposedly hurt last year. This year, he's not. That's like getting a new player, and if that player is playing at an All-Conference level, that flips losses to wins. Go Cats!
Beran got more aggressive offensively. He actually shoots inside at times. Defense is still as good as ever. Unfortunately disappears at offense at times. Had an extremely good game today. I’d argue a + for him.
He needs better players. I’m sorry but there are very few folks on this board (including myself) who really understand what the hell they are watching. So many ignorant criticisms of our offense. We run a bunch of different actions that get our guys shots. Hard to consistently overcome bad shooting and big men who can’t finish.
He did well recruiting the 4 star guys but honestly on the court, they have been better with the mid range junk yard dog type guys. His sets get guys open shots that they have not hit at rates that win games. Better shooters? Absolutely, but higher ranked players, less sure. Need the guys who buy into this D philosophy. D is more about want to and sometimes the better players are less willing
Yes, but Kopp has been a liability on defense from day one. He's 5 inches taller than Boo, yet Boo was able to score on him from under the basket. I really doubt that Miller would start on this year's version of the 'Cats because his defense is so poor.
To me, Beran is the same as last year. He makes some plays but like you said disappears at times. He had a decent game today but got destroyed against dOSU.
In particular, he stepped up when Chase went down. Game was still in question
If he can get this team to the tourney or the NIT he may very well have another offer come Spring.
And so why stay at NU? Recruiting restrictions are ridiculous compared to all other Big Ten schools. The AD put him in a hole with his comments in regards to mens bball last year. This team does not get better with the departure of Chase and Boo, he'd be smart to jump if he can.
Because his family has roots here? The kids are older, they'll survive a move. Maybe in the Southwest where his dad has is established.
The best thing CCC can do is create a success from this season and then jump. He's still young and may never have a better opportunity. Especially if this team goes to the tournament.
And where might that leave NU basketball? The landscape is more difficult than ten years ago, not easier.
Without structural changes to admissions and transfers, plan for a very dark next ten years whether its Collins or someone else.
And so why stay at NU? Recruiting restrictions are ridiculous compared to all other Big Ten schools. The AD put him in a hole with his comments in regards to mens bball last year. This team does not get better with the departure of Chase and Boo, he'd be smart to jump if he can.
Because his family has roots here? The kids are older, they'll survive a move. Maybe in the Southwest where his dad has is established.
The best thing CCC can do is create a success from this season and then jump. He's still young and may never have a better opportunity. Especially if this team goes to the tournament.
And where might that leave NU basketball? The landscape is more difficult than ten years ago, not easier.
Without structural changes to admissions and transfers, plan for a very dark next ten years whether its Collins or someone else.
