gokinsmen
Postdoc
Posts: 3683
Reg: 02-06-10
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03-16-24 02:50 PM - Post#365423
Catch-all thread for overall thoughts on the season and the future. If they get and accept an NIT invite (probably will), we can make new threads for that.
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What a bummer finish for the guys and for the program. I really thought they were primed for another amazing March. No one outside the Top 3 (UConn, Houston, Purdue) looks unbeatable on a neutral court... but it's all for naught.
That said, I don't think any of us thought they'd go 24-3 with a 48 NET during the regular season. Or that Xaivian Lee would turn into a POY caliber, NBA prospect as a soph. So many great games and moments - you have to fly this high to crash this hard.
Gonna miss Allocco and Martini so much. I expect both will enter the transfer portal for their 5th year, especially after this sour finish. They will beast on their new teams - Langborg is huge for Northwestern - and they deserve to taste March Madness again.
The silver linings to this unhappy ending:
- Pierce and Lee are two pro/NBA caliber stars who have two years left. I have no doubt Caden and Xaivian will learn from this just like Tosan and Ryan learned from the 2022 ILT upset and achieved greatness in 2023. Their best basketball is ahead of them, which is saying a lot.
- Dalen Davis solidified his star talent today. He is such a special clutch scorer and ballhandler. 21pts in a single half after playing badly in the 1st half. Nerves of steel.
- Blake Peters comes back. He became a more complete player this year and his %s will go back up with lower minutes next year (just like they did in Ivy play).
- Deven Austin comes back from injury. Our defense and depth were our Achilles heels and Deven is a HUGE help in both areas. Probably our starting SF.
- The coaching staff's player development is outstanding. If just ONE big man can step up and be solid (Huggins? Collins? A freshman?), then this team will be a top midmajor once again. Might lose a few non-conf games in November, but I can't wait for Pierce and Lee to reach another ILT - they won't let it slip away again.
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