Towson won 75-72. Strong attempted an open three facing the backboard and missed to the right.

For some reason this loss didn't bother me. Maybe because Tyson was out and a loss wasn't all that unexpected but I also saw some positives. First.....Walters. Nine assists and one turnover! And that's after six assists in his last game. I've moved him into the "dependable" column. Same with Smith. Him, Walker and Roland should get all the guard minutes from here on. As expected we limited their offensive rebounds to eight.....the same number of OR'S that we had and their second chance points to six. Plus, Brace looks like he again feels confident shooting threes. Any one of rhe top six can win this especially if Tyson is healthy.
I lost my connection for most of the last four or five minutes. Is that when Smith got his T?

I agree with you on the loss. However, I now think I was wrong for next week. The Towson matchup scares me more than Charleston now. I guess it was a function of me not seeing them since the December matchup. They are very physical and got us into all sorts of foul trouble. When Max wen out, that killed us. We will have to play some other bigs in the 1st half next week to preserve guys for the end.

The Smith technical was a double tech with just under a minute left

With all due respect to Bart Torvik, we definitely don't have the 2nd best chance next week in real life. The computer programs and spreadsheets love us because of our efficiency stats and point differential but if your life was at stake, I don't think anyone would pick NU to win it all. It would be a minor miracle to make the final

The loss to Towson doesn't mean anything. NU wasn't moving up anyway.

Let's hope Walker's wing will be fine for next week.

Highlights of Towson game ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvlgiQPEqYQ

Coen postgame ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6XALw5dEcU

CAA Tourney preview by MId-Major Madness ...

https://www.midmajormadness.com/2020/3/4...-the-dance

WRBB sports did an interview with Coen, Brace and Roland about the upcoming CAA Tournament.

Sounds like Tyson is about 50-50 to play on Sunday ...

https://twitter.com/wrbbsports/status/12...65730?s=21

I dont put a ton of stock in Kenpom rankings, but its interesting to look at. Northeastern this year is the 7th unluckiest team in the country out of 353 teams. Conversely, W&M is the luckiest team in the country. Considering both our games vs them came down to the last play where we lost, I can get where this comes from.

I think this tourney will be a fun one. No expectations for us this year.

Who knows what to expect? We don't even know if Tyson is playing. I loved our chances last year. We were deep. Our center was finally a factor. We had senior leadership. We don't have all of that this year but no one else does either. Some team is going to get hot. I hope it's us.

Without getting too far into the math, can anyone describe what he uses as a measure of luck (good or bad). I am guessing just an abnormally good or bad record in close games or something. I don’t remember a game where we had particularly bad luck (i.e. a guy banking in a nutty 3 at the buzzer. What I remember:

1. W&M – we gave up a pretty easy shot by Knight at the very end
2. Hofstra – we gave up a pretty easy shot by Pemberton at the very end
3. UNCW – we collapsed in the last 10 minutes and let Okauro walk to the basket for a dunk to tie it in regulation
4. Delaware – total collapse at the end
5. W&M – Brace set a red carpet out for Knight to walk to the basket and all but ran away from the play
6. Elon – just beat us at the end
7. Hofstra – bat us the entire 2nd half really
8. Delaware – was a beat down
9. Towson – just beat us at the end

So I am just curious. I sure hope I am wrong. I don’t see this team turning it around at this point and making a run here. You win these tournaments with great guard play, great toughness and great leadership. I don’t see us as having any of those save Roland, who has had a great year shooting and driving the ball

1.5-2 point favorites today.

(03-08-2020 09:35 AM)NUFan35 Wrote:  Without getting too far into the math, can anyone describe what he uses as a measure of luck (good or bad). I am guessing just an abnormally good or bad record in close games or something. I don’t remember a game where we had particularly bad luck (i.e. a guy banking in a nutty 3 at the buzzer. What I remember:

1. W&M – we gave up a pretty easy shot by Knight at the very end
2. Hofstra – we gave up a pretty easy shot by Pemberton at the very end
3. UNCW – we collapsed in the last 10 minutes and let Okauro walk to the basket for a dunk to tie it in regulation
4. Delaware – total collapse at the end
5. W&M – Brace set a red carpet out for Knight to walk to the basket and all but ran away from the play
6. Elon – just beat us at the end
7. Hofstra – bat us the entire 2nd half really
8. Delaware – was a beat down
9. Towson – just beat us at the end

So I am just curious. I sure hope I am wrong. I don’t see this team turning it around at this point and making a run here. You win these tournaments with great guard play, great toughness and great leadership. I don’t see us as having any of those save Roland, who has had a great year shooting and driving the ball

I think it's purely mathematical. I think it's basically, these close games come down to luck. Momentum and nerves dont really exist.

Obviously there is some truth but certainly it's only a metric. Coaching and attitude do matter.

We need Brace to step up

Great effort. Going to take the same if not more tomorrow. Let's go

Pretty excited to see everyone step up when Roland had his least effective game of the season.

On to the semis vs. Elon. Hoping they are a bit tired.

Absolutely loved how Tyson came off the bench and provided the spark this team really needed, especially with Roland having an off game.

Max was a force on both ends of the floor and Shaq and Brace contributed on both ends.

Never imagined we would play Elon in the semis, but we are.

I just can't see us losing this one on Monday.

Highlights ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uCoG0AgYYY

Coen, Tyson and Max postgame ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDT3twc6FYU

This is why I picked you guys to win the league. Coen always has your team ready for the tournament.

We are fairly big Vegas favorites. I can't imagine us giving them as many uncontested threes as the Tribe did,

That is a huge number considering the history. We won by that much the 1st game but that was a super-human effort by Walker. We lost the 2nd game. Even last year, when there was a huge talent mismatch, both games went OT and we easily could have lost both in regulation

Agree. I would bet on Elon if I had to and wasn't biased. But I don't have to and I am biased so I recommend to bet big on NU!

Well, it is their third game in three days and Shefield, Woods and McIntosh averaged thirty eight minutes of playing time, yesterday. That probably added to the spread.

(03-09-2020 11:27 AM)NUGUY Wrote:  Well, it is their third game in three days and Shefield, Woods and McIntosh averaged thirty eight minutes of playing time, yesterday. That probably added to the spread.

I agree. Plus we still have players from last year's title team so that has to be why the spread is so high.

I don't care about spreads anyway. Just win and move on ...