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(02-17-2014 09:58 PM)niusfactuary Wrote:  It remains to be seen if he can hold a team together, if we lose 3 good players to transfer, it's not gonna matter if highsmith returns or not...how about we have a better than .500 season before we worry about him leaving.

Do we really think a team would hire a coach that has never had a .500 record? There are over 125 coaches that have a better record that MM. Let us get real.

(02-17-2014 09:31 PM)dekalb222 Wrote:  This isn't just a one year turnaround. This program is going to be at the top for multiple years. If, Highsmith doesn't go down, this years team is fighting for a first round bye. They lack one thing, a consistent 10-14pt scorer. Highsmith had become that.

Let them make 1 NCAA tournament before declaring this program is in line for multiple NCAA berths, something that hasn't been done in school history.

(02-18-2014 01:44 PM)PrideinthePack Wrote:  

(02-17-2014 09:31 PM)dekalb222 Wrote:  This isn't just a one year turnaround. This program is going to be at the top for multiple years. If, Highsmith doesn't go down, this years team is fighting for a first round bye. They lack one thing, a consistent 10-14pt scorer. Highsmith had become that.

Let them make 1 NCAA tournament before declaring this program is in line for multiple NCAA berths, something that hasn't been done in school history.

Thank you. I appreciate all of the optimism out of people regarding the basketball team, but it is getting out of hand now. How about, instead of making an NCAA tournament appearance for the first time in forever, they actually finish above .500? I'm loving what Monty has done but there is definitely a LONG way to go.

There's not a long way to go. They're a .500 team right now without their best player. Add back in your best player and two BCS level talents, and it's a time that's going to compete for the MAC next year.

(02-18-2014 02:32 PM)7 Wrote:  There's not a long way to go. They're a .500 team right now without their best player. Add back in your best player and two BCS level talents, and it's a time that's going to compete for the MAC next year.

Have you seen the two who are sitting out play? Will they be starters or rotation material. I assume they will both be big contributors

Anthony Johnson averaged 16 minutes per game as a fresh and 18 minutes per game as a soph in the Big Ten. You would imagine he is going to play a lot.

Orris I have seen zero of, but he was highly thought of enough to have offers from Kansas St, Illinois, Nebraska, and Pitt coming out of high school so somebody thought highly of him.

Both will play. Orris I doubt starts over Baker, but I would say Johnson has a decent change to start at the 3.

They're a below .500 team who has never had consecutive NCAA appearances and hasn't had a winning season in 8 years. I'd say they have a long way to go to being a multiple NCAA tournament team. They've been great compared to the garbage of the last couple seasons but that doesn't mean they're close to doing something that has never even been close to being done within the program. Their best player suffered a significant injury, you just a can't insert him into the starting line-up next year and assume he's the same player. Just competing for the MAC doesn't mean anything either, there's a handful of teams every year that can compete for a conference title, actually doing it and winning it is a different story.

In all reality, PrideinthePack makes very valid points. How well did the Derick Rose comeback work out for the Bulls ? I hope things turn around but Monty has 2 seasons left to do what he was hired to do.

Derrick Rose is a *****

Yes, competing for a MACC is different than actually doing it. But if you are good enough to compete for it, you can win it. I agree, Highsmith is a unknown, for next year. Next year instead of minutes going to Cravatta, Bolin, Balls and Gray, minutes will go to Johnson, Orris, Maric and Highsmith. I have no doubt that this will be a huge up grade. Plus the other guys can get better. There is no doubt, Baker and Aaric Armstead are better next year. I am not even counting on Highsmith for next year, if he's healthy its a bonus.

Mr Reality, Monty probably has already done what he was hired to do. NIU, did not hire him and say, you have 5yrs too win a MACC. I bet they said, you have 5yrs to make us competitive in the MAC. In all reality, he is doing that this year!

(02-18-2014 03:43 PM)dekalb222 Wrote:  Yes, competing for a MACC is different than actually doing it. But if you are good enough to compete for it, you can win it. I agree, Highsmith is a unknown, for next year. Next year instead of minutes going to Cravatta, Bolin, Balls and Gray, minutes will go to Johnson, Orris, Maric and Highsmith. I have no doubt that this will be a huge up grade. Plus the other guys can get better. There is no doubt, Baker and Aaric Armstead are better next year. I am not even counting on Highsmith for next year, if he's healthy its a bonus.

If there's 5 other teams who can also compete for a conference title that means they can also win it too. That drives the odds of NIU doing it down. Coming out of that once would be a huge accomplishment. I can't fathom multiple times at this point. NIU is never going to be an at-large bid and winning the conference tournament in Ohio it would be like a road game against a lot of MAC teams (Akron, Miami, Toledo, Bowling Green, Kent St, Ohio) making the uphill battle that much harder. I'd say making 1 NCAA Tournament is a difficult task, multiple? That's just crazy talk at this point.

Fun Facts: the conference tournament began 34 years ago a team from Ohio has been in the title game every season.

A team from Ohio has won it 9 straight years, 26 out of 34 years, an all-Ohio match-up has happened 19 out of 34 times.

A team has repeated as conference tournament champs only twice. A run NIU would have to duplicate to get those multiple bids.

Note: the conference tournament hasn't always been in Ohio, but it has been most years.

Now what does that mean for the future? Maybe nothing but you can see Ohio teams will be there, I'm not saying it's just because they have home court advantage over other schools but I'm a big proponent of it being really hard to win on the road when two teams are even or close to even. Asking the Huskies to do it multiple times (in a year, let alone spanning years) in a short span is asking for a lot.

(02-18-2014 04:35 PM)PrideinthePack Wrote:  Fun Facts: the conference tournament began 34 years ago a team from Ohio has been in the title game every season.

A team from Ohio has won it 9 straight years, 26 out of 34 years, an all-Ohio match-up has happened 19 out of 34 times.

A team has repeated as conference tournament champs only twice. A run NIU would have to duplicate to get those multiple bids.

Note: the conference tournament hasn't always been in Ohio, but it has been most years.

Now what does that mean for the future? Maybe nothing but you can see Ohio teams will be there, I'm not saying it's just because they have home court advantage over other schools but I'm a big proponent of it being really hard to win on the road when two teams are even or close to even. Asking the Huskies to do it multiple times (in a year, let alone spanning years) in a short span is asking for a lot.

Maybe we should just solve our problems by moving NIU to Ohio. At least then the MAC will treat us better.

(02-18-2014 04:40 PM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(02-18-2014 04:35 PM)PrideinthePack Wrote:  Fun Facts: the conference tournament began 34 years ago a team from Ohio has been in the title game every season.

A team from Ohio has won it 9 straight years, 26 out of 34 years, an all-Ohio match-up has happened 19 out of 34 times.

A team has repeated as conference tournament champs only twice. A run NIU would have to duplicate to get those multiple bids.

Note: the conference tournament hasn't always been in Ohio, but it has been most years.

Now what does that mean for the future? Maybe nothing but you can see Ohio teams will be there, I'm not saying it's just because they have home court advantage over other schools but I'm a big proponent of it being really hard to win on the road when two teams are even or close to even. Asking the Huskies to do it multiple times (in a year, let alone spanning years) in a short span is asking for a lot.

Maybe we should just solve our problems by moving NIU to Ohio. At least then the MAC will treat us better.

NIU-O... Northern Illinois University of Ohio!

(02-18-2014 04:45 PM)RedandBlackAttack Wrote:  

(02-18-2014 04:40 PM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(02-18-2014 04:35 PM)PrideinthePack Wrote:  Fun Facts: the conference tournament began 34 years ago a team from Ohio has been in the title game every season.

A team from Ohio has won it 9 straight years, 26 out of 34 years, an all-Ohio match-up has happened 19 out of 34 times.

A team has repeated as conference tournament champs only twice. A run NIU would have to duplicate to get those multiple bids.

Note: the conference tournament hasn't always been in Ohio, but it has been most years.

Now what does that mean for the future? Maybe nothing but you can see Ohio teams will be there, I'm not saying it's just because they have home court advantage over other schools but I'm a big proponent of it being really hard to win on the road when two teams are even or close to even. Asking the Huskies to do it multiple times (in a year, let alone spanning years) in a short span is asking for a lot.

Maybe we should just solve our problems by moving NIU to Ohio. At least then the MAC will treat us better.

NIU-O... Northern Illinois University of Ohio!

These are interesting facts, but none of this really surprises me. The state of Ohio literally makes up half of the MAC anyway, and sincr 2 teams play eachother each year in the title game, I'd be more surprised if they weren't in it for at least 80% of the games.


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Prideinthepack, I believe you are missing the point. I am saying NIU will be one of the better MAC teams next year. If, that comes true then yes, they have a chance at a MACC. The roster is such that the year after next year and the year after that, they could be even better!

No one has a crystal ball, so its just a prediction at this point. The thread was about Monty leaving and I don't see that anytime soon.

(02-18-2014 05:25 PM)dekalb222 Wrote:  Prideinthepack, I believe you are missing the point. I am saying NIU will be one of the better MAC teams next year. If, that comes true then yes, they have a chance at a MACC. The roster is such that the year after next year and the year after that, they could be even better!

I can agree with that