Toggle sidebar

Gaines: a breakout performance

F

freewillie07

Sophomore
Aug 22, 2017
5,240
100
33
Anthony Gaines was my breakout player of the year candidate before the season, and today he made the strongest case yet for why I was right to make that call.

As you may have heard from the announcers, NU was something like +21 in this game when he was on the floor. A big reason why was his unselfish play on the offensive end (7 assists, more than any player on either team) and his outstanding defense on Max Strus, limiting a guy who is averaging close to 20 points per game to 8 points on 3-for-13 shooting, including 2-for-11 on 3s.

Just outstanding work from Anthony. He very well could be put on the opponent's best player going forward, allowing Vic Law to save some energy for the offensive end. A.J. Turner may get more credit for his hot shooting, but I still say Gaines was the MVP. Congratulations to him on the performance and look forward to many more like this to come.
 
N

NUCat320

Senior
Dec 4, 2005
19,469
495
0
freewillie07 said:
Just outstanding work from Anthony. He very well could be put on the opponent's best player going forward, allowing Vic Law to save some energy for the offensive end. A.J. Turner may get more credit for his hot shooting, but I still say Gaines was the MVP. Congratulations to him on the performance and look forward to many more like this to come.
Click to expand...
This would be a wonderful development. Vic is now averaging 20.5 ppg. He’s good enough to stay about there.
 
DaCat

DaCat

All-Conference
May 29, 2001
25,499
1,881
113
At the beginning of the game, Strus looked like he was going to put up 30+ on NU today. He got quiet in a hurry after Gaines clamped down on him.
 
W

Wrestlerneverdiesasacatfan

Sophomore
Feb 25, 2015
8,494
148
0
freewillie07 said:
Anthony Gaines was my breakout player of the year candidate before the season, and today he made the strongest case yet for why I was right to make that call.

As you may have heard from the announcers, NU was something like +21 in this game when he was on the floor. A big reason why was his unselfish play on the offensive end (7 assists, more than any player on either team) and his outstanding defense on Max Strus, limiting a guy who is averaging close to 20 points per game to 8 points on 3-for-13 shooting, including 2-for-11 on 3s.

Just outstanding work from Anthony. He very well could be put on the opponent's best player going forward, allowing Vic Law to save some energy for the offensive end. A.J. Turner may get more credit for his hot shooting, but I still say Gaines was the MVP. Congratulations to him on the performance and look forward to many more like this to come.
Click to expand...
Strus is an excellent player. Glad we shut him down!
 
Purple Pile Driver

Purple Pile Driver

All-Conference
May 14, 2014
27,091
2,516
113
freewillie07 said:
Anthony Gaines was my breakout player of the year candidate before the season, and today he made the strongest case yet for why I was right to make that call.

As you may have heard from the announcers, NU was something like +21 in this game when he was on the floor. A big reason why was his unselfish play on the offensive end (7 assists, more than any player on either team) and his outstanding defense on Max Strus, limiting a guy who is averaging close to 20 points per game to 8 points on 3-for-13 shooting, including 2-for-11 on 3s.

Just outstanding work from Anthony. He very well could be put on the opponent's best player going forward, allowing Vic Law to save some energy for the offensive end. A.J. Turner may get more credit for his hot shooting, but I still say Gaines was the MVP. Congratulations to him on the performance and look forward to many more like this to come.
Click to expand...
You make a lot of right calls with this and your take on Kopp.
 
C

Curdog7

Freshman
Jun 22, 2001
2,699
62
35
freewillie07 said:
Anthony Gaines was my breakout player of the year candidate before the season, and today he made the strongest case yet for why I was right to make that call.

As you may have heard from the announcers, NU was something like +21 in this game when he was on the floor. A big reason why was his unselfish play on the offensive end (7 assists, more than any player on either team) and his outstanding defense on Max Strus, limiting a guy who is averaging close to 20 points per game to 8 points on 3-for-13 shooting, including 2-for-11 on 3s.

Just outstanding work from Anthony. He very well could be put on the opponent's best player going forward, allowing Vic Law to save some energy for the offensive end. A.J. Turner may get more credit for his hot shooting, but I still say Gaines was the MVP. Congratulations to him on the performance and look forward to many more like this to come.
Click to expand...
I liked Gaines a whole lot last year and it looks like he has gotten better. He is the glue guy the every team needs. Unselfish, rebounds, passes, lock down defender. He can finish at the rim also. Only thing missing is a consistent jumper and a little better handle
 
T

Turk_rivals223269

Junior
May 29, 2001
45,734
386
0
freewillie07 said:
Anthony Gaines was my breakout player of the year candidate before the season, and today he made the strongest case yet for why I was right to make that call.

As you may have heard from the announcers, NU was something like +21 in this game when he was on the floor. A big reason why was his unselfish play on the offensive end (7 assists, more than any player on either team) and his outstanding defense on Max Strus, limiting a guy who is averaging close to 20 points per game to 8 points on 3-for-13 shooting, including 2-for-11 on 3s.

Just outstanding work from Anthony. He very well could be put on the opponent's best player going forward, allowing Vic Law to save some energy for the offensive end. A.J. Turner may get more credit for his hot shooting, but I still say Gaines was the MVP. Congratulations to him on the performance and look forward to many more like this to come.
Click to expand...
Yes, he was truly the MVP. Strus got a quck 5 points and one foul on Law before Gaines came in and locked him down BIGTIME. He did fairly well at Indiana as well but the guy he guarded there was simply just too big. I'm not complaining but this team would be really tough to beat if Gaines ever learned to take that open shot from Pardon's kickout, via Nash or Sanjay. I'd say that Gaines defense is already on par with Nash and Sanjay (Two of the best defenders I've seen at NU), but maybe he can trust to take that wide open shot like Sanjay and Nash did when they were seniors.

And even though Gaines defense is so solid, he still barely gets fouls.
 
M

mikewebb68

Senior
Oct 24, 2009
9,811
501
113
Turk said:
Yes, he was truly the MVP. Strus got a quck 5 points and one foul on Law before Gaines came in and locked him down BIGTIME. He did fairly well at Indiana as well but the guy he guarded there was simply just too big. I'm not complaining but this team would be really tough to beat if Gaines ever learned to take that open shot from Pardon's kickout, via Nash or Sanjay. I'd say that Gaines defense is already on par with Nash and Sanjay (Two of the best defenders I've seen at NU), but maybe he can trust to take that wide open shot like Sanjay and Nash did when they were seniors.

And even though Gaines defense is so solid, he still barely gets fouls.
Click to expand...
Thing is, if he continues to have stat lines like he did today on the assist/rebound/TO front, we may not NEED him to score mich at all...
 
W

wocka

Junior
Oct 4, 2018
1,000
203
58
Love to see a guy develop into a Sanjay-like player and he's just a sophomore. I think Collins has found his real starting lineup in Gaines/Turner/Taylor/Law/Pardon.

Personally, I like the idea of having Gaines be the go-to defender when that lineup is in (to free up Vic on offense), and then Vic move there when Gaines comes out (to open up offense for the Kopp/Nance types should they be more aggressive and improved)
 
T

Turk_rivals223269

Junior
May 29, 2001
45,734
386
0
wocka said:
Love to see a guy develop into a Sanjay-like player and he's just a sophomore. I think Collins has found his real starting lineup in Gaines/Turner/Taylor/Law/Pardon.

Personally, I like the idea of having Gaines be the go-to defender when that lineup is in (to free up Vic on offense), and then Vic move there when Gaines comes out (to open up offense for the Kopp/Nance types should they be more aggressive and improved)
Click to expand...
I think that Collins keeps Kopp in the starting lineup. I'm not sure but it has thus far appeared to me that Collins leaves Gaines on the bench until he sees who may be hot on the other team or who is struggling, defensively for us. I say that because a previous game he was sent in for Taylor who was getting spent on defense. Yesterday, that one guy got 5 quick points and Vic Law a foul, so he inserted Gaines.

Gaines' play yesterday was exceptional.
 
N

NJCat

All-Conference
Mar 7, 2016
21,326
1,501
113
Turk said:
I think that Collins keeps Kopp in the starting lineup. I'm not sure but it has thus far appeared to me that Collins leaves Gaines on the bench until he sees who may be hot on the other team or who is struggling, defensively for us. I say that because a previous game he was sent in for Taylor who was getting spent on defense. Yesterday, that one guy got 5 quick points and Vic Law a foul, so he inserted Gaines.

Gaines' play yesterday was exceptional.
Click to expand...
Great take.

Second game in a row that Vic has a foul in the first minute and a half or so. He needs to calm down. He's playing the best all around game of anyone I can remember since Billy McKinney.
 
Max_Power

Max_Power

Junior
May 29, 2001
2,947
214
51
freewillie07 said:
Anthony Gaines was my breakout player of the year candidate before the season, and today he made the strongest case yet for why I was right to make that call.

As you may have heard from the announcers, NU was something like +21 in this game when he was on the floor. A big reason why was his unselfish play on the offensive end (7 assists, more than any player on either team) and his outstanding defense on Max Strus, limiting a guy who is averaging close to 20 points per game to 8 points on 3-for-13 shooting, including 2-for-11 on 3s.

Just outstanding work from Anthony. He very well could be put on the opponent's best player going forward, allowing Vic Law to save some energy for the offensive end. A.J. Turner may get more credit for his hot shooting, but I still say Gaines was the MVP. Congratulations to him on the performance and look forward to many more like this to come.
Click to expand...

Just asking if you saw who he was guarding against Michigan in the second half? Because he did a really nice job on one of the breakout players in the country. This performance was more an encore to that than anything else. Gaines still gets trapped on the offensive end a few times a game but he's definitely become an elite defender giving NU 3 on the floor. Just got to keep winning ....
 
TheC

TheC

All-Conference
May 29, 2001
19,095
1,168
62
Max_Power said:
Just asking if you saw who he was guarding against Michigan in the second half? Because he did a really nice job on one of the breakout players in the country. This performance was more an encore to that than anything else. Gaines still gets trapped on the offensive end a few times a game but he's definitely become an elite defender giving NU 3 on the floor. Just got to keep winning ....
Click to expand...
Gaines had one really nice play on the offensive end on Saturday. When DP got doubled in the post, Gaines slashed into the lane, got the feed and went up for the layup. He should be doing a lot more of that. Make teams pay for double teaming Pardon. If he can get 6-8 points in the paint every game to go along with his stifling D, then that would really be something.
 
F

freewillie07

Sophomore
Aug 22, 2017
5,240
100
33
Max_Power said:
Just asking if you saw who he was guarding against Michigan in the second half? Because he did a really nice job on one of the breakout players in the country. This performance was more an encore to that than anything else. Gaines still gets trapped on the offensive end a few times a game but he's definitely become an elite defender giving NU 3 on the floor. Just got to keep winning ....
Click to expand...

Sure. Didn’t mean to imply that his defense this game was the sole revelation — more that this was the first game I can remember where I couldn’t think of a bad out-of-control play by Gaines that negated his good work on defense. He played within himself. And not just that, he helped make the offense work! Seven assists, a career high! He has 14 in the first nine games of the season. Took only one shot and made it. Hit both free throws. Certainly, defense is going to be where he stands out, but his development in learning to pick his spots on offense will be crucial to the team’s success, too.
 
H

hdhntr1

All-Conference
Sep 5, 2006
37,226
1,074
113
TheC said:
Gaines had one really nice play on the offensive end on Saturday. When DP got doubled in the post, Gaines slashed into the lane, got the feed and went up for the layup. He should be doing a lot more of that. Make teams pay for double teaming Pardon. If he can get 6-8 points in the paint every game to go along with his stifling D, then that would really be something.
Click to expand...
Would still like to see him take some of those open jumpers, If he could get some proficiency there, it would really open things up
 
N

NUCat320

Senior
Dec 4, 2005
19,469
495
0
Gaines worked really, really hard between March and October.

He looks a bit trimmer, equally strong, and significantly quicker than last season.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom