Pretty simple if we want to win in BIG
- Thread starter MCC_Cat
- Start date
NU missed six FTs, including the front end of a 1 and 1 by Beran, and lost by seven points.
We shot 42% vs. their 52%. Maybe they got a few more open shots. Very hard to say you can blame the coaches; even if you did, that’s maybe a shot. We ran into a team that shot better than us today. Other BiG teams do this more often to us than we do to them. That’s a talent gap, and it’s why we lose more - plain and simple.
At the risk of bringing up an old discussion - what would your solutions be?
This team will win VERY few games where they give up >80 pts. For that matter, I think they won't win many if they give up more than 70pts
"At the risk of bringing up an old discussion - what would your solutions be?"
Stop doubling the ball all the time.
As for the alleged "talent gap" - we all know how you feel and many of us disagree. You only raise the issue when we lose.
There is a depth deficiency in the frontcourt. If Nicholson or Beran gets in foul trouble, we will have problems.
We all tend to raise more issues when we lose, but I believe I’ve noted “talent gap” enough to convince the board I believe it all of the time. It’s of course why I give Collins credit for being a good coach. There is some subtlety to talent gap. It’s more about consistency and play under pressure than anything. We have guys that can play at a high level; just not quite as consistently and not quite as well under pressure.
So when you constantly talk about a talent deficiency you’re not just talking about physical talent?
I think any coach’s main challenge with NU has been to build the players’ confidence. We are historically underdogs in every BIG game we play. There’s a big mental part to that. The game has to slow down for the individual player to truly gain confidence. I think Audige has shown signs of this. Buie has shown a little but not as much as we all hope.
NU has a few decent role players, but we lack the alpha dog stud that carries your team and gives everyone else confidence. Buie tries to be that guy but he simply isn’t talented enough to pull it off.
The challenges faced by basketball coaches at Northwestern...
1) Recruit the best players you can get through admissions. If the recruit is all about the NBA, look elsewhere.
2) Make sure that your team has some depth at all positions.
3) Develop an offensive approach that capitalizes on the strengths of the roster.
4) Develop a defensive approach that capitalizes on the strengths of the roster.
5) Keep the team focused and out of trouble.
6) Get the promising young bench players experience (in games) whenever possible.
7) Make sure your better players don't transfer out of the program, if possible.
8) Study your opponents and modify your schemes to take advantage of their weaknesses.
9) Play your better players more than your lesser players.
10) Evaluate the performance of your players critically. Focus on lineups that have been successful.
11) Have the capability to run multiple offensive and defensive schemes, depending on the circumstances.
12) Acquire depth/talent via the transfer portal as needed.
When it comes to building confidence.... Do not blame the players when your team loses a close game. Do not berate a specific player for a physical error. Keep your emotions in check on the sideline, if possible.
One thing I dont see is make sure the players graduate. If they don't have pro aspirations should the focus be on graduation?
Sounds like if a players makes a mistake they as supposed to get a hug. Most of the time they are getting substituted cause they mess up. To me let them know they screwed up. If they are that delicate. They should play rec ball.
Sounds like if a players makes a mistake they as supposed to get a hug. Most of the time they are getting substituted cause they mess up. To me let them know they screwed up. If they are that delicate. They should play rec ball.
Wasn't CC hired to reduce the talent gap?
That's the thing - CC has repeatedly failed to recruit "the guy" - whether that be a 4* that actually panned out or a 3* that was underrated for whatever reason.
Even the Tourney team didn't have "the guy"; but instead, had a defensive oriented team that had just enough scoring, including Tap off the bench to hit a few key 3s in a game.
That Tourney team didn't have say, a Shurna, to carry the load when it came to scoring, but they made up for that by being pretty balanced - both in terms that the scoring was spread out and in terms of the make-up of the team (there were players w/ varying skill sets and physical attributes where there wasn't really a glaring weakness).
The guys this season have been battling hard, but there are some glaring flaws to the team that are difficult to overcome on a consistent basis.
I just feel like it's too late for that. You don't suddenly become a better shooter. You are either born with it or you develop it from a ton of hard work during the off-season. The shooting we see in-season is what we get.
I remember the time when we used to say our problem was that we failed to recruit a PG. Have not heard that one in a while. Probably because we have had one for a while.
Then there was the problem of having a true PG. A floor general. You know, those that every team has, and yet has not been seen in the conference since Xavier Simpson and Cassius Winston disappeared. Slowly that one seems to have have died too.
There's also the leadership, the alpha dog that takes over problem. Another species that is so abundant in the wild. Every one has one, except for us. Except I look around the conference and it seems I could count them with one hand.
Additionally, the lack of leadership must be a problem. That's it, that's the problem with us. Yet, there's a somewhat discombobulated kid playing at Duke, acting like a senior leader on the floor, while not even scoring or being dominant. And he sat on the bench at NU.
Oh, the talent gap! Can't forget that one. Which I am sure exists vis a vis certain teams. I am positive it exists say @ Notre Dame vis a vis Duke. But is there such a talent gap @ NU versus Rutgers, Wisconsin, Iowa...? Recruiting rankings, amazingly, say there isn't. Oh, but wait, rankings are totally wrong, are worthless, that must be it.
I guess my point is that, in my mind, there are only two real reasons we succeed or not. Admissions, not that we can't get quality players, more that we could get more were not for those dippoops in admissions. And the coach. At least the coach seems to be, surprisingly to me, doing much better when his back is against the wall.
Then there was the problem of having a true PG. A floor general. You know, those that every team has, and yet has not been seen in the conference since Xavier Simpson and Cassius Winston disappeared. Slowly that one seems to have have died too.
There's also the leadership, the alpha dog that takes over problem. Another species that is so abundant in the wild. Every one has one, except for us. Except I look around the conference and it seems I could count them with one hand.
Additionally, the lack of leadership must be a problem. That's it, that's the problem with us. Yet, there's a somewhat discombobulated kid playing at Duke, acting like a senior leader on the floor, while not even scoring or being dominant. And he sat on the bench at NU.
Oh, the talent gap! Can't forget that one. Which I am sure exists vis a vis certain teams. I am positive it exists say @ Notre Dame vis a vis Duke. But is there such a talent gap @ NU versus Rutgers, Wisconsin, Iowa...? Recruiting rankings, amazingly, say there isn't. Oh, but wait, rankings are totally wrong, are worthless, that must be it.
I guess my point is that, in my mind, there are only two real reasons we succeed or not. Admissions, not that we can't get quality players, more that we could get more were not for those dippoops in admissions. And the coach. At least the coach seems to be, surprisingly to me, doing much better when his back is against the wall.
As always, your comment is worth reading.
But you left out a couple things... "bad luck" and "home court advantage."
We all know luck is the residue of design (or preparation).
However, the lack of a home court advantage is one thing that cannot be pinned primarily on the coach.
That is true. Only team worst than us is Penn State I think. Where I've never been, but looks like a very cold atmosphere. And one that not even when the team is doing well gets necessarily that much better. Does not help that it's way too big for what PSU is, historically, as a program.
Well we have historically sucked our entire lifetimes. Admissions will never give up the high horse, and EVER single coach we have had has failed. Let’s face it, no one is using the NU gig as a stepping stone for their career.