An NU Top 10

10. NU Holds off Wisconsin in Remarkable Home Thriller

Northwestern had already played Wisconsin once. Back in early January, the Wildcats traveled to Madison still looking for their first Big Ten win of the season. And, what did they get? Well, they got themselves a good old-fashioned ass-whooping as the Badgers defeated the Wildcats 74 – 45. So, this January 31st game was the Wildcats chance at revenge. And after nearly losing to miserable Indiana at home three nights earlier, this was the Wildcats chance to regain respect in front of over 8,000 fans at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Well, they succeeded with a thrilling 66 – 63 win over a Wisconsin team that ended up making March Madness.

9. NU Does Their Part in Big Ten/ACC Challenge, Easily Defeating Florida

Does anybody besides me and a few sports nerds scattered around the country actually give a damn about the Big Ten/ACC Challenge? Probably not. But this game was still crucial for a young untested Wildcats team. This was the Wildcats first chance to prove they were for real, and they did it in style, defeating then-undefeated Florida State by 14 at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The Wildcats were particularly dominant in the second half, outscoring the Seminoles by a count of 40 to 23. This game also marked Ivan Peljusic’s best game of the season, as he scored 10 points for the victorious Wildcats.

8. Big Road Win at Purdue Keeps NU Tourney Chances Alive

Northwestern had to win if they wanted to keep their March Madness dreams alive, but could they? Against a Purdue team that was ranked in the top 20. Against a Purdue team that had dominated in-conference. In front of a raucous Purdue fan base. Could they? Yes, they could, and yes, they did. Craig Moore, Michael Thompson, and Kevin Coble all scored in double digits to lead the Wildcats to an impressive 64 – 61 victory over a heavily favored Boilermakers team.

7. A Future Inside the Arc

Northwestern relied a little too much on the three ball this year. There were times when the team’s only offense was a Craig Moore three. When times were good, Moore, Thompson, and Coble were all hitting threes and driving with effectiveness. But when the threes stopped falling, the Wildcats had an unfortunately tendency to look lost out there. The future is bright though. Luka Mirkovic had a phenomenal season, showing great potential game after game for the Wildcats. He gets rebounds. He has post-up moves. He can even hit a hook shot once in a while. And he can hit the occasional three to boot. And the much-maligned Kyle Rowley also showed some potential this season. He showed an ability to get position down low. Now, if he can just figure out how to make a lay-up, he and the Wildcats may end up going somewhere. The fact is that while he may not look pretty out there he’s got the size to get things done

6. NU Beats Ranked Minnesota at Home

This is the game when perennial doormat Northwestern decided they wanted to compete in the Big Ten this year. After losing virtually every Big Ten basketball game last year, this year’s Wildcats lost their first few before defeating #17 Minnesota at home. It was a huge upset, one that let fans know that this Wildcats team wasn’t going to roll over and play dead this year unlike years past.

5. NU Snaps Four-Decade Long Streak Winning Big in Indiana

It had been a while. A long while. 41 years to be precise. Yes, for a period of over four decades, the Wildcats lost every single road game they played against the Hoosiers. Their all-time record at Indiana’s Assembly Hall was 0 – 32. It stood as one of the most remarkable, and for Northwestern pathetic, streaks in college basketball history. Now, the streak is over. Yes, on February 25, 2009, Moore, Thompson, and Shurna each scored in double digits to mercifully lead the Wildcats to a 22-point victory over the Hossiers. On this day, the Wildcats played the Hoosiers on Indiana’s home court, and they won.

4. John Shurna’s Game-Winning Three Gives NU Home Win over Ohio State

Half the team had the flu. But nothing could stop the Wildcats on this February night. Not even a determined Jon Diebler who scored 28 and hit a game-tying layup with just 26 seconds remaining. Not even a miserable first half that left the Wildcats trailing by 9. No, this night belonged to John Shurna and the Wildcats. Shurna’s three-pointer with 3.3 seconds remaining proved the difference and sent the home crowd into a frenzy. Northwestern 72, Ohio State 69. An instant Big Ten classic.

3. A Victory for the Ages

After a big victory at home against Minnesota (moment #5), no one gave the Wildcats much of a shot against Michigan State. But Northwestern showed January 21 that they are a team of many surprises. They shocked the world on that night, defeating the Spartans 70 – 63 in East Lansing. This was the first time in team history that the Wildcats were able to beat two ranked teams in a row. A Wildcat classic.

2. Making the NIT

Yes, it may not have ended in a first-round loss to Tulsa, but for a program that has only made the post-season four times, making the NIT was a real accomplishment, and  an honor. The game against Tulsa was tough. The Wildcats found themselves playing against a bigger stronger opponent. Yet, they gave Tulsa a scare, and emerged with their heads held high. An excellent year for Northwestern basketball, hopefully a herald of many good years to come.

1. Making Wildcats Fans Dream Again

After the football team capped off a successful 9 – 3 season with a trip to the Alamo Bowl, I was told to sit back and close my eyes as the basketball team fought their way through another stomach-turning season. Last year, the team got off to a good start, and then lost nearly every Big Ten they played. This year looked like more of the same. A great start. Then four straight Big Ten losses, including a 29-point loss to Wisconsin. And then suddenly, there was a spark. Several sparks. Minnesota. Michigan State. Wisconsin. Purdue. This team gave Wildcats basketball fans reason to believe and to dream. We now have expectations. Hopeful belief that our team has what it takes to win. And not just win, but maybe go farther. Thanks to this year’s Northwestern basketball team for making us believe again, for giving us a dream. Now, let’s hope that future teams can make this newborn dream come true.

Minnesota VS. Northwestern

Minnesota vs. Northwestern.

The Minnesota Golden Gophers come into this game with a 21 – 9 overall record. Yet, here’s the key statistic. Minnesota is 12 – 0 when playing teams from outside the Big Ten. including an impressive  win over Louisville (currently #9 in RPI). Yet, they went just 9 – 9 in the Big Ten, losing to Northwestern, Purdue, and ending the season on a disappointing loss to Michigan. Minnesota will enter the Big Ten Tournament as the conference’s #8 seed.

And from the other door, enter the Northwestern Wildcats, one of the league’s most unpredictable teams this year. The Wildcats finished with an overall record of 17 – 12. Out of conference, they managed to beat Florida State at home and were nearly able to defeat Butler on the road. In conference, the Wildcats were frankly bizarre. Their overall record was 8 -10. It included impressive wins over nationally ranked Purdue, Minnesota, and Michigan State. They also racked up impressive wins over Ohio State and Wisconsin, and almost beat ranked Illinois. Yet, at the same time, the Wildcats got swept by Michigan and suffered embarassing losses to Michigan State and Illinios. The Wildcats enter the tournament ranked #71 in RPI.

The two teams split the season series. Northwestern won the first game at home by a score of 74 to 65. The keys to victory for Northwestern were:

1). The Wildcats competing on the glass. They were outrebounded 31 – 29, a pretty impressive effort for a team that has struggled all year with rebounding.

2). The Wildcats forced turnovers. 19 of them. The Wildcats need to do that today if they want to win.

3). The Wildcats got 42 points from Coble and Moore, but also got 32 from the rest of the team. Minnesota is a good defensive team. They will probably be able to limit Coble and Moore. Thus, the Wildcats will need players like Shurna, Thompson, and Mirkovic to step it up.

In the second game, Minnesota blew Northwestern out by a final score of72 to 45.

1). Rebounds: Minnesota 40, Northwestern 21. Enough said.

2). The Golden Gophers defense was simply dominant. No Wildcats player was able to score in the double digits. Whether it’s Shurna, Thompson, Moore, or Coble, someone is going to have to step up and score today if the Wildcats want to have any hope of winning this game and reaching Madness.

3). Shooting. The Golden Gophers shot over 50% from the field and 7 for 16 from behind the arc. Northwestern, on the other hand, was atrocious. All their shots seemed forced, and they ended up shooting just 14 for 46. Home-court advantage? Maybe. Northwestern must do a better job shooting the basketball in neutral Indiana if they wish to go anywhere.

That’s my game notes. Enjoy the game. I’ll be back afterwards. Thanks and goodnight!

An Apology and a Win

First, an apology. Work got a little crazy for me these past couple weeks, and as a result, I never did post on the Ohio State and Minnesota games. My sincere apologies about that. But if I can forgive the Northwestern Wildcats for that terrible effort in Minnesota, then I’m sure you can all find it in your hearts to forgive me. Moving on…

A Tight Game Turns Into A Blowout

A lot happened in the four decades since  Northwestern last won at Indiana. The endof the Vietnam War. The resignation of Richard Milhous Nixon. Stagflation. The fall of the shah. The end of the Cold War. And so much more. But finally, after 35 consecutive road losses and four decades. the Northwestern Wildcats were able to end the losing streak, defeating the Hoosiers decisively at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana.

Northwestern came into the game with the much better record. 14 wins. 11 losses. An unimpressive 5 – 9 record in conference. Yet, this 5 – 9 record masks some truly impressive conference wins, including home wins over Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Minnesota and a crucial road win at Michigan State. It has been a surprisingly good season for Northwestern, a bright year that stands out from a gloomy history of defeat.

Meanwhile, Indiana came into the game with 6 wins and 20 losses, including a horrific 1 – 13 record in conference play. It has been a terrible year for Indiana basketball, one that stands out from what has historically been a glorious basketball program.

The first meeting between these teams took place on January 28, 2009 at Northwestern’s Welsh-Ryan Arena. In that game, the Hoosiers started out on fire, grabbing an early lead. Then, Northwestern went on a run, and had a nine point with just seven minutes remaining. But it wouldn’t come easy for the Wildcats, who had to stave off a last Hoosier comeback before finally triumphing 77  – 75.

The first half of Wednesday’s game in Bloomington, Indiana was eerily similar to the team’s first meeting. The fast start from Indiana. The comeback by Northwestern. A close game at halftime. This time Northwestern led 30 – 25.

After ending the first half on a 23 – 10 run, Northwestern simply exploded in the second half, putting together one of their best offensive and defensive performances of the season. The Wildcats scored 45 in the second half. 15 of those 45 points coming off Indiana turnovers. The Wildcats also benefited from hot shooting, hitting over 65% of their shots from the field and draining 6 of 7 three-point attempts in the second half.

In the end, it wasn’t even close. The Hoosiers’ four-decade long streak over Northwestern is part of history now. The Wildcats made a statement Wednesday night. They didn’t just win. They destroyed. Northwestern 75, Indiana 53.

The Wildcats got strong efforts from a variety of players Wednesday night. Five Wildcats (Thompson, Coble, Nash, Moore, and Shurna) scored in the double digits. Craig Moore was particularly impressive, scoring 17, making 5 of 7 from behind the arc. The freshman were once again outstanding for Northwestern. Shurna had another strong game, finishing with 11 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Meanwhile, Luka Mirkovic had another excellent game in the post, scoring 8 and getting 7 rebounds.

Indiana got a nice game from Kyle Taber, who scored 12 and grabbed 6 rebounds. On the other hand, Verdell Jones III was awful, notching more turnovers (7) than points (2). Tough game for the Hoosiers.

And now you have this Wildcats team, with just the slightest shot of reaching March Madness, but a fairly good shot at making the NIT. The next game, the Wildcats last home game of the year against an Iowa team that barely defeated the Wildcats in Iowa City, is huge. It will surely be an interesting fight to the finish.