Game Thread: Northwestern vs. Oklahoma State
- Thread starter mshelton33
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I love his potential and hustle but man lots of freshman mistakes today.
Glad to see we made it a close game in the end, but this team has a lot of work to do.
Zero zero close game moral victories in this one, a game we led at half. Disappointing.
Agreed. Reid really sucked today too. Disappointing.
This isn't anywhere close to a tourney team. Reid was really off tonight; looked overmatched for the first time all year. Our 3 pt shooting was awful and rebounding continues to be a liability. Did we even get one loose ball? Seemed like we were always a step slow. Paige didn't assert himself like we needed as well. Arrrgh.
This team has consistently got out-hustled. I’ve been a fan for many lean years, but can’t recall that ever being the case. It’s nice to have more “talent” but something isn’t working.
Going to be a lot of games like this. Have to get the wizard going with The D on this team. I would have inserted Mullins in the second half to try and cool off the 3’s on that run. Tre was getting burned. NU is not going to be a good rebounding team, but have to improve. AP brings a ton on O, but he fell asleep a few on inbounds passes and he needs to be way more aggressive going after the ball. Nick and Gelo played well. Everyone else had modest games.
Still think there is potential for a 500 B1G season. If the newcomers keep improving that should be attainable.
Still think there is potential for a 500 B1G season. If the newcomers keep improving that should be attainable.
I hope you’re right but I see 11 teams in the Kenpom top 40. Five games against msu, Illinois, Michigan, and Purdue. I’d love to compete in one of those, but those teams look like monsters this year.
Disagree, I think this is close to a tourney team. Probably just on the outside looking in. There is plenty of offense on this team. The issue right now is bad defense highlighted by a lack of aggression on the boards. NU will upset some teams this year and probably lose a few we all think they should win.
I’m officially worried. We were lucky to beat DePaul and almost blew that South Carolina game. It doesn’t seem like we have a point guard who can actually run precise sets like Boo did and clearly rebounding is a huge issue. Oklahoma State is not supposed to be anything this year - although they have been playing better than expected so far.
We are missing huge opportunities to build a resume. Tonight was one we should've gotten. Nick was amazing but it wasn't enough to overcome so many other deficits.
We are going to need 3 pt shooting and I would continue to get Green more minutes. We need the threat of his offense out there; he opens up a lot for everyone else because of how he shoots.
Gelo and Nick were the exceptions to this but otherwise yeah.
I believe we have dominated fg percentage in every game. But the other team ends up with way more possessions because of rebounds. So not sure that the problem is with three pointers or not getting green involved.
Well, depends on expectations. I expected a win tonight, but not shocked with a loss. NU is still growing, the talk of what seed we would want in the tourney was premature. It’s a process. We are starting a Freshman, a player at Center that averaged 3 points at his previous stops and 2 new PG’s. Gelo looks far better than last season and Nick is Nick. I think some were a little Giddy with the start because we are used to struggling with this mid majors and lower that we destroyed. It’s not a great team, but it should improve and it should be a fun team to watch because I think we can get hot and upset a few very good teams. The top third of the conference will be tough for us to be competitive in those games, but most every other game we should be. Some of the B1G teams in the middle getting flowers now will hit rough paths at some point.
I am going to get hammered for this, but Mullins is our best defender by far, he has to come in as defensive stopper when a guy goes off against us.
That's fair but he came in and immediately was out of control twice on offense leading to turnovers and got yanked til the final seconds. Not confidence inspiring and Collins pulled the plug.
Can someone explain the whole flagrant foul on Reid in the 2nd half? Was it really a flagrant? There was no replay in the arena.
There were a lot of problems tonight and that whole stretch of the game was one of them. NU goes from a 4-pt lead with the ball to down by 2
There were a lot of problems tonight and that whole stretch of the game was one of them. NU goes from a 4-pt lead with the ball to down by 2
50/50. Hard to argue because it was not at all a normal basketball move. I think it was deliberate and he got caught, and as you rightly point out it killed what we had going. Ended up being a -10 swing until Gelo hit a three.
Thought it was an absurdly short leash for a veteran of the program and our best perimeter defender by a country mile. We desperately needed him on Roy and/or Curry to stop the bleeding and CCC let Singleton get smoked on like four of five possessions in one stretch.
I should add it is easy to armchair coach and Collins typically pushes the right buttons, but this one baffled me.
This is unquestionably a tournament-caliber team. Whether we get there will depend on how well all the new faces take to coaching to our defensive principles.
All three of our transfers are offense-first guys, and our stud first year is way more advanced on offense. I have faith that our d gurus will get them on board.
All three of our transfers are offense-first guys, and our stud first year is way more advanced on offense. I have faith that our d gurus will get them on board.
Ranking the last four to my amateur eyes:
1) OSU - some undisciplined guys, but that team was good. We did a bad job of stopping their guards from penetrating. Fortunately for us they made some mistakes with the ball or it could have been ugly
2) Depaul - much better than really all of the last ten times or so we played them
3) UVA - their big strength aligned to our glaring weakness. Still should have clobbered them. This is the one I want back.
4) SC - not a great team. We let them hang around too much
Loved scheduling four non-jobbers in a row. 2-2 is disappointing which says where we are at program-wise. Arrow still firmly up.
1) OSU - some undisciplined guys, but that team was good. We did a bad job of stopping their guards from penetrating. Fortunately for us they made some mistakes with the ball or it could have been ugly
2) Depaul - much better than really all of the last ten times or so we played them
3) UVA - their big strength aligned to our glaring weakness. Still should have clobbered them. This is the one I want back.
4) SC - not a great team. We let them hang around too much
Loved scheduling four non-jobbers in a row. 2-2 is disappointing which says where we are at program-wise. Arrow still firmly up.
Windham played really well and made a case for lead guard minutes with the first unit. At least enough to make me go “hmmm.”
Reid’s total lack of a plan with the ball is offsetting his speed to some extent. I would also describe his defense generously as “indifferent.” But when he is right he brings us up a level so it’s something of a conundrum.
West has to cut the hand checking and the graba$$ stuff or he’s going to get whistled a ton in BIG play.
Reid’s total lack of a plan with the ball is offsetting his speed to some extent. I would also describe his defense generously as “indifferent.” But when he is right he brings us up a level so it’s something of a conundrum.
West has to cut the hand checking and the graba$$ stuff or he’s going to get whistled a ton in BIG play.
Of course it’s disappointing we lost in a game we were favored in. I don’t stay up until 1am for a moral victory. But my point is we were down 8 late and could have crumbled and did not. If we start playing smarter (and less frenetic), we will get our share of Ws.
Yeah, it was a good call. He elbowed the defender in the head on the drive to the basket. Really unnecessary. Turned what was initially a foul on OSU into two FTs and possession for OSU.
That flagrant call, the five second call coming out of a timeout, not getting the rebound on a OSU missed FT near the end of the game. It was a series of small mistakes that combined were too much for NU to overcome in the end. Need to play smarter and with more energy.
Windham showed he can defend these quick guards that tend to break down our defense
I must be watching something different than you. NU had no one that could defend that quickness. IMO, the issue with this team is clearly on the defensive end. I think Mullins is the only above average defender we have. A few others are adequate. C Lowe will be busy this week.