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BASKETBALL Game thread for Northwestern vs. Nebraska

TheC

TheC

All-Conference
May 29, 2001
19,243
1,342
62
We battled with them for 30 minutes. Then they hit a couple threes and we kept missing threes. Once they got up by 9, we totally wilted and they pulled away. It all started with just a couple made threes on one end and a couple missed threes on our end. If we make one or two, they don't have a big run and our guys don't mentally collapse.

It's frustrating that we can't make a damn three to save our lives. It is also frustrating how totally and completely we mentally give up down the stretch when the other team makes a run. Our confidence is so fragile. It is not surprising, but frustrating to watch.
 
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S

SouthportCat

Sophomore
Mar 8, 2006
378
182
37
Nebraska ran the same script as everyone: hammer Nick when he has the ball, make him work his a$$ off to get it in the post, immediately double him when he gets the pass, never let him get comfortable. The problem is we have no counter game plan that I can see, and that is definitely a coaching issue.

I don’t think it is physical fatigue for Nick so much as the toll it takes losing games when you are the standard bearer. He just doesn’t look as joyful, and he has visibly gotten angry more than once in this current losing streak (can’t blame him for Mara - that dude needs to get punched).

We hang for twenty minutes because we bring max defensive effort. It shows, but we haven’t shown we can sustain it for forty. We get down when open looks clang again and again.

Green DNPs are inexcusable. Shooters have to shoot and more than any other issue our lack of shooting has ended this season.
 
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CatManTrue

CatManTrue

All-American
Oct 4, 2008
16,730
5,755
97
AdamOnFirst said:
This is a pathetic offensive showing for a team that is supposed to be a little better at offense than defense. To be expected when Martinelli is bad, nobody else is much of an offensive player, definitely not an offensive leader.
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I bet Martinelli is playing hurt. He just has not looked right.
 
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TheC

TheC

All-Conference
May 29, 2001
19,243
1,342
62
bringbacktherantboard said:
No minutes for Max Green these last three games?
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I just don't see Max Green as an answer. He really isn't a very good shooter at this level. He has missed plenty of wide open threes and isn't quick enough for us to create plays to get him open off screens. At least Gelo can rebound and finish at the rim. I'm fine giving Gelo those minutes even though he can't hit a three either.
 
S

Skunkpilot

Senior
May 23, 2022
2,988
621
103
PURPLECAT88 said:
What are you talking about? We have a head coach and four assistants. I think that’s pretty standard.
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Is Chris Lauten not a coach? Looks like NU has them listed as graduate managers but there are another three of them that sit on the bench alongside Collins as well. So that’s 8 total coaches on my count. Call them what you want.
 
bringbacktherantboard

bringbacktherantboard

Senior
Aug 31, 2003
15,072
506
113
TheC said:
I just don't see Max Green as an answer. He really isn't a very good shooter at this level. He has missed plenty of wide open threes and isn't quick enough for us to create plays to get him open off screens. At least Gelo can rebound and finish at the rim. I'm fine giving Gelo those minutes even though he can't hit a three either.
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Nobody else has been the answer these last 3 games. Green still hits 1/3 of his threes. I'd like to at least see if he can provide a spark off the bench when nothing else is working.
 
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AdamOnFirst

AdamOnFirst

All-Conference
Nov 29, 2021
10,634
2,031
113
TheC said:
I just don't see Max Green as an answer. He really isn't a very good shooter at this level. He has missed plenty of wide open threes and isn't quick enough for us to create plays to get him open off screens. At least Gelo can rebound and finish at the rim. I'm fine giving Gelo those minutes even though he can't hit a three either.
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He’s currently not good at literally anything
 
P

prez77

Junior
Dec 27, 2024
698
310
57
TheC said:
We battled with them for 30 minutes. Then they hit a couple threes and we kept missing threes. Once they got up by 9, we totally wilted and they pulled away. It all started with just a couple made threes on one end and a couple missed threes on our end. If we make one or two, they don't have a big run and our guys don't mentally collapse.

It's frustrating that we can't make a damn three to save our lives. It is also frustrating how totally and completely we mentally give up down the stretch when the other team makes a run. Our confidence is so fragile. It is not surprising, but frustrating to watch.
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I don't think we "mentally collapse". I think 40 minutes is sufficient time for these good teams to assert their superiority. Opposition opens a bit tentatively and plays to a sloppy draw at half-time. They make their adjustments at the half and have had a good look at our matchups and D and the second half they take advantage. Given their age, size and skill advantages, the better BIG10 teams have had dominating second halves. Look at the Illinois game - they had us blown out in the first half - we didn't have time to collapse mentally. The difference is age, size and skill.
 
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H

Hungry Jack

All-Conference
Nov 17, 2008
38,436
4,823
67
I think it’s fatigue, coupled with a young team that is learning how it is when you have to close out a game
 
M

MCC_Cat

Junior
May 29, 2001
1,555
274
83
Purple Pile Driver said:
Yeah, we played 8 players, Nebraska played 7 ( until 2 minutes left in a blow out). Guess they don’t fatigue.
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Maybe the fact they are so much older helps too. 18 year olds don't have the same conditioning levels as 22 year olds (or older, I'm too lazy to look up how old Nebraska is).
 
GatoLouco

GatoLouco

Sophomore
Nov 13, 2019
5,690
196
63
I think you guys are making it way more complicated than it is.

Plenty of other teams don't rotate more than we do. Just like plenty of other teams get as banged up as we do.

My view is just that we are beyond naive. It shows in every game, in so many different silly situations. Something as simple as a couple of and one's against MI where our fouls were incredibly soft.

It's a never ending collection of little bad decisions from inexperienced players. The talent is there.
 
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