Record Set: Northwestern Beats Chicago State 72-49 and Sets School Record for Wins

Alex Marcotullio got back on track with 15 points versus Chicago State

In a game that started extremely sloppy on both sides, Northwestern emerged with a 72-49 victory on Wednesday night. The outcome of the contest remained somewhat in doubt until late in the first half when the Wildcats closed that half on a 10-2 run. That run was keyed by three pointers from freshman guard Alex Marcotullio and senior guard Jeremy Nash. Nash was playing his final regular season home game in Welsh-Ryan Arena tonight. He started slowly, but finished with 7 points, 4 steals, and 3 assists. Early on it seemed like the Wildcats were working too hard to force a spectacular play from Nash. For example, John Shurna overshot his teammate on two ally-oop attempts early on. Thankfully, Nash got into the scorebook a little later with a dunk off a steal and then followed a Marcotullio three with a big three. As a result of those shots, before Chicago State seemed to realize what happened, the Cougars went from down to two points to down double digits and never got back into the game.

The fact Chicago State stuck around for most of the first half shows Northwestern wasn’t perfect tonight. They did play better defense forcing 19 turnovers, including 14 steals. However, in the first half the Cougars did penetrate NU’s 1-3-1 zone for some very easy looks. In the second half, NU seemed to extend the zone and put a little more pressure on passers. The result was Chicago State seemed less comfortable making passes. Much of the credit for that goes to Marcotullio. Though most people will look at the fact he made 5-of-7 threes to score 15 points, fans shouldn’t ignore the defensive pressure Marcotullio puts on teams at the top of the 1-3-1. Some of that is natural instinct and some he likely learned from watching teammate Jeremy Nash, but I have to say that I think that though NU was miss Nash’s athletic skill, they will still be able to play 1-3-1 with Alex Marcotullio on the floor. Marcotullio also has to get credit for his 3 assists against 0 turnovers tonight. With fellow freshman Drew Crawford (1-of-7 FGs, 2 points) still clearly hurt, it is important for Marcotullio to contribute in multiple ways. He can’t just be a shooter or just be a defender. He needs to play an all around game and he did so tonight.

Aside from Marcotullio, NU got double figures from reliable contributors Michael “Juice” Thompson and John Shurna. Thompson finished with 13 points and 5 assists. He made 3-of-6 threes to reach that total, but his best shot was a runner in the lane with the shot clock running down. John Shurna scored 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting, but I’d still like to see him attack the basket more. Today, 7 of his shots were threes. With his skill, and often a size advantage, Shurna shouldn’t have to settle for taking threes. He should be able to go to the hoop and have wide open threes as result later. As far as other numbers, Shurna just missed a double-double as he finished with 9 rebounds. He also added 6 assists and 4 steals.

Off the bench, NU got solid minutes from Davde Curletti and Mike Capocci. Culetti played 18 minutes and finished with 4 points and 6 rebounds. Those totals are solid, but Curletti scored all of his points from the free throw line and only made 50% of those tires. For a guy who is a skilled three point shooter to make only 50% of his free throws is unacceptable. NU needs to continue to feed Curletti and NU starting center Luka Mirkovic down low, but both centers must improve their free throw shooter if NU is going to do damage in the postseason.

Mike Capocci scored a season-high 8 points and also had 4 rebounds and 2 blocks. One of the blocks was a spectacular block off the backboard as Capocci hustled the court to ensure a turnover didn’t become an easy basket. With his athletic ability, Capocci offers NU some nice options. The key to keeping him on the court will be to limit his turnovers and make sure he makes smart choices with the ball in terms of passes and shot selection.

As the players left the court today, many young fans approached them for autographs. If that is the final image of the 2009-10 season at Welsh-Ryan Arena, I can live with that. It was a nice moment. Plus, I’m sure both the players and their young fans enjoyed the experience. However, NU might be back at Welsh-Ryan Arena hosting a postseason game. If that happens, I hope NU far exceeds tonight’s attendance of 3,757. Welsh-Ryan ended up a great home court advantage for the 'Cats this year and that’s credit to all the fans who stepped through the arena’s doors. If NU plays at home in the postseason, those fans and many more need to return wearing purple to help push the Wildcats season deep in to March.

Game 30: Chicago State @ Northwestern Wildcats

The Matchup: Chicago State (8-21) @ Northwestern (18-11)

Location: Welsh-Ryan Arena (Evanston, IL)

TV: www.bigtennetwork.com Big Ten Network On Demand for $2.99 (Wed. 3-3-10)
Radio: WIND 560 AM

Fun Fact: Northwestern has never lost to Chicago State in the history of their intracity rivalry.

About the Game
Northwestern is still trying to set a school record with 19 wins after a disappointing loss to Penn State on Sunday. The odds are the Wildcats will beat a Chicago State team whose best win is over Eastern Washington and who has only twice all year played in front of a crowd of more than 5,000 people, but the real question is how will Northwestern play. In the Wildcats win over Texas Pan-America, NU proved that they can certainly play down to the level of their competition. In addition, Northwestern’s performance against Penn State on Sunday was amongst their worst all year. Many NU fans are understandably disappointed with this loss. As a result, I suspect many fans will choose not show up tonight so NU can’t count on much of a home court advantage.

That’s a shame as Jeremy Nash and Matt Steger will be honored for senior day and NU’s Women’s Lacrosse team will receive National Championship Rings (maybe next year it’ll be a ceremony for the 1931 basketball champs, I’ll get back to working to promote that title in the offseason). I do appreciate the fact Northwestern’s athletic department is taking time to host a ceremony for the lacrosse team, but I’m disappointed they waited until the Chicago State game. At best, 3,500 people will attend this game. The lacrosse team deserves better recognition for their 5th consecutive National Championship. Northwestern should have honored them at the Purdue or Illinois game when Welsh-Ryan Arena was full. Waiting until March 3rd for the lowest profile opponent of the season is silly and, from my perspective, not worthy of the level of respect that five straight National Titles deserves.

As for the game, Chicago State is not the team they were last season when they could have made a case for postseason inclusion. It’s kind of a shame for the Cougars that they and other former independents formed the Great West Conference a year to late as the Great West winner now gets an automatic bid to the College Insider Tournament. CSU could have won that prize last season.

The player to stop on Chicago State is 6-7 forward Carl Montgomery who averages 13.2 ppg and 8.2 rpg. He actually really does scare me since NU apparently lets people get inside looks at will, though, they have played better defense at home. Also, Montgomery’s teammates have 462 turnovers and 282 assists this year. Even with Northwestern’s defensive inconsistency, they ought to be able to stop Chicago State from getting the ball to Montgomery enough to make the game a contest. If they can’t get the ball to Montgomery, guard Christian Wall is CSU’s other major weapon. He scores 12.7 ppg and is the team’s best three point shooter at 32.6%. The fact that leads the team shows how bad Chicago State is shooting. As a team they make just 38.1% from the field overall and only 26.5% from three. Wall also leads the team in assists, but has basically a 1-to-1 assist to turnover ratio.

Prediction:
Northwestern should have nothing to fear from Chicago State. Even playing like they played Sunday, Northwestern would probably beat the Cougars. Chicago State is 0-16 on the road and has one of the worst PRIs in D1. However, the goal for Northwestern should be not to play like they played Sunday. They should do what they can to take this game seriously as a tune up for the Big Ten Tournament which starts in just over a week. With only two regular season games left, and a ton of issues on defense, Northwestern must take each opportunity they get to work on defense in game situations as a valuable chance. I hope NU uses the 1-3-1, matchup, and even man-to-man in this game and tries to learn how to play each with the necessary level of effort at all times. It’ll be particularly interesting to see if Drew Crawford plays. Bill Carmody finally made Crawford’s sore groin/back public after the loss to Penn State and said he was considering sitting the freshman down. Given Crawford has played like he was hurt for three weeks, I think that’s overdue. Regardless, I think NU wins this game with ease. Northwestern, 77 Chicago State, 59

Basketball Schedule Update

Some folks over at Rivals have done some work and have put together the latest news on NU's hoops schedule. Here's a link: http://northwestern.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=58&tid=131188900&mid=131188900&sid=901&style=2

You'll see the 'Cats start with four home games. Three of them are "should wins" but the biggest one is against Butler who stands a very good chance of being a top-25 team to open the year. I bet the Big Ten Network is going to love having that game, since we know ESPN won't be showing it.

NU's opener against NIU is probably thanks to Jim Phillips making a connection with his former staff. I think it's a good opener as I like playing local (or at least semi-local) teams. NU also his Chicago State at home on March 3rd.

North Florida comes back to Evanston on December 16th, that was a 40-39 Kevin Coble buzzer beating put back last time NU hosted them. I hope it's not so close this year.

Of course, all NU fans are looking forward to that game in the Chicago Challenge vs Notre Dame on November 27th.

Finally, I hope to see everyone in Evanston on Saturday when the football 'Cats take on Townson. I'll be the one wearing the 1931 National Champs shirt (yeah, I'm still pushing that).

Go Cats!

Three Point Shooting Leads Wildcats Past Chicago State 75-63

Mike Capocci and Jeremy Nash are NU's most athletic players

Three point shooting proved the difference in Northwestern’s 75-63 victory over Chicago State Wednesday night. Chicago State’s David Holston, the nation’s third leading scorer, recorded 22 points, but shot only 2-of-10 from three point range. His team shot only 2-of-15 overall. Northwestern shot 12-of-27 from three, led by Craig Moore (5-of-11) and John Shurna (4-of-6). Shurna’s effort was particularly impressive as his four threes in a row during the first part of the second half essentially clinched the contest for the Wildcats. Aside from Moore and Shurna, Kevin Coble was his usual steady self as he scored fifteen points on 7-of-12 shooting to go along with 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Northwestern won the rebounding battle 32 to 28, not great when you look at NU’s size advantage, but impressive when you consider Chicago State’s impressive athleticism.

Two other Wildcats who deserve special mention for their contribution to NU’s 13th win are Jeremy Nash and Mike Capocci. Nash, who has excelled defensively all year, came up just two steals shy of setting a school record as he recorded 7 steals. Those 7 steals combined with 3 offensive rebounds and 2 assists to give Nash another solid all around performance. At this point, Nash must be considered amongst the front runners for Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.

Mike Capocci played 6 minutes, scoring 3 points, garbing 3 rebounds, and getting a steal. This might not seem like an impressive line, but Capocci is starting to show signs of being an athletic difference maker in the mold of Nash. Both excelled in high school because of their athletic skill. It took Nash until towards the end of his sophomore year to really look comfortable on the court. Now, he is one of the Big Ten’s most feared defenders. Now that Capocci is a sophomore, I am hoping his career is on a similar arc. Over the last two games, he has moved in front of Jeff Ryan and Ivan Peljusic in terms of minutes played and performed well. Given his athletic skill, Capocci could become a fantastic rebounder and defender like Nash, as well as a guy who go back door and slam the ball home in the mold of several of the Chicago State players who visited Welsh-Ryan tonight.

Finally, let me give a compliment to John Cantrell and David Holston from Chicago State. These two were among the best athletes I have seen in Welsh-Ryan Arena this year, Big Ten teams included. I wish them and their teammates success the rest of the year and hope they and the Wildcats both bring postseason basketball to Chicago.

Game 20: Chicago State @ Northwestern

The Matchup: Chicago State (12-11) @ Northwestern (12-7)

Location: Welsh-Ryan Arena (Evanston, IL)

On-line video: www.bigtenetwork.com (7:00 PM CT)
Radio: WGN 720 AM and WNUR 89.3FM

Fun Fact: Northwestern leads the all-time series against Chicago State 7-0

About the Game
Though people probably aren’t beating down the doors of the Welsh-Ryan Arena ticket office in an effort to purchase seats for this contest, the fact is this should be an entertaining game. Chicago State averages 82.9 points per game, led by David Holston’s 26.3 ppg, third most in the country. The Cougar offense also features guard John Cantrell who averages 18.7 ppg and 5.1 rebounds per game. The leading rebounder on the Cougar squad is Carl Montgomery who averages 7.6 rebounds per game to go along with 10.8 points per game. These numbers are very impressive, but the Cougar defense leaves a lot to be desired. On average, they allow 80.8 points per game. Obviously, this is somewhat skewed by the frantic pace at which they play, not to mention their four overtime contest against Utah Valley State, but they still allow a lot points. Also, the fact they allow opponents to shoot 37.8% from three point range contributes to the number of points their opponents score. The good news is they shoot 34.4% which isn’t bad. However, given Northwestern’s 39.6% three point shooting, NU should be able to gain in advantage in this area.

One area where NU might not have as much of an advantage is rebounding. Although Chicago State’s tallest starter is 6-7, they average 38.5 rebounds per game, compared to Northwestern’s 28.4. These seemingly divergent numbers could be a result of competition, but I don’t think Chicago State’s athletic skill should be discounted. Northwestern’s young big men need to come ready to play against Chicago State. If they do, I expect Kyle Rowley and Luka Mirkovic to be able to take advantage of their increasing array of post moves in order to score inside. Look for those running hook shots both seem to be getting more comfortable with. Also, check out Kyle Rowley from the free throw line. I expect he will improve greatly from his performance against Wisconsin.

Prediction:
Northwestern should win this game fairly easily. If they do lose, it will be the first really bad loss NU has this year. I don’t expect that to happen. However, I do expect David Holston and his teammates to make the game somewhat closer than many folks expect. I strongly encourage all the NU fans, especially the students, who came out for the Wisconsin game to return. If Welsh-Ryan is nearly empty, it will be discouraging to the players and the game might be much closer than needed. Remember, the Wildcats are YOUR team, just because it’s not a name opponent doesn’t mean you shouldn’t show up. Northwestern, 78 Chicago State, 68

Chicago State at Northwestern is Must See for NU Fans

David Holston will be at Welsh-Ryan on Wednesday--and so should you.
(Photo: Chicago State Athletics)

Since Saturday I’ve read and heard a lot of talk about the level of excitement for the Illinois game on February 12th. While I appreciate the enthusiasm many people have for seeing the Wildcats take on their intrastate rivals on national television, I don’t want people to forget NU has a home game this Wednesday against Chicago State. Naturally, some people are going to react to this news with the response of, “Chicago State, who cares?” The answer is that anyone who is an NU fan should. Why? Well, I suppose I could claim that this is a rivalry, but realistically, despite the teams’ proximity to each other it really is not. Northwestern has never lost to Chicago State, and the odds strongly favor an NU win Wednesday night. However, that is not an excuse to stay home. First of all, the game isn’t on TV (it’s being webcast, but that’s not the same), so if you want to see the contest, the best way to do so is in person.

So, the question becomes, why do you want to see this game? Well, first off, Chicago State is not a total cupcake opponent. They have a 12-11 overall record and possess an outside shot at making a postseason tournament. Second, Chicago State point guard David Holston is one of the most exciting players in college basketball. The 5-8 Holston averages 26.3 points per game, the third most in the country. The anticpated shooting dual between Holston and Craig Moore could be the best under the radar star collision of the season. Most people don’t even know this matchup is occurring, but those who see it will not be disappointed. The third reason fans should show up is very simply the fact Northwestern is a good basketball team right now. If you’ve suffered through the amount of bad basketball most NU fans have, there is no reason to ignore the team when they are playing well. Though the Wildcats have a great chance at the postseason, nothing is guaranteed right now. The team can’t afford to take the night off against CSU and the fans can’t afford to either. I know the team appreciates it when fans, especially student fans, show up and rock Welsh-Ryan Arena. It helps provide energy which allows for the great play we’ve seen in recent games. It helps them win. That’s why the team comes over and shakes hands with the students after each victory. As I walked out of Welsh-Ryan on Saturday, somebody yelled, “Great job student section.” That person was right. The student section did a great job. They helped the ‘Cats win. Now they, and all other Wildcat fans, need to keep it up. Folks, if you have a real reason not to visit Welsh-Ryan Arena Wednesday I can understand, but don’t stay home just because the opponent is Chicago State—that’s a bad excuse. If the opponent was Duke you’d show up. And guess what? Right now for Northwestern, Chicago State might as well be Duke. As Northwestern pushes for their first ever NCAA Tournament bid, every game becomes the biggest game of the year. So on Wednesday, let’s pack the student sections, stand up in the purple seats, and go nuts in the bleachers, as we cheer the Wildcats to win number lucky 13.

Chicago and College Hoops

Last Saturday a number of intra-city of intra-state basketball games took place in and around Chicago. Northwestern fans were obviously focused on the Wildcats matchup with DePaul, but UIC played Loyola and NIU hosted Chicago State as well. As I think about these matchups, I can’t help but think all these teams should play each other at some point during the season. Coaches complain all the time about how hard it is to schedule non-conference games and what a hassle travel is, yet teams right next to each other don’t play. It doesn’t make sense.

This year Northwestern will play DePaul and Chicago State. In the past the ‘Cats have played a home and home series with the UIC Flames, but have not played Loyola in the Bill Carmody era. Rumor has it some rift exists. Personally, I think NU should play all the Chicago area schools. I think it would benefit every school in the Chicago area if they were to play each other. Chicago is without a doubt a pro sports town. People get excited about the Bears, the Bulls, and the Cubs. As a result of this fan focus, the media coverage is geared heavily towards the pro teams in town. This time of year with the NBA and NFL seasons in full swing it is especially hard to get coverage. One way coverage is generated, though, is when the Chicago area schools play each other. After all, Saturday generated nice press in multiple papers and on TV before the games. That’s rare. Usually the best NU and the others can hope for is a post game recap, more and more lifted from the AP.

Now, is this press coverage going to magically boost attendance for these schools? Probably not. Although, despite it being just a hair over 4,000 people the fact is the contest against DePaul was NU’s biggest crowd of the year. Games against UIC and Loyola would likely have a similar total attendance. Chicago State is something of a difference story, but if the Cougars seriously want to compete in Division I garnering the attention of playing local opponents can only help. You might not know for example that 5-8 160 lbs. Chicago State guard David Holston is one of the top scorers in the NCAA. I mean with the Cougars playing in near obscurity how could you? But if his team were to face off against its local opponents and Holston scored 28 points each time, he’d garner a little more attention from the various Chicago media sources.

Of course, this isn’t about Chicago State. My real concern is about Northwestern. I want people to show up at Welsh-Ryan Arena and cheer the ‘Cats. Now, many would say the difference between having 3,200 people for Central Arkansas and having 4,200 for DePaul isn’t significant, but I believe it is. It is significant because each new fan in the arena offers an opportunity to sell the program. Also, Northwestern has many fans who only show up for what they consider “big games” that’s relative at NU obviously, but what they mean is the Big Ten (minus Penn State), the ACC/Big Ten Challenge game, and DePaul. If you add other local rivalries, and make them true rivalries (perhaps a trophy), then those people will show up. Don’t get me wrong, I want these people to show up every game, but I’m a realist.

Also, not to sound like a complainer, because when I show up to Welsh-Ryan I enjoy myself, but I’m sure many of you are like me and would enjoy seeing NU play Loyola more than seeing NU play Texas A&M-CC. I want to win and I don’t really object to directional schools, but if Northwestern wants to reach the top half of the Big Ten they ought to be able to defeat any mid-major even one who is jazzed for a local rival.

Finally, creating buzz for college hoops around Chicago could do a lot of good for families looking for cheap entertainment. When people ask me what I’m doing on some winter evening and I say, “going to the NU basketball game” they are shocked they haven’t heard about the game. The reason is, as we’ve established, the Chicago press isn’t too excited about college hoops. That’s too bad because NU basketball is one of the best deals going. To be able to attend a major college sporting event for less than $20 a ticket is a spectacular deal. I strongly suspect were more people aware of what NU offered more would take advantage. Of course, since NU’s own media budget is so limited they need the free press the media provides. The best way to get is taking on local opponents. After all, I strongly guess the stories last Saturday about the impending NU-DePaul game will be significantly larger than the one’s next Monday abut the impending NU-UMKC game. That is, if pregame NU-UMKC stories exist at all. I’d say the odds are at best we’ll see little capsules with stats.

Further Reading…

Check out ESPN.com on CSU’s David Holston. He comes to NU February 4th. I’d say you should get your tickets now, but I’d be slightly over estimating the level of anticipation that game is generating.