tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5021578752366551149.post6076162145970904735..comments2023-10-07T07:50:36.380-05:00Comments on Welsh-Ryan Ramblings: A Northwestern Basketball Blog: Talor Battle (and Penn State) beat 'Cats 61-57Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817772081769599211noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5021578752366551149.post-73867774910103114312009-01-02T13:28:00.000-06:002009-01-02T13:28:00.000-06:00Carmody has improved recruiting significantly in r...Carmody has improved recruiting significantly in recent years. It took him awhile, maybe too long, but he did bring in one of NU's best classes this year. Unfortunately, it seems right now as if he hasn’t yet found a guy who can step up in the clutch consistently in a manner similar to Battle. However, John Shurna, for better or worse, shows no fear of anybody. That’s the type of kid you can win with when the pressure is on. As this season goes along I think he and Rowley will put things together a bit and NU will eek out more surprise wins than people think. They better get some surprise wins, because the so-called “easy” Big Ten teams aren’t that easy this year—NU included.Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09452388960515542546noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5021578752366551149.post-54057420398491137022009-01-02T10:28:00.000-06:002009-01-02T10:28:00.000-06:00I expect the “Fire Bill Carmody” folks to return i...<I>I expect the “Fire Bill Carmody” folks to return in full force very soon. I have to say, though, Bill Carmody didn’t lose this game and Ed DeChellis sure as hell didn’t win it—<B>except for one small item</B>—he recruited Talor Battle and Carmody didn’t. Look, I love Northwestern and have supported every guy who’s wore purple and white since I started attending games as a child, but <B>the reason NU will lose games like this one is the fact our players don’t matchup</B>, especially, it seems, in the clutch. </I><BR/><BR/>Isn't part of Carmody's job to ensure that the players we have <B>do</B> match up? Recruiting is not a small item in college basketball, and it's not like Carmody just stepped into the job a few weeks ago. He's had seven years to get the guys he needs. Yet he's just now "getting the pipeline flowing?" (an assertion that remains to be proven on the court, btw). <BR/><BR/>I'd like to be optimistic here, but I'm not sure I see anything to be optimistic about. I see five winnable games remaining on the schedule- Chicago State, and two each against Iowa and Indiana. And with our team, none of those are gimmes.<BR/><BR/>That means a team that was 7-1 at one point will finish the season no better than 13-16. That's not very good. It should not be good enough to earn Carmody yet <B>another</B> season of failing to reach mediocrity. But with current expecations being absolutely in the basement, I fear it may be.buckyorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14507590879107615873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5021578752366551149.post-3951002632338344202009-01-01T19:20:00.000-06:002009-01-01T19:20:00.000-06:00Is Rowley out of shape? I'm not sure. At times he ...Is Rowley out of shape? I'm not sure. At times he looks like his feet are slow, but at other times he actually seems pretty quick. I think the bigger problem is that he is a bit too indecisive, but that’s common for freshmen. Lake Forest Academy’s competition is bit different from that of the Big Ten.Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09452388960515542546noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5021578752366551149.post-17107518613885632552008-12-31T22:08:00.000-06:002008-12-31T22:08:00.000-06:00This game was in the must win category. It is unfa...This game was in the must win category. It is unfathomable that the defense wasn't there in the second half. What about Kyle Rowley starting but only playing 12 minutes? Is he out of shape?Bob Dettmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01139513600304641388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5021578752366551149.post-44221238346479083762008-12-31T18:59:00.000-06:002008-12-31T18:59:00.000-06:00great breakdown.i'm with you on the fan reaction p...great breakdown.<BR/><BR/>i'm with you on the fan reaction part. if people wanna rag on carmody for not getting the guys in his first five years they'd have case.<BR/><BR/>however in the here and now, the pipeline is finally flowing. (mainly thanks to a tireless tavaras). carmody will probably have until coble graduates to really make his case. <BR/><BR/>until then we'll just have the carmody haters out after every loss, and conversely they'll be quiet if/when he gets traction this year.macarthur31https://www.blogger.com/profile/03948709454193554321noreply@blogger.com