Niu with a nice 58-48 win over Miami today at the Convo.
NIU was 3-5 after the first 8 games but have now won 4 out their last 5 and is 1-1 in conference play.

NIU women are on national tv Sunday at Kent State. 5pm on cbssn. 221 Directv.

(01-12-2024 10:17 PM)niu16 Wrote:  NIU women are on national tv Sunday at Kent State. 5pm on cbssn. 221 Directv.

Let's go NIU.

Neither team looked good in the first quarter.
Kent-12
NIU-11

Kent-54
NIU-31 late in the 3rd.

Final
Kent-73
NIU-48

Not sure what to make of this team. Check out the stats on the official website and see what you think.

KSU's shooting was a lot hotter (48.4% to 27.8%), though neither team burned any barns with threes. Until very late in the 4th, all 14 NIU players got in but only 6 had scored.

Scores by quarter:
1-KSU 12-11
2-KSU 37-19
3-KSU 56-34
4-KSU 73-48

KSU had big leads in points off turnovers (18 to 8), points in the paint (38 to 20) and fastbreak points (16 to 5), all of which indicate NIU's problem with not enough aggression/focus around the basket and taking care of the ball.

It almost seems like HC Carlsen has tried to transition from the run-and-shoot to a more "traditional" scheme, but it isn't working without the above inside aggression. Jayden Marable (13 pts. 3 steals) was her usual efficient all-around. Brooke Stonebraker (13 pts. 9 rebs.) seems to be the only 6-footer who's reliable. Those two are not enough when the opponent can put up four players in double figures.

I have asked before and will ask again (as have others): who is drawing up the plays, Carlsen or Adam Tandez?

Our first game really against a decent/good MAC team and we get beat by 25. Carlsen 9+ years into her tenure and I believe she’s 3 under .500 on her overall record. Hopefully they can rebound against Buffalo Wednesday night at home.

(01-14-2024 08:06 PM)pvk75 Wrote:  Not sure what to make of this team. Check out the stats on the official website and see what you think.

KSU's shooting was a lot hotter (48.4% to 27.8%), though neither team burned any barns with threes. Until very late in the 4th, all 14 NIU players got in but only 6 had scored.

Scores by quarter:
1-KSU 12-11
2-KSU 37-19
3-KSU 56-34
4-KSU 73-48

KSU had big leads in points off turnovers (18 to 8), points in the paint (38 to 20) and fastbreak points (16 to 5), all of which indicate NIU's problem with not enough aggression/focus around the basket and taking care of the ball.

It almost seems like HC Carlsen has tried to transition from the run-and-shoot to a more "traditional" scheme, but it isn't working without the above inside aggression. Jayden Marable (13 pts. 3 steals) was her usual efficient all-around. Brooke Stonebraker (13 pts. 9 rebs.) seems to be the only 6-footer who's reliable. Those two are not enough when the opponent can put up five players in double figures.

I have asked before and will ask again (as have others): who is drawing up the plays, Carlsen or Adam Tandez?

No Carlsen will tell you she wants the “run and gun” but here’s the problem. When she took over she inherited (didn’t recruit any of them) 3 future 1,000 pt scorers and 1 2,000 pt scorer…they haven’t been able to recruit people to replace that type of scoring. Thus our scoring/point per game has gone down. That’s the problem plain and simple.

The problem is she only recruits the exact same girls. Her team is just a clone of each other and her next recruits with her daughter in it is more of the same and will result in the same underwhelming team.

(01-14-2024 08:06 PM)pvk75 Wrote:  Not sure what to make of this team. Check out the stats on the official website and see what you think.

KSU's shooting was a lot hotter (48.4% to 27.8%), though neither team burned any barns with threes. Until very late in the 4th, all 14 NIU players got in but only 6 had scored.

Scores by quarter:
1-KSU 12-11
2-KSU 37-19
3-KSU 56-34
4-KSU 73-48

KSU had big leads in points off turnovers (18 to 8), points in the paint (38 to 20) and fastbreak points (16 to 5), all of which indicate NIU's problem with not enough aggression/focus around the basket and taking care of the ball.

It almost seems like HC Carlsen has tried to transition from the run-and-shoot to a more "traditional" scheme, but it isn't working without the above inside aggression. Jayden Marable (13 pts. 3 steals) was her usual efficient all-around. Brooke Stonebraker (13 pts. 9 rebs.) seems to be the only 6-footer who's reliable. Those two are not enough when the opponent can put up five players in double figures.

I have asked before and will ask again (as have others): who is drawing up the plays, Carlsen or Adam Tandez?

They have a set 1/2 court offense they run so if the fast break isn’t there they just automatically run that—that isn’t called out. Now if you are talking about last second shots/potential game winners etc. from what I’ve seen it’s Tandez. A former assistant (think his first name was John but could be wrong) was very good at that. Tandez not so much IMO.

Correct me if I read your comment wrong ... they have an AUTOMATIC set 1/2-court offense that "isn't called out" that THEY (presumably the team on the floor) decide to run when THEY decide the fast break isn't working?!

To some agreement with CollegeMan33 above, it looks like Carlsen has not gotten the personnel she needs for the run-and-shoot she wants, and the devolution is some kind of hybrid on semi-autopilot. Or not. Or the impact of Chelby Koker being out had a bigger impact than first thought.

(01-14-2024 11:52 PM)pvk75 Wrote:  Correct me if I read your comment wrong ... they have an AUTOMATIC set 1/2-court offense that "isn't called out" that THEY (presumably the team on the floor) decide to run when THEY decide the fast break isn't working?!

To some agreement with CollegeMan33 above, it looks like Carlsen has not gotten the personnel she needs for the run-and-shoot she wants, and the devolution is some kind of hybrid on semi-autopilot. Or not. Or the impact of Chelby Koker being out had a bigger impact than first thought.

If the fast break doesn’t produce and easy shot- or in some cases a 3 pointer- they just go into their basic 1/2 court offense. No one is standing up yelling out which play to run every time down court-that went out a long time ago. Now That may happen a handful of times a game but it’s certainly not the norm. Watch Bruno-Carlsen during the games and see what they do.

(01-14-2024 11:52 PM)pvk75 Wrote:  Correct me if I read your comment wrong ... they have an AUTOMATIC set 1/2-court offense that "isn't called out" that THEY (presumably the team on the floor) decide to run when THEY decide the fast break isn't working?!

To some agreement with CollegeMan33 above, it looks like Carlsen has not gotten the personnel she needs for the run-and-shoot she wants, and the devolution is some kind of hybrid on semi-autopilot. Or not. Or the impact of Chelby Koker being out had a bigger impact than first thought.

We’re talking about here is what Carlsen wants and what she is getting. She wants full run and shoot but obviously not getting that. If you go back to one of her preseason comments she said now that Davis is not on the team they want to run and shoot even more. So that’s her philosophy but she’s certainly getting mixed results with her current roster.

(01-15-2024 10:13 AM)Huskies 08 Wrote:  

(01-14-2024 11:52 PM)pvk75 Wrote:  Correct me if I read your comment wrong ... they have an AUTOMATIC set 1/2-court offense that "isn't called out" that THEY (presumably the team on the floor) decide to run when THEY decide the fast break isn't working?!

To some agreement with CollegeMan33 above, it looks like Carlsen has not gotten the personnel she needs for the run-and-shoot she wants, and the devolution is some kind of hybrid on semi-autopilot. Or not. Or the impact of Chelby Koker being out had a bigger impact than first thought.

We’re talking about here is what Carlsen wants and what she is getting. She wants full run and shoot but obviously not getting that. If you go back to one of her preseason comments she said now that Davis is not on the team they want to run and shoot even more. So that’s her philosophy but she’s certainly getting mixed results with her current roster.

No. "We're" talking about a number of things, some of which are being shunted aside, perhaps because they're hard to quantify and uncomfortable to consider.

But as to your point about what Carlsen is "getting," who built the current roster? Who has been building the roster into the current 9th season and a 129-127 overall record (61-68 in the MAC)?

No squad has finished higher than 3rd (twice) in 8 complete seasons. The latest WBB NET rankings put NIU at #268 out of 360 D1 programs. (There is criticism about NET, of course, but it's the best ranking system available since it figures in how your opponents do against their schedules as well. NET, recall, is a fairly new key measure for NCAA tournament invites.)

From all accounts, Carlsen is a good person and promoter of the Huskies. But we are heading into Mark Montgomery/MBB territory here. The bottom line is the bottom line.

Note: I am NOT suggesting a regime change, just a more balanced assessment of where the program is at. I'm trying to understand what the problem(s) are. Having been around basketball since h.s. some 55 years ago, and directly involved at times, I have a very basic working knowledge. NOT an expert by any means.

(01-15-2024 03:14 PM)pvk75 Wrote:  

(01-15-2024 10:13 AM)Huskies 08 Wrote:  

(01-14-2024 11:52 PM)pvk75 Wrote:  Correct me if I read your comment wrong ... they have an AUTOMATIC set 1/2-court offense that "isn't called out" that THEY (presumably the team on the floor) decide to run when THEY decide the fast break isn't working?!

To some agreement with CollegeMan33 above, it looks like Carlsen has not gotten the personnel she needs for the run-and-shoot she wants, and the devolution is some kind of hybrid on semi-autopilot. Or not. Or the impact of Chelby Koker being out had a bigger impact than first thought.

We’re talking about here is what Carlsen wants and what she is getting. She wants full run and shoot but obviously not getting that. If you go back to one of her preseason comments she said now that Davis is not on the team they want to run and shoot even more. So that’s her philosophy but she’s certainly getting mixed results with her current roster.

No. "We're" talking about a number of things, some of which are being shunted aside, perhaps because they're hard to quantify and uncomfortable to consider.

But as to your point about what Carlsen is "getting," who built the current roster? Who has been building the roster into the current 9th season and a 129-127 overall record (61-68 in the MAC)?

No squad has finished higher than 3rd (twice) in 8 complete seasons. The latest WBB NET rankings put NIU at #268 out of 360 D1 programs. (There is criticism about NET, of course, but it's the best ranking system available since it figures in how your opponents do against their schedules as well. NET, recall, is a fairly new key measure for NCAA tournament invites.)

From all accounts, Carlsen is a good person and promoter of the Huskies. But we are heading into Mark Montgomery/MBB territory here. The bottom line is the bottom line.

Note: I am NOT suggesting a regime change, just a more balanced assessment of where the program is at. I'm trying to understand what the problem(s) are. Having been around basketball since h.s. some 55 years ago, and directly involved at times, I have a very basic working knowledge. NOT an expert by any means.

I would agree with you on most things except I would like to see a regime change- in no way was I speaking up for or making excuses for Coach Carlsen-I was merely pointing out her recruiting has not been that good which you pointed out with her record. If the tv info was correct yesterday they had her as 2 games under .500 going into yesterday’s game (now 3 under).

As CollegeMan33 pointed out, most of the 8 previous years of success have been with players she did not recruit (Lehman, Woods, Voigt, May and Glenn to name a few). A number of players she brought in had been injured elsewhere and were "recovered." Recall early on there were so many injuries among the squad that NIU hired an "outside consultant" to educate everyone how to avoid them. No one ever commented on the "results." Carlsen also seems to pick up guards (mostly) in remote places; I wonder (as with Burno/MBB) where the wealth of Illinois/Chicago players are at.

My statement about not fostering regime change is because I/we have nothing to do with that and, to be honest, I cannot fault Sean Frazier because Carlsen looked promising coming in from DII Lewis with a 148-89 record. As to her current record, my numbers were simply counting year by year (I could have made an error; so can the broadcast types). But regardless, into 9 years, we should have seen some steady upswing by now.

According to the NIU transparency website (https://www.niu.edu/president/about/tran...cy.shtml), her contract runs through " ... 6/30/25 with performance-based extensions."

Btw, last week I watched two other WBB games of a run-and-shoot team. They came in with 11 wins and lost two when two different opponents used a 1-3-1 defense with occasional presses. NIU needs some inside agressive height like Davis was. Just IMHO.

(01-15-2024 04:10 PM)pvk75 Wrote:  As CollegeMan33 pointed out, most of the 8 previous years of success have been with players she did not recruit (Lehman, Woods, Voigt, May and Glenn to name a few). A number of players she brought in had been injured elsewhere and were "recovered." Recall early on there were so many injuries among the squad that NIU hired an "outside consultant" to educate everyone how to avoid them. No one ever commented on the "results." Carlsen also seems to pick up guards (mostly) in remote places; I wonder (as with Burno/MBB) where the wealth of Illinois/Chicago players are at.

My statement about not fostering regime change is because I/we have nothing to do with that and, to be honest, I cannot fault Sean Frazier because Carlsen looked promising coming in from DII Lewis with a 148-89 record. As to her current record, my numbers were simply counting year by year (I could have made an error; so can the broadcast types). But regardless, into 9 years, we should have seen some steady upswing by now.

According to the NIU transparency website (https://www.niu.edu/president/about/tran...cy.shtml), her contract runs through " ... 6/30/25 with performance-based extensions."

Btw, last week I watched two other WBB games of a run-and-shoot team. They came in with 11 wins and lost two when two different opponents used a 1-3-1 defense with occasional presses. NIU needs some inside agressive height like Davis was. Just IMHO.

I was the one who pointed out in my original post about the scorers she inherited and did not recruit but that’s ok. I’ve also posted before Im old-saw my first NIU football game in 1965. I enjoy watching women’s basketball and would like to see some sustained success before I’m not able to watch the games anymore. I have nothing personal against Carlsen but in my opinion she’s not doing a good enough job to continue after her contract expires in 2025. 10 years is enough-just my opinion.

Sorry about the mixup. Coupla oldsters us (me). Ten years will be (next year) long in the tooth for a program that seems to be spinning its wheels from year to year. (How's that for cliches?) The run-and-shoot works if you have the personnel to stop and pop and hit baskets. If not, your 1/2 court better be damn good. Sad to say, here, I don't see either one.

(01-15-2024 04:50 PM)pvk75 Wrote:  Sorry about the mixup. Coupla oldsters us (me). Ten years will be (next year) long in the tooth for a program that seems to be spinning its wheels from year to year. (How's that for cliches?) The run-and-shoot works if you have the personnel to stop and pop and hit baskets. If not, your 1/2 court better be damn good. Sad to say, here, I don't see either one.

Is Carlsen's daughter considered a D1 recruit? Was she offered by other d1 programs?