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Nicholson gets his own thread

SmellyCat

SmellyCat

Junior
May 29, 2001
7,290
340
83
Best game of the season - by far - for Nicholson, and a lot of us have been hard on him this year. It's not just that he put some crooked numbers in the box score, it's that a light switch seemed to go on to tell him he can go up for rebounds and be active all over the place. I really can't complain about him tonight. He was fantastic.
 
AdamOnFirst

AdamOnFirst

All-Conference
Nov 29, 2021
9,719
1,365
113
Remember like eight days ago when we couldn’t figure out what on earth happened to him? ANCIENT HISTORY.

He’s a beast of a big ol boy again. Dunks and oops and making people regret their life in the paint and huge rebounds.
 
P

phatcat_rivals223240

All-Conference
Nov 5, 2001
18,869
1,037
113
We needed all of it. Even his tip on the last pass. Glad to see it. I was complaining bitterly about him. Really need him at a high level to get anywhere
 
U

UpsetAlert

Sophomore
May 21, 2018
1,601
193
52
AdamOnFirst said:
Remember like eight days ago when we couldn’t figure out what on earth happened to him? ANCIENT HISTORY.

He’s a beast of a big ol boy again. Dunks and oops and making people regret their life in the paint and huge rebounds.
Click to expand...
He’s also getting healthier - Collins intimated as such.
 
AdamOnFirst

AdamOnFirst

All-Conference
Nov 29, 2021
9,719
1,365
113
This is a completely trite thought, but all I can think of is how in college when me or one of my fraternity brothers were (very very rarely) struggling to sink shots in beer pong we would physically leave the room into a closet or bedroom, then open the door and introduce ourselves to everybody present as “a new man.” This was pretty funny when we were drunk, especially when you made your next couple of shots.

It’s ridiculous, but it’s all I can think of. It’s like Matty walked into a broom closet at halftime of the Penn State game and walked out announcing he was a new man… and he just was.
 
X

xxxbobxxx

Sophomore
Mar 12, 2005
10,806
163
43
SmellyCat said:
Best game of the season - by far - for Nicholson, and a lot of us have been hard on him this year. It's not just that he put some crooked numbers in the box score, it's that a light switch seemed to go on to tell him he can go up for rebounds and be active all over the place. I really can't complain about him tonight. He was fantastic.
Click to expand...
Around the 15 of second half, he goes up strong like he’s prepared to crush any defending hands against the iron. That’s the MN I have been wanting to see.
 
N

NUCat320

Senior
Dec 4, 2005
19,469
495
0
IGNORE2 said:
Around the 15 of second half, he goes up strong like he’s prepared to crush any defending hands against the iron. That’s the MN I have been wanting to see.
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Earlier on that possession, he doubled off the screen to prevent the drive, then retreated to the paint. It was the guy we saw 11 months ago. Really nice to see.
 
P

purplejustice

Redshirt
Jan 2, 2006
1,074
43
48
He played a great game except at the free throw line. He has to keep working on it. He showed lots of energy throughout the game. He was a force on the boards and with his dunks. Fun evening at Welsh Ryan.
 
R

rwhitney014

Sophomore
Dec 5, 2007
5,246
180
27
He wasn’t moving well. The only way a guy stops moving well is if he’s out of shape - which Matt has not visibly been - or if he’s hurt.

Brooks’ hand was hurt when he went through his slump. The wrap has slowly come off, was fully off tonight, and look! He’s been much better across the board.

Gotta think Nicholson was fighting something too. Getting this version of him consistently would be an excellent development. He and Hunger bring different things to the position in different matchups but make a nice combo.
 
SmellyCat

SmellyCat

Junior
May 29, 2001
7,290
340
83
rwhitney014 said:
He wasn’t moving well.
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I'm sure that contributed to his foul problems this year. He moved better last night and lo and behold - no foul problems! I think he ended with three, which is still more than most, but I think he probably had at least one very late in the game.
 
TheC

TheC

All-Conference
May 29, 2001
19,110
1,179
62
Yep.... huge props to Big Matt for last night. Let's hope this is the start of something. We become a different team if he is contributing like that.
 
H

hdhntr1

All-Conference
Sep 5, 2006
37,310
1,103
113
SmellyCat said:
Best game of the season - by far - for Nicholson, and a lot of us have been hard on him this year. It's not just that he put some crooked numbers in the box score, it's that a light switch seemed to go on to tell him he can go up for rebounds and be active all over the place. I really can't complain about him tonight. He was fantastic.
Click to expand...
Other than the Free Throws
 
H

hdhntr1

All-Conference
Sep 5, 2006
37,310
1,103
113
AdamOnFirst said:
Remember like eight days ago when we couldn’t figure out what on earth happened to him? ANCIENT HISTORY.

He’s a beast of a big ol boy again. Dunks and oops and making people regret their life in the paint and huge rebounds.
Click to expand...
It seems like a change in focus to get him the ball in a position to score, They have not done that much lately but last night it seemed a point of emphasis. Could be just who we were going up against but it was nice to see regardless
 
AdamOnFirst

AdamOnFirst

All-Conference
Nov 29, 2021
9,719
1,365
113
rwhitney014 said:
He wasn’t moving well. The only way a guy stops moving well is if he’s out of shape - which Matt has not visibly been - or if he’s hurt.

Brooks’ hand was hurt when he went through his slump. The wrap has slowly come off, was fully off tonight, and look! He’s been much better across the board.

Gotta think Nicholson was fighting something too. Getting this version of him consistently would be an excellent development. He and Hunger bring different things to the position in different matchups but make a nice combo.
Click to expand...
I think it has to be a mixture of physical and mental factors. He was a non-factor all season, slow and confused, and then basically overnight he was just right back. It doesn't make sense for him to have been so hurt for months and then get totally healthy in like three days and look completely like himself again. In addition to slow he just looked out of place and like he wasn't processing the game well. Maybe he had a nagging injury and it hurt is mental state, wouldn't be the first time that's happened.
 
P

PurpleWhiteBoy

Redshirt
Feb 25, 2021
5,303
0
0
AdamOnFirst said:
I think it has to be a mixture of physical and mental factors. He was a non-factor all season, slow and confused, and then basically overnight he was just right back. It doesn't make sense for him to have been so hurt for months and then get totally healthy in like three days and look completely like himself again. In addition to slow he just looked out of place and like he wasn't processing the game well. Maybe he had a nagging injury and it hurt is mental state, wouldn't be the first time that's happened.
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He's been playing better for about 3 games. I do think its possible he was hurt at the beginning of the season. He was carrying extra weight. Thought maybe a knee or toe or ankle.

I base that on one incident in the first few games where he seemed to stub his toe at midcourt, throw his arms up and signal that he wanted to come out of the game.
 
SmellyCat

SmellyCat

Junior
May 29, 2001
7,290
340
83
It might be a combination of minor injury, weight, AND coaches yelling at him/benching him. Someone the other night said the bench is the most powerful motivator in sports.
 
P

PurpleWhiteBoy

Redshirt
Feb 25, 2021
5,303
0
0
SmellyCat said:
It might be a combination of minor injury, weight, AND coaches yelling at him/benching him. Someone the other night said the bench is the most powerful motivator in sports.
Click to expand...

I'm hoping there was also a little re-assessment of Nicholson from the coaching side.

Why do we have him out there defending the perimeter and switching onto guards?
He gets tired, he's not in rebounding position and he doesn't get to defend the basket, which is his biggest strength...
And on offense, yes he is our best screener by a mile, and he does okay passing the ball to guys posting up or cutting, but other than that, he belongs near the basket...

The last couple games he did less running on both ends of the floor.

One can dream...
 
SmellyCat

SmellyCat

Junior
May 29, 2001
7,290
340
83
I think it was five dunks and one putback layup in OT. He had to make a move for at least half of them, rather than just accepting an alley oop (not that that isn’t a move in its own right).
 
AdamOnFirst

AdamOnFirst

All-Conference
Nov 29, 2021
9,719
1,365
113
SmellyCat said:
I think it was five dunks and one putback layup in OT. He had to make a move for at least half of them, rather than just accepting an alley oop (not that that isn’t a move in its own right).
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He was at absolute peak form moving offensively last night. One dribble, two steps, and an open jam max, but that all works when you frequently get wide open on the space Buie creates for you. I’ll take 12 quick points on 6-7 any day, especially when your last two points before fouling out are basically the dagger.
 
U

Username Not Available

Sophomore
Dec 24, 2010
3,099
102
63
My favorite part was in the OT when they totally lost him covering our weavers and a bounce pass thru their wall for a big boom. Losing track of him at the rim was great.
 
X

xxxbobxxx

Sophomore
Mar 12, 2005
10,806
163
43
AdamOnFirst said:
He was at absolute peak form moving offensively last night. One dribble, two steps, and an open jam max, but that all works when you frequently get wide open on the space Buie creates for you. I’ll take 12 quick points on 6-7 any day, especially when your last two points before fouling out are basically the dagger.
Click to expand...
He threw one day through a block like he wanted to break the opposing hand. That’s how to play. Big kudos to Berry and MN. Frankly the whole team played strong. Love that Boo never whines after taking an uncalled beating - simply gets up, runs back and waits to do it again.
 
AdamOnFirst

AdamOnFirst

All-Conference
Nov 29, 2021
9,719
1,365
113
Matt Nicholson smash. Matt Nicholson take ball and give ball to Boo. Matt not pawn in game of life, sometimes Boo reward Matt and give ball back for Matt to smash.
 
SmellyCat

SmellyCat

Junior
May 29, 2001
7,290
340
83
AdamOnFirst said:
Matt Nicholson smash. Matt Nicholson take ball and give ball to Boo. Matt not pawn in game of life, sometimes Boo reward Matt and give ball back for Matt to smash.
Click to expand...

Blazing Saddles references always get a like from me. But yes, one of my favorite plays last night is when he passed to Boo and it made it back into his hands for an alley-oop just past the outstretched hand of Hawkins. I could watch that play a hundred times and probably will.
 
N

NUThump

Redshirt
May 29, 2001
1,321
21
38
MN gets the crowd going for sure. He doesn’t just dunk it - he adds style points like he is in a dunk contest.
 
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