1) This one is obvious - guard play. NU will be ok at the 2 for the next two years with Gaines but Collins needs a PG. the dream here is Buie next year is good but then the Cats land long time target DJ Steward. Also Max Christie was at the game yesterday and he has a strong link to NU. These guys are realistic targets only bc Collins has been recruiting them for years.
2) NU needs a star. Star is someone who just bails you out when you got nothing. Look at the box score of yesterday’s game. The talent was pretty level and NU was probably more athletic but Edwards destroyed NU. Best match up if the day was Nojel Eastern v Nance. Nance really improved defensively when he came back from mono. But the game is still to fast for him at the offensive end. Offensive Game really started to slow down for Kopp in last few weeks. Both players have all the potential I thought they did. I just hoped to see more this year.
3) Free throw disparity has to shrink. NU plays defense really hard but they got way too many fouls with their hands and sometimes lacked the quickness to get out of the way. That said Illinois shooting 65 free throws in 80 minutes over two games is crazy. Purdue Iowa both shot over 20 at WR. The only reason Ohio State reached 15 in the first half was two touch fouls on 3s. Part of this goes back to No. 2 above. Also Vic is a 3 and d guy and Pardon is undersized. Both are not this kind of players who draw fouls.
I think that this is now Anthony Gaines team. AJ turner is your 3 although both are ideally twos. Kopp is a solid as a third wing and starter next year. I think Nance will come off the bench at least to start the year but that could change. Next year could be rough in the post with Benson and Young. I have no idea about Greer and Buie at point.
I’ll add that this really is big year for Collins. Getting Jared Jones signed - apparently a formality at this point - is the no 1 priority. Then start re ruining the heck out of the 2020s and keep pushing the Caleb Furst and Christie class. An early commit from a top 100 guard would be huge.
2) NU needs a star. Star is someone who just bails you out when you got nothing. Look at the box score of yesterday’s game. The talent was pretty level and NU was probably more athletic but Edwards destroyed NU. Best match up if the day was Nojel Eastern v Nance. Nance really improved defensively when he came back from mono. But the game is still to fast for him at the offensive end. Offensive Game really started to slow down for Kopp in last few weeks. Both players have all the potential I thought they did. I just hoped to see more this year.
3) Free throw disparity has to shrink. NU plays defense really hard but they got way too many fouls with their hands and sometimes lacked the quickness to get out of the way. That said Illinois shooting 65 free throws in 80 minutes over two games is crazy. Purdue Iowa both shot over 20 at WR. The only reason Ohio State reached 15 in the first half was two touch fouls on 3s. Part of this goes back to No. 2 above. Also Vic is a 3 and d guy and Pardon is undersized. Both are not this kind of players who draw fouls.
I think that this is now Anthony Gaines team. AJ turner is your 3 although both are ideally twos. Kopp is a solid as a third wing and starter next year. I think Nance will come off the bench at least to start the year but that could change. Next year could be rough in the post with Benson and Young. I have no idea about Greer and Buie at point.
I’ll add that this really is big year for Collins. Getting Jared Jones signed - apparently a formality at this point - is the no 1 priority. Then start re ruining the heck out of the 2020s and keep pushing the Caleb Furst and Christie class. An early commit from a top 100 guard would be huge.
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