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Looking at NU's offense during this six-game losing streak

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mikewebb68

Senior
Oct 24, 2009
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lou v said:
...and it ain't pretty.

Shooting blanks
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Lou, did you know that we changed our offense prior to the Iowa game and have been running a different offense since then? Haywood, gave us the scoop. Didn't change much except for the Iowa game since we can't put the ball in the ocean, but at least CC is doing everything he can....
 
L

lou v

All-Conference
Staff member
Aug 27, 2004
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mikewebb68 said:
Lou, did you know that we changed our offense prior to the Iowa game and have been running a different offense since then? Haywood, gave us the scoop. Didn't change much except for the Iowa game since we can't put the ball in the ocean, but at least CC is doing everything he can....
Click to expand...

I agree. I think that's always been one of CC's strengths, his ability to change and adapt. Over the years he has gone big, gone small, sped things up, slowed things down, played zone, etc. At the same time, this offensive power outage is not limited to this season. Looking bigger picture, NU's offense has been trending down for the last two years. Their PPG has gone from 71.1 in 2017 to 68.8 last year, to 67.0 (and falling) this year. Their shooting has fallen each year, too, from .436 to .426 to .409. It's troubling.
 
M

mikewebb68

Senior
Oct 24, 2009
9,811
501
113
lou v said:
I agree. I think that's always been one of CC's strengths, his ability to change and adapt. Over the years he has gone big, gone small, sped things up, slowed things down, played zone, etc. At the same time, this offensive power outage is not limited to this season. Looking bigger picture, NU's offense has been trending down for the last two years. Their PPG has gone from 71.1 in 2017 to 68.8 last year, to 67.0 (and falling) this year. Their shooting has fallen each year, too, from .436 to .426 to .409. It's troubling.
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Indeed, and I believe the trend is far more complicated to explain than saying that we don't have a true point guard. The team too easily goes into long scoring droughts in games for going on two years now, whether the shots are open or not. Something else is going on, imo.
 
H

hoosboot

All-American
Nov 7, 2001
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mikewebb68 said:
Indeed, and I believe the trend is far more complicated to explain than saying that we don't have a true point guard. The team too easily goes into long scoring droughts in games for going on two years now, whether the shots are open or not. Something else is going on, imo.
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So, what is that something else?

IMHO, we don't have a functional identity on offense, so the whole of the team isn't greater than the sum of the parts. The fit of the pieces we have is not good. A point guard creating offensive opportunities for other players isn't necessary, but an offense that creates offensive opportunities that can be converted by the players on the roster is. The ability to get the ball up court to create offense when facing full-court pressure or the ability to move the ball to key points on the floor against a packed-in zone is. While there are many different ways to reach those ends (multiple ballhandlers, a "point forward", a "lead guard" surrounded by shooters, a traditional point guard, etc.) we don't have the ability to do those things for whatever reason and that is trouble.
 
M

mikewebb68

Senior
Oct 24, 2009
9,811
501
113
hoosboot said:
So, what is that something else?

IMHO, we don't have a functional identity on offense, so the whole of the team isn't greater than the sum of the parts. The fit of the pieces we have is not good. A point guard creating offensive opportunities for other players isn't necessary, but an offense that creates offensive opportunities that can be converted by the players on the roster is. The ability to get the ball up court to create offense when facing full-court pressure or the ability to move the ball to key points on the floor against a packed-in zone is. While there are many different ways to reach those ends (multiple ballhandlers, a "point forward", a "lead guard" surrounded by shooters, a traditional point guard, etc.) we don't have the ability to do those things for whatever reason and that is trouble.
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I don't know; your guess is as good as mine.
 
I

IGNORE

Redshirt
Jan 15, 2019
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lou v said:
I agree. I think that's always been one of CC's strengths, his ability to change and adapt. Over the years he has gone big, gone small, sped things up, slowed things down, played zone, etc. At the same time, this offensive power outage is not limited to this season. Looking bigger picture, NU's offense has been trending down for the last two years. Their PPG has gone from 71.1 in 2017 to 68.8 last year, to 67.0 (and falling) this year. Their shooting has fallen each year, too, from .436 to .426 to .409. It's troubling.
Click to expand...

Um, seems like it is always a bit too late. Kinda like switching to zone three years ago. Or starting Turner til lately. Or starting Taylor still.
 
C

Cat Fan in Buckeye Land

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Jan 28, 2008
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Thinking back for several years, NU seems to have had a number of guys who came in with reputations as big time shooters, who have seemed to lost their touch at some point after setting foot in Evanston. Winston Blake was solid until slumping a bit with his shot as a senior (I believe he was dealing with a nagging injury that season). Evan Seacat was inconsistent (he started to get going as a senior, only to be literally knocked off track by Jan Jagla). Nick Fruendt had a similar profile, and there are some others, too. This goes back over multiple coaching staffs. Part of the problem is that they never seem to have anybody who can just straight up get to the rim for a basket on their own when they need it, so they have to take less than ideal shots quite often. I’ve said it before, but winning at this level when you’re not one of those teams that do it every year! Also having a smaller margin of error as a program doesn’t help!
 
K

Katatonic

Sophomore
Oct 23, 2004
86,854
134
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mikewebb68 said:
Indeed, and I believe the trend is far more complicated to explain than saying that we don't have a true point guard. The team too easily goes into long scoring droughts in games for going on two years now, whether the shots are open or not. Something else is going on, imo.
Click to expand...

Those scoring droughts even happened when BMac was at the helm.

Problem seems to me is the 1 lead guard, 3 wings and 1 center lineup makeup.

In particular, the wings (this season, absent a lead guard, using 4 wings) - as the wings aren't particularly good shooters (Law is the best, but can be streaky) and aren't particularly good at driving to the basket (and scoring).

FG%

Lindsey - .414
Law - .401
AJ Turner - .377 (just NU)
Falzon - .370
Gaines - .369
Ryan Taylor - .366 (just NU)

Despite getting a lot of criticism, it was Sanjay who was most efficient - .483.
And Tap wasn't too shabby either at .446.

Coble - .482
Shurna - .467
Hearn - .457
Crawford - .436
Cobb - .405 (.459 2pt%) - Jershon wasn't the greatest 3pt shooter, but (when healthy) could drive to the basket or set up his own shot w/ his step-back mid-range jumper.

Moore - didn't have the greatest 3pt% his first 2 seasons, but lit it up during his last 2 (over 40%) from the arc, and still finished w/ an overall career FG% of .411.

If your wings (in a wing-dominated lineup) can't shoot or drive to the basket (and make shots), then u have a major problem on your hands.
 
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