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Chris Collins

We didn't get a chance to see their excellent freshman guard, Boo Buie. He went for 26 against MSU and 25 against Depaul.

Out with a stress fracture I believe.
 
He has some good young talent on the team now.

Correct. The NCAA tournament appearance gave him the runway to build long-term. That will always be the case at Northwestern, but the administration will be patient with him as they should. If he can get them to the place where they are in the tournament anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 of the years that would be a huge success for Northwestern. Of course, every program wants more but we know first-hand how hard it can be to win a Big 10 title. His younger guys are getting experience this year, add in Buie, another class and more experience and they will be much better next year.
 
I hope Northwestern gives Collins time. Great guy, great basketball family and great representative of the B1G. Really like the youth they have on this team. In another year or two I could see them back in the dance.
 
Northwestern is always described as “very young” and “injury plagued”. I say, “Grow up and be careful.”
 
This seems to be a tad strong.

A player who is recruited to Northwestern has to have a solid academic background which means no marginal academic athletic players. That in itself, puts Collins at a tremendous disadvantage to other Universities not only within the Big Ten Conference but other recruiting areas as well. Northwestern has had some great coaches over the years and they've been to 1 NCAA tournament....ever.... and you question my statement that Northwestern has to be one of the toughest jobs in division 1.
if that doesn't equate to being a major reason that it's one of toughest jobs in division 1, I can't help you...
 
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A player who is recruited to Northwestern has to have a solid academic background which means no marginal academic athletic players. That in itself, puts Collins at a tremendous disadvantage to other Universities not only within the Big Ten Conference but other recruiting areas as well. Northwestern has had some great coaches over the years and they've been to 1 NCAA tournament....ever.... and you question my statement that Northwestern has to be one of the toughest jobs in division 1.
if that doesn't equate to being a major reason that it's one of toughest jobs in division 1, I can't help you...
Who do you put in the great category?
 
I haven't watched a NW game until playing the Hawks, so I don't have much insight into their team. With that said I didn't see much to think the young players on his team have a high upside (outside of Nance). I thought they shot it well in the first half by making several well contested shots. That is what kept them in the game for the first 20 min.

It did seem strange that I didn't recognize hardly any of the players on the team, so either I don't care about NW (which is somewhat true) or I didn't pay attention to them much last year either.

Did I see it much differently than the rest of you?
 
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Who do you put in the great category?

1. Tex Winter Naismith Hall of Fame coach, assistant to the Bulls Micheal Jordan dynasty.
2. Bill Foster, head coach at Rutgers, Utah, Duke, & South Carolina before Northwestern. Won a national championship at Duke in 1978.
3. Bill Carmody, coached Northwestern 15 years and had some really good years from 2008 to 2012 with taking Northwestern to the NIT each of those years, but never quite getting them to the NCAA, before leaving to coach at Holy Cross, and before Northwestern, coach 5 years at Princeton.
4. Chris Collins, been at Northwestern 7 years now and was the only coach in Northwestern's 116 year basketball history and 67 year history in the Big Ten to lead them to an NCAA tournament bid.
The university believes in strict academic admission standards and evidently doesn't make exceptions. It pertains to all Northwestern sports but effects the basketball team the most because of the limited roster numbers. Not hard to understand why it's a difficult job to succeed.
 
1. Tex Winter Naismith Hall of Fame coach, assistant to the Bulls Micheal Jordan dynasty.
2. Bill Foster, head coach at Rutgers, Utah, Duke, & South Carolina before Northwestern. Won a national championship at Duke in 1978.
3. Bill Carmody, coached Northwestern 15 years and had some really good years from 2008 to 2012 with taking Northwestern to the NIT each of those years, but never quite getting them to the NCAA, before leaving to coach at Holy Cross, and before Northwestern, coach 5 years at Princeton.
4. Chris Collins, been at Northwestern 7 years now and was the only coach in Northwestern's 116 year basketball history and 67 year history in the Big Ten to lead them to an NCAA tournament bid.
The university believes in strict academic admission standards and evidently doesn't make exceptions. It pertains to all Northwestern sports but effects the basketball team the most because of the limited roster numbers. Not hard to understand why it's a difficult job to succeed.
Curious, does Northwestern have a stricter academic standard than Stanford?
 
A player who is recruited to Northwestern has to have a solid academic background which means no marginal academic athletic players. That in itself, puts Collins at a tremendous disadvantage to other Universities not only within the Big Ten Conference but other recruiting areas as well. Northwestern has had some great coaches over the years and they've been to 1 NCAA tournament....ever.... and you question my statement that Northwestern has to be one of the toughest jobs in division 1.
if that doesn't equate to being a major reason that it's one of toughest jobs in division 1, I can't help you...

He gives out full rides, that right there gives him an advantage over some other programs who face even more extreme academic hurdles.
 
A player who is recruited to Northwestern has to have a solid academic background which means no marginal academic athletic players. That in itself, puts Collins at a tremendous disadvantage to other Universities not only within the Big Ten Conference but other recruiting areas as well. Northwestern has had some great coaches over the years and they've been to 1 NCAA tournament....ever.... and you question my statement that Northwestern has to be one of the toughest jobs in division 1.
if that doesn't equate to being a major reason that it's one of toughest jobs in division 1, I can't help you...

I get you but I think he is referring to the hyperbole. All of D1 would mean it's harder than Alabama A&M, Kennesaw St., Albany, etc... those places aren't nearly as hard to get in but I would take being NW over anything not P5 plus Big East almost.
 
A player who is recruited to Northwestern has to have a solid academic background which means no marginal academic athletic players. That in itself, puts Collins at a tremendous disadvantage to other Universities not only within the Big Ten Conference but other recruiting areas as well. Northwestern has had some great coaches over the years and they've been to 1 NCAA tournament....ever.... and you question my statement that Northwestern has to be one of the toughest jobs in division 1.
if that doesn't equate to being a major reason that it's one of toughest jobs in division 1, I can't help you...

Your position seems to be evolving. First it was “the toughest job in Division I” and now you write that it is “one of the toughest jobs in Division I.”

By tempering the assertion in your original post, you proved the accuracy of my reply. Put another way, if you are now claiming that the head coaching job at Northwestern BB is “one” of the toughest jobs instead of “the toughest,” then you’ve admitted that your original post was “a tad strong.”

Does Northwestern’s head basketball coach face challenges? Absolutely. Any school with rigorous academic requirements faces challenges (I.e. Duke, Stanford, Vanderbilt)

But ... the head basketball coach can also “sell:”
- playing in B1G and national exposure
- playing in close proximity to major metropolitan city
- potential for earning a degree at an elite university

The head basketball coach at Northwestern is paid well and has significant financial resources at his disposal for recruiting.

I wonder if the head coach at the University of Albany feels as though his job is easier than Chris Collins’ job.
 
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Very complimentary of the Hawks in his press conference tonight.

Separately, I’m surprised he hasn’t been able to build off the 2017 NCAA run. There’s plenty of really smart kids who can play basketball.

I also agree with NW not being as successful coming of NCAA appearance. The year after they returned good portion of the team and floundered down the stretch losing 7 straight to end the year. I felt like they had the roster and talent to make it back the next year. Even last year had couple good seniors and finished in lower half of the conference.

Almost seems like some of Collins better players he has gotten to NW were before they made the tourney in guys like Vic Law, Scottie Lindsay, McIntosh & Pardon compared to the last 3 classes since they finally made the big dance.
 
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Collins is OK as far as opposing coaches go. Better than most we deal with, but he really is using their injuries as a crutch when speaking with the media, something McCaffery didn't do.
 
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Listen, I'm sure there are other reasons that in combination with the academics, are keeping Northwestern from achieving equality with the rest of the NCAA, but the academic standards are a major hurtle that past and present coaches have to deal with.
What other reason is there for the university to only obtain 1 bid to the NCAA tournament in 78 years?
They are a member of a power 5 conference, The Big Ten, not a member of a mid major conference that only gets 1 bid.
The reason can't be only coaching...there has to be other circumstances that is in play here. Maybe Legend in his ultimate wisdom has the answer...for he knows all;)
 
Isn't Duke supposedly a tough school to qualify for? Something tells me Coach K has been given a dispensation to skirt the standards.
 
He's not good enough to play on Northwestern's lacrosse team?

Never mind, I see he has used up his eligibility in lacrosse.
 
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