Worst defeat ever

[DocCat2]

I've been following NU sports since 1987. I must admit, I think this qualifies as the worst loss we've ever suffered in any sport since I've been following.... Ouch. Prior to this, I thought the football loss to Southern Illinois was the worst, but I think this tops it.

I am at a total loss for words... I guess I can only hope recruiting doesn't go completely to hell and we can bring in some kids who can actually play...

 

[Alvious]

I've been following NU sports since 1987. I must admit, I think this qualifies as the worst loss we've ever suffered in any sport since I've been following.... Ouch. Prior to this, I thought the football loss to Southern Illinois was the worst, but I think this tops it.

Actually it was Illinois State, but point taken.

 

[PurpleFaze]

Little if any fight or toughness. Same stupid mistakes over and over. As a big how many times do you need to be told not to bring the ball down low to have it tied up or stolen?

 

[Sec_112]

Little if any fight or toughness. Same stupid mistakes over and over. As a big how many times do you need to be told not to bring the ball down low to have it tied up or stolen?

This is one of the unique on-target comments.

Yes, there was a lack of toughness, but I'd also argue just plain doggin' it. I thought one player was ALREADY "going through the motions." I hope these guys are in 7 am practice tomorrow.

 

[ashley0623_rivals]

Combine FBS/FCS and Illinois State is a top 150 football program.

Merrimack probably isn’t a top 300 basketball program and they’re playing a D2 roster (2nd game of D1).

The previous worst basketball game I can remember was 12-ish years ago when someone (Wheaton?) was a shot rimming out from beating us.

 

[bringbacktherantboard]

The worst win ever, though, I think was Northwestern's victory over Wheaton 41-39 in 2006. Wheaton is Division III.

The second worst win ever came earlier that season when Northwestern vanquished mighty North Florida 40-39.

 

[MCC_Cat]

We also lost to NAIA Radford years ago, I think in the 90's. That had to be about as bad as Merrimack. To think we're back comparing with teams of that era is incredible, just 2 years after an NCAA appearance.

 

[NCPurplecat]

Rollins loss in the 80s.. Nance is a player... give him time. He is showing the improvement needed. One piece of the puzzle. Many more to go. Some times the rebuilding is easier when it is from scratch. Its the slightly below average situations that are hard to change. NU is at at the bottom for a bit.

 

[julescat]

I'm quite surprised by how many seem to be surprised by a result like this. Look at the NU roster. What have you been expecting for 2019-20?

 

[Vassar69]

I'm quite surprised by how many seem to be surprised by a result like this. Look at the NU roster. What have you been expecting for 2019-20?

I’m Year 7 of The Chris Collins Experience?

Presumably a team that can at least look like they belong on the court with mid-major teams.

 

[NJCat]

I’m Year 7 of The Chris Collins Experience?

Presumably a team that can at least look like they belong on the court with mid-major teams.

Collins will have had a losing record in 5 of his 7 seasons at NU. Enough data to say he isn't the answer.

 

[willycat]

Collins will have had a losing record in 5 of his 7 seasons at NU. Enough data to say he isn't the answer.

Who is? Maybe Admissions?

 

[lunker35]

Who is? Maybe Admissions?

Please. We’re getting guys with great offers and highly rated star rankings. There is a major chemistry issue and also just a lack of quality coaching. Last nights coaching job was an abortion.

 

[Jonny2TheP]

Please. We’re getting guys with great offers and highly rated star rankings. There is a major chemistry issue and also just a lack of quality coaching. Last nights coaching job was an abortion.

Yep- have to agree with this. Do we have a ton of great players? No. But we have three guys on the team that were top 100 recruits. Pretty much every scholarship player had quality D1 offers.

I like Collins. I think he’s a great fit for NU from a personality and “he looks like he would stay for a long time” perspective. He also has shown he can recruit. But there is zero evidence he can coach or develop players.

I will even say this after last night...I feel there is some talent on this team. We may win a few Big Ten games. Yes, I actually believe that. But barring something shocking this year, I think this should be Collins’s last year at the helm. He gave us a magical season, but all the rest have been disappointing with significant underachievement.

 

[NURoseBowl]

I'm imagining PBJ and Max Christie licking their chops, thinking "Hey, we could come in and essentially take over, being focal points of the offense and playing 35 minutes a night". Please, everyone, have the courtesy not to wake me up.

 

[Curdog7]

Yep- have to agree with this. Do we have a ton of great players? No. But we have three guys on the team that were top 100 recruits. Pretty much every scholarship player had quality D1 offers.

I like Collins. I think he’s a great fit for NU from a personality and “he looks like he would stay for a long time” perspective. He also has shown he can recruit. But there is zero evidence he can coach or develop players.

I will even say this after last night...I feel there is some talent on this team. We may win a few Big Ten games. Yes, I actually believe that. But barring something shocking this year, I think this should be Collins’s last year at the helm. He gave us a magical season, but all the rest have been disappointing with significant underachievement.

No way in hell Phillips fires him this year or next. Maybe at the end of the 20/21 season, if it’s as bad as I expect, he will be let go.

 

[IGNORE]

I have long been saying that CCC can’t coach. His staff can’t develop wings and guards. He has been a very recruiter and a great guy, but we need to go back to the well.

 

[Medill90]

I have long been saying that CCC can’t coach. His staff can’t develop wings and guards. He has been a very recruiter and a great guy, but we need to go back to the well.

What I struggle with, honestly, is that when he came in I read that he was a basketball savant...that has encyclopedic knowledge of literally every play ever diagrammed.

Now, I thought in 17 and 18 the offense got open looks but couldn't knock it down. There was still a lack of quality penetration, breaking defenders down off the dribble, etc., but the team had plenty of open looks. But still and all, it did not look like a fearsome offense.

This does not look like a fearsome offense, no penetration and I'm worried that the threes are not the same quality....Kopp dribbling into a three where he's defended isn't going to get it done. Nance taking a three because he hasn't taken one in a while.

If I'm playing NU I play zone. I pack the paint with beef and I guard Kopp a little heavy and dare anyone else to make threes.

 

[Palindrome_rivals517509]

Who is? Maybe Admissions?

Ever heard of this guy, Patrick Baldwin? I hear he’s adequate.

 

[willycat]

Ever heard of this guy, Patrick Baldwin? I hear he’s adequate.

Sure a possibility but he would still have the same admission policies to work with. If that doesn't change NU can expect to finish in the middle of the conference or lower, yearly, a NIT appearance every few years and a NCAA invite every 10 or so years. Maybe Strotz was right.

 

[Fitz51]

Rollins loss in the 80s.. Nance is a player... give him time. He is showing the improvement needed. One piece of the puzzle. Many more to go. Some times the rebuilding is easier when it is from scratch. Its the slightly below average situations that are hard to change. NU is at at the bottom for a bit.

We are certainly great at convincing ourselves that kicking the can down the road will work.

 

[Pukecat]

Sure a possibility but he would still have the same admission policies to work with. If that doesn't change NU can expect to finish in the middle of the conference or lower, yearly, a NIT appearance every few years and a NCAA invite every 10 or so years. Maybe Strotz was right.

Strotz was right from the perspective that creating an artificial barrier for admissions damns us to second-class status in the Big Ten. Our academic standards for athletes are already WAY lower than the regular student population. What difference does it make if we make our athletic standards equal to the rest of the Big Ten? You just have to force your coaches to take men of good character. Guys at ND or OSU who wouldn't qualify here under the current policies would certainly graduate from NU with the level of academic support that we offer, not to mention all those delicious Education and Communication majors.

 

[go cats go_rivals310290]

What I struggle with, honestly, is that when he came in I read that he was a basketball savant...that has encyclopedic knowledge of literally every play ever diagrammed.

Now, I thought in 17 and 18 the offense got open looks but couldn't knock it down. There was still a lack of quality penetration, breaking defenders down off the dribble, etc., but the team had plenty of open looks. But still and all, it did not look like a fearsome offense.

I disagree about the open looks, unless you are talking about "open looks" like Buie chucking up long 3s after bringing the ball up the court or maybe one pass or two passes exclusively outside the arc. NU under Collins gets very few easy baskets--and that includes fast break points, open layups/dunks as well as finding the right guy in the flow of any sort of motion offense. Nothing comes easy. This seems to be more a result of poor design, poor execution and poor coaching than poor talent.

 

[Titanium999]

We ain't got the horses right now! Maybe next year

 

[EvanstonCat]

Why does it feel like 1989 to me all of a sudden?

Please, someone make this stop.

 

[NJCat]

Why does it feel like 1989 to me all of a sudden?

Please, someone make this stop.

Dr. Jim is the only one who can make it stop.

#FireCollins

 

[EvanstonCat]

Dr. Jim is the only one who can make it stop.

#FireCollins

in 1989 (the year of my matriculation), our football team went 0-11. And our basketball team didn't have 10 wins all season. Firing Collins would only fix half of the equation.

 

[Pukecat]

in 1989 (the year of my matriculation), our football team went 0-11. And our basketball team didn't have 10 wins all season. Firing Collins would only fix half of the equation.

Weren't you, Virginia and mikewebb telling everybody how great Collins is just a year or two ago? Did he suddenly lose his ability or were you wrong?

 

[cometclear]

Weren't you, Virginia and mikewebb telling everybody how great Collins is just a year or two ago? Did he suddenly lose his ability or were you wrong?

They at least have the sense to stay away lest they look even dumber than they already do.

I have a feeling future touting of the statistical supremacy of Collins' recruiting will fall mostly on either deaf ears or will be met with sharpened knives.

 

[IGNORE]

They at least have the sense to stay away lest they look even dumber than they already do.

I have a feeling future touting of the statistical supremacy of Collins' recruiting will fall mostly on either deaf ears or will be met with sharpened knives.

yup, won’t see Mike any time soon.

 

[NJCat]

Harvard beat Maine by 21 today.

Maine beat Merrimack by 20.

Merrimack beat NU by 10.

Ugh.

 

[Pukecat]

They at least have the sense to stay away lest they look even dumber than they already do.

I have a feeling future touting of the statistical supremacy of Collins' recruiting will fall mostly on either deaf ears or will be met with sharpened knives.

It’s fun to score highly rated guys but you have to develop them.

 

[Pukecat]

yup, won’t see Mike any time soon.

Why is that exactly? Is he serving a timeout, lost a bet or just seething about all of the “negativity”?

 

[Pukecat]

They at least have the sense to stay away lest they look even dumber than they already do.

I have a feeling future touting of the statistical supremacy of Collins' recruiting will fall mostly on either deaf ears or will be met with sharpened knives.

Everybody here knows I liked and respected Carmody. He recruited good guys and I liked the shooters. If only he had any interest in all in recruiting and defense. What could have been. Instead we have a guy who is interested in those things but has no idea how to score points which is kind of the entire point of the game. When will we get it right and find a happy medium?

 

[IGNORE]

Why is that exactly? Is he serving a timeout, lost a bet or just seething about all of the “negativity”?

the latter. But, he would suffer terribly at the hands of the archives for a while. No place for his irrational glass half full stuff here...

 

[Medill90]

Everybody here knows I liked and respected Carmody. He recruited good guys and I liked the shooters. If only he had any interest in all in recruiting and defense. What could have been. Instead we have a guy who is interested in those things but has no idea how to score points which is kind of the entire point of the game. When will we get it right and find a happy medium?

When we get the admisssions thing fixed

 

[Username Not Available]

I don't buy it. Collins has been bringing in better talent than NU has had before generally speaking. If he can't coach the offense (or the defense for god's sake!), and it looks that way to me, hire an assistant who can. If he can't train up the guards, hire an assistant who can. It's a team game, let him work his butt off being the smiling face and glad hand to the media and the recruits if that's where his best talents lie, and fill the empty spaces with assistants whose talents lie elsewhere.

 

[willycat]

I don't buy it. Collins has been bringing in better talent than NU has had before generally speaking. If he can't coach the offense (or the defense for god's sake!), and it looks that way to me, hire an assistant who can. If he can't train up the guards, hire an assistant who can. It's a team game, let him work his butt off being the smiling face and glad hand to the media and the recruits if that's where his best talents lie, and fill the empty spaces with assistants whose talents lie elsewhere.

Maybe that should also stand for Fitz.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

yup, won’t see Mike any time soon.

We are going to stink this year and this board will be 6 months or more of pure hell. Who could blame anyone for not visiting the redundant posts calling for CCC’s head?

 

[Username Not Available]

Maybe that should also stand for Fitz.

I have to admit that I don't really follow college football, but if there is any truth to the fan boards it seems it wouldn't hurt Fitz either. I get my share of random NU sucks at football grief from folks who know I'm an NU fan.