Game thread for NU vs. IPFW

[GatoLouco]

The team is what it is.

Maybe I'm just arguing semantics, but no team is what it is. Every single team has room for improvement as the season goes along.

So far we are, in the words of CC "elite" in defense. I would rephrase that to elite defense against fairly mediocre opponents. But I have never thought we were poor on defense anyway. Better to be elite against mediocre than not.

Poor, poor offensively. It is very poor to think that we scored:
1) 69 against a DII team
2) 63 against NIU
3) 60 against PFW

Ours is not a slow tempo game. This is not BC's NU. Those are offensive numbers that only make sense against B1G/P6 opponents.

We had one half of good offensive production: against Georgetown. I don't want to think about any good offensive production against Chicago State. One half, that is not much.

There's plenty of room for improving our offense.

 

[GatoLouco]

Nicholson belongs in the paint. Its fine when he comes out and sets a ball screen, but he has to roll and get back in rebounding position or "post up" position. Standing out at the perimeter, facing the basket as part of the "hot potato passing chain" is a waste and leads to turnovers like when Barnhizer threw the ball toward Nicholson's knees and into the backcourt.

PPD is correct that Nicholson basically has to muck things up under the basket. But the offense has to get him touches in the paint in order to keep the defense honest. It looks to me ike he's a pretty good passer. Had a nice kickout to Buie for a deep three, which he made. Also flipped it to Buie in the corner and walled off the defender, but Buie missed that open look.

It does surprise me that Coach Collins is just now trying to figure out how to get other players involved in the offense, besides the two guys who handle the ball (Buie and Audige). Do we do any screening away from the ball to get shooters, like Beran or Barnhizer, open looks? It seems like we are 90% ball screens in the half court.

I don't think anyone has the illusion MN is a post up player, give me the ball, and I will make something happen.

But that does not mean the ball should not get to him and he can't do some serious damage, beyond the natural flow of the offense of hand offs, fast breaks, offensive rebounds...

We can't count on him to do a RY crafty move, that is unreasonable.

But there's a difference between handing him the ball just outside the paint, and hand him the ball if he is down low, with his defender sealed behind him. Any big man is more effective the closer to the rim he touches the ball, but that holds especially true for guys like MN. When the ball switched sides, is a particular good moment to get him the ball extremely close to the basket, and he will be effective. We had a few opportunities for such plays against PFW, and our guards did not even look at him. That is definitely something to explore.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Maybe I'm just arguing semantics, but no team is what it is. Every single team has room for improvement as the season goes along.

So far we are, in the words of CC "elite" in defense. I would rephrase that to elite defense against fairly mediocre opponents. But I have never thought we were poor on defense anyway. Better to be elite against mediocre than not.

Poor, poor offensively. It is very poor to think that we scored:
1) 69 against a DII team
2) 63 against NIU
3) 60 against PFW

Ours is not a slow tempo game. This is not BC's NU. Those are offensive numbers that only make sense against B1G/P6 opponents.

We had one half of good offensive production: against Georgetown. I don't want to think about any good offensive production against Chicago State. One half, that is not much.

There's plenty of room for improving our offense.

I don’t disagree with anything here. My point is that we are unlikely to turn into a strong club on the offensive end as we really only have two real weapons and both are inconsistent. If Boo and Chase are off, I think we are in big trouble. Beran, Roper, Big Matt or Berry won’t just flip the switch to lead scorer. Honestly, if 2 of them can hit double figures, we probably have a shot in the game.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

I don’t disagree with anything here. My point is that we are unlikely to turn into a strong club on the offensive end as we really only have two real weapons and both are inconsistent. If Boo and Chase are off, I think we are in big trouble. Beran, Roper, Big Matt or Berry won’t just flip the switch to lead scorer. Honestly, if 2 of them can hit double figures, we probably have a shot in the game.

Audige is not a good offensive player.
He just takes a lot of shots.
31.6% from the field so far against lesser athletes. 33.8% last season.
Least efficient shooter in the rotation.
Honestly, I would prefer closer to zero shots from Audige other than layups.
We'd do much better.
But then we'd have to re-think our offense.

Its a problem when our coach thinks a guy is one of his top scorers and the opposing coach is telling his players to allow that guy to shoot.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Audige is not a good offensive player.
He just takes a lot of shots.
31.6% from the field so far against lesser athletes. 33.8% last season.
Least efficient shooter in the rotation.
Honestly, I would prefer closer to zero shots from Audige other than layups.
We'd do much better.
But then we'd have to re-think our offense.

Its a problem when our coach thinks a guy is one of his top scorers and the opposing coach is telling his players to allow that guy to shoot.

Chase has to score for us to win. If he shoots 0 shots it is an almost guaranteed loss.

 

[PURPLECAT88]

If Chase isn't allowed shoot, who would the other guys pass to when there's two seconds left on the shot clock?

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

I'm not sure what the answer is. Buie would be happy to take every shot. Audige has been passing better and continues to defend. He just has to be the fifth option on offense. Unfortunately, Barnhizer is the only other guy who acts like he really wants the ball. Nicholson does but thats a completely different problem.

I would like to see one or two bodies in the paint at all times. Backdoor screens. Screens to free up shooters. Entry passes to the post. Barnhizer posting up a guard. Audige posting up his guy. Roper posting up his guy. Purposeful movement off the ball. Beran actually trying to get an open look.

Our offense is just "try to set a screen so that the guy dribbling the ball can get a shot off."

 

[ballerog711]

Bigs in the middle keep you from getting the drive and kicks and lobs.

Young is a big that plays the middle and his minutes are way down now with the others getting healthy at Duke, duke bigs are able to move about the court in a motion offense.

Not trying to crap on Young he is doing what is best for him. Just trying to show the old put a guy in the box offensive doesn't work to well.

Michigan is another, teams are starting to figure out how to make it difficult for Dickinson.

Matt can work a pick n pop from 15 feet.which would open up other parts of his game. If he can be more athletic, lobs would work as well

Berry needs to get in the gym and work on his shot. Should be 40 to 45 percent shooter. He has been here 3 years and not much improvement. Brooks needs to do the same thing.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

I'm not sure what the answer is. Buie would be happy to take every shot. Audige has been passing better and continues to defend. He just has to be the fifth option on offense. Unfortunately, Barnhizer is the only other guy who acts like he really wants the ball. Nicholson does but thats a completely different problem.

I would like to see one or two bodies in the paint at all times. Backdoor screens. Screens to free up shooters. Entry passes to the post. Barnhizer posting up a guard. Audige posting up his guy. Roper posting up his guy. Purposeful movement off the ball. Beran actually trying to get an open look.

Our offense is just "try to set a screen so that the guy dribbling the ball can get a shot off."

Isn’t that the majority of college offenses in todays day and age?

 

[NUWildcats17]

I'm just happy we've been able to get close to 90 comments in a NU vs IPFW basketball thread. Things are looking up!

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

Isn’t that the majority of college offenses in todays day and age?

I've been watching a fair amount of games lately and our offense looks so stagnant by comparison.
Teams just have a lot more variety in their attack and you rarely see 4 guys standing at the 3 point line.
There is a lot more attacking the rim, from all angles, especially guys coming from the corner along the baseline, but also interior passing between post players.

 

[ballerog711]

For that you need player understanding, you can see they try to run the floppy sets, but people get confused.

Even the horns set looks a little out of whack and that should be something tydus and matt get points in the paint

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

I've been watching a fair amount of games lately and our offense looks so stagnant by comparison.
Teams just have a lot more variety in their attack and you rarely see 4 guys standing at the 3 point line.
There is a lot more attacking the rim, from all angles, especially guys coming from the corner along the baseline, but also interior passing between post players.

Yes PWB, it is an offense that tends to stand around and become stagnant. However, lobbing the ball to Big Matt, Roper, Barney or another player to back down a smaller/weaker player just isn’t what very many college teams still try and do. Driving and finding cutters is great, the one in one match up’s you describe are rare until the superstars take over at crunch time.

 

[CappyNU]

Since we have a game tonight, I'm going to close this thread, and we can wail and gnash our teeth anew later tonight.