Game Thread for Northwestern @ No. 4 Purdue

[mshelton33]

Northwestern (9-7, 2-5 Big Ten) travels to try and pull of the upset today against No. 4 Purdue (15-3, 4-3 Big Ten). New starting lineup for the 'Cats, Julian Roper is in for Ty Berry at guard. Here is today's first five:

G Buie
G Roper
F Audige
F Beran
C Nance

 

[lunker35]

Collins thinks we can win without using a big……

 

[GatoLouco]

Collins thinks we can win without using a big……

There’s no good option while Edey is on the court. Will probably see rotation of bigs on him to avoid foul trouble.

Painter being smart, and putting Edey on Beran, and not on Nance.

 

[Jonny2TheP]

Still a very tall task, but Ivey being out gives a chance.

How does Purdue always have a 10 foot tall center on the roster?

 

[DaCat]

We came to play today but Edey is just a monster.

 

[freewillie07]

Man. Not sure how we handle Edey. Would have been nice for Roper to come away with that steal instead of leading to a scrum and eventual 3-pointer. Those are the 50-50 plays we're going to need to win to have a shot here.

 

[freewillie07]

Our rebounding disadvantage is unsustainable. We need to compete at least a little better.

 

[GatoLouco]

First possession with MN on the court Greer gets him the ball down low when Edey is on him. For some reason Purdue doubles!

 

[GatoLouco]

That Greer foul on Stefanovic is a “you’re NU and not IU” foul. Sad

 

[freewillie07]

Way too many sloppy offensive possessions in the last few minutes. Let's try to at least attempt a shot, please.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

Nicholson did alright there.
Got fouled, made em both.
Defended against Edey who missed.
I kinda like him with Nance in this game because Edey is so big.

 

[GatoLouco]

In a game we needed to be good on offense we are being the opposite

 

[freewillie07]

Purdue is near-impossible to beat with Stefanovic shooting like this. Damn.

We are also playing awful offense.

 

[SDakaGordie]

Boys are doing better than the girls against a top-ranked team on the road.

 

[freewillie07]

Best chance here at the end of the half is to draw a few more fouls and make all our FTs. Keep the pressure on that way.

Side note: Appreciate RY for taking a beating in the post. Could have called another charge on Williams.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

Well they called the first offensive foul by T. Williams against Young, but ignored the 2nd.
Hopefully they call the 3rd one.

 

[GatoLouco]

Why is the ball not going to Nance more?

Tired of all these screens for Buie.

 

[GatoLouco]

If you’re a ref and call that foul on Berry you should just say you have diarrhea and leave the arena.

 

[freewillie07]

Stefanovic is a punk. I don't know in what world that's not an offensive foul on him. To call that on Berry as he was flung to the ground is inexcusable.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

Really surprised to see Nicholson and Beran out there as our frontcourt against Edey.
If Edey is playing, unless Nance is exhausted or in foul trouble, he needs to be playing with Young or Nicholson, who can occupy Edey and let Nance score.

When Williams is playing, you can play Beran.

 

[freewillie07]

I would also add, Stefanovic got a ticky-tack call on Greer as well when Ryan was playing him close. A punk who can't handle some physicality.

Let's give it to him in spades in the second half. He's the difference in this game. Rest of the Boilers are 1-of-8 on 3s.

 

[DaCat]

Our shooting is terrible again. Buie and Audige with very poor shot selection, while the others like Berry are ice cold and missing open looks. At the half we are 3-12 from 3 point range, while Stefanovic is 4-5 for them. Not gonna get it done that way.

 

[freewillie07]

Our shooting is terrible again. Buie and Audige with very poor shot selection, while the others like Berry are ice cold and missing open looks. At the half we are 3-12 from 3 point range, while Stefanovic is 4-5 for them. Not gonna get it done that way.

Plenty of room for improvement. Keep grinding, avoid a huge foul discrepancy, try to make it close and hope that Purdue tightens up without Ivey and having in the back of their heads the loss to IU just a few days ago.

 

[DaCat]

Plenty of room for improvement. Keep grinding, try to make it close, avoid a huge foul discrepancy and hope that Purdue tightens up without Ivey and having in the back of their heads the loss to IU just a few days ago.

Overall I don't think we're playing too badly, but gotta shoot better. Much better. It's not like Purdue is playing exceptional defense either. Make a bunch of threes and we're right back in it.

 

[GatoLouco]

Beran, Berry and Roper took more shots than Nance. Not smart offense

 

[GatoLouco]

As Hummel is criticizing Nance at the 5, refs manufacture a bogus foul and Nance gets his 3rd

 

[DaCat]

Refs must've got the memo to call more foulsld on Northwestern

 

[DaCat]

Roper!!!

 

[freewillie07]

Not good that Audige looks legitimately hurt.

Was also an objectively atrocious call to stop play on a Purdue offensive rebound for that. Refs strike again!

 

[rwhitney014]

Anyone have numbers on our fast break conversion percentage? I’ve never seen a team be so bad at it. Would have had the game to 4, now back up to 12.

 

[freewillie07]

Berry might have just cost NU a shot at this game. Completely ill-advised to attempt a late alley-oop to Roper on a 2-on-1 fastbreak. Either dish it off to him earlier or take it hard yourself. What could have been a 4-point game ballooned to 8 and now 12. UGH.

 

[SDakaGordie]

I cannot watch another failed fast break.

 

[GatoLouco]

The unexplainable substitution patterns leaving Young/Williams/Berry/Roper/Greer on the court just wiped out the hard earned run that got us back in the game

 

[DaCat]

Now Nance with his fourth foul. Ugh.

 

[SDakaGordie]

The unexplainable substitution patterns leaving Young/Williams/Berry/Roper/Greer on the court just wiped out the hard earned run that got us back in the game

Nothing to do with Young’s poor defense?

 

[DaCat]

We need Nicholson to have a career game.

 

[JournCat]

Berry might have just cost NU a shot at this game. Completely ill-advised to attempt a late alley-oop to Roper on a 2-on-1 fastbreak. Either dish it off to him earlier or take it hard yourself. What could have been a 4-point game ballooned to 8 and now 12. UGH.

That pass should nail him to the bench the rest of the afternoon …

 

[GatoLouco]

Nothing to do with Young’s poor defense?

I apologize. That’s a lineup built for scoring. Just tough luck and Young being beaten off the dribble.

 

[DaCat]

Buie can be so good, then so bad.

 

[freewillie07]

Buie can be so good, then so bad.

Would have loved to bank that 9-0 Buie run for another (closer) game.