If you were Ryan Young…

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

under the radar somewhat....

Led by 6'11" 245 lbs center Fardaws Aimaq, Utah Valley stunned BYU last night in overtime, handing the #12 Cougars their first loss.

Aimaq had 24 points, 22 rebounds, 5 steals, 4 assists and 3 blocks...

He's coached by former NBA big man Mark Madsen.

In Evanston, that dude would be sitting on the bench.

 

[CSCatFan1]

under the radar somewhat....

Led by 6'11" 245 lbs center Fardaws Aimaq, Utah Valley stunned BYU last night in overtime, handing the #12 Cougars their first loss.

Aimaq had 24 points, 22 rebounds, 5 steals, 4 assists and 3 blocks...

He's coached by former NBA big man Mark Madsen.

In Evanston, that dude would be sitting on the bench.

Asinine comment.

 

[Deeringfish]

CCC doesn't need to be fired. He needs to find an assistant coach with strong in game coaching skills and let that person take the reigns.

I don't know BB very well. But, assuming you know a little, which it sounds like you do. This sounds like the most insightful posted suggestion I have read in 15+ years.

 

[CSCatFan1]

I don't know BB very well. But, assuming you know a little, which it sounds like you do. This sounds like the most insightful posted suggestion I have read in 15+ years.

Really? Check out Brian James’ credentials. Sheesh.

 

[xxxbobxxx]

Really? Check out Brian James’ credentials. Sheesh.

James is renown for his work w big men. Not sure his X and Os got him attention as head coach material.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

Asinine comment.

Let me guess, you are afraid of the stats.

 

[CSCatFan1]

Let me guess, you are afraid of the stats.

To say a player like Aimaq wouldn't be playing at NU is just plain dumb.

 

[GatoLouco]

Fun facts about NU and Ryan Young, 20/21 season:

Player efficiency rating:
Ryan Young 22.0
Pete Nance 19.7
Chase Audige 14.7
Boo Buie 14.2
Miller Kopp 13.2

Offensive rating
Ryan Young 114.9
Robbie Beran 109.2
Pete Nance 109.0
Anthony Gaines 102.4
Miller Kopp 99.4

Defensive rating
Pete Nance 97.8
Chase Audige 98.5
Anthony Gaines 99.5
Ryan Young 99.6
Robbie Beran 102.8

Effective FG%
Ryan Young .578
Pete Nance .551
Robbie Beran .537
Anthony Gaines .493
Chase Audige .477

Total Rebound %
Ryan Young 14.7
Pete Nance 14.3
Anthony Gaines 12.1
Robbie Beran 7.8
Chase Audige 7.6

Assist %
Boo Buie 29.8
Ryan Young 16.0
Chase Audige 14.1
Pete Nance 13.6
Robbie Beran 10.1

Win Shares
Pete Nance 2.4
Ryan Young 1.9
Miller Kopp 1.5
Boo Buie 1.4
Robbie Beran 1.2

Point per 40
Chase Audige 17.5
Ryan Young 16.6
Pete Nance 16.2
Boo Buie 15.4
Miller Kopp 14.4

Rebounds per 40
Ryan Young 10.2
Pete Nance 9.9
Anthony Gaines 8.3
Robbie Beran 5.4
Chase Audige 5.2

Assists per 40
Boo Buie 6.0
Ryan Young 3.0
Chase Audige 2.6
Pete Nance 2.5
Robbie Beran 2.1

Blocks per 40
Pete Nance 1.0
Ryan Young 0.9
Robbie Beran 0.8
Chase Audige 0.6
Anthony Gaines 0.6

Steals per 40
Chase Audige 2.2
Miller Kopp 1.3
Anthony Gaines 1.2
Ryan Young 1.0
Boo Buie 0.9

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

James is renown for his work w big men. Not sure his X and Os got him attention as head coach material.

Brian James...

Coached high school basketball at Glenbrook North for 18 years. He coached his star player Chris Collins in the early 1990's. Chris' father Doug was a regular at those games. Doug Collins and Brian James became friends.
Doug Collins was hired by the Detroit Pistons to be their head coach in July, 1995.
He hired Brian James out of Glenbrook North High School to be his NBA assistant coach in Detroit.

Collins lasted almost 3 years in Detroit...
Despite winning 100 games over the previous two seasons, Collins turned off members of his team with an abrasive and overly emotional style of coaching. "I'm not going to lie," star Grant Hill said "I didn't enjoy going to practice, I didn't enjoy going to games." Brian Williams said "I became increasingly aware that Doug won games and we [the players] lost games."
(https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1998-02-08-1998039171-story.html)

James was subsequently hired by Butch Carter who had just been named head coach of the Toronto Raptors. It was Carter's first job as a head coach. James would be an assistant coach. Carter lasted two years before being fired. Lenny Wilkens replaced Carter. After one season, he "reassigned" James.

In June 2001, General Manager Michael Jordan hired his former-coach-turned-TV-analyst Doug Collins to coach the Washington Wizards. Collins immediately hired his good friend Brian James to be his assistant.
After two sub .500 years, Jordan, Collins and James were all gone.

James spent the next couple of years as an advance scout for the Seattle Supersonics.

James was hired in 2005 by the Milwaukee Bucks as an assistant to new coach Terry Stotts. Stotts was fired in the middle of his 2nd season and replaced by assistant Larry Krystkowiak. Krystkowiak retained James for the next season, but the team finished 26-56 and both men were let go.

In the spring of 2008, Brian James was named by Johnny Dawkins (ex Duke asst) as agreeing to come to Stanford to be one of his original assistant coaches. (https://www.sfgate.com/collegesports/article/Dawkins-builds-staff-3284044.php)
I found no records of that happening and it is unclear (to me) what James did for the next two seasons.

In 2010, the Philadelphia 76ers hired Doug Collins to be their head coach. He immediately hired good friend Brian James to be an assistant. Three mediocre seasons later Collins stepped down. The players found him "overbearing."
(https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/...rew-tired-of-doug-collins-being-doug-collins/)

Brian James immediately left the 76ers to be an assistant for new head coach Chris Collins at Northwestern University in 2013. Father Doug became a fixture at Northwestern games.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

To say a player like Aimaq wouldn't be playing at NU is just plain dumb.

Aimaq was not really recruited out of high school, despite his size and three time Vancouver player of the year status. He went to a developmental league in Maine, where he dominated play. Still no interest from anyone of significance. Gets one D1 offer and enrolls at Mercer University. Leads Mercer in rebounding as a freshman with 5.3 per game despite playing only 15 minutes a game. Coach gets fired. He decides to transfer. Sits out a year.

Ends up at Utah Valley because he liked head coach Mark Madsen and thought Madsen could help him develop.

In 2020, his first season at Utah Valley, plays 30 mpg, scores 14 ppg, leads entire NCAA in rebounding with 15 per game.

The chance of a big, 2 star, unrecruited high school basketball player going from total obscurity to stardom at Northwestern for Chris Collins is zero. Okay, to be fair, approximately zero.

 

[SDakaGordie]

Unbelievable the way you distort reality against Collins. 99.999% of all other coaches did not have interest either. Shall we blame Collins for diamonds in the rough that he did not recruit? See (again) how you distort facts??

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

Unbelievable the way you distort reality against Collins. 99.999% of all other coaches did not have interest either. Shall we blame Collins for diamonds in the rough that he did not recruit? See (again) how you distort facts??

Well there are several factors that work against you.
First of all, Collins wants to play a style that has Pete Nance at the 5. 6'10", 220 lbs, runs the floor, can shoot from 3. Collins is a former guard, he prefers to play small. He wants to recruit guards who shoot the ball from 3. He seems to undervalue rebounding and defensive ability near the basket.

Collins has very little interest in playing a classic Big Ten style, where you recruit monsters to dominate the paint, with a point guard to get them the ball. That formula apparently bores him, regardless of the fact that rebounding is the primary key to success in the league. 7 footers don't fit his "positionless basketball" pipedream because they only play their position.

His recruiting is always about Top 100 or Top 250 or 3 stars or 4 stars. Players he can classify based on other people's evaluations. His most recent class was Simmons, Barnhizer and Roper, who are all either small forwards or big guards. No way is Aimaq ever on his radar. Simply not his type of player, with no reputation.

And if the kid had somehow ended up on NU's roster, he's still going to be sitting behind Pete Nance and Robbie Beran, who are indisputably Collins' type of "big men."

Madsen, at Utah Valley, sought Aimaq out, perceived his talent, developed trust, worked with him, built up his confidence and both are reaping the benefits.

I really wish Collins had those capabilities. Feel free to provide examples where he has.

 

[SDakaGordie]

As usual, you change the direction of the conversation, reverting back to your typical line. But, at the risk of getting more of the same:

Dererk Pardon.

While I agree Collins prefers positionless basketball, he allowed Pardon to play inside many times to take advantage of his low-post skills.

The rest of what you conclude is pure conjecture.

 

[xxxbobxxx]

As usual, you change the direction of the conversation, reverting back to your typical line. But, at the risk of getting more of the same:

Dererk Pardon.

While I agree Collins prefers positionless basketball, he allowed Pardon to play inside many times to take advantage of his low-post skills.

The rest of what you conclude is pure conjecture.

Maybe. He has the horses. Let’s see how he uses them. Stats are an effort to explain why a team win or loss. Just beat by a lessor team. Heading into a game against a coach less team. Let’s see what happens. I am guessing a leopard can’t change his spots so we will see the same deployment. Maybe this time it will work - otherwise need to line up a season full of cupcakes to see any success. Are the Washington generals still playing?

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

As usual, you change the direction of the conversation, reverting back to your typical line. But, at the risk of getting more of the same:

Dererk Pardon.

While I agree Collins prefers positionless basketball, he allowed Pardon to play inside many times to take advantage of his low-post skills.

The rest of what you conclude is pure conjecture.

Pardon was only 6'8" Great player but not the type of guy I'm talking about.
(I'm sure you know, Collins was going to redshirt Pardon before an injury to Alex Olah made him realize that he needed a rebounder.)

Alex Olah was that type of player. So was Kevin Rankin.
And Evan Eschmeyer. Luka Mirkovic.

On the negative side, there was
Chier Ajou (Carmody) African player, a real longshot who never did anything.
Barret Benson (Collins), started 8 games as a freshman, ended up a bench player.
Kyle Rowley, who started 28 games for Carmody as a freshman but transferred to St Mary's after his 2nd season, while losing playing time to Mirkovic.

 

[mekCat]

Brian James did design and call THE PLAY. So he's not only about big men.

 

[ThatadultfromHolland]

James is renown for his work w big men. Not sure his X and Os got him attention as head coach material.

Look at pretty much any inbound play we have after a time out. Also we score on pretty much everyone lol. Dude can draw up plays.

 

[GatoLouco]

Look at pretty much any inbound play we have after a time out. Also we score on pretty much everyone lol. Dude can draw up plays.

Don’t think that’s the point here. The point is that for as much as his play drawing or work with big men is respected, he has not gotten head coaching looks. Which in turn also brings into question if CC should or could rely on him for subs and in game lineup decisions.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

Don’t think that’s the point here. The point is that for as much as his play drawing or work with big men is respected, he has not gotten head coaching looks. Which in turn also brings into question if CC should or could rely on him for subs and in game lineup decisions.

Just out of curiosity, who are the big men that Brian James has developed?
What is this reputation based on? NBA stuff or at NU?

 

[GatoLouco]

Just out of curiosity, who are the big men that Brian James has developed?
What is this reputation based on? NBA stuff or at NU?

I think it’s called Dererk Pardon. It’s a one man list. Anyway, we can debate if the reputation is deserved or not. But it’s out there. The talking heads on TV say them during the games, often after being told said talking points by the coaches, and it becomes part of the accepted theory.

 

[SDakaGordie]

Olah (for a noticeable last year), Skelly, Young. Let’s be fair guys.

 

[xxxbobxxx]

Look at pretty much any inbound play we have after a time out. Also we score on pretty much everyone lol. Dude can draw up plays.

Then ccc would be wise to turn over in game coaching to him.

 

[xxxbobxxx]

I think it’s called Dererk Pardon. It’s a one man list. Anyway, we can debate if the reputation is deserved or not. But it’s out there. The talking heads on TV say them during the games, often after being told said talking points by the coaches, and it becomes part of the accepted theory.

I thought it was from nba days but maybe it’s an exaggeration.

 

[GatoLouco]

Olah (for a noticeable last year), Skelly, Young. Let’s be fair guys.

Each one of those could be argued against. Olah, hard to discount several years of work in other hands. Skelly did not amount to more than a backup who might not have seen the floor in other B1G teams.Young looked good the first time he stepped on the court. Got stronger, for sure, after and it earned him more time on the bench. Red shirt year? Speculation, we did not see him play.

Having said all that, I did not say James does not develop big men well. But I’m not sure he’s more than adequate at it when the only guy I can’t argue about in my mind is Pardon. I surely hope he’s good so he can continue developing strong tushies that can withstand long periods on the bench.

 

[SDakaGordie]

Skelly was a key cog in the NCAA team. Olah is playing overseas and is a big follower / believer of the current team. Young was raw and lacking athleticism and is now more than many ever thought he would be. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

But a “one man list” implies clearly that you don’t think James is capable of developing big men well. Please try to stop walking back your prior negative comments.

 

[GatoLouco]

Skelly was a key cog in the NCAA team. Olah is playing overseas and is a big follower / believer of the current team. Young was raw and lacking athleticism and is now more than many ever thought he would be. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

But a “one man list” implies clearly that you don’t think James is capable of developing big men well. Please try to stop walking back your prior negative comments.

I did not walk back any comments. It is a one man list. The others are very debatable that they developed any more or any less than what was expected with any coach. If the comment is positive, negative, or neutral, that is also debatable. I accept and understand you find it negative. I find it neutral, inconclusive. TBD.

 

[SDakaGordie]

A one man list (so a percentage way below a median of 50% of the big men he has coached) clearly states mathematically that you are not neutral. But whatev…

 

[GatoLouco]

A one man list (so a percentage way below a median of 50% of the big men he has coached) clearly states mathematically that you are not neutral. But whatev…

I’m no math genius but I’m pretty sure 50% is not a number representing success/failure in a given field. I’ll leave considerations of what a median is out of this. Will get too geeky.

Baseball players are millionaires if they hit .300. No idea what the median is on that one.

 

[SDakaGordie]

Fair point. Maybe every other assistant coach only develops one player in his coaching career, so James is fine.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

If you're gonna talk about "big men" as anybody the size of Miller Kopp or bigger, thats a different issue.
Pardon was 6'8" with long arms, and he played with his back to the basket. Robbie Beran is not a "big man" even if he is 6'9" tall.

Barret Benson made very little progress at NU - a disappointment.
Was Aaron Falzon a "big man?"
Gavin Skelly? I don't think so.

I'm talking about guys who rebound and play near the basket. Collins doesn't really like them, doesn't know what to do with them. If James is good at developing those types of players, he must be very frustrated.

Matt Nicholson is the biggest player we've had since Alex Olah, who started all 4 seasons he played for NU.
MN grew 3+ inches and added 35 lbs after he committed to NU, before he showed up on campus.

Ryan Young was pretty good as a redshirt freshman. Not sure who gets the credit for that, but it is pretty clear that he is now getting shortchanged by the coaching staff (playing time).

If you draw a cutoff at 6'10" and 240 lbs, we've had Ryan Young, Matt Nicholson and Barret Benson in the Collins era.

 

[GatoLouco]

Fair point. Maybe every other assistant coach only develops one player in his coaching career, so James is fine.

I don’t know what the reasonable number is. No idea.

Anyway, to me, it’s about a coach who develops a player more than what we expected. And that’s impossible to quantify and extremely debatable. To me Olah developed more than expected, but don’t know how to attribute that to James. Young? Not convinced he has developed more than expected when he showed a lot from the beginning. Pardon, never expected him to be as good as he turned out to be. Skelly I’d not even think of considering, just like Benson

I actually like coach James, though it’s obvious so hard to be confident about any assessment when his work is in the background. I think there’s a good chance he’s an excellent assistant. But, at the same time, I do not buy as a matter of fact that he is for sure great. Or great at every facet of the game. And often there’s an assumption he is around here.

If that was the case he’d be a head coach by now. Good chance he’s an excellent assistant for life and we are lucky to have him.

 

[EvanstonCat]

Pardon was only 6'8" Great player but not the type of guy I'm talking about.
(I'm sure you know, Collins was going to redshirt Pardon before an injury to Alex Olah made him realize that he needed a rebounder.)

Alex Olah was that type of player. So was Kevin Rankin.
And Evan Eschmeyer. Luka Mirkovic.

On the negative side, there was
Chier Ajou (Carmody) African player, a real longshot who never did anything.
Barret Benson (Collins), started 8 games as a freshman, ended up a bench player.
Kyle Rowley, who started 28 games for Carmody as a freshman but transferred to St Mary's after his 2nd season, while losing playing time to Mirkovic.

You forgot the Hebrew Mamba.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

You forgot the Hebrew Mamba.

Aaron Liberman, a Carmody recruit, stood 6'10" and weighed a mere 218 lbs.
He and Chier Ajou were both a year behind Alex Olah and transferred out.
Ajou was a Somali, I think, with a year or two of basketball.
Liberman was from North Hollywood, CA, where he played for a tiny private school.

Both made an impression in warmups.