Good and Bad

[TheC]

My much awaited analysis of Friday night's win is a little late, but I know you all are counting on hearing what I have to say. Did I say all? I meant some. Did I say some? I meant at least one of you. Gotta' be at least one of you that cares!

The Good

1. Played a tough, tight, competitive, back-and-forth, high pressure-down-the-stretch game and found a way to win. That will bode well for this new team. Outside of Nick, none of these guys really were counted on for much last year except maybe KJ toward the end. They are all in new roles this year, so this experience was fantastic.

2. Page is a unique talent. I think he is going to struggle when he runs into some of the more talented 7-footers in the BIG, but he will also have his share of dominant games like Friday. He has great footwork, quick twitch athletic ability and can finish with either hand. He hasn't really even showed off his jump shot game much, but we saw he can step out and hit the three, which will draw those 7-footers away from the basket.

3. I love Reid. He is quickly becoming my favorite. He plays at a pace we are just not used to seeing at Northwestern. He also has an ability to score at all three levels as he showed off on Friday. I think he is only going to get better and more confident. There may be some lock-down defenders in the BIG that slow him down, but I thought DePaul was pretty athletic and played really good on-ball pressure defense against us and Reid handled it really well. He did have three turnovers, but considering the pressure, that was excusable.

4. The emergence of Tre. That little burst he had late in the second half pretty much won the game for us. He showed a complete range of skills from hitting the corner three, to putting the ball on the floor and getting to the rim showing great body control to avoid the charge while hitting the scoop shot. This kid is going to get more comfortable and confident, but then we have a star in the making. I wouldn't be shocked at all if by the end of the season, he is our #2 scorer most nights.

(I assume we can all agree that Nick is on The Good list every night and we don't really even need to discuss it anymore. That's how good he is.)

The Bad

1. We were simply out-physicaled much of this game. The first half was really bad, but we did do a better job in the second. The inability to get defensive rebounds, even off missed free throws was rather alarming. As I alluded to above, I also feel like we got pushed way out by DePaul's defense on our end of the floor. We will need to be tougher going forward as the competition level steps up.

2. The back-up center position is going to be a weakness all season. You can see Kropp has some skill, but he is still way too green to handle major minutes. Our best bet may be to go with Nick and Tre clogging the paint during those minutes when Page is on the bench.

3. The bench wasn't hitting shots. Teams are going to hound Nick if we don't get outside shots to fall from guys like Mullens, West and Green. It wasn't that they were missing shots even. It's that the opportunities weren't there. West went 0-3, but everyone else only had 1 three-point attempt each. The cutting and ball movement didn't seem very crisp and I feel like DePaul defenders were just in their face all night. The post-game crew kept harping on the fact that all our points came from 4 guys. Bruce Pearl kept going on about what a problem that is. I'm not sure I totally buy it. You score 81 points, who cares how you get there. That said, a little more bench production will go a long way to being able to give guys like Nick and Arrinten some rest.

4. Where is the OSU-game KJ Windham? KJ took only one shot in 11 minutes Friday. Granted, he made the step-back three. But after seeing what he did down the stretch last year, I am still really surprised at his role this year. He is the third or fourth guy off the bench. And... after seeing four games this season, I sort of get it. He doesn't appear to have taken any strides this offseason with regard to defense or ball handling. Hopefully it is coming and he will bloom later this year like he did last year. I still think we will need him to go where we want to go this year. He has an ability to get hot from three that few have (except Green!).

 

[Cataria]

My much awaited analysis of Friday night's win is a little late, but I know you all are counting on hearing what I have to say. Did I say all? I meant some. Did I say some? I meant at least one of you. Gotta' be at least one of you that cares!

The Good

1. Played a tough, tight, competitive, back-and-forth, high pressure-down-the-stretch game and found a way to win. That will bode well for this new team. Outside of Nick, none of these guys really were counted on for much last year except maybe KJ toward the end. They are all in new roles this year, so this experience was fantastic.

2. Page is a unique talent. I think he is going to struggle when he runs into some of the more talented 7-footers in the BIG, but he will also have his share of dominant games like Friday. He has great footwork, quick twitch athletic ability and can finish with either hand. He hasn't really even showed off his jump shot game much, but we saw he can step out and hit the three, which will draw those 7-footers away from the basket.

3. I love Reid. He is quickly becoming my favorite. He plays at a pace we are just not used to seeing at Northwestern. He also has an ability to score at all three levels as he showed off on Friday. I think he is only going to get better and more confident. There may be some lock-down defenders in the BIG that slow him down, but I thought DePaul was pretty athletic and played really good on-ball pressure defense against us and Reid handled it really well. He did have three turnovers, but considering the pressure, that was excusable.

4. The emergence of Tre. That little burst he had late in the second half pretty much won the game for us. He showed a complete range of skills from hitting the corner three, to putting the ball on the floor and getting to the rim showing great body control to avoid the charge while hitting the scoop shot. This kid is going to get more comfortable and confident, but then we have a star in the making. I wouldn't be shocked at all if by the end of the season, he is our #2 scorer most nights.

(I assume we can all agree that Nick is on The Good list every night and we don't really even need to discuss it anymore. That's how good he is.)

The Bad

1. We were simply out-physicaled much of this game. The first half was really bad, but we did do a better job in the second. The inability to get defensive rebounds, even off missed free throws was rather alarming. As I alluded to above, I also feel like we got pushed way out by DePaul's defense on our end of the floor. We will need to be tougher going forward as the competition level steps up.

2. The back-up center position is going to be a weakness all season. You can see Kropp has some skill, but he is still way too green to handle major minutes. Our best bet may be to go with Nick and Tre clogging the paint during those minutes when Page is on the bench.

3. The bench wasn't hitting shots. Teams are going to hound Nick if we don't get outside shots to fall from guys like Mullens, West and Green. It wasn't that they were missing shots even. It's that the opportunities weren't there. West went 0-3, but everyone else only had 1 three-point attempt each. The cutting and ball movement didn't seem very crisp and I feel like DePaul defenders were just in their face all night. The post-game crew kept harping on the fact that all our points came from 4 guys. Bruce Pearl kept going on about what a problem that is. I'm not sure I totally buy it. You score 81 points, who cares how you get there. That said, a little more bench production will go a long way to being able to give guys like Nick and Arrinten some rest.

4. Where is the OSU-game KJ Windham? KJ took only one shot in 11 minutes Friday. Granted, he made the step-back three. But after seeing what he did down the stretch last year, I am still really surprised at his role this year. He is the third or fourth guy off the bench. And... after seeing four games this season, I sort of get it. He doesn't appear to have taken any strides this offseason with regard to defense or ball handling. Hopefully it is coming and he will bloom later this year like he did last year. I still think we will need him to go where we want to go this year. He has an ability to get hot from three that few have (except Green!).

Totally agree with your thoughts on Tre. He was so confident when the game was on the line and he's a freshman!

 

[Deeringfish]

It seemed to me that DePaul was a bigger team. By bigger I mean more muscular not really taller. I felt like they held their ground more underneath.

 

[macarthur31]

My much awaited analysis of Friday night's win is a little late, but I know you all are counting on hearing what I have to say. Did I say all? I meant some. Did I say some? I meant at least one of you. Gotta' be at least one of you that cares!

The Good

1. Played a tough, tight, competitive, back-and-forth, high pressure-down-the-stretch game and found a way to win. That will bode well for this new team. Outside of Nick, none of these guys really were counted on for much last year except maybe KJ toward the end. They are all in new roles this year, so this experience was fantastic.

2. Page is a unique talent. I think he is going to struggle when he runs into some of the more talented 7-footers in the BIG, but he will also have his share of dominant games like Friday. He has great footwork, quick twitch athletic ability and can finish with either hand. He hasn't really even showed off his jump shot game much, but we saw he can step out and hit the three, which will draw those 7-footers away from the basket.

3. I love Reid. He is quickly becoming my favorite. He plays at a pace we are just not used to seeing at Northwestern. He also has an ability to score at all three levels as he showed off on Friday. I think he is only going to get better and more confident. There may be some lock-down defenders in the BIG that slow him down, but I thought DePaul was pretty athletic and played really good on-ball pressure defense against us and Reid handled it really well. He did have three turnovers, but considering the pressure, that was excusable.

4. The emergence of Tre. That little burst he had late in the second half pretty much won the game for us. He showed a complete range of skills from hitting the corner three, to putting the ball on the floor and getting to the rim showing great body control to avoid the charge while hitting the scoop shot. This kid is going to get more comfortable and confident, but then we have a star in the making. I wouldn't be shocked at all if by the end of the season, he is our #2 scorer most nights.

(I assume we can all agree that Nick is on The Good list every night and we don't really even need to discuss it anymore. That's how good he is.)

The Bad

1. We were simply out-physicaled much of this game. The first half was really bad, but we did do a better job in the second. The inability to get defensive rebounds, even off missed free throws was rather alarming. As I alluded to above, I also feel like we got pushed way out by DePaul's defense on our end of the floor. We will need to be tougher going forward as the competition level steps up.

2. The back-up center position is going to be a weakness all season. You can see Kropp has some skill, but he is still way too green to handle major minutes. Our best bet may be to go with Nick and Tre clogging the paint during those minutes when Page is on the bench.

3. The bench wasn't hitting shots. Teams are going to hound Nick if we don't get outside shots to fall from guys like Mullens, West and Green. It wasn't that they were missing shots even. It's that the opportunities weren't there. West went 0-3, but everyone else only had 1 three-point attempt each. The cutting and ball movement didn't seem very crisp and I feel like DePaul defenders were just in their face all night. The post-game crew kept harping on the fact that all our points came from 4 guys. Bruce Pearl kept going on about what a problem that is. I'm not sure I totally buy it. You score 81 points, who cares how you get there. That said, a little more bench production will go a long way to being able to give guys like Nick and Arrinten some rest.

4. Where is the OSU-game KJ Windham? KJ took only one shot in 11 minutes Friday. Granted, he made the step-back three. But after seeing what he did down the stretch last year, I am still really surprised at his role this year. He is the third or fourth guy off the bench. And... after seeing four games this season, I sort of get it. He doesn't appear to have taken any strides this offseason with regard to defense or ball handling. Hopefully it is coming and he will bloom later this year like he did last year. I still think we will need him to go where we want to go this year. He has an ability to get hot from three that few have (except Green!).

I have alot of alignment with your in-person takes from what I watched on TruTV. Wanted to build off of "The Bad" points you offered.

1. We were simply out-physicaled much of this game... I was a bit surprised at how we got thumped on our glass as we gave up 45% of our misses. (Usually, Collins teams are at 27-29% OReb given up.). Too early to tell if this is a trend since this was our first high major opponent of the year. There's usually a percentage of missed DRebs because of butterfingers, or wonky caroms from 3pt misses - but the 'Cats lackluster performance appeared to be more than bad luck/bad bounces. This also speaks to how many "rebound assists" that Matt Nicholson may have earned through his ability to clear the way for teammates to clean up. However, physicality also shows up in other ways - I intuit Collins wants us tougher defense on the perimeter/point of attack - and if that's not executed well, then those are ticky-tack whistles at best and reach-ins at worst. Experience teaches me that we're in the "point of emphasis" phase of refereeing, but unsure if this will taper off come when the dog days of the B1G season arrive.

2. The back-up center position is going to be a weakness all season...Based on the other threads here, there has been much consternation about Collins not securing a TVH level backup at the 5, and at this point, I'm assessing this as a strategic choice of spending the schollie on a younger, but higher-ceiling big rather than trying to patch with a grad-transfer who is satisfied with backup minutes. I perceive that this is a "glaring weakness" because the other areas of the team that were traditionally achilles heels (i.e. we have 2 PGs, we've bolstered outside shooters, etc), so in the big picture, I don't stress about it. Optimally, Page gets us 25 min, Kropp can "play to a draw" for 10 min, and then we patch it together with Nick/Tre in the remainder. Of course, it just takes two quick fouls on AP to botch that plan in one game, or worse yet, an injury to AP to change the trajectory of the season. In that "darkest timeline," the team will have to adapt like it's done in the past 2 seasons.

3. The bench wasn't hitting shots. Yeah, I'm with you that I don't really care how the points happen. The Turner Network halftime crew doesn't know our squad, so I get why they made that observation of "one point from the bench isn't a good thing."

4. Where is the OSU-game KJ Windham? Yeah. I get it as well. Reid looks great getting the team into their sets, and even his highest career usage, his AssistRate is at a career high (44.0 now vs 22 at USF), and his TORate is a career low (11.9 TORate vs being in the 21-22 range at USF). Jake West is still emerging, but he appears to have the confidence to get the guys into their sets (and more importantly, he's got Collins' confidence) to get the backup PG minutes. This leaves KJ to get off-guard minutes, and Gelo's defensive ability/and that he doesn't require plays made for him has earned him the nod as starter - which makes sense since offensively the starters are good with 3 options in Nick, JR and AP. Barring injury, I don't see KJ getting more minutes, so hopefully he can adapt to this role. Collins said in the last presser he has to do his part of getting him (and Max Green) looks when they do come in. Stay Ready, KJ.

 

[JournCat]

I have alot of alignment with your in-person takes from what I watched on TruTV. Wanted to build off of "The Bad" points you offered.

1. We were simply out-physicaled much of this game... I was a bit surprised at how we got thumped on our glass as we gave up 45% of our misses. (Usually, Collins teams are at 27-29% OReb given up.). Too early to tell if this is a trend since this was our first high major opponent of the year. There's usually a percentage of missed DRebs because of butterfingers, or wonky caroms from 3pt misses - but the 'Cats lackluster performance appeared to be more than bad luck/bad bounces. This also speaks to how many "rebound assists" that Matt Nicholson may have earned through his ability to clear the way for teammates to clean up. However, physicality also shows up in other ways - I intuit Collins wants us tougher defense on the perimeter/point of attack - and if that's not executed well, then those are ticky-tack whistles at best and reach-ins at worst. Experience teaches me that we're in the "point of emphasis" phase of refereeing, but unsure if this will taper off come when the dog days of the B1G season arrive.

That's such a good point about Big Matt and "rebound assists." He also cleaned up a lot of bad perimeter defense. I wonder how much we'll be able to play offense-first guys like Windham and Green without him back there.

 

[AdamOnFirst]

1. Tre Singleton still looks like a freshmen very often, but when he gets the ball in the lane headed to score or receives a corner look you can just see the smoothness he has. He already has that look where it almost looks like he’s moving in slow motion as he floats around and maneuvers to the basket. Not that he’s at Boo’s level, but he always looked like he was in slow motion even as he blew by guys. Singleton has that some look on his face, almost totally blank, like it’s just effortless. Talent and feel there is just really big.

2. I too have grown less concerned about the lack of depth scoring in this particular game. I’m still worried about Mullins and Clayton, as well as Ciarvino, but when the four guys scoring are doing so at an absurdly efficient rate… why mess with it? No need to find a second option when all the first options are absolutely cooking. I imagine there will be opportunities for the likes of Green to get more involved if needed in the future.
Mullins though, Mullins has gotta be able to do stuff.

 

[TheC]

1. Tre Singleton still looks like a freshmen very often, but when he gets the ball in the lane headed to score or receives a corner look you can just see the smoothness he has. He already has that look where it almost looks like he’s moving in slow motion as he floats around and maneuvers to the basket. Not that he’s at Boo’s level, but he always looked like he was in slow motion even as he blew by guys. Singleton has that some look on his face, almost totally blank, like it’s just effortless. Talent and feel there is just really big.

2. I too have grown less concerned about the lack of depth scoring in this particular game. I’m still worried about Mullins and Clayton, as well as Ciarvino, but when the four guys scoring are doing so at an absurdly efficient rate… why mess with it? No need to find a second option when all the first options are absolutely cooking. I imagine there will be opportunities for the likes of Green to get more involved if needed in the future.
Mullins though, Mullins has gotta be able to do stuff.

If Mullens can hit an occasional wide open three, Lumpkin style, then I'm ok with that. We don't need him to be a big three-point threat. He's also showed an ability to slash to the rim and, at least, draw fouls. BUT.... as I lamented in the game thread... he has to make his free throws. 25% from the line in a game won't cut it. He gets those 5 or 6 points per game in that role with his defense and athleticism, and that is just fine.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

If Mullens can hit an occasional wide open three, Lumpkin style, then I'm ok with that. We don't need him to be a big three-point threat. He's also showed an ability to slash to the rim and, at least, draw fouls. BUT.... as I lamented in the game thread... he has to make his free throws. 25% from the line in a game won't cut it. He gets those 5 or 6 points per game in that role with his defense and athleticism, and that is just fine.

Mullins needs to be more aggressive going to the hole. That’s his game on O.

 

[AdamOnFirst]

If Mullens can hit an occasional wide open three, Lumpkin style, then I'm ok with that. We don't need him to be a big three-point threat. He's also showed an ability to slash to the rim and, at least, draw fouls. BUT.... as I lamented in the game thread... he has to make his free throws. 25% from the line in a game won't cut it. He gets those 5 or 6 points per game in that role with his defense and athleticism, and that is just fine.

The free throws were devastating

 

[macarthur31]

1. Tre Singleton still looks like a freshmen very often, but when he gets the ball in the lane headed to score or receives a corner look you can just see the smoothness he has. He already has that look where it almost looks like he’s moving in slow motion as he floats around and maneuvers to the basket. Not that he’s at Boo’s level, but he always looked like he was in slow motion even as he blew by guys. Singleton has that some look on his face, almost totally blank, like it’s just effortless. Talent and feel there is just really big.

2. I too have grown less concerned about the lack of depth scoring in this particular game. I’m still worried about Mullins and Clayton, as well as Ciarvino, but when the four guys scoring are doing so at an absurdly efficient rate… why mess with it? No need to find a second option when all the first options are absolutely cooking. I imagine there will be opportunities for the likes of Green to get more involved if needed in the future.
Mullins though, Mullins has gotta be able to do stuff.

Man, Tre really showed out down the stretch against the Demons. That strong take where the defender just bounced off him, and then that fast-break where he was able to gather himself and finish strong - he just really looked like a veteran there. Hoping the can keep stringing those kind of plays together and I can see him as a B1G quality starter by season's end.

With regards to Mullins - I'll be happy if he can just be a consistent 1v1 stopper, high energy guy in deflections and grabbing boards, and hit his FTs. So far, he's keeping the ball moving (22.2 AssistRate), and he's high energy (6.2% Block rate, 9% OReb Rate are both among his career highs). However, despite a career high in FT Rate, he's 40%, 4/10 from FT. His frosh year at Denver suggested he could be passable at the charity stripe (69.4%, 50/72), and him contributing at that level can be one of the ways the 'Cats can "win in the margins."

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

1. Tre Singleton still looks like a freshmen very often, but when he gets the ball in the lane headed to score or receives a corner look you can just see the smoothness he has. He already has that look where it almost looks like he’s moving in slow motion as he floats around and maneuvers to the basket. Not that he’s at Boo’s level, but he always looked like he was in slow motion even as he blew by guys. Singleton has that some look on his face, almost totally blank, like it’s just effortless. Talent and feel there is just really big.

2. I too have grown less concerned about the lack of depth scoring in this particular game. I’m still worried about Mullins and Clayton, as well as Ciarvino, but when the four guys scoring are doing so at an absurdly efficient rate… why mess with it? No need to find a second option when all the first options are absolutely cooking. I imagine there will be opportunities for the likes of Green to get more involved if needed in the future.
Mullins though, Mullins has gotta be able to do stuff.

That Leach injury last season was a real killer for NU. Forced Clayton to burn his shirt and basically forced Collins to keep him around for another year as it was the “right thing to do”. We could have really used that roster spot for a backup to Page.

 

[No Chores]

That Leach injury last season was a real killer for NU. Forced Clayton to burn his shirt and basically forced Collins to keep him around for another year as it was the “right thing to do”. We could have really used that roster spot for a backup to Page.

Didn't we have scholarships we didn't use? If so, we could have used one on a backup big man. Why didn't that happen?

 

[Smolmania]

Finally got around to watching the replay last night (Lions vs. Eagles couldn't keep my interest), and my initial post from in-person observation stands. . . those refs sucked. You just cannot allow one team to use their superior physicality on one end, and then call meaningless touch fouls on the other. Two of the fouls called against AP and Tre were a friggin joke, and Martinelli's third was even worse.

That said (again, I'm sorry to be "that guy"), I'm not as concerned about our bench scoring as the TBS/TNT/Tru guys are. West, in addition to being a solid ball handler and a willing - albeit undersized - defender, is not going to miss open 3 point shots all season. Not only was his development hindered by the time missed with his concussion, but he's a freshman. Go back and look at his highlights from a Mr. Pennsylvania h.s. career. Yes, the opponents are bigger and more athletic than he faced in high school, but I think the kid can, and will, be a solid backup for Jayden. As for Mullins, the athleticism (especially on the defensive end) is enticing but he needs to make free throws. Not sure what happened to KJ -- a couple of national publications had him on their lists of players who will take big steps this year. It's still early, but remember we got nothing from him last season until well into the season, and we've only played 4 games. Finally, I'm sure that Jordan Clayton is a great kid, but the fewer minutes he plays the better -- anyone know what Blake Smith's status is? He would have at least grabbed those three rebounds that slipped thru Clayton's hands.

 

[AdamOnFirst]

Finally got around to watching the replay last night (Lions vs. Eagles couldn't keep my interest), and my initial post from in-person observation stands. . . those refs sucked. You just cannot allow one team to use their superior physicality on one end, and then call meaningless touch fouls on the other. Two of the fouls called against AP and Tre were a friggin joke, and Martinelli's third was even worse.

That said (again, I'm sorry to be "that guy"), I'm not as concerned about our bench scoring as the TBS/TNT/Tru guys are. West, in addition to being a solid ball handler and a willing - albeit undersized - defender, is not going to miss open 3 point shots all season. Not only was his development hindered by the time missed with his concussion, but he's a freshman. Go back and look at his highlights from a Mr. Pennsylvania h.s. career. Yes, the opponents are bigger and more athletic than he faced in high school, but I think the kid can, and will, be a solid backup for Jayden. As for Mullins, the athleticism (especially on the defensive end) is enticing but he needs to make free throws. Not sure what happened to KJ -- a couple of national publications had him on their lists of players who will take big steps this year. It's still early, but remember we got nothing from him last season until well into the season, and we've only played 4 games. Finally, I'm sure that Jordan Clayton is a great kid, but the fewer minutes he plays the better -- anyone know what Blake Smith's status is? He would have at least grabbed those three rebounds that slipped thru Clayton's hands.

TBH, my impression live was they basically just started calling pretty ticky tack fols on both ends of the floor. It maybe helped DePaul more since NU had built up a major foul advantage by then and both teams ended up quickly in the bonus anyway, but it's pretty normal non-Big-Ten officiating. We're used to guys being allowed to mug each other consistently. The game crew was a Big East crew and biased, but we bennefitted from a number of light calls inlding the foul on Martinelli that won us the game, which could have easily been no call.

 

[Cataria]

Finally got around to watching the replay last night (Lions vs. Eagles couldn't keep my interest), and my initial post from in-person observation stands. . . those refs sucked. You just cannot allow one team to use their superior physicality on one end, and then call meaningless touch fouls on the other. Two of the fouls called against AP and Tre were a friggin joke, and Martinelli's third was even worse.

That said (again, I'm sorry to be "that guy"), I'm not as concerned about our bench scoring as the TBS/TNT/Tru guys are. West, in addition to being a solid ball handler and a willing - albeit undersized - defender, is not going to miss open 3 point shots all season. Not only was his development hindered by the time missed with his concussion, but he's a freshman. Go back and look at his highlights from a Mr. Pennsylvania h.s. career. Yes, the opponents are bigger and more athletic than he faced in high school, but I think the kid can, and will, be a solid backup for Jayden. As for Mullins, the athleticism (especially on the defensive end) is enticing but he needs to make free throws. Not sure what happened to KJ -- a couple of national publications had him on their lists of players who will take big steps this year. It's still early, but remember we got nothing from him last season until well into the season, and we've only played 4 games. Finally, I'm sure that Jordan Clayton is a great kid, but the fewer minutes he plays the better -- anyone know what Blake Smith's status is? He would have at least grabbed those three rebounds that slipped thru Clayton's hands.

Blake Smith is injured but I don't know how long term it is. I doubt he would have played in this game. Jordan Clayton can rebound but he needs to hang on to the ball! He's going to show us his value in a game when we least expect it. He's a great guy to have on the team! Reminds me of Jordan Ash on the 2017 team.

 

[Username Not Available]

I wasn't able to watch the game, so I appreciate all the commentary from you folks in this and the other threads.

I am concerned about bench points. If we're going to have a team that plays 9-10 guys a game, the bench should be putting at least 10-15 points on the board most games or we'll have problems. Some games it won't happen, and some games they'll rack up the score, so I'm not worried about it from the DePaul game. I do think it matters tho and we need those points from them.

 

[rwhitney014]

I think/hope we’ll look back on the end of that game as the night Tre Singleton realized he’s better than a lot of his opponents at this level.

I get that we had a lot of unbalanced scoring, but we had a game right before that where a guy scored 16 in 9 minutes. I’m glad we have a lane to different ways of winning. Bottom line is we shot 58% from the field and 44% from 3 at a solid volume. That’ll play. I’d like to think giving up 27 free throws, including 10 to a guy who has 5 attempts across 3 other games so far this year, is the flukier part of the game.

I am concerned about the backup center spot but someone will either have to step up or come up with an alternative rotation that can find 10-15 minutes a game.

 

[Deeringfish]

I think/hope we’ll look back on the end of that game as the night Tre Singleton realized he’s better than a lot of his opponents at this level.

I get that we had a lot of unbalanced scoring, but we had a game right before that where a guy scored 16 in 9 minutes. I’m glad we have a lane to different ways of winning. Bottom line is we shot 58% from the field and 44% from 3 at a solid volume. That’ll play. I’d like to think giving up 27 free throws, including 10 to a guy who has 5 attempts across 3 other games so far this year, is the flukier part of the game.

I am concerned about the backup center spot but someone will either have to step up or come up with an alternative rotation that can find 10-15 minutes a game.

I wonder if Collins should revert to the more deliberate style of offense and defense of last year when Page is off the floor. Slow things down, get some steals , give Page some rest and then put him back out there.

 

[hdhntr1]

Didn't we have scholarships we didn't use? If so, we could have used one on a backup big man. Why didn't that happen?

Because while you can have up to 15 scholarships, rosters are also limited to 15. Maybe because with our two walkons, we were at 15. Also from what I have heard, it is hard to manage a roster of over 13

 

[hdhntr1]

Finally got around to watching the replay last night (Lions vs. Eagles couldn't keep my interest), and my initial post from in-person observation stands. . . those refs sucked. You just cannot allow one team to use their superior physicality on one end, and then call meaningless touch fouls on the other. Two of the fouls called against AP and Tre were a friggin joke, and Martinelli's third was even worse.

That said (again, I'm sorry to be "that guy"), I'm not as concerned about our bench scoring as the TBS/TNT/Tru guys are. West, in addition to being a solid ball handler and a willing - albeit undersized - defender, is not going to miss open 3 point shots all season. Not only was his development hindered by the time missed with his concussion, but he's a freshman. Go back and look at his highlights from a Mr. Pennsylvania h.s. career. Yes, the opponents are bigger and more athletic than he faced in high school, but I think the kid can, and will, be a solid backup for Jayden. As for Mullins, the athleticism (especially on the defensive end) is enticing but he needs to make free throws. Not sure what happened to KJ -- a couple of national publications had him on their lists of players who will take big steps this year. It's still early, but remember we got nothing from him last season until well into the season, and we've only played 4 games. Finally, I'm sure that Jordan Clayton is a great kid, but the fewer minutes he plays the better -- anyone know what Blake Smith's status is? He would have at least grabbed those three rebounds that slipped thru Clayton's hands.

More than likely if the other guys play better Clayton's minutes will diminish

 

[No Chores]

Because while you can have up to 15 scholarships, rosters are also limited to 15. Maybe because with our two walkons, we were at 15. Also from what I have heard, it is hard to manage a roster of over 13

Because while you can have up to 15 scholarships, rosters are also limited to 15. Maybe because with our two walkons, we were at 15. Also from what I have heard, it is hard to manage a roster of over 13

You might very well be right about rosters being limited to 15 which prevented us from recruiting a transfer back up big man, but I'm too lazy to look up the number of players on the roster. However, the difficulty of managing a roster of over 13 is not very convincing to me.

 

[hdhntr1]

You might very well be right about rosters being limited to 15 which prevented us from recruiting a transfer back up big man, but I'm too lazy to look up the number of players on the roster. However, the difficulty of managing a roster of over 13 is not very convincing to me.

The rules were recently changed regarding # of scholarships and roster size Before the limit was 13 scholarships and no real limit on roster size and now the limits on roster is 15 and the scholarship limit is 15. Every scholarship player has to be on the roster. Here is some info on the changes that took place this year. FB affected as well.,

NCAA Scholarship and Roster Limits: Key Changes Explained

Learn about the new NCAA scholarship and roster limits for the 2025-26 school year. Discover how these changes impact student-athletes and recruitment.

www.ncsasports.org

Since we had Blake and Hulbert on the roster and we have 13 scholarship athletes, we are capped out. Unless you want to force one of the walkons out, we are capped

Because of what is needed for scrimmages and getting everyone the time that they need 13 is about the max number that can be handled accounting for injuries and giving the playing time to develop. More than that becomes unwieldy and hard to manage (and you are already dealing with a couple spares that you do not have to worry about playing time,

 

[Yeswecat]

I would hate to see Blake and Hurlburt forced out. Blake has provided valuable minutes when needed. Hulbert has added muscle and strength in the three years he has been in the program and scored what I believe might have been his career high the other night (4) in less than two minutes and looked good doing so. They hustle, work hard, and are team players. NU needs selfless players like those two in the program.

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

I would hate to see Blake and Hurlburt forced out. Blake has provided valuable minutes when needed. Hulbert has added muscle and strength in the three years he has been in the program and scored what I believe might have been his career high the other night (4) in less than two minutes and looked good doing so. They hustle, work hard, and are team players. NU needs selfless players like those two in the program.

I’d rather have a competent backup to Page.

 

[chicagocatfan4]

I’d rather have a competent backup to Page.

So would I

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

I’d rather have a competent backup to Page.

Things are good on the hardwood when the biggest issue we have is the back up center.

 

[SDakaGordie]

Things are good on the hardwood when the biggest issue we have is the back up center.

Especially so given the lack of production we get from them.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Especially so given the lack of production we get from them.

When is the last time we got production from a back up center?

 

[hdhntr1]

I’d rather have a competent backup to Page.

I just don't see Collins forcing them out with all they have done for the program over their years here. A lot of people would lose some of the respect that they have for him if he forced them out,

In addition, this is the first time in a long, long time we have actually had 13 scholarships being used. (has Collins ever used the full allotment). The very successful successful off season means we have a lot of new guys (five HS recruits and three portal guys) that are not used to playing together. 8 total newcomers is already a lot to try to work in.

 

[PURPLECAT88]

When is the last time we got production from a back up center?

Does Ryan Young count? There were years where he was productive but not a starter. Before that Pardon in 2016.

 

[PURPLECAT88]

I just don't see Collins forcing them out with all they have done for the program over their years here. A lot of people would lose some of the respect that they have for him if he forced them out,

In addition, this is the first time in a long, long time we have actually had 13 scholarships being used. (has Collins ever used the full allotment). The very successful successful off season means we have a lot of new guys (four HS recruits and four portal guys) that are not used to playing together. 8 total newcomers is already a lot to try to work in.

Agree with all your points. Losing that good will for the marginal gain of an available back-up center is probably not worth it. Only correction is that it was five HS recruits and three portal guys.

 

[SDakaGordie]

When is the last time we got production from a back up center?

My point exactly.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Does Ryan Young count? There were years where he was productive but not a starter. Before that Pardon in 2016.

Maybe the best way to say it is when is the last time we had 2 productive Centers. If you consider Nance a Center, then yes RY would qualify. I never thought of Nance as a true 5. Pardon and Olah in 2016 qualify, but Pardon didn’t even play until Olah got hurt.

 

[hdhntr1]

Agree with all your points. Losing that good will for the marginal gain of an available back-up center is probably not worth it. Only correction is that it was five HS recruits and three portal guys.

Sorry and thanks for correction. I have corrected my post

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

My point exactly.

So your point is that we’ve had inadequate back-up center play for multiple seasons and it hasn’t hurt us? That we shouldn’t look to improve that spot on the roster?

 

[SDakaGordie]

So your point is that we’ve had inadequate back-up center play for multiple seasons and it hasn’t hurt us? That we shouldn’t look to improve that spot on the roster?

My point is it won’t hurt us much.

We have what we have this year. Collins tried to recruit 3 centers and got the best one, it appears. Seems like a good result. Look to next year to solidify, but still be optimistic this year knowing (or at least seeing in our historical data) that it will not be a big limiting factor for this team.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

So your point is that we’ve had inadequate back-up center play for multiple seasons and it hasn’t hurt us? That we shouldn’t look to improve that spot on the roster?

This team is much better than what I thought it would be at this stage. We might now have unrealistic expectations. I think there are multiple ways it can win. Of course, AP getting banged up would kill us, but you can say that about a position that lacks proven depth on just about every bubble team. There is going to be growing pains with a team this young.

 

[bringbacktherantboard]

The game crew was a Big East crew and biased, but we bennefitted from a number of light calls inlding the foul on Martinelli that won us the game, which could have easily been no call.

If that foul had not been called, Martinelli still had clear possession and a clear path to the basket. I give him a 2/3 chance to score a bucket in that scenario as time expired. Instead, it gave DePaul over 3 seconds to work with for a final 3 point attempt to win the game.

 

[Smolmania]

I realize that he's skinny as a rail, but does anyone think that the coaching staff might consider giving Cade some minutes as the backup center. As a couple of folks posted on the Symon Ghai thread on the Rock, "can't teach height."

In a perfect world, our inside play would be strong enough to justify having him sit and redshirt, but in this age of NIL and unlimited portal movement, just how many guys do we think are actually going to stay for 5 seasons? Just a thought

 

[NJCat]

I realize that he's skinny as a rail, but does anyone think that the coaching staff might consider giving Cade some minutes as the backup center. As a couple of folks posted on the Symon Ghai thread on the Rock, "can't teach height."

In a perfect world, our inside play would be strong enough to justify having him sit and redshirt, but in this age of NIL and unlimited portal movement, just how many guys do we think are actually going to stay for 5 seasons? Just a thought

I said it before, but watching the young man in the exhibition game, it would be malpractice to play him against Big 10 talent this season.