Northwestern University Athletics
The Skip Report: Legends Classic Preview
11/20/2016 11:58:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By Skip Myslenski
NUsports.com Special Contributor
They were up by one with 63 seconds remaining, and lost by two on a cold-blooded jumper just ticks before the final buzzer. That is how it went for the 'Cats last Wednesday night at Butler's storied playpen, Hinkle Fieldhouse. "Confident in how our team's going to be," Vic Law said the next afternoon when asked how he later felt. "But angry that we let it slip away. We have to win games like last night. It's as simple as that."
"We went into that game expecting to win. So it hurt," said his coach, Chris Collins. "In the past, maybe it was OK to go to Butler and play them to the last shot of the game. To us, that's not what we were looking for. We went there to win the game and we came up a little short in the last minute. I'm glad the guys are saying those things. That's them taking ownership of it. I'd rather have them saying it than me. To me, that's when you're really making progress. So when I hear that they're making those statements, I feel good. I want them to carry that.
"It's something I talk to you guys a lot about. In order to cross that bridge and go to the next step, there's got to be the expectation that you're good, and that you're supposed to win those game. I think we had it (that expectation) last night. Did we win? No. But we prepared well. We were confident throughout the game. When they went on runs, we went on runs. I thought it was two really good teams playing. They got one more shot, they got one more stop when they needed to. Sometimes it happens like that."
So there you have the Wildcats' condition as they head to Brooklyn for a game Monday against Texas and another on Tuesday against either Notre Dame or Colorado. They are there, on the cusp, knocking on the door, ready to cross the bridge, about to turn the corner, set to take the next step and finally arrive. (Pick your favorite cliche.) But to do that, to get the respect that comes with that, they must not stumble in crucibles like Hinkle, they must grab off games like those they will play at the Barclay Center.
But, to dabble even further in cliche, that leaves them in a chicken-egg situation. For you need confidence to win games like that, but you don't win games like that without confidence.
"I don't think it's a mentality thing," said Law when that theory was posited to him. "I think if you want it, it's going to happen. We made some bad decisions down the stretch. They're a good, winning program. They know what they need to do. It's instilled in them. That's what we need to do. We need to figure out what it takes to win games down the stretch. Whether it's a mindset, whether it's preparation. Whatever it might be, we need to pull those types of games out."
"I guess so. But I think confidence is the way you look at it," said Collins when he heard that theory. "When I played (at Duke), I played with Grant Hill and I thought I was as good as he was. Was that smart? No. It was not smart. But I think there's got to be some of that with any athlete, or whatever you are. You guys as journalists, you have to have a confidence in your work and what you do to be successful. The more you do it, the more confidence you get. To your point, that's where that comes in. But I think we're a confident group, I really do. When I went into the locker room last night, it wasn't sadness. We knew we'd played well. We knew we'd put forth a great fight. We were more angry that we didn't finish the deal. We had a one-point lead with a minute-three to go, and they scored twice and we had a turnover in that span. That's where the game was won, and that's where you've got to really be tough and make those plays on both ends."
At the end, though, teams with successful traditions are thinking "How're we gonna win this one" and teams with losing traditions are thinking "How're we gonna blow it this time."
"No question," said Collins.
Have the 'Cats made that jump to thinking positively?
"Definitely we're thinking, 'How can we win this game?' We're not thinking about, 'How do we lose this?'" said Law. "But I do agree with you that the mentality of some players, they're playing not to lose. But at the end of the day all you've got to do is what it takes to win. At the end of the game, you can't get tighter, you can't get nervous. You've just got to play your game."
"I think we're a lot closer than we've ever been. But you've got to do it," Collins finally said. "Again. We were in that position again last night, and it's all of us. It's coaches, it's players. I do believe though there was a feeling in the huddle when we were up one that we were going to win. I didn't sense a lack of confidence. It became then like a three possession game. They had two possessions, we had one. They scored on both of them and we had a turnover. That was the game.
"But to your point, that's where we are in our program right now. We're a good team. We have good talent and we can compete with most teams out there. I really believe that. We have good players. We have a good vibe. We have really good spirit, good chemistry. Now it's, if you want to make that move and be that team, you've got to do it when the game's on the line. I feel we will. Last night's game was another opportunity, and you know what's great? We get a couple days to rest up and we get another one on Monday night.
"That's what I love about basketball. You don't have to wait a week to play. You get back out there and play. I know our guys are anxious. I sensed an anger in them last night, which I liked. They know that was a game we very well could have got. Give Butler credit. They're really good and they made plays. But I think our guys felt we played well enough to win. We just didn't close the deal."
NUsports.com Special Contributor
They were up by one with 63 seconds remaining, and lost by two on a cold-blooded jumper just ticks before the final buzzer. That is how it went for the 'Cats last Wednesday night at Butler's storied playpen, Hinkle Fieldhouse. "Confident in how our team's going to be," Vic Law said the next afternoon when asked how he later felt. "But angry that we let it slip away. We have to win games like last night. It's as simple as that."
"We went into that game expecting to win. So it hurt," said his coach, Chris Collins. "In the past, maybe it was OK to go to Butler and play them to the last shot of the game. To us, that's not what we were looking for. We went there to win the game and we came up a little short in the last minute. I'm glad the guys are saying those things. That's them taking ownership of it. I'd rather have them saying it than me. To me, that's when you're really making progress. So when I hear that they're making those statements, I feel good. I want them to carry that.
"It's something I talk to you guys a lot about. In order to cross that bridge and go to the next step, there's got to be the expectation that you're good, and that you're supposed to win those game. I think we had it (that expectation) last night. Did we win? No. But we prepared well. We were confident throughout the game. When they went on runs, we went on runs. I thought it was two really good teams playing. They got one more shot, they got one more stop when they needed to. Sometimes it happens like that."
So there you have the Wildcats' condition as they head to Brooklyn for a game Monday against Texas and another on Tuesday against either Notre Dame or Colorado. They are there, on the cusp, knocking on the door, ready to cross the bridge, about to turn the corner, set to take the next step and finally arrive. (Pick your favorite cliche.) But to do that, to get the respect that comes with that, they must not stumble in crucibles like Hinkle, they must grab off games like those they will play at the Barclay Center.
But, to dabble even further in cliche, that leaves them in a chicken-egg situation. For you need confidence to win games like that, but you don't win games like that without confidence.
"I don't think it's a mentality thing," said Law when that theory was posited to him. "I think if you want it, it's going to happen. We made some bad decisions down the stretch. They're a good, winning program. They know what they need to do. It's instilled in them. That's what we need to do. We need to figure out what it takes to win games down the stretch. Whether it's a mindset, whether it's preparation. Whatever it might be, we need to pull those types of games out."
"I guess so. But I think confidence is the way you look at it," said Collins when he heard that theory. "When I played (at Duke), I played with Grant Hill and I thought I was as good as he was. Was that smart? No. It was not smart. But I think there's got to be some of that with any athlete, or whatever you are. You guys as journalists, you have to have a confidence in your work and what you do to be successful. The more you do it, the more confidence you get. To your point, that's where that comes in. But I think we're a confident group, I really do. When I went into the locker room last night, it wasn't sadness. We knew we'd played well. We knew we'd put forth a great fight. We were more angry that we didn't finish the deal. We had a one-point lead with a minute-three to go, and they scored twice and we had a turnover in that span. That's where the game was won, and that's where you've got to really be tough and make those plays on both ends."
At the end, though, teams with successful traditions are thinking "How're we gonna win this one" and teams with losing traditions are thinking "How're we gonna blow it this time."
"No question," said Collins.
Have the 'Cats made that jump to thinking positively?
"Definitely we're thinking, 'How can we win this game?' We're not thinking about, 'How do we lose this?'" said Law. "But I do agree with you that the mentality of some players, they're playing not to lose. But at the end of the day all you've got to do is what it takes to win. At the end of the game, you can't get tighter, you can't get nervous. You've just got to play your game."
"I think we're a lot closer than we've ever been. But you've got to do it," Collins finally said. "Again. We were in that position again last night, and it's all of us. It's coaches, it's players. I do believe though there was a feeling in the huddle when we were up one that we were going to win. I didn't sense a lack of confidence. It became then like a three possession game. They had two possessions, we had one. They scored on both of them and we had a turnover. That was the game.
"But to your point, that's where we are in our program right now. We're a good team. We have good talent and we can compete with most teams out there. I really believe that. We have good players. We have a good vibe. We have really good spirit, good chemistry. Now it's, if you want to make that move and be that team, you've got to do it when the game's on the line. I feel we will. Last night's game was another opportunity, and you know what's great? We get a couple days to rest up and we get another one on Monday night.
"That's what I love about basketball. You don't have to wait a week to play. You get back out there and play. I know our guys are anxious. I sensed an anger in them last night, which I liked. They know that was a game we very well could have got. Give Butler credit. They're really good and they made plays. But I think our guys felt we played well enough to win. We just didn't close the deal."
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