Turnovers and lousy shooting both from the field and the free throw line. We just seem to be very inept when it comes to anything having to do with a basketball in our hands. Thank god we do play defense as well as we do. Not sure which assistant coach is responsible for creating an offensive game plan, but maybe Monty ought to look into hiring an assistant next year who can coach up the offensive side of the ball. If for this year we could just protect the basketball better and reduce the turnovers we would be very difficult to beat.

https://t.co/Iyegw8Y8Bs

Mid-major MAC article

(01-18-2017 10:21 AM)NiuFootballfan Wrote:  

(01-18-2017 09:52 AM)7 Wrote:  

(01-18-2017 07:39 AM)NiuFootballfan Wrote:  

(01-18-2017 02:14 AM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  NIU does not have the offense to compete for a MAC championship, plain and simple. That is especially true when Armstead is not producing. The only time NIU seems to look good offensively is when Armstead is producing. Its a tough situation, Armstead isn't producing, but you only look like a real team when he is producing. Tough spot.

My frustration is that I feel 30% of NIU not having a MAC championship good enough offense is self-inflicted. NIU seriously has developed an anti-offense culture with this coaching staff. It is great for edging out wins vs the Miami's and BG's of the world, but you are never going to win a championship if you view offense as a 30 second disruption to playing defense. Coach Montgomery's post game interview, did anyone hear it? He basically admitted he would rather have NIU defending than playing offense, it was really mind numbing to hear, something I have always suspected but to hear him just come out and say it was jaw dropping. I love Coach Montgomery, I think he is a great coach, but his defense over everything else mentality just makes me very pessimistic that this team will ever be a championship team.

I totally agree, I've been saying that all along. Yes, "defense wins championships", however, if your offense is dismal it won't really matter if your defense is that good. I still think the Huskies have a shot at winning the MAC (with some luck), and if that does happen, I am afraid of the outcome of the NCAA tourney game. I believe we can manage a way through the MAC with no offense, against the big boys (e.g. Minnesota), however, it will get ugly.

Lol.........if we come to the point where NIU gets blown out in the tournament, we'll all be happy.

I'm glad you're content with losing. Love that mentality.... I hope to God the players don't think like that.

C'mon, Dude. You know what he meant. After where this program's been, just having the tournament be a possibility is something we haven't experienced realistically in over a decade.

(01-18-2017 01:42 PM)niu79 Wrote:  Turnovers and lousy shooting both from the field and the free throw line. We just seem to be very inept when it comes to anything having to do with a basketball in our hands. Thank god we do play defense as well as we do. Not sure which assistant coach is responsible for creating an offensive game plan, but maybe Monty ought to look into hiring an assistant next year who can coach up the offensive side of the ball. If for this year we could just protect the basketball better and reduce the turnovers we would be very difficult to beat.

I don't know if that would help, Coach Montgomery just have no interest in offense. The only problem with that is you would have to have a defense literally as good as the Michigan State teams to win a championship with no offense. NIU's defense is good, but I cant imagine it ever being good enough to win a championship ignoring offense.

Huskies started the MAC season last year 5-1 as Travon Baker carried them with hot 3pt shooting. Baker's shooting cooled off and the Huskies proceeded to lose five in a row. Same offense as this year. Players make plays coaches teach.

(01-18-2017 03:04 PM)dekalb222 Wrote:  Huskies started the MAC season last year 5-1 as Travon Baker carried them with hot 3pt shooting. Baker's shooting cooled off and the Huskies proceeded to lose five in a row. Same offense as this year. Players make plays coaches teach.

And in our case coaches teach defense. NIU can't rely on defense only. That much is clear. Coach Monty explicitly said last night he is more comfortable with his team playing defense than running an offense

So crazydawg, you have been to a lot of practices and MM never works on offense?

(01-18-2017 03:41 PM)cagy cager Wrote:  So crazydawg, you have been to a lot of practices and MM never works on offense?

I have not been to practice, but you see the games too. Coach Montgomery is quoted last night saying he would rather have his team playing defense than running offense. I don't know what else there is to say, I really don't. Those are words from his mouth

The goal of offense is to produce open shots or good chances, had plenty of those last night, that game yesterday was never in doubt, what is a bummer is that team beat us when we went there, we played awful and were in control for the majority of the game last night, the miami offense and defensive scheme were all meant to keep the game slowed down and low scoring.

I disagree that coach monty doesnt believe in offense, he believes players need to make shots, the offense produces plenty of looks - if a set play produces a good look and player xyz shoots a brick, how does that equal "coach doesnt care about offense?"

Armstead is totally in his own head, he passes up shots he should take for passes he shouldn't make, the possession grinds down and he almost always ends up with the ball in his hands late in the shot clock, gets forced in to some looks you dont really want anyone taking, you can just see he doesn't think its going in when he lets it go. Go to the basket, get fouled, shoot free throws is what id like to see from him.

the super sexy run and gun is tough for us, ESPECIALLY when your opponent plays offense with 4 guys outside the 3 point line and ALL of those players take 4 steps back as soon as one of them shoots, you literally cant run out. And then they play defense by stacking the box and bringing a 3/4 court trap which grinds us down

Our inability to have a big man inbound the ball and guards who consistently break full to 3/4 court pressure is going to cost us a very important game if not rectified.

Write this down

Dontel Highsmith needs to be attempting a minimum of 5 3 point shots per game from the wing - at least 5 - as many as he can get is fine with me - his release is outstanding and quick enough to get that shot a lot more than he is actually taking it.

Levi bradley/Jalen Key/Marin Maric need to learn to inbound the ball

I think we're going to be fine

Armstead needs a big hug and a lift up - hate to see him struggling like this in his last year.

Come out Saturday for what should be a great environment

Go Huskies!

(01-18-2017 05:10 PM)dpgohuskies Wrote:  The goal of offense is to produce open shots or good chances, had plenty of those last night, that game yesterday was never in doubt, what is a bummer is that team beat us when we went there, we played awful and were in control for the majority of the game last night, the miami offense and defensive scheme were all meant to keep the game slowed down and low scoring.

I disagree that coach monty doesnt believe in offense, he believes players need to make shots, the offense produces plenty of looks - if a set play produces a good look and player xyz shoots a brick, how does that equal "coach doesnt care about offense?"

Armstead is totally in his own head, he passes up shots he should take for passes he shouldn't make, the possession grinds down and he almost always ends up with the ball in his hands late in the shot clock, gets forced in to some looks you dont really want anyone taking, you can just see he doesn't think its going in when he lets it go. Go to the basket, get fouled, shoot free throws is what id like to see from him.

the super sexy run and gun is tough for us, ESPECIALLY when your opponent plays offense with 4 guys outside the 3 point line and ALL of those players take 4 steps back as soon as one of them shoots, you literally cant run out. And then they play defense by stacking the box and bringing a 3/4 court trap which grinds us down

Our inability to have a big man inbound the ball and guards who consistently break full to 3/4 court pressure is going to cost us a very important game if not rectified.

Write this down

Dontel Highsmith needs to be attempting a minimum of 5 3 point shots per game from the wing - at least 5 - as many as he can get is fine with me - his release is outstanding and quick enough to get that shot a lot more than he is actually taking it.

Levi bradley/Jalen Key/Marin Maric need to learn to inbound the ball

I think we're going to be fine

Armstead needs a big hug and a lift up - hate to see him struggling like this in his last year.

Come out Saturday for what should be a great environment

Go Huskies!

I disagree with the game never in doubt and NIU had open shots. Any time you turn the ball over 20 times it's not a good thing. I think coach Montgomery has breeded a very tentative and scared offensive culture. He said last night he liked defense over offense. He sees turnovers as so damning that he would rather not even have the ball. There is certainly some Rod Careyness going on here when it comes to offense. Pretty stunning similarities

I do agree about Armstead inside his own head. No doubt about that

Almost every good coach says we will win with defense not offense. Bo Ryan, Izzo, coach K, Bob Knight, Jim Bohiem the list goes on forever.

(01-18-2017 06:04 PM)dekalb222 Wrote:  Almost every good coach says we will win with defense not offense. Bo Ryan, Izzo, coach K, Bob Knight, Jim Bohiem the list goes on forever.

Easy to say that when you have the best athletes in the country running your offenses. I think NIU is in a dilemma right now, Coach Montgomery is starting to recruit offensive talent, yet does not want to pay any attention to offense or put any kind of a stress on it. Guys like German and Wilson thus become misfits and outcasts who do not fit in at all. If you really want to play a plodding mucker style, than we should recruit exclusively for that instead of trying to fit square pegs into round holes with higher end offensive talent who do not fit into a coach's philosophy.

(01-18-2017 07:02 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(01-18-2017 06:04 PM)dekalb222 Wrote:  Almost every good coach says we will win with defense not offense. Bo Ryan, Izzo, coach K, Bob Knight, Jim Bohiem the list goes on forever.

Easy to say that when you have the best athletes in the country running your offenses. I think NIU is in a dilemma right now, Coach Montgomery is starting to recruit offensive talent, yet does not want to pay any attention to offense or put any kind of a stress on it. Guys like German and Wilson thus become misfits and outcasts who do not fit in at all. If you really want to play a plodding mucker style, than we should recruit exclusively for that instead of trying to fit square pegs into round holes with higher end offensive talent who do not fit into a coach's philosophy.

So when guys miss good looks at the basket, what do you do?

(01-18-2017 07:02 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(01-18-2017 06:04 PM)dekalb222 Wrote:  Almost every good coach says we will win with defense not offense. Bo Ryan, Izzo, coach K, Bob Knight, Jim Bohiem the list goes on forever.

Easy to say that when you have the best athletes in the country running your offenses. I think NIU is in a dilemma right now, Coach Montgomery is starting to recruit offensive talent, yet does not want to pay any attention to offense or put any kind of a stress on it. Guys like German and Wilson thus become misfits and outcasts who do not fit in at all. If you really want to play a plodding mucker style, than we should recruit exclusively for that instead of trying to fit square pegs into round holes with higher end offensive talent who do not fit into a coach's philosophy.

MD, come on now. "not paying any attention to offense" and just kind of sucking at coaching it, are two different things. You have nothing to go off of to say he doesn't pay attention to it, it's not as simple as deciding to care one day.