geewizNU
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I Root For: Northeastern
Location: New York, NY
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RE: Week 2 -> Home vs. Delaware, Home vs. JMU
(01-05-2017 09:00 AM)SomebodyToLove Wrote: (01-04-2017 10:58 PM)geewizNU Wrote: (01-04-2017 05:25 PM)SomebodyToLove Wrote: Great start to the conference season, 2-0 after 3 solid road OOC victories. The game at Drexel was ugly, with both teams having an argument over officiating and who played better. In the end we gutted it out in overtime, which the question being when doesn't a Drexel v. NU game come down to the final possession in regulation?
These games this week feature the other two teams with losing records in the CAA. No game will be easy, but both are winnable, and if there is a time to get some wins under our belt, this is it.
Delaware comes in with a decent OOC performance, especially for a team coming off a bad season. Had a nice win vs. Iona before dropping two games at home vs. Hofstra an then CoC. They are decent, and we'll have to play at a high level. I wonder if Miller will be back for us. Green was great vs. W&M, but non-existent vs. Drexel.
JMU comes in with an awful OOC performance, but has won their first two conference games at home, vs. Drexel and then Towson. The JMU team before CAA play we should beat handily, but they seemed to have turned the corner and will be a tough matchup. In all honesty I have no idea why they were so bad OOC, maybe its the new coach, because their players are mostly the same other than Curry. I guess he really was that important to them.
All in all, these games will be much tougher than the records of our opponents imply. We haven't lost at home yet this season, and I'm hoping we can continue that streak.
I predict 50% chance at 2-0, 35% chance at 1-1, 15% chance at 0-2 coming up. Lets go Huskies!
Are you serious?
You think we're going to have to play at a high level like @MSU to beat Delaware and JMU at home? JMU has "turned the corner"?
And we only have a 50% chance to win both games, when our 3 home wins are against teams with winning records?
My goodness...
If we lose one of these next THREE games, that are at home, we have no business entertaining the thought we're a legit team.
JMU wasn't good last year IMO. Yeah they're not supposed to be this bad, but I never for once thought they were better than NU coming into the season.
Don't be so pessimistic. I go way back with this team, far longer than you and I never would type something that dark about a 9-5 NU team.
It's the CAA. Every team loses weird games every season. Two years ago when we nearly knocked off Notre Dame in the NCAAs, we lost to an awful Delaware at home. Every team has weird home losses every season.
I don't think what I typed is dark. I'm optimistic about this team. The last 5 games have been great, but we did almost just lose to Drexel, and this team isn't invulnerable. 50% to win both games means that each game we are the 71% favorite, that's not bad for CAA play.
I think what I bolded from your quote is a bit harsh. Maybe we turned a corner since the slump earlier this season, but we did lose to Stony Brook, Cornell, and LIU so I don't think it's out of our grasp to put up a stinker, but I don't think those losses preclude us from being a legit team.
In fact, I'm very optimistic about this team. I've been following the program for 10 years now (not as long as most big Husky fans I know), and I've never seen an NU player as confident as TJ Williams has been this season. I felt this is always something we've needed as a program - someone who isn't afraid to take a big shot or drive to the hoop. We lost a lot of talent from last year, and I thought this season would be a learning experience, but the attitude of this team is the best I've ever seen, and I think it's why we've had success. It also bodes well for the rest of the season. In fact, I think Alex Murphy is the 2nd most confident player I've seen in an NU uniform in the last 10 years. They both have a swagger to them that only Matt Janning touched on occasion.
All in all, I think our attitude is great, and we have a great team, but I'm still not sold on the overall talent level. We win these next 2 games and I'll be more convinced.
What you bolded answers your response.
Those loses to those bad teams were on the ROAD. Not at home.
Clearly you never saw Jose Juan Barea play at NU. He was CAA Player of the Year in his only season in 2005-06. He had more "swagger" and bigger balls than both TJ and Murph. But you're right, about them.
And JJB is now a 10-year NBA veteran in the midst of a 4 year $16M contract.
There are other players at NU before him that had that "swagger" but I'm not here for a history lesson.
That's why TJ and Murph the team leaders on and off the court and THAT'S WHY we shouldn't lose these next three home games.
And I know what the CAA is all about. Trust me. Weird losses only happen if you play down to your opponent. NU in the past HAS done that. I don't see Murph and TJ letting that happen with this team.
I've been there since we joined the league and the years before in the America Least and the ECAC North Atlantic before that.
You're not optimistic id you think we have just a "50-50" chance to win the next few home games. I don't care how well Delaware and JMU has played. If we play our game we win easily.
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