Huskies Humiliate Wildcats

Washington Huskies 76 – Northwestern Wildcats 55

I had to think for a long time about what I would say in this blog post. What does a Wildcats fan say after Washington absolutely obliterated Northwestern in the second round of the NIT Tournament.

I guess I’ll start with what my mind is telling me, as opposed to what my heart is telling me. After watching the Huskies show off bigger muscles, better drives and more belligerent defense for 40 minutes on Friday night, it’s tempting to say that the Wildcats need to go into rebuilding mode. Fire Carmody. Abandon the Princeton offense. Stray away from the 1-3-1 pressure zone. All are tempting sentiments.

Instead, I will plead for calm. One night should not define a program. One night should not override years of progress. One night should not override slow, if meandering, footsteps toward a better future.

The holes are glaring at this point, and they are real. This team cannot defend against the three-pointer, which is a classic vulnerability of the 1-3-1 defense. When teams are able to move the ball rapidly around the perimeter, they will find openings, and they will find open shots. This team is entirely incompetent on the glass. They look like a mismatched group of midgets going against a gaggle of giants on each and every rebound. Even when they do pick up a rebound, it’s usually a strenuous procedure, characterized by multiple tips and a tumultous scrum for the ball as opposed to other teams that simply catch the ball off of the rim. They are far too reliant on the three-pointer and they do not drive enough on offense.

And I will say this now, and I will say this throughout this post, their leading scorers go silent far too often. Don’t get me wrong. I love John Shurna. I think he is a tremendous player, particularly as a shooter. But the fact that he had just three shot attempts last night as the wheels fell off in the second half is unacceptable. Shurna eventually starting driving madly toward the basket, but by then it was too late, with the Huskies already holding onto a 20-point lead. Where was Shurna when Washington began its little run? The fact that I’ve noticed throughout this season is that Shurna isn’t very clutch. He turns the ball over in the final minutes, gets locked down on defense and misses free throws. I love him, but I can’t recall the last clutch three he hit. Has there been one since his game-winner over Ohio State his sophomore year? Meanwhile, Drew Crawford took a significant step this season, but he is still inconsistent as can be. Although he averaged 16 points per game this season, he reverted to old habits, disappearing when his team needed him most, to seal a NCAA Tournament bid against Minnesota. He scored just eight points  on 2-of-11 shooting. He made everyone forget those struggles with a dominating performance against Akron but then scored just five points against Washington. Asides from a gorgeous three-pointer taken from way behind the arc, he did nothing, attempting just six shots. How does the star of a team take just six shots in 30 minutes of play? When the team is struggling, Shurna and Crawford ought to have the ball in their hands. Instead, this team reacts very slowly, and it seems like when they’re in the middle of an offenisve funk, they don’t necessarily have anyone ready to step up. These are not knee-jerk reactions on my part, or examples of a sports journalist confusing a 24-hour virus with a chronic disease. These problems did not emerge tonight and they did not emerge last week. These are season-long problems, and they will certainly need to be addressed this summer.

John Shurna is the leading scorer in school history, and he has deeper range than anybody I’ve ever seen. He has the capability to drive awfully well for someone his size, and he’s a very underrated defender, who blocks shots far more often than his zize would suggest. But he cannot do it alone. He cannot do everything for this team and that showed Friday night .He is not Jordan Taylor and he is not Jared Sullinger. He can be an extremely hot player, but I would stop short of saying that he can score at will. Last night, he was barely able to play a role in the offense, let alone score at will, in the second half. The funny thing is people will look at the box score, see that he scored 24 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including a 5-of-7 clip from behind the arc, and assumed that he had another great game, but that’s where stats are deceiving and you have to trust your eyes. Shurna was great early, but he faded after 14 first-half points, attempting just three shots and missing all three during the game-defining run when Washington expanded a seven-point lead into a 20-point advantage.

What I will say is the travesty that occurred in the second half was a long time in coming. It’s not like they played that much worse in the second half than they did in the first half. The difference was Washington started draining the three-pointers that Northwestern had left open all night. While the Huskies made just 5-of-21 from behind the arc in the first half, they made 6-of-11 three-point attempts in the second half. The difference was the Huskies started making their putbacks. They finished with a 16-2 advantage in second-chance opportunities. The difference was Northwestern was no longer able to hold tight as a result of its occasional three-point barrages. The Wildcats went just 22 percent from the field in the second half, including just 4-of-16 from behind the three-point line, including several misses on wide-open shots. That’s how a tight back-and-forth game, that originally swung like a pendelum in the single-digits, turned into a 20-plus point rout. If these two teams played 20 times, I don’t think Washington would win by 20 points every time. This happened to be an exceptionally off night for the Wildcats. But there was no doubt which team was better and more athletic, and that has happened far too often this season. Against Baylor, against Ohio State, against Washington, Northwestern gas shown that it is not on that elite level. Jared Sullinger and Terrence Ross are elite players who can take the ball in their hands Kobe Bryant-style and turn the game around. I’m not convinced John Shurna or Drew Crawford can do that.

The Wildcats were very fortunate to even be in the game at halftime. If Washington had been able to make even fifty percent of its open three-point attempts, then Northwestern’s ship would have been sunk. The Huskies did a terrific job of creating shot opportunities with rapid ball movement. The Wildcats needed to come out hot in the second half, trailing by seven. Instead, the three-pointer suddenly went away from Northwestern, and without the outside shot, the Wildcats were simply hapless. They had chances to drain open three-pointers, but Hearn couldn’t hit, Sobolewski couldn’t hit, and while Northwestern stumbled, Washington soared, literally.

You got the feeling that Northwestern had no business being on that court on Friday. Washington was simply a much better team on Friday night, far more athletic, far more talented and far more capable of executing at a far higher level. It was a sinking feeling in the back of my mind during the first half, and then the ship sunk in the second half. I knew it was over on a series of plays in which Tony Wroten blocked Jershon Cobb as he coasted into the hoop for a fastbreak layup. Wroten came out of nowhere, fully extending his body to swat away Cobb’s attempt. Then, on the other end, Wroten lobbed a pass up for Ross to slam home. Wroten let out a wide grin at that point, a grin as if he suddenly realized that this game was his, that this game, this moment belonged to the Huskies. Amazingly, Wroten, one of Washington’s premiere players, didn’t score in the second half, but he didn’t need to because Ross scored enough for the both of them. Ross went absolutely apeshit after the intermission, draining 9-of-11 for 17 points, and was unstoppable with his long frame fading away for jumpers and three-pointers. To make matters worse, Washington showed off another jewel that Northwestern would love to have, a solid bench player, as C.J. Wilcox drained four clutch three-pointers off of the bench.

Washington absolutely dominated the glass on Friday, by a margin of 45-26, which is, yes, even worse than usual for Northwestern. Twenty offensive rebonds undermined whatever defense the Wildcats could muster, and then they literally fell apart under pressure. The Wildcats never turn the ball over, literally almost never, averaging around six turnovers per game. Well, they turned it over 11 times in the first half on Friday night, and finished with more turnovers than assists, a true rarity for Northwestern basketball. Washington was able to get into Northwestern’s heads, particularly that of Dave Sobolewski, who could barely bring the ball up court at times.

The turnovers came at horrendous times too, ruining multiple runs. For example, Northwestern had clawed back from a nine-point deficit to draw within four points, when Jershon Cobb allowed the ball to glance off of his hands under the basket. The worst may have come a minute or two later when Davide Curletti tried to funnel the ball up court to a wide-open Drew Crawford, only to miss his intended target by several feet. Despite Crawford’s valiant attempt to save it along the sideline, the ball went out of bounds, ruining what looked like a sure opportunity for a fastbreak dunk. The look of exasperation on Crawford’s face told it all. If Curletti cannot pass, then what exactly is he good for? Curletti finished with one point, one rebound and two turnovers in 16 minutes of play, continuing a season in which the Wildcats have received absolutely nothing from their post players.

But worse than the invisibility cloak Curletti wraps around himself on offense is the sheer beating he takes in the post. We all knew Washington would control the glass entering the game, but the extent to which the Huskies dominated the glass made it nearly impossible for the Wildcats to win. The funny thing is that Washington was originally missing its second-chance opportunities, somehow scoring only eight second-chance points in the first half, but then they kept getting third chances and fourth chances. Eventually, the ball has to go in. The funny thing is Washington probably converted on only 40 percent of its putbacks and layups in the first half. The Huskies were eager, but they more than a wee bit sloppy, and the Wildcats failed to take advantage. So, Washington did in the second half.

I will say that I was worried about their guy in the middle, Aziz N’Diaye, ever since I saw highlights of the Huskies’ first-round victory. It’s not that he’s particularly good, but he is physical and he is big with a dangerously long wingspan. And that in itself is enough against Northwestern’s hideously weak interior defense. Sure enough, he streched out for several impressive rebounds, had a few putback layups, and helped create a nightmare in the post for the Wildcats.

It’s frustrating, because as a Northwestern fan, you’re tempted to always think that if only we picked up a couple of more offensive rebounds, if only we didn’t turn it over that one time, if only we got a bucket or two in the paint, this seven-point deficit would be a three-point lead. But that type of thinking is flawed. The Wildcats are far from where they need to be because so many aspects of their game are flawed. The turnovers are rare but the stale offensive possessions are not. They get hot and cold, none colder than when Drew Crawford apparently forgot that there is a 30-second shot clock in men’s college basketball. And tonight, it was clear that Northwestern is more than a bad break away from where it needs to be.

The problem for Northwestern is that as good as Shurna and Crawford are, they aren’t superheroes. Particularly Shurna, who is dynamite from three-point land, but inconsistent from inside the arc. When he drives, it’s a beautiful sight, but I could count on one hand the number of times he drove in the first half. That leaves Crawford, and now Cobb, as the only pure scorers on this team, and when they’re matched up against a team that also has elite scorers, like Washington, the Wildcats can’t just expect their duo to outscore every other duo in the country, particularly when opposing duos were often more highly recruited for a reason. You can’t expect John Shurna to completely out-class a guy like Terrence Ross, but that is what Northwestern needs with its big men completely clueless in the post. To offset their disadvantage down low, they’re forced to either light it up from three-point land or get some sort of astounding performance from Shurna, night in and night out, which is hard to do. The Wildcats were undoubtedly a slicker team in the first half Friday night. They were electric from three-point land in the first half, and while they made tough, contested shots, Washington missed wide-open shots, failing to even draw rim at times. But the problem is Northwestern was so obviously out-classed in every other area of the game, penetrating the post, grabbing rebounds and forcing bad shots on defense, that it never stood a chance.

Northwestern currently has issues at the top and the bottom in my opinion. Curletti is practically useless in the front court. Sobolewski, as talented and smart as he is, is not an elite scorer, and looked shaky in the back court. That’s all right. He’s a freshman and you have to expect that he will not allow himself to get trapped as often as he did against Washington the next time around. So, next year, you look forward to new blood in the post, with Curletti and Luka Mirkovic both gone. You have to figure that pretty much anything will be better than what they have now. Kyle Rowley, of current NCAA Tournament fame and torture, left this program a couple of years ago, and clearly the Curletti and Mirkovic experiment that has prevailed since has been an abysmal failure. Both would make fine backup centers for any team in the nation. Neither is a true starter. And they could really use a center to save dead possessions. Cobb does that to some extent, but at some point, there’s nothing like a guy, who you can just dump it to with five seconds remaining on the shot clock, and tell him, back your guy down, take a hook shot, and we’ll take those 50-50 odds that it falls.

Without these tools, this was a very humbling night. So ends a Northwestern season that included far more hype than necessary. The Wildcats were perennially talked about as a NCAA Tournament contender, as a charmed team of destiny, but this loss puts an end to that conversation. Heck, it’s not even this loss, it’s this entire 8-10 run through conference play, that included just one quality win, featured several tenuous wins over bad teams and ended in a crushing loss to Minnesota in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. Sure, the Wildcats proved they could compete with just about anybody, but winning is a different story. Looking back on this season, it is quite clear that this was an average Big Ten team. They were frequently dominated by college basketball’s elite (at Ohio State, versus Baylor and at Washington). They fought hard against good teams like Michigan and Illinois. And at times, they beat up on cellar-dwellers like Nebraska, Penn State, Iowa and Minnesota. At other timers, they struggled against the bottom of the barrel, struggling to defeat cellar-dwellers like Iowa and Penn State on the road. It’s safe to say that Bill Carmody has done a lot in his time in Evanston. It is safe to say that Northwestern has climbed out of the Big Ten basement. Where it has climbed to is far less clear.

Woeful Wildcats Win With a Whimper

Northwestern 76 – Akron 74

In the warm, still air that enveloped Evanston on Tuesday night, one perturbed fan murmured to another that the referees didn’t exactly deserve a gold medal for their work during Northwestern’s opening-round NIT victory over Akron. For that matter, the Wildcats didn’t exactly deserve a gold medal either. The fact that they won by so little against a clearly outmatched Zips team was quite frankly an embarrassment. After dominating the first half, they gave the ball away far too many times (it seemed like a lot more than six turnovers to me), surrendered one too many offensive rebounds and faltered in the clutch yet again in an atrocious second half.

Let’s be clear. Akron should not have been in this game until the final buzzer. The Zips had a point guard that appeared visibly shorter than Michael “Juice” Thompson, and was laughably small when standing next to Zeke Marshall before the game. He was a carbon copy of the man who once led Northwestern’s attack, except that he doesn’t possess Thompson’s driving abilities or shooting abilities. Besides that, the Zips boasted some nice players; indeed, they were a very pleasant team overall, but they turned it over far too much and failed to intimidate in the least. Only Zeke Marshall seemed to be a real threat, and while I was impressed by the seven-footer’s dexterity, he didn’t seem to have a whole lot of moves beyond the simple flush. And yet, Northwestern nearly lost to this team. Somehow, someway.

At first, it appeared Northwestern was undergoing a magical transformation as the Wildcats rode an unusual surge in the clutch, powered by Jershon Cobb hitting a shot that only Jershon Cobb can hit, stopping short along the baseline, perching in his place, then leaning back as he took a shot that whistled right through the net. Then, on Northwestern’s next possession, Shurna saved a wasted trip, grabbing the rebound and hoisting his putback attempt right into the net. With Northwestern still struggling to maintain its lead, Shurna rattled home another three with less than two minutes remaining.

But with good vibrations finally coursing through the building, and the Wildcats finally poised to leave a nice aftertaste in their fans’ mouths, Northwestern came up classically short. A beautiful job by freshman point guard Dave Sobolewski of contesting the opponent’s three, a defensive job so pretty that he grazed his opponent’s hand on the follow through, was wasted, as Shurna fell over in the paint and lost the ball. Again, Akron failed to take advantage, clanking a three-pointer off of the front rim, but Sobolewski handed it right back, missing a free throw that would have practically sealed the game.

Instead, Akron had the ball, down just three, with the shot clock off. Bill Carmody made a smart choice to foul, to prevent a game-tying three, but after making the first free throw, Akron purposefully missed the second, and as has become custom in Evanston, Northwestern couldn’t secure the rebound. Instead, it bounced out of bounds off the Wildcats’ buttery fingers, giving the Zips one last chance. On their final three-point attempt, the Mini Me-sized Alex Abreu managed to deke his way around a defender or two, before hoisting a three that was right on line, but fortunately, bounced off of the rim. It would have been a game-winner. How Northwestern allowed Akron the opportunity to win the game bears plenty of further scrutiny. Again, the Wildcats appeared tragically incapable of putting a game away.

The fan base was no prettier than the team on Tuesday night, and no, that wasn’t yet another slight at Northwestern girls. Understandably deflated by recent events on the court and deterred by academic work off of the court, most Wildcats fans chose to simply stay home, which I understand, but that doesn’t make it right. Listen, I didn’t particularly want to come to Welsh-Ryan Arena either on Tuesday night. After watching nearly every Northwestern game this season, and enduring a lot more frustration than most, every bone in my body pleaded with me not to enter that arena. You could feel the misery hanging over the building, made more palpable by the half-full student section and the entirely empty upper rafters. That’s fine, I can understand why fans didn’t want to show up, but then, don’t be surprised when people laugh at Northwestern for putting on airs like a basketball school. And certainly don’t get mad at Stu Douglass when he dares to insult the crowd at Welsh-Ryan Arena.

As much as we might hate to admit it, he has a point. Just because we cram the gym three times a year doesn’t make this a great basketball school. Our stands are half-full far too often to start tooting our own horns, and unfortunately that was on display Tuesday night, as a ESPN2 television audience got to see the empty stands at Welsh-Ryan Arena. What Northwestern fans don’t seem to realize is these games sear the audience’s mind as much as a full crowd, perhaps more so, because people aren’t used to seeing so many empty seats at a college basketball game. And then when they presented the Home Court Challenge Award to the Northwestern Wildside, for helping hold opponents to the worst free-throw percentage present in any Big Ten stadium, a half-full student section was there to receive the award. It was pretty embarrassing if you think about it. We couldn’t even show up to pick up our own award. With all the misery and malaise hanging over Welsh-Ryan Arena, and the odor of failed dreams permeating everything that enters the space, Northwestern might do well to travel to The Evergreen State. Perhaps, an intense road crowd will spark a team that appeared lackadaisical and unfocused at times on Tuesday night. Perhaps, the Huskies will bring out the best in Northwestern.

It wasn’t all bad at Welsh-Ryan Arena. You had to admire the big three, of John Shurna, Drew Crawford and Jershon Cobb, who combined to score 35 of the Wildcats’ 37 first-half points. Crawford was probably the best of the Wildcats’ three-headed monster, a monster that could have tormented the Big Ten if Cobb had been healthy all season, while Shurna may have been the worst. Even though the senior notched 23 points and 11 rebounds, and broke a milestone and a record along the way, it was a surprisingly quiet effort. Although the Zips lacked anyone who could compete with Shurna’s size and versatility, Shurna was never able to take it to them. He was essentially confined to the perimeter, from which five of his eight made field-goals originated.

Still, it was an impressive performance by the trio. When Cobb chest-bumped Shurna going into a timeout, with Northwestern leading by a wide margin early, it was the happiest I had seen the Wildcats in a while, and the smile on Shurna’s face was hard not to bask in. It was a beautiful instance of present meeting future. With Shurna about to recede into the program’s past, with 2,000 career points and the school record for blocks, Cobb will have to replace his production. Why Cobb? Well, Cobb is the best player on the floor for Northwestern. His lanky build makes him a vital cog in the Wildcats’ 1-3-1 pressure defense, he forces turnovers, doesn’t back down from any defensive matchup, and his hard work, arching wingspan and athleticism also makes him a rare threat on the boards for Northwestern. He also is a rare type of scorer. His pull-up jumpers are a thing of beauty, allowing the Wildcats an easy out on dead possessions, and a shot that was shaky early in his career has suddenly turned silky smooth, both inside and outside of the arc. He will have to be the player that steps it up and averages 15 points a game next season. If Northwestern had him for the entirety of this season, I have no doubt it would have made the NCAA Tournament. Without Shurna next season, Northwestern’s only chance at making the Tournament will again rest on Cobb’s shoulders.

For now, the Wildcats’ potential trip to New York might also rest on Cobb’s shoulders. Reggie Hearn has faded away of late. He’s no longer finding those open three-pointers. His drives to the hoop have been less fruitful of late, and he finished with only four points on Tuesday night. His talent is, by now, undeniable, but it’s also worth noting that he hasn’t reached double-figures in five straight games. With Hearn hurting, this team will need Cobb to achieve what is more than a dream in my mind. To be clear, I will consider this season a complete and utter disappointment if it doesn’t end in the Big Apple. A run to the NIT Final Four would represent progress. A loss to Washington would represent another instance of coming up short in a big game, and another failed chance to seize the moment. Certainly, the Wildcats will have to play a lot better than they did tonight to beat the Huskies, but Northwestern fans can take solace in this. Last season, the Wildcats also laid an egg, against UW-Milwaukee, before trouncing top-ranked Boston College at the Silvio O. Conte Forum. This year presents an almost identical situation, as the Wildcats hope to follow an ugly home victory with an upset on the road. As odd as this sounds, those of us basketball fans in Evanston will be rooting for history to repeat itself, at least for now.

A Big Chip on Northwestern’s Shoulder

Northwestern got jipped. Let there be no doubt about it, the Wildcats were robbed. No, I’m not one of those crazies who still thinks that they should have made the NCAA Tournament. Admittedly, they were handed millions of chances to make it to March Madness and dropped the ball each and every time. Their inability to win a single, close game all year was laughable at best, and no, wins over Penn State and Iowa don’t count, considering the way Northwestern essentially did all it could to give both games away in the final minutes. Yes, I still think the fact that South Florida made it over Northwestern is an embarrassment, considering the Bulls’ inexplicable number of awful losses, including Auburn, Old Dominion and Penn State, but overall, I’m content to admit that we did not deserve a bid into March Madness.

But a No. 4 seed in the NIT? You have to be kidding me. You’re telling me that Northwestern is on a similar level as its first-round opponent, No. 5 seed Akron? You’re telling me that Stanford, with its 10-8 record in the susceptible Pac-12, is better than Northwestern? This is a team that notched its best wins against Oregon and California teams that barely eked their way into the tournament. This No. 4 seed is a joke, a clear indication that the NIT selection committee doesn’t respect the Big Ten, arguably the top conference in college basketball. It’s a clear indication that the committee didn’t watch close losses to Ohio State or Michigan, or better yet, didn’t care. How is it that a Northwestern team that was considered one of the first several teams out of the NCAA Tournament, that was still picked by Jerry Palm as making it to March Madness, that was long considered a No. 1 seed in the NIT somehow fell to a No. 4 seed in the NIT? You’re telling me that a loss to an inspired Minnesota team that was clearly playing its best basketball of the season and nearly downed Michigan in overtime a day later despite its exhaustion, dropped the Wildcats this far. That’s ridiculous. Northwestern should have had multiple home games in store. Now, they face the frightening prospect of traveling to Washington for a second-round match, and having a second straight season end in the Evergreen State. Let it be known that I called bullshit before the NIT even began.

In hockey, overtime losses are rewarded by a single point. Clearly, close losses are not rewarded by the NCAA Tournament and NIT selection committees. While they might have been the least clutch team in the United States of America, the Wildcats showed that they could compete with nearly every single team in the country. They held Ohio State, Michigan and Indiana close, gave Creighton a scare on the road and famously downed Michigan State at home. Few were the times in which Northwestern looked completely outmatched. This is a Wildcats team that could clearly light up your television set every night, if not the victory column. Yet, clearly a cynical committee decided that their 8-10 record in the best basketball conference in the country was not all that impressive. When you think about it, Northwestern beat very few good teams, mainly downing the chaff of the Big Ten, while falling to the wheat. But you would think the Wildcats would get more credit for the way they played in their non-conference schedule, the way they downed Louisiana State and Seton Hall in the Charleston Classic, the ease with which they defeated Nebraska, their road win over a talented Illinois team and their win over Michigan State.

Akron at Northwestern, NIT First Round, 8:00 p.m. ESPN2

But here we are, with an opening contest against Akron at Welsh-Ryan Arena. If Northwestern loses, it will have the interesting and unusual distinction of having both its soccer and basketball seasons end at the hands (and feet) of the Zips. But hopefully, Northwestern asserts itself as playing on a different level, a few stories up on the old glass elevator, than Akron. This is an Akron team that lost five of its first eight, while Northwestern was playing well against a high level of competition in its non-conference schedule. This is a Zips team that lost by 24 to Middle Tennessee State and by five to Duquesne. Their biggest win likely came against Detroit. Give them credit, they did well in conference play, gave several good teams a fight and came back well from an awful start to the season, but I want Northwestern to win this game very, very badly. The Wildcats ought to play this game with a chip on their shoulder.

The main obstacle standing in their way, of course, will be seven-foot center Zeke Marshall, who is Akron’s leading scorer with 10.2 points per game. He also averages 5.3 rebounds per game and 2.8 blocks per game. This is obviously the last thing Northwestern needed, a tall guy that can expose the Wildcats’ weakness down low, literally stepping on their Achilles heel for 40 minutes of action at Welsh-Ryan Arena, and completely disproving all that I said about Northwestern playing at a higher level. This is an Akron team that also plays good defense, although they’ve likely seen few attacks like that which Northwestern boasts. They’ve likely seen few players of John Shurna and Drew Crawford’s ilk as well. But the Zips are solid, boast a couple of guys who hit 44 percent or more of their shots from three-point land, burying into another Northwestern weakness, and tend to hold their own on the boards. They are certainly capable of the upset, but for once, I hope that the Wildcats do what they’ve done all season. No, i don’t mean collapse in the clutch. I mean easily dispatch of an inferior team, and show that we belonged on a higher plane. There’s a big chip on my shoulder. I hope I can say the same of my team.

NOTES

Knowing how much help the Buffalo Bills need, I would say stay away from trying to lure targets like Peyton Manning, and focus on upgrading the wide receiving corps (Pierre Garcon is just 25 years old) since Stevie Johnson is a shaky No. 1 wide receiver. Also, an upgrade in the secondary (tough-minded Cortland Finnegan would add personality to the defense, and help with the run game as well as the Bills’ pass defense) would be nice … Meanwhile, heading back to Evanston for a moment, let’s play a fun game over the next couple of days and try to rank and compare the Northwestern basketball teams from the past four years. Since the Wildcats have made the NIT in four consecutive seasons, let’s figure out which NIT teams were the best, and which were the worst. Did you prefer Jeremy Nash as the defensive, athletic component of the Wildcats’ roster or Jershon Cobb? Would you rather have Michael “Juice” Thompson running the show or Dave Sobolewski? Did you like John Shurna as Kevin Coble’s sniper sidekick or did you like Shurna better as the team’s No. 1 option? I’ll start examining these questions later in the week, but feel free to start commenting now.

The End of a Dream: Minnesota Downs Northwestern

Let there be no doubt, Northwestern is the least clutch team in college basketball. We saw it throughout the regular season as the Wildcats lost five tight games. We saw it on the road as they were barely able to hang onto leads over the Nittany Lions and the Hawkeyes. And now we saw it in the Big Ten Tournament, as they had a chance to seize the game over the Golden Gophers, and failed miserably.

Don’t forget. They were up by four with the ball with just minutes remaining in regulation. And they could do nothing with it. A team that never turns the ball over turned it over multiple times in the final minutes. They couldn’t create any offense, and on their finest play, when Jershon Cobb spun his way into the post, the ball hung on the rim for an eternity, and then fell off of it. With the score tied, they played beautiful defense to force a missed shot, but then in transition, with seconds remaining, Dave Sobolewski rushed his shot, and hit rim on his final shot of regulation. And so we went to overtime.

The Wildcats have played miserably thus far in overtime, and Thursday was no different. They didn’t hit a field goal for nine minutes of play. They fumbled numerous passes, surrendered open three-pointers and did nothing right to win the game. John Shurna rarely saw the ball in overtime. Jershon Cobb fumbled the ball, down three, along the sideline, and that turned the game around.

It’s funny, because it looked like they had the game in their hands. When Cobb made a beautiful pull-up jump shot with minutes remaining to give Northwestern the lead, I thought it was over. But they couldn’t hold onto that lead. They couldn’t hold onto any lead. And ultimately that offense, which has been start and stutter all season, did the exact same thing on Thursday. They were electric to come back from an early 15-5 deficit and then they disappeared. They hit free throws all game until overtime and then the free throws started clanking off of the rim. They hit threes all game, with Hearn, Shurna and Cobb lighting it up from behind the arc early, and then the threes disappeared. Shurna started second-guessing himself, electing not to shoot it, and trying to drive. Crawford up four, tried driving, and had the ball seized from him. That was when Minnesota’s rally began.

Northwestern’s offense died late. Why the Wildcats didn’t drive aggressively toward the end, I’m not sure. They had the benefit of a double bonus. They could have taken it to the Golden Gophers. They didn’t. And then on the boards, they continued to get pummeled. And the defense, even Bill Carmody had to abandon his prized 1-3-1 toward the end, as it became increasingly clear that Northwestern couldn’t contest shots from behind the arc. So, they went to man, but perhaps unprepared in the man-to-man defense, unaccustomed to using it, Jershon Cobb flat out got beaten off the dribble by Andre Hollins in extra time. That was a game-changing play. That’s when the extra time changed from a one-possession game to a two-possession game. And it was as easy as running past Cobb, and hanging in the air for a floater.

Don’t worry, Wildcats fans, Cobb is a special player, and even in the extra time, he’s the only one who showed any semblance of life. His pull-up jumper came close, his spinning swoop to the hoop came painfully close, but two mistakes killed him. The bad defense and the fumble along the sideline. It killed the Wildcats. But it obviously cannot be blamed on him. The problem is the guys like Reggie Hearn, who drained threes early Thursday and drove to the hoop beautifully all season, and John Shurna, who drove beautifully for four years in Evanston, did nothing in the final minutes. They stood around. And Minnesota played much better defense.

Let’s face it. This team does not deserve to make the NCAA Tournament. I do not want them to make the tournament. I will not be outraged if the Wildcats do make the tournament. I have no doubt that they are among the top 68 teams in the country. But they do not deserve it. They didn’t seize the moment. They had decades worth of failure on their shoulders and it looked like it in the final minutes. And now the failure continues for at least one more year.

Northwestern-Minnesota Halftime Report

Quick notes about Northwestern-Minnesota:

• The Wildcats have got to stop digging themselves such incredibly deep holes. They fell behind 15-5 early in Thursday’s game, and while that might work against the Golden Gophers, it’s less easy to come back against the Wolverines. Give them credit though. They fight back and they fight back quick, scoring 20 of the game’s next 26 points or something like that.
• JerShon Cobb looked incredible in the first half. From a statistical standpoint, he was obviously brilliant, notching a season-high 14 points, and draining all five of his field-goal attempts, but his defense was just as impressive, as he used his long arching body to make pretty much every Minnesota pass difficult. He also had the highlight of the game, grabbing a rare offensive rebound with a spectacular jump, and immediately banking it in as he hung up there in the air.
• With Cobb at the forefront, Northwestern forced seven turnovers, while only giving it away twice.
• The Wildcats were horrendous on the boards, getting out-rebounded 20-10. As active as their defense was, there were far too many second chances in the first half. And they have got to stop leaving guys like Julian Welch and Andre Hollins wide open. Identify the shooter and cover him. It’s as simple as that.
• Also Alex Marcotullio has to control himself. Unless we want Cobb playing all 40 minutes, which perhaps we do at this point, Marcotullio will have to learn to control his hands. His first foul was idiotic as he charged into a Golden Gophers player who had better position on the boards. His second foul was dumb as well, and the collection of fouls really ties Bill Carmody’s hands.

On Your Marks, Get Set, Go. It’s Big Ten Tourney Time in Indy.

IOWA HAWKEYES VS. ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI

Despite their inferior conference record, the Fighting Illini are the favorites in this one. Meyers Leonard has proven himself this season as a truly dominant big man, averaging 13.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game, and the Hawkeyes lack the size to contain him.

Iowa (16-15, 8-10) vs. Illinois (17-14, 6-12). 10:30 a.m. Big Ten Network.

Illinois lost 11 of its last 13 this season, thus blowing its NCAA Tournament chances, but one of those two wins did come against Iowa a little more than a week ago. In their recent matchup at Assembly Hall, the Fighting Illini won by 11, fueled by 22 points and 14 rebounds from Leonard.

The Hawkeyes never led in that contest, shooting just 37 percent in Champaign. They will rely heavily on Matt Gatens, the senior sharpshooter who will need to have a field day against one of the Big Ten’s weakest three-point defenses in order to give Iowa a shot.

INDIANA HOOSIERS VS. PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS

The Nittany Lions are hoping that the third time is the charm against the Hoosiers. Penn State nearly beat Indiana at home on January 8, before falling by 19 points in Bloomington on January 22. Tim Frazier leads the Nittany Lions in points (18.6), assists (6.3), steals (2.3) and rebounds (4.8). If only he had some help. Penn State lacks a post threat and shoots just 30 percent from behind the arc. It’s not like the Nittany Lions turn the ball over; they just can’t seem to figure out a way to score other than putting the ball in Frazier’s hands.

Indiana (11-7) vs. Penn State (4-14). Shortly after Iowa/Illinois. BTN.

Hoosiers coach Tom Crean is too smart to allow Frazier to beat his team. Meanwhile, his shooters went 23-of-40 from behind the arc in two games against Penn State this season. The inside-outside combination that Indiana boasts will probably be too much for Penn State. As upset-heavy as the Big Ten has been this season, the one team that has been unable to pull off any miracles thus far is Penn State. I doubt that changes Thursday.

NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS VS. MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS

The Golden Gophers destroyed the Wildcats at the Barn. Northwestern returned the favor at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Now, here comes the tiebreaker. Minnesota lost six straight before pulling out a win over Nebraska in its regular-season finale, and has had a particularly difficult time putting up points of late. The last time the Golden Gophers topped 70 points was on January 28 in an overtime win over the Fighting Illini. The Wildcats, meanwhile, have no difficulties putting up points as long as their threes are falling. Five of the top 15 three-point shooters in the conference, astoundingly enough, don the purple and white.

Northwestern (8-10) vs. Minnesota (6-12). 4:30 p.m. ESPN2

While Golden Gophers guard Julian Welch is also present in the top 15, he’s hardly an elite scorer, and indeed, Minnesota clearly lacks stars. Rodney Williams, its leading scorer, averages just 10.9 points. Northwestern, on the other hand, has plenty of starpower, with John Shurna and Drew Crawford leading the way with 19.8 points per game and 16.4 points per game, respectively. The Wildcats’ weakness pertains mainly to depth, something the Golden Gophers have in spades, so Thursday’s contest quite simply pits depth and mediocrity against a star-studded and short-handed Northwestern lineup.

PURDUE BOILERMAKERS VS. NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS

Purdue won five of seven to finish off its conference schedule while Nebraska lost eight of nine to cap off its first season within the Big Ten. The Boilermakers have been led by a remarkable renaissance from senior Robbie Hummel, who torched the Cornhuskers for 29 points and seven rebounds the last time these two teams met. Both teams actually shot greater than 50 percent in that meeting but scored 65 points or less, pointing to slow, methodical possessions.

Purdue (10-8) vs. Nebraska (4-14). Shortly after NU/Minn. ESPN2.

With the exception of Bo Spencer, who is a legitimate swoop to the hoop kind of guy, Nebraska lacks true scoring options. Purdue, on the other hand, boasts Hummel and a slew of no-name players who can light it up from behind the arc. Just to put a name or two to the Boilermakers roster, D.J. Byrd and Ryne Smith are both in the top 11 of the conference in three-point percentage, with each draining greater than 40 percent of their attempts from behind the arc. The Cornhuskers, on the other hand, are not present in the top 15.

Northwestern, North Carolina and the Beginnings of March Madness

After all of the bad breaks Northwestern has received over the years, it was nice to see the Wildcats catch a break or two against the Hawkeyes at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Just thinking back on those final couple of minutes, Northwestern didn’t exactly look confident in closing out the game Saturday, but somehow it got the job done. Two free throws by Alex Marcotullio, who I wanted shooting the free throws since he has ice water in his veins, barely rattled in. Meanwhile, Iowa missed a solid shot at a three-pointer in the closing seconds that would have won it. Now, everyone keeps saying that the Hawkeyes missed a wide-open three-pointer. I’m less convinced of that. The Wildcats did a nice job of closing out, and blocking the sight line of the Hawkeyes’ shooter, but no doubt about it, it was a great opportunity for Iowa, and a shot that has seemed to fall every other time in Northwestern history, finally hit rim, and so the Wildcats caught a break. So, Northwestern won the game and now remains firmly enmeshed in the bubble conversation. Just to hear our university talked about it in that way carries its own kind of thrill, and for once, having more than a dream to play for in Indianapolis is refreshing. And if we do ultimately land in the NIT, three home games likely await us. But since Marcotullio’s shots did ultimately roll into the basket, let’s dare to dream for a while, and enjoy a few more weeks of March Madness. Let’s bask in the feeling of Madness in Evanston. God knows when we will get this feeling again.

I was impressed with the fury with which the Wildcats played on Saturday. Their defense was awfully stingy, forcing 18 turnovers, and those turnovers allowed them to overcome an enormous early deficit. On the offensive end, however, it seemed as if Northwestern was almost playing with too much energy early on, as the Wildcats were doing a beautiful job of driving to the hoop, only to mangle passes and overpower easy shots. It was as if the blood was pumping a little too rapidly. But give them credit. After falling behind by 15, they didn’t just stem the tide, they turned the tide around completely. Facing a fired-up Carver-Hawkeye Arena, the Wildcats went on a 27-5 run to end the half, relying on their defensive ferocity and ability to run the court to generate quick points.

Giving Gatens Due Credit

Give a lot of credit to Matt Gatens, who went 6-for-12 on his Senior Night, going 38 minutes without a single turnover. He has only turned it over three times or more four times this season, and has always been a solid player, if not a great one. And when he hit that three from several feet behind the arc on Saturday, to draw Iowa within a basket or two, I seriously thought Northwestern might be screwed. Gatens was a scary player in his day, and he’ll need to be scary in the Big Ten Tournament to give Iowa a shot at the NIT. Currently, Iowa is said to be on the NIT bubble, but is not projected to make it in. Why Minnesota is projected to get into the NIT over Iowa remains unclear to me, especially when the Hawkeyes posted a far better record in Big Ten play.

Wildcats’ Season In Review

At 8-10 in conference, the Wildcats were actually right where I was hoping they would end up at the beginning of the season. Well, OK, so maybe I had slightly more ambitious dreams, but they definitely did some things right this season. In past years, Northwestern has struggled to win the easy games, and this year, they took care of business with a ruthless nature at times. They won the Charleston Classic, kicked Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa off the court at Welsh-Ryan Arena, and showed that not every Wildcats game needs to come down to the final buzzer. But they lost zillions of close games, and with Shurna missing that final free-throw against Iowa, and a shaky performance toward the end at Penn State, the Wildcats still lack clutch credentials. For that matter, they still somewhat lack credentials for the NCAA Tournament. On the face of it, they deserve to make the tournament. I think there’s little doubt that Northwestern is one of the top 68 teams in the nation, but that’s not how the tournament works, and the fact is that Northwestern was unable to capitalize on any of its million chances to pick up a third signature victory. Beating Michigan State was impressive. Beating Illinois on the road, at a place Northwestern rarely wins, was impressive. Coming back from a sharp deficit at Carver-Hawkeye Arena was impressive. As was winning the Charleston Classic. But will voters still be smarting over the bad taste of a season gone wrong, of opportunities spoiled and chances given away? Or will they recognize that Northwestern was close in every single one of its losses toward the end of the season, was rarely outclassed and almost always makes for good television? There’s two different ways to approach the issue, and how one chooses to interpret Northwestern’s many close losses will go a long way in deciding whether it makes the tournament or not.

Bubble Boys Take to Indianapolis

I’m definitely pleased with Northwestern’s draw in the Big Ten Tournament. The Wildcats get to take on a Golden Gophers team that they looked dominant against the last time they met up in Evanston, and the last time they met up in Indianapolis. Thankfully, their Big Ten Tournament meeting will take place far away from the Barn, where Minnesota has pummeled Northwestern year after year. The Golden Gophers have lots of talented role players, and a should-be star in Rodney Williams, but they have no one that can take over a game the way Brandon Paul and Meyers Leonard can. Ralph Sampson III is fairly flimsy inside, which works well with Northwestern’s interior players, who are all extremely flimsy. I could actually see Shurna, who has a surprising number of blocks in the post, match up effectively against Sampson III, tormenting him with his speed, creativity and power. The only issue is that Sampson III, like Leonard, does block a lot of shots, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him swat away several of Dave Sobolewski’s drives to the net, which would be unfortunate since driving to the hoop is a key part of Northwestern’s game.

If they beat the Golden Gophers, they would move on to face a Wolverines team that they have played close twice before, a Michigan team that lacks a dominant inside force. What scares me most about a potential match with Michigan is that the Wolverines chuck up far more three-pointers than any other team in the Big Ten, and the Wildcats have a fascinating inability to contest top three-point shooters. Northwestern may want to consider abandoning the 1-3-1 zone during parts of a potential match against Michigan. If this game is to reach overtime, like their previous two games against Michigan, then the Wildcats will be boosted by the presence of JerShon Cobb, who has been a critical cog in recent weeks. His defensive energy has been most impressive, as has his ability to rebound the ball, and he is slowly emerging as a scorer as well. He went 6-for-11 against Iowa with three assists, and many of his mid-range jumpers and floaters came in the midst of Northwestern’s season-defining rally at Iowa City. As one of the few Wildcats who can create his own shots, shoot deep, or drive aggressively, Cobb could be invaluable, and his three-point form has slowly come back to respectability. I was very happy to see his picture as one of the leading pictures on the Wildcats’ website. While he might not score like Shurna and Crawford, he deserves a lot of the credit for the way that they have been playing lately.

To address some of the furor surrounding Northwestern, many appear irate at the thought of a team that finished with a sub-.500 record in conference play making the NCAA Tournament. That’s a legitimate opinion. But don’t forget that Michigan, Michigan State, Illinois and Penn State all made it with 9-9 Big Ten records last season, and similar overall records, and furthermore, they all earned fairly high seeds. Michigan was a No. 8 seed, Illinois was a No. 9 seed, and Michigan State and Penn State were both No. 10 seeds. So it’s not that ridiculous to think that Northwestern, with a conference record of just one game below .500, might earn a No. 16 seed, or at least a chance to play-in to the tournament. Add in their really strong performance in non-conference play, and the fact that they essentially have no bad losses, and you have a case for the NCAA Tournament. That being said, I do agree that the Wildcats need a win in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament to really give themselves a chance on Selection Sunday.

Notes About Purdue-Indiana

I can’t help but make a quick comment about Tom Pritchard. He is adorable if not all that talented. He’s the classic Big Ten athlete that you have to respect just because he goes out and competes the right way. In the several minutes I watched, he made two great plays, diving on the floor for a loose ball and hitting a hook shot. Both were nice hustle plays. On the hook shot, it was a clumsy play. He probably should have had the dunk off of a beautiful entry pass, but by the time he collected himself, two defenders were in his face, so he had to work hard, shuffle his feet, and use a crafty little hook to pick up the bucket. His limited athleticism also showed when he missed a dunk and ran straight into a pick within seconds of each other. But again, you have to give him credit for his effort.

Also, let’s give some credit to the fan at Assembly Hall who held a sign with an arrow pointing up to the rafters. It read: “Purdue, here are what banners look like.” Or something like that. Anyway, it was brilliant Hoosier State trash talk, and essentially the ultimate version of the “scoreboard” taunt, except that, instead of referring to a single game, it’s referring to an entire program’s history. Also, a lot of credit to the way this rivalry has run, as we saw both Pritchard and D.J. Byrd of Purdue hit the deck for loose balls. The effort is great, even if Indiana was decidedly in control this season. Purdue did make a late run. After falling behind by 13, the Boilermakers hit a couple of mid-range jumpers and floaters, forced an inbound steal, and a Byrd three-pointer cut the Hoosiers’ lead to six with more than a minute remaining. Unfortunately, Hummel, apparently unaware that he had four personal fouls, picked up his fifth, and from that point on, it was pretty clear who would win the game.

Notes About North Carolina-Duke

The latest installment in the Tobacco Road rivalry was a little bit of a dud, with North Carolina finally showcasing its superior talent. In particular, John Henson was that superior talent, hitting mid-range jumpers with astonishing frequency to complement what is already a potent post game. Tyler Zeller continued an incredible run, with his 9-of-11 performance, finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds. His ability to tip shots in and finish off entry passes has always been impressive. And of course no one dishes it like Kendall Marshall, who had 10 of his team’s 13 assists. I was impressed with Mason Plumlee. He had 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting in the losing effort, and his assortment of power moves, gritty play and hook shots were something to behold.

But the fact is that North Carolina will always be a better post team, out-rebounding Duke 42-22 on Saturday night, and when the threes aren’t falling for the Blue Devils (6-of-21 on Saturday), they stand little chance of winning. That’s why I can’t take Duke seriously as a title contender. The Blue Devils will always be a top notch team, but can they remain hot for an entire NCAA Tournament run? I will say Duke can start its resurgence with a more aggressive Austin Rivers. Approximately half of his shots were from three-point range, but he is such a good driver, and that could add to his game tremendously. Two interesting notes: North Carolina had only one block and Duke turned it over just six times (with four of those turnovers coming from Rivers). The Tar Heels’ tendency to take off large swaths of time, with hasty threes and turnovers, nearly came back to bite them against the Blue Devils, and could haunt them again in the future.

One more cool note concerning North Carolina. Upon checking the brackets, it appears that the Tar Heels could be in for a meeting with the Hoosiers somewhere down the line, which would mean an intriguing contest of older brother versus younger brother. This would be the one time they ever got the chance to face off, with Tyler Zeller about to depart Chapel Hill, and it would be a rare chance to see brothers go up one-on-one, even if North Carolina would win the overall match handily.

Coming Up Next: Either Tuesday or Wednesday, I will preview the entire Big Ten Tournament for you. Do not miss it. It should be a whole lot of fun.

At Last, A True Must-Win For Northwestern

In one of the biggest games in Northwestern history, the Wildcats take on the Hawkeyes today at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Everyone has been way too liberal with their use of the must-win label thus far this season, but for once, the tag fits perfectly.

NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS at IOWA HAWKEYES

Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Saturday, March 3, 2012, 1:30 p.m. Central

If the Wildcats lose, they will fall to 6-10 in the Big Ten, meaning only a Big Ten Tournament title would save their season. If they win, they pass the Hawkeyes in the conference standings, they would likely play Minnesota in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament instead of Illinois and a win in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament would likely be enough to get them into the NCAA Tournament. And to be clear, I would much rather see Northwestern play Minnesota, since Meyers Leonard is far better down low than Ralph Sampson III is, and since Brandon Paul scares me with his explosive NBA-level talent. Minnesota doesn’t have anyone like that. With such big stakes riding on today’s game, I figured I would give you a quick, little preview to get you up to speed on the Iowa Hawkeyes.

NCAA Implications – Iowa actually has a better conference record than Northwestern as it stands, but the Hawkeyes have so many bad losses, both in conference (Penn State and Nebraska) and out of conference (a 20-point loss to Northern Iowa and a 16-point loss to Campbell), that they would be hard-pressed to earn a berth into the NCAA Tournament. They need to win a few more games to even stand a chance. While Iowa went 7-5 in non-conference play against a generally non-challenging slate, Northwestern took on Baylor, beat Seton Hall and LSU and finished with a 10-2 non-conference record, which looks far more impressive. Right now, the Wildcats ought to be thanking their lucky stars that they won the Charleston Classic. That early-season tournament could go a long way toward deciding their fate.

Up and Down Play – Most fans would consider this an up and down season for the Wildcats, but if you think about it Northwestern generally won the games it was expected to win and lost the games it was expected to lose. The Wildcats essentially have no bad losses at this point in the season, which should appeal to voters when it comes time to make the NCAA Tournament bracket. Their worst losses were a road loss to the Golden Gophers and a home loss to the Fighting Illini, and they got lucky in that the Boilermakers went on a strong run to end the season. Now, Northwestern’s two losses to Purdue don’t look so bad, since the Boilermakers are a lock to make the NCAA Tournament. If you want to look at an up and down team, just take a look at Iowa, which beat Wisconsin and Michigan, only to fall to Campbell and Penn State.

New Coat of Paint – Iowa is one of the few teams in the Big Ten that will be hard-pressed to challenge Northwestern in the paint. If Davide Curletti can’t hold down the fort against Zach McCabe, I hear there are a few villas in Italy that are still for sale. McCabe has made just six of his last 17 from the field and hasn’t reached double-digits since February 4. Melsahn Basabe is a good athlete, but can usually be contained, and both McCabe and Basabe are only six-feet, seven-inches tall. Iowa lacks a marquee center, and Northwestern couldn’t ask for a nicer gift.

Foot in my Mouth – Last time, these two teams played, I made the brilliant assessment that Matt Gatens isn’t a legitimate star within the Big Ten. Then, he put up 15 points at Welsh-Ryan Arena, draining three-of-five from behind the arc, and only turning the ball over once. Since then, Gatens has been on fire. He is only averaging 15.7 points on the season, but he has posted at least 16 points in each of his last five games, including a 33-point performance against Wisconsin and a 30-point performance against Indiana. He made 7-of-10 from behind the arc in both games, and considering Northwestern’s inability to defend the arc, Gatens could pose a serious threat. I still don’t think he’s on the level of a Jordan Taylor or John Shurna, but he can light it up, particularly against the Wildcats’ porous 1-3-1 defense. And one last thing, like many of Northwestern’s players, Gatens never comes out. He has played 40 minutes in three of Iowa’s last five games, and hasn’t reached four personal fouls since December 9, so good luck trying to get him into foul trouble.

Home Sweet Home – Never known as one of the more intimidating venues in the Big Ten, Carver-Hawkeye Arena has been witness to four consecutive Iowa wins, including victories over Wisconsin and Indiana.

Last Time Out – Last time out, Northwestern made it look easy, downing Iowa 83-64 at Welsh-Ryan Arena. In the battle of teams with hyphenated arena names, the Wildcats rode a dominating 56 percent performance from the field, and 13-of-25 performance from behind the arc, to victory. Dave Sobolewski was majestic that game, driving to the hole with authority, and finishing with 23 points, and really the entire Northwestern squad played a beautifully aggressive game and finished around the basket like I’ve never seen the Wildcats do before. They were playing out of their minds that night, and I wouldn’t necessarily expect to see that type of show again. Northwestern may win, if it can keep Gatens guarded behind the arc, but it will not be easy against an Iowa team chock full of productive role players, including Aaron White and Roy Devyn Marble.

Devastation in Evanston

I sat there on one of the old wooden benches at Welsh-Ryan Area long after the final buzzer sounded. The scoreboard, per usual, said at all. Ohio State 75, Northwestern 73. Another close game, another frenetic finish and another loss for the Wildcats. Home court advantage is supposed to give a team a solid boost in exactly this kind of game, but I’m not sure you can even count the number of close Northwestern losses at home on one hand: Illinois, Purdue, Michigan, and now, Ohio State. Well, I guess one hand will work, but barely. I wish I could say I was the last one out of the stadium, and come across as deeply stoic in the face of defeat, but in this case, many devastated Northwestern fans stuck around. It was an eerie site, once upon a time you could barely convince fans to come into the building. Last night, you couldn’t get them to leave. That’s what a close game does to you, that’s the aftermath of heartbreak. All I saw around me was fellow Wildcats fans refusing to leave those uncomfortable benches, staying to serenade John Shurna with one last chant, sticking around to mull over the loss for one more second.

It’s funny because this was a game that Northwestern had no business winning anyway. Ohio State was in control nearly the entire way through. The Buckyes completely dominated the paint, as well as the glass. When it wasn’t Jared Sullinger scoring at will, it was Deshaun Thomas. Sullinger finished with an astounding 11 offensive rebounds, a number that is unfathomable in its enormity. He ended up notching 22 points and 18 rebounds. Thomas had 19 points and 10 rebounds. Overall, the Wildcats were out-rebounded 42-16. It’s awfully hard to win a game when you are absolutely helpless down low as Northwestern was on Wednesday. It goes beyond the numbers. Heck, Sullinger was scoring at will. He was hitting mid-range jumpers, with no one in his face. He was finishing off alley-oop plays. And then, on that final play, it was quite fitting as Sullinger received a down-court heave, and effortlessly banked the game-winner home.

For Northwestern, it was simply the latest chapter in a severely disappointing season down low. When the season started, we felt like between Luka Mirkovic and Davide Curletti, the Wildcats had to have one of the better front courts in the Big Ten. Sure, neither had ever been great, but their experience would win out, particularly with Jon Leuer, Trevor Mbakwe and JaJuan Johnson all departing. That has been anything but the case. Ralph Sampson III of Minnesota has been better. As have Meyers Leonard of Illinois, Cody Zeller of Indiana and Ryan Evans of Wisconsin. Really, the only teams Northwestern is capable of contending with in the paint are Penn State, Iowa and Nebraska, which is embarrassing to say the least. Luka Mirkovic has been out for the past month, and his boundless energy is sorely missed, if not his questionable skill. As for Davide Curletti, he has been nearly invisible since his monstrous performance against Michigan State. You always talk about being a triple threat in basketball, with the ability to drive, shoot and pass, or for post players, the ability to post up, shoot and pass, but Curletti isn’t even a double threat. He is quite literally a single threat, which is no threat at all to opposing big men. He rarely posts up and has shown little inclination to take the shot; instead, he usually just stands on the elbow, and doesn’t even act as if he wants the ball, immediately looking to pass it off.

That makes life incredibly easy on a defense, as any defender can predict his next move. It’s little wonder Sullinger had so much energy on offense when he was so untested on the other end. Curletti isn’t all that good a rebounding threat either; indeed, the one minute span of time in which he grabbed a defensive board and scooped up a loose ball came across as practically miraculous. While Curletti may lack the size and talent of some of the conference’s best big men, I think he can be better, but it starts with playing with more aggression, driving to the hoop, and actually presenting yourself as a threat. Northwestern needs more out of him. The one thing that was nice about Mirkovic is he was aggressive if nothing else.

In general, Northwestern makes life fairly easy on a defense. With the exception of the backdoor pass, it’s fairly obvious where the Wildcats are going to pass the ball. Whenever Drew Crawford drives into the lane, and finds a man in his way, he’ll pass it to the closest player on the arc. Same goes for all of the Northwestern players. That combined with their inability to catch the ball limits what the Wildcats can do on offense. There was one particularly embarrassing play on Wednesday when John Shurna received the ball in the paint on an inbounds play, in perfect position to score, but the ball slipped right through his hands. While the Wildcats struggled to hang onto the simple passes, the Buckeyes were flinging the ball all across the court, not without error, they did finish with 16 turnovers, but their rapid ball movement also led to a very high number of points.

Part of the glory of the Buckeyes’ rapid ball movement, and the reason why it works, is that any one of their players are capable of putting the ball in the basket, something that cannot be said for the Wildcats. Four Ohio State players finished in double-digits Wednesday, while Northwestern relied on 45 points from John Shurna and Drew Crawford combined. The rest of the Wildcats combined to score just 28 points. Give Crawford credit. I thought he was fantastic. His three-pointer was as on as it has been all season, as he drained four-of-six from behind the arc. He drove to the hoop beautifully, and finished with some really impressive layups. Other than Shurna and Crawford, who have multiple ways of hurting you, the Wildcats have few pure scorers. Alex Marcotullio can shoot but is capable of little else, Dave Sobloewski can create his own shot but is prone to quiet nights as a freshman and JerShon Cobb has the talent to create his own shot but it’s not there yet. That leaves it up to Crawford and Shurna on far too many occasions.

It’s rare that you’ll hear me complain about officiating on this blog. I think that referees have an unbelievably difficult job. A thankless job, really. No one notices the 90 percent of calls that they get right, and everyone moans and groans on the rare occasion when they miss a call. Heck, everyone moans and groans whether the referees made the right call or not. So, I understand it’s hard on the referees, but I will say that I thought the officiating on Wednesday was atrocious. The way the referees called this game, I’m not sure how one is supposed to defend an elite big man like Jared Sullinger. If you can’t put your hands up, poke check the ball and occasionally give a little push, then how are you supposed to stop anyone in this conference? This is the Big Ten. It’s a physical conference. Let them play. On the other side of the ball, I saw mistakes as well. I still am not sure how Alex Marcotullio ended up with only three personal fouls. He was clawing at ball-handlers the entire game, frequently hacking them 80 feet from the basket. I know it’s frustrating when your team can’t grab a rebound, but when Ohio State has come down with the ball, you can’t just hit the guy. You need to run back and play defense. Marcotullio was far too wild with his hands on Wednesday night. Similarly, I thought the referees missed a foul when Reggie Hearn was nearly pushed out-of-bounds as he was crossing the timeline. Listen, I’m not one of those fans who moans over every call. All of Welsh-Ryan Arena went berserk when Shurna fell to the ground late in the game on a layup attempt. The whole crowd wanted a foul on Sullinger. In my opinion, Shurna was the one who tried to push-off, he gave Sullinger a stiffarm, and besides if Shurna is not fast enough to get around Sullinger, I’m not sure he deserves the bucket anyway. But there’s no doubt the referees let the Buckeyes get away with a lot of physical play Wednesday, and didn’t help the Wildcats out when it came to the already difficult task of stopping Sullinger in the paint.

So let’s talk about the end of Wednesday’s game. I was highly impressed with the fight Northwestern showed in coming back. The Wildcats were down 70-58 with 5:39 to go and somehow came back, mainly with terrific defense, holding the Buckeyes to just five points over the final five and a half minutes. I thought JerShon Cobb was fantastic on the defensive end, particularly on that one play with 17 seconds remaining in which he ripped the ball away from Deshaun Thomas. Already up three, if Thomas is able to hang onto that ball, Ohio State could seal the game with a free throw or two. Instead, Cobb’s steal gave the Wildcats a chance to tie it up, and sure enough, Marcotullio evened the score on a three-pointer that I’m still not sure he should have taken. With more time on the shot clock, and standing so far from the hoop, Marcotullio perplexed me with his shot selection, but it went in, so God bless him. I guess that’s a shooter’s instinct. He can’t resist the chance to tie it right there. Unfortunately, by taking the shot before he had to, Ohio State had time to respond, and with seven seconds, the Buckeyes were easily able to get the ball into Sullinger, who had good position on Cobb. The Wildcats sophomore went for the steal, which turned out to be a fatal choice, because once Sullinger had it, he was able to spin around and hit the layup, practically uncontested. It’s hard to fault Cobb for going for the steal, particularly when it’s dubious that he could have defended Sullinger, even for three seconds, one on one, but I would have liked to have seen him remain behind Sullinger, so at least, he could maybe draw a charge, or get a hand in Sullinger’s face. Instead, by coming up short on the steal, he took himself out of the play.

But you can’t blame Cobb. He was actually a pleasant surprise on Wednesday. Instead, you can blame all the little things the Wildcats did wrong earlier in the game, errors that seemed to be trifles at the time, but appear much more glaring in the wake of a two-point loss. Crawford missed four out of five free-throws at the line. Shurna missed all of his early three-point attempts, allowing Ohio State to grab the early lead. And then there was all the timeouts the Wildcats had to burn early, particularly when they couldn’t inbound the ball with approximately five minutes remaining. Those timeouts really could have come in handy towards the end. With a timeout in store, Carmody could have called for a break immediately after Sullinger made his game-winner, and crafted the Wildcats’ response. Instead, with three seconds remaining, a live clock whirring and no timeouts, Northwestern had to speed down the court, and pray that a desperation heavy by Shurna would go in. It didn’t. And so heartbreak ensued. And so a +9 advantage in turnovers and seven extra points from behind the arc (Ohio State actually scored six more points off of field goals, but Northwestern had the edge when you factor in its extra seven three-pointers) went to waste.

You have to give Bill Carmody and Tavaras Hardy credit for what they have created in Evanston. It took a decade but they have created a real excitement about basketball at Northwestern. The student section has been absolutely packed the last three or four home games, which at any other school would mark nothing new, but at Welsh-Ryan Arena, represents a refreshing change from the half-filled bleachers of yore. Traffic now snakes miles down Central Street before tipoff; in fact, for the second straight game, I had to abandon my car in Wilmette just to get to the game in time. I remember when I first arrived in Evanston, I could show up right at game time, and end up with a front-row seat. Now, there’s barely a spot in the student section for latecomers. Northwestern has begun to create that ultimate small-gym feel, with the fans absolutely packed in on the benches right behind the two baselines, and the resulting noise absolutely reverberating around the building. When Alex Marcotullio hit the game-tying three with seven seconds remaining in regulation, it sounded like a real arena should. It sounded like college basketball. That’s an excitement that Carmody and the boys worked hard to earn, with three consecutive NIT bids and a surge to the bubble finally creating that elusive home atmosphere that athletic director Jim Phillips has been dreaming about for years.

That being said, I have a challenge for Wildcats fans. If you really care about this team, then let’s head down to Iowa City. As the Northwestern players exited the court Wednesday, I implored them to give the same effort at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. If they do, they will win the game. But if we want them to give the same energy in Iowa City, shouldn’t we? Opposing fans have long filled the upper rafters of Welsh-Ryan Arena, and time after time, as the game has slipped away from the Wildcats, we’ve had to endure their chants, their mockery and their celebrations. Meanwhile, Northwestern has the worst fan presence on the road imaginable. I’ll never forget that on my trip to Mackey Arena, literally just a couple-hours drive from Evanston, there was hardly a purple-clad fan in the building. If you believe in this team, and like me, you insist that the dream has yet to die, then come out with me to Carver-Hawkeye Arena and we’ll show this team that we still believe in them.

Living On A Prayer

Northwestern 67 – Penn State 66

First of all, my apologies for not posting more of late. I’ve been really occupied this week with my work for Pro Football Weekly. We’ve been at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis all week, and between the 9-7 days at Lucas Oil Stadium and the long nights of writing at the Comfort Suites across the street, there hasn’t been much time to think about anything other than the NFL. But I figure as long as I’m on the blog tonight, speaking about Northwestern’s win over Penn State, I might as well make a few remarks about the Combine. I’ll try to say something more poetic later, but I should say that I was struck by the similarities between the young kids I was interviewing and myself. At this point, you might be rolling your eyes and smacking your forehead, but I’m serious. Sure, my 40 time would probably be greater than five seconds and my height and weight is more fitting for a career on the links, but beyond the obvious gap in athleticism, there are some serious similarities. Most of us are college seniors. We are all surrounded by the most elite members of our profession and we are all hoping to make a winning impression. In my case, I’m surrounded by some of the most talented sports journalists in the country, big shots like Chris Mortensen and Rachel Nichols, as well as lesser known print journalists, and I’m simply trying to prove I belong. And like the athletes, I’m simply honored to be at the Combine, as hard as I might have to work there, as stressful as it might be. Wisconsin punter Bradley Nortman probably said it best when he told a couple of us:

It’s a thrill, it really is, it’s once in a lifetime. So few get to be part of something this special, something this busy, something that has this much impact on their life, and you know everything about it, I’m just excited to be a part of and to be given an opportunity like this, I’m very blessed.

Back to the important things in life like Northwestern basketball, let me just start by saying that Bon Jovi’s timeless mantra has never seemed more fitting than tonight. Except instead of living on a prayer, it’s living on a call, as a whistle in the final seconds sent John Shurna to the free-throw line with a chance to tie or win the game. He drained both shots, providing the decisive margin in Northwestern’s 67-66 victory over Penn State.

First of all, no matter what Penn State coach Patrick Chambers might think, I believe that the referees absolutely made the right call. There’s little doubt in my mind that Shurna was fouled after he hoisted up his prayer of a jump shot, if not earlier when he received the entry pass. Replays showed fairly conclusively in my opinion that one of the two defenders hit Shurna on the arm. Right call or not, Chambers certainly embarrassed himself when he tried to chase the referees off the court. Thank God his assistant got in his way and held him back, because it seemed to me like he was about to do something that would bring great shame on Penn State. He had nothing to be so angry about. It was certainly a close call, and by no means, a blown call. If he was angry at anybody, his rage should have been directed toward his defender, who made the mistake of fouling Shurna on a very difficult jump shot attempt. As for Shurna, give him credit, not only for draining the free throws but for drawing the foul. Just snatching that entry pass away from the double-team was impressive, and then he had the presence of mind to realize that with the way the defenders were hounding him, a shot would likely result in a foul. I can’t say, of course, whether or not he was thinking that, but it certainly seemed like a smart play from my vantage point, and a brilliant way of working his way to the free-throw line. And then for a guy who has struggled on his free throws at times this season to swish the two biggest free throws of his life, well, it was impressive. Northwestern obviously needed this win, and now at 7-9, the Wildcats remain alive in the hunt for March Madness. My recipe remains clear. One win against Iowa or Ohio State and one win in the Big Ten Tournament should do it. Two regular-season wins or postseason wins would clinch it. And let’s face it, Northwestern fans are just grateful to be able to talk tournament hopes seriously after that scare in Happy Valley. We’re also happy to win at the Bryce Jordan Center for the first time in a very long time. Two wins over the Nittany Lions this season should put an end to the hex that Penn State has had over us in recent years.

The end of the Northwestern-Penn State game was hardly pretty, but it wasn’t the ugliest ending of the day. I would have to give that award to North Carolina and Virginia. An excellent game turned pretty ugly in the second half with a myriad of missed shots, including two missed threes by the Cavaliers in the final minute. Virginia had multiple open chances from behind the arc, and was absolutely unable to hit the big shot. I’ll give credit to Tyler Zeller for his thunderous dunk in the last minute, but at the same time, let’s face it, a fairly mediocre shot fake somehow sent the defense stumbling. It was as much bad defense from the Cavaliers as good offense from the Tar Heels. North Carolina continues to look like something far less than a Dream Team at this point in the season.

Also, my question of the day, does St. John’s have a chance at the NCAA Tournament after defeating a ranked Notre Dame team at home? It doesn’t look like it right now, as the Red Storm are just 13-16 on the season and 6-10 in the Big East. But wait, there’s more. Their final two games are on the road, against Pittsburgh and Rutgers, and if they are able to defeat two of the conference’s cellar-dwellers, they will enter the Big East Tournament on a five-game winning streak. Go on a bit of a run in the tournament, which of course ends on St. John’s home court at Madison Square Garden, and the Red Storm could have a chance. Yes, it’s a remote chance, but it’s not entirely outside of the realm of possibility.

And speaking of tournament talk, how about the Purdue Boilermakers, one of the hottest teams in the country, after a decisive win at No. 13 Michigan. At 9-7 in the Big Ten, and just one bad loss on the season (a 20-point defeat at the hands of Penn State), the Boilermakers should be set for March Madness. Assuming a win over Penn State and a loss to Indiana, which seems logical, they would have a 10-8 record in Big Ten play, and would certainly have the edge over a team like Northwestern, with their two wins over the Wildcats. Those games suddenly look increasingly crucial. If the Wildcats are able to snag either of those two games, then they might get a bid over the Boilermakers.