Post NU game notes - Pitino: The better team won, you've got to give them credit.

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Here are my post game notes, typed live, so it's not verbatim:

Chris Collins:
• Oh man, can I watch the end of this game (pointing to the Duke/UNC game) - shows how much faith my wife has in me, she's even down in Durham.
• This was a great win for us, just so happy for our guys.
• This is not an easy place to win, it's one of the great atmospheres. I have an amazing amount of respect for Richard. Both of our Dads go nuts when we're coaching close games.
• We wouldn't' have won without any of the guys who played.
• We played all zone, we tried our best to find him (Hollins) shoot a little deeper, shoot a little more contested shots. We tried to identify where he was at all times. We tried to find him and King the whole time, because those are the guys that could really hurt us in the zone.
• I didn't anticipate taking 33 3's, but that's my kind of game.
• I never take a guy out if he misses a shot, but I will for not working your butt off on D, I want our guys to play free and not have those handcuffs. MN does such a good job of pressing.
• IU was unconscious last game, they play differently, but a lot of the 3's were contested. We felt if we were strong with the ball and penetrated, those opportunities would be there with the kickouts.
• If you're trying to build something in the long term, you're going to have to go through some growing pains. If you look at their spirit, it's incredible…people would say, this doesn't look like a team that's 1-10 in the league.
• We had 10 TO's, but they only had 5 steals. I almost call them pick 6's, because MN, with their speed, it's going to be a bucket.

Pitino:
• You give up 18 3's last game, and you have to try something else, and obviously it didn't work because they hit some tough tough 3's. Gave up 15 this one, you're not going to win. The better team won, you've got to give them credit.
• They hit a bunch of tough shots early. The 1st half, they hit 3 2 point baskets. I knew this would be a tough game, that team is playing with confidence and loose. They've been close vs. a lot of team. Chris is building it the right way. I don't think we overlooked them.
• Do you use a new defense? I don't know, it depends on the matchup. I thought we could play a decent amount of zone, we just didn't do a good job, they have good young talent. I don't know. I think we need to stick with what we do, and grow and build.
• Nothing was good defensively, I don't know if it was one line-up or another.
• Hollins didn't have that "pop" today. Maybe their zone screwed him up.
• We need to let those young guys grow, I know it's tough, I wanted to play Gas more, and Charles more, we need to continue to develop those guys.
• Olah is a good player, I've always thought that, he was very effective tonight. I've always like that player.
• You've got to get mentally tougher, that's the reality of it.

DeAndrew Mathieu:
The teams are making a lot of shots. I don't know what we can do, we need to do a better job contesting. Earlier in the year we did a really good job of contesting, I don't think we doing it as well lately.
Early we weren't getting out to shooters fast enough
The guys are just doing w good job getting it open*and knocking it down, it's really hurting us. Defensive rebounds are killing us, and wide open 3's and kick outs.
It's extremely important that we fix this defense because at Wisconsin, everyone shoots it, 1 through 5.
On putting losses like this behind you: Me, in particular, I have a son. I go home and he's happy. That changes the whole day. I have something to look forward to.
On Pitino: He was really really upset that we didn't have any heart, this was a letdown. We needed this just like last year against NU and IL, and we came out and laid an egg. You would think with having 5 seniors that we'd learn from that, and we didn't learn from that. He was really upset, as he should be, as we all should be. We let one get away at home, and we normally play really good at home.

Nate Mason:
We just have put it behind us and come to work the next day
On giving up 3's - You would think we'd learn, but they did the same thing.*
What is the issue on D? Just not communicating, we've got to talk better
After he hit his head on the floor: Felt dizzy*
Testing for concussions I was a little dizzy and had a headache throughout the game, but I think I'll be fine.*
 


Here are my post game notes, typed live, so it's not verbatim:

Nate Mason:
We just have put it behind us and come to work the next day
On giving up 3's - You would think we'd learn, but they did the same thing.*
What is the issue on D? Just not communicating, we've got to talk better
After he hit his head on the floor: Felt dizzy*
Testing for concussions I was a little dizzy and had a headache throughout the game, but I think I'll be fine.*

Ummmm if this is accurate (I'm assuming it b/c it's Nadine), this sounds like the concussion protocol should've dictated he not stay in the game. Would hate to have to shut the kid down, but his safety for the future is way more important.
 

Pitino: We need to let those young guys grow, I know it's tough, I wanted to play Gas more, and Charles more, we need to continue to develop those guys.

This is where we are heading. I would expect to see those two and Konate getting a lot of time in coming games. No reason not to at this point.
 

Teams hit a lot of tough shots against us. Whatever, we can't cover anyone. Gets some talent in here.
 


The better team may have won, but what I want to know is why a 2-10 Northwestern team was the better team on our home court. Tonight's game was ridiculous. I thought this team might be able to string together a late run, but this one hurts. Embarrassing performance tonight Don't know why we thought letting them fire away with wide open threes was a good strategy.
 

The better team may have won, but what I want to know is why a 2-10 Northwestern team was the better team on our home court. Tonight's game was ridiculous. I thought this team might be able to string together a late run, but this one hurts. Embarrassing performance tonight Don't know why we thought letting them fire away with wide open threes was a good strategy.


This team gave up after the Indiana loss...You could see it in the body language tonight....Many of them want the season over and they will get their wish if they lose out.
 

You've got to get mentally tougher, that's the reality of it.

We have a senior point guard, a senior shooting guard and a senior center...and Coach says this. That's just sad.
 

Ummmm if this is accurate (I'm assuming it b/c it's Nadine), this sounds like the concussion protocol should've dictated he not stay in the game. Would hate to have to shut the kid down, but his safety for the future is way more important.

Did you see him after he hit the back of his head? He looked really dizzy. I was surprised he stayed in the game, and got the next rebound right away. That's why I wanted to ask him about it - he 1st kind of blew it off, but then said they were checking for a concussion.

Pitino: We need to let those young guys grow, I know it's tough, I wanted to play Gas more, and Charles more, we need to continue to develop those guys.

This is where we are heading. I would expect to see those two and Konate getting a lot of time in coming games. No reason not to at this point.

I thought the same thing when Jeff Horton was our interim coach with playing MarQueis Gray over Adam Weber. I asked him about it - and said he'd play Weber if it gave us the best chance of winning. I thought it was just a throw away season, but then we beat Iowa. And that felt so incredibly good, I understood him. I feel that way this year too - we may all think it's a lost season...but how good would it feel to beat WI?

Thank you.

You're welcome.

The better team may have won, but what I want to know is why a 2-10 Northwestern team was the better team on our home court. Tonight's game was ridiculous. I thought this team might be able to string together a late run, but this one hurts. Embarrassing performance tonight Don't know why we thought letting them fire away with wide open threes was a good strategy.
I thought after Hollins hit that 3 and Mathieu got a quick bucket, with about 4 minutes to go, that we would go on a run too. Never happened.

This team gave up after the Indiana loss...You could see it in the body language tonight....Many of them want the season over and they will get their wish if they lose out.

I've thought that a few times this season, but they haven't given up.
 






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