Nance
- Thread starter NJCat
- Start date
My default position heading into the season was that NU will only go as far as Boo takes them… but Nance has been even more solid than I could have expected. Well said, Fitzphile.
He still has a few nance moments, but overall he’s playing with a purpose and with his natural skill set can be a team leader this season. You don’t see many guys with his size who can hit 3’s and also explode to the rim.
He took control of the game in the last eight minutes - rebounding, blocked sots, drives to the hoop, slam dunks, jump shots - he did it all and was clearly the emotional leadeer. With play like that from him, we could surprise a lot of teams.
Last night Nance was +26 in 31 minutes, we were -10 when he was on the bench. We scored 68 points in 51 possessions with him in and 15 on 17 with him out. New Orleans scored 42 on 52 possessions with him in, and 25 on 17 with him out. No doubt he was the MVP last night.
I saw one play in last night's game (the long alley-oop that Nance finished). His celebration afterward is really what I noticed: swag, exuberance, support from his teammates. Yeah, it's easy to say, "well, that was a cool play," but he always seemed so low-key to me before, and I wondered if that both limited his play as well as how much his teammates could count on him to be a leader. What I saw in that celebration was different from what I'd seen in the previous three years, and it portends a strong season from him.
(and yes, I'm no expert on body language and this was not a super-representative sample, but I saw what I saw).
(and yes, I'm no expert on body language and this was not a super-representative sample, but I saw what I saw).
Agree with everything you wrote and I will add that it may be settling in that this is "it" for him. Senior year. Time to leave it all on the court. Up until now, the teams he's played on have been unremarkable. If he's going to make his mark and lead us back to the tourney. This is it. I love the fire and swagger. Let's hope it continues well into Conference play.
If he can stay out of foul trouble, he impacts the game in so many ways. If he's not getting posted up, he's a monster on altering shots.
And what helps him stay out of foul trouble? *cough* Ryan Young next to him *cough*
I thought he had a lot of nice moments last year as well and tried to be a leader. He played great in the first game against Iowa (I thought the first half of that game against Garza was the best he's ever played). Unfortunately, he's not a dominant scorer so he's not going to be able to take over games with the frequency we may need. He can definitely score more by running the court and on offensive rebounds, which he did last night. As I have said before, he does a lot of things well but he's not great at anything. And he's not the explosive athlete that his Dad and brother are so he won't be able to dominate physically against the better teams. I agree, though, that he definitely views himself as the leader of this team. He's the only senior starter (for now) and he's the best all-around player. When you are at games, you see that he is coaching up his teammates even when he is not on the floor.
I think Nance, Audige, Buie, Berry and Young are going to need to balance each other out because I don't think any of those guys are going to produce 15 points every game. I think it is more likely to be 22 points in one game and 7 the next. I think every player in the rotation can contribute offensively, though. Greer can hit open shots and make good decisions. Beran can hopefully hit open shots and get some offensive rebounds (jury is out), which is a much lower expectation than when he first got here. Roper and Simmons can get to loose balls, generate steals and run the court. Williams can do a little bit of everything. At the end of games, though, one or more of our better players will likely have to step up (either making a shot or creating a shot). Audige is the most natural scorer on the team. Hopefully, his shot selection and decision making will improve and he will become more consistent.
Coaches can create leaders. I watched Al McGuire and Bob Knight designate a star before every season. He was the "go to" guy, the man with the ball at the end of the game, and the leader of the team. Of course, these guys did not substitute nearly as much as Collins, ran set plays rather than a motion offense, and exercised dictatorial control over their programs. Designating a leader under such circumstances is a lot easier. Still, I'd love to see Collins mark Nance as the leader of this team
Nance doesn’t need CCC to mark him as leader of the team. Nance already did it all by himself.
Glad we don’t have the other would be Senior to muck up the pecking order.
I am also curious to see how the dynamic plays out this year given the personnel changes. This is now unquestionably Nance's team with Greer as a strong character backup.
In the postgame interviews, Boo once again talked about how connected this team is, and Nance echoed it, saying it is the most connected in his 4 years at NU.
The last two games, as I watched, it seemed like Nance and Greer have reached that senior realization that they have to run things and make things happen rather than waiting or passing the buck. The results have been obvious and good.
What we really need is a couple more guys to get that mindset before senior year
What we really need is a couple more guys to get that mindset before senior year
Yup, that's the hallmark of a developmental program. It's especially true for guys like Greer who know that this is - likely - their last year of playing hoops at a high level. I'm sure he would love to play professionally overseas, but knows that's a huge long shot. Leave it all on the court!
It is possible, but in Greer's case I don't see him doing so. Not only will Boo be slotted into the starting PG spot, CC will likely want to get Rowan some backup minutes so he's ready to lead as a soph. My bet is that he earns his degree and moves on.
With Nance, I think he's likely gone but it may depend on how the Cats do. If he leads us to the promised land, then I think he heads overseas in the hopes of one day joining his dad and brother in the League. There is enough film on him at this point for scouts to make a judgment. Not sure what another BIG season really gets him at this point.