I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, but once again Northwestern took a high-rated team to the wire, but couldn’t win. In a way this was the best of those efforts because Northwestern never led in the game and therefore they showed great effort in coming back to tie the game, but I just can’t get over the end result was again a loss in the final seconds. I will say that like Robbie Hummel of Purdue, I thought Jared Sullinger’s game winner was a very tough shot. I also thought that though it was obviously desperation that John Shurna got a better look with a chance to win than he did in the Purdue game.
In a way this game kind of sums of Northwestern to this point. John Shurna was great, Drew Crawford was really good (but is still way too much of a head case as once he missed his first free throw he couldn’t make any), but the rest of the team didn’t really produce enough to be serious threats and the defense and especially rebounding was subpar. If you consider the first part of the game where NU just couldn’t stop Ohio State while trying to play man-to-man defense or the number of rebound baskets the Buckeyes had during the course of the game you realize Northwestern was basically one play away from actually having the lead at the end of the game. Not to say Ohio State wouldn’t have won in overtime, but it was that close. When you factor in the missed free throws you then realize that Northwestern could have actually had a solid lead late.
I guess the end result has to be this, credit Northwestern for not giving up in this game or this season. Hopefully, they’ll be able to beat Iowa at Iowa on Saturday because I hardly think they can be penalized for this loss. If the ‘Cats win at Iowa I think they still have a very legitimate case for the NCAA Tournament. It might not happen, but at least they’ll have a reason to watch the show on Selection Sunday. We also can’t discount the Big Ten Tournament when we consider that Northwestern beat #1 seed Michigan State and had great chances to beat #2 Ohio State and #3 Michigan. I’d also say that though nobody wants to think this way, if Northwestern is relegated to the NIT, they’re probably the #1-seed in that tournament which does give them a great chance to win that event as long as the players refocus and realize that they’ve still got basketball to play.
Lastly, I'm not going to place this loss on the officals when we couldn't hit a free throw or rebound, but in the last few moments of the game I thought Aaron Craft travled before passing to Thomas for a three, I thought Shurna was fouled on a drive, and I can't believe they allowed Jared Sullinger to just toss the ball over his head to the fans without him getting a T.
Showing posts with label Ohio St.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ohio St.. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Senior Night With A Lot To Play For
Northwestern’s roster features four seniors: Nick Fruendt, Davide Curletti, Luka Mirkovic and John Shurna. These four players are the winningest group in the history of Northwestern Men’s Basketball and will finish their careers having played in the post season every year and having never had a losing season. That’s remarkable in the history of Northwestern basketball and while Shurna is clearly the star in the group, the other three seniors deserve credit as well as each had huge games in their career.
Fruendt in the Big Ten Tournament last year vs Minnesota.
Curletti this year against Michigan State.
Luka with a double-double as a sophomore vs #6 Purdue.
There are players in the country who play all four years and don’t have those moments and when these seniors are honored on Wednesday night, I hope our fans can remember those moments and the many more positive moments this class had brought to NU hoops and cheer loudly.
I also hope more great moments arrive during the game.
In NU basketball history more often than not senior night has rolled around without a lot on the line. The notable NIT-clincher against Michigan in 1994 might have been the last time the ‘Cats seniors played their final home game with something to play for besides pride.
On Wednesday night everything is on the line for Northwestern. I’ll admit to being a doubter, but the NCAA Tournament is still out there for the taking. For Ohio State, the odds are against them, but a Big Ten Championship is out there for the taking. Is that enough motivation for these two teams? I’d think so.
If not? Well, there is always still pride. Northwestern hasn’t owned home court as well as they should have with four seniors. Ohio State hasn’t dominated the Big Ten they way they should have with a trio of stars in William Buford, Jared Sullinger, and Aaron Craft. Not to mention a supporting cast of Buckeyes with talent to spare. Can the ‘Cats make a final home statement that won’t be forgotten anytime soon? Can the Buckeyes make a statement that warns Michigan State they better be ready or the Big Ten Title they thought was theirs alone with slip from the their grasp? We’ll see starting at 7:30CT.
I’m looking for Ohio State to attempt to attack NU’s zone as they did earlier this year and for NU to move the game at a more consistent pace as opposed to some of the rushed shots they took in the first meeting between these teams. Nearly everything is on the line for both squads. With that in mind, I have to take the team that’s won everything before. I predict: Ohio State, 67 Northwester, 56
Fruendt in the Big Ten Tournament last year vs Minnesota.
Curletti this year against Michigan State.
Luka with a double-double as a sophomore vs #6 Purdue.
There are players in the country who play all four years and don’t have those moments and when these seniors are honored on Wednesday night, I hope our fans can remember those moments and the many more positive moments this class had brought to NU hoops and cheer loudly.
I also hope more great moments arrive during the game.
In NU basketball history more often than not senior night has rolled around without a lot on the line. The notable NIT-clincher against Michigan in 1994 might have been the last time the ‘Cats seniors played their final home game with something to play for besides pride.
On Wednesday night everything is on the line for Northwestern. I’ll admit to being a doubter, but the NCAA Tournament is still out there for the taking. For Ohio State, the odds are against them, but a Big Ten Championship is out there for the taking. Is that enough motivation for these two teams? I’d think so.
If not? Well, there is always still pride. Northwestern hasn’t owned home court as well as they should have with four seniors. Ohio State hasn’t dominated the Big Ten they way they should have with a trio of stars in William Buford, Jared Sullinger, and Aaron Craft. Not to mention a supporting cast of Buckeyes with talent to spare. Can the ‘Cats make a final home statement that won’t be forgotten anytime soon? Can the Buckeyes make a statement that warns Michigan State they better be ready or the Big Ten Title they thought was theirs alone with slip from the their grasp? We’ll see starting at 7:30CT.
I’m looking for Ohio State to attempt to attack NU’s zone as they did earlier this year and for NU to move the game at a more consistent pace as opposed to some of the rushed shots they took in the first meeting between these teams. Nearly everything is on the line for both squads. With that in mind, I have to take the team that’s won everything before. I predict: Ohio State, 67 Northwester, 56
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Ohio State Out Shoots and Out Efforts Northwestern
Let’s all remember before we panic that Ohio State is a very good team. They are a legitimate contender for the national title. That said Northwestern’s effort in this game was poor. It starts on defense were Ohio State was able to get clean open looks and go on a big run in the first half. Northwestern tried a 2-3 zone at the start of the game which was ineffective. They went then to the 1-3-1 which was also ineffective. In both cases Ohio State was able to pass and cut with ease and inevitably would find a player with their feet set waiting anxiously to shoot a wide open three. Making matters worse for Northwestern in the rare case that the Ohio State player missed that shot it seemed that a Buckeye player was there for an offensive rebound.
Ohio State’s shooting aside, perhaps the bigger issue was that Northwestern just seemed to get out efforted. Now maybe that was the a case of being out athleted, but I still think the effort could have been better. A number of times in the case of those offensive rebounds the NU player didn’t even jump and the Buckeye player pulled in the rebound over them. Also, while you have to give credit to Ohio State for making their three point shots and creating the three point shots they made in the game. However, more often than not the Wildcat defender seemed to be late getting out on the shooter and late getting his hands up and getting off the ground. Basically, it looked like the Ohio State defender always had enough space to shoot comfortably. That wasn’t the case when Northwestern shot.
The other place where the game seemed to turn for Northwestern was shot selection and offensive patience. Last year NU challenged Ohio State because they played with patience and burned time off the clock. This year Drew Crawford decided he was Kobe Bryant but instead looked more like William Cullen Bryant. Crawford’s missed wild shots lead to several secondary breaks for the Buckeyes which resulted in threes and simply sped up the game which was big no-no. Then once the Wildcats were down the rest of the Wildcats started to try and mount a comeback by forcing equally quick and ill advised shots. I am shocked that Bill Carmody allowed Crawford and the Wildcats to what they did. It almost looked like the ‘Cats just decided to see what would happen if they tried to play Ohio State straight up. The answer, not surprisingly, was nothing good.
I’ll conclude simply with the fact that while I’ve never been a believer in the concept of the must win game outside of tournament play the fact is that Northwestern must win the next two games at home against Penn State and Illinois if they want to continue to have hope of playing in the postseason. To do so they’ll need to put together a better effort than what we saw today. Also, making more shots and playing something that looks like defense would help a lot too.
Ohio State’s shooting aside, perhaps the bigger issue was that Northwestern just seemed to get out efforted. Now maybe that was the a case of being out athleted, but I still think the effort could have been better. A number of times in the case of those offensive rebounds the NU player didn’t even jump and the Buckeye player pulled in the rebound over them. Also, while you have to give credit to Ohio State for making their three point shots and creating the three point shots they made in the game. However, more often than not the Wildcat defender seemed to be late getting out on the shooter and late getting his hands up and getting off the ground. Basically, it looked like the Ohio State defender always had enough space to shoot comfortably. That wasn’t the case when Northwestern shot.
The other place where the game seemed to turn for Northwestern was shot selection and offensive patience. Last year NU challenged Ohio State because they played with patience and burned time off the clock. This year Drew Crawford decided he was Kobe Bryant but instead looked more like William Cullen Bryant. Crawford’s missed wild shots lead to several secondary breaks for the Buckeyes which resulted in threes and simply sped up the game which was big no-no. Then once the Wildcats were down the rest of the Wildcats started to try and mount a comeback by forcing equally quick and ill advised shots. I am shocked that Bill Carmody allowed Crawford and the Wildcats to what they did. It almost looked like the ‘Cats just decided to see what would happen if they tried to play Ohio State straight up. The answer, not surprisingly, was nothing good.
I’ll conclude simply with the fact that while I’ve never been a believer in the concept of the must win game outside of tournament play the fact is that Northwestern must win the next two games at home against Penn State and Illinois if they want to continue to have hope of playing in the postseason. To do so they’ll need to put together a better effort than what we saw today. Also, making more shots and playing something that looks like defense would help a lot too.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Wildcats Open Big Ten at Two Time Defending Champion Ohio State
This is a very tough game for Northwestern to have to open the Big Ten season with this year. However, it does also present a significant opportunity. If Northwestern were to win the game, and I know that’s a big if, they would basically have to play just average the rest of the season to ensure an NCAA Tournament bid. Obviously, pulling off an upset of the #2 team in the nation which features multiple preseason All-Big Ten and All-American picks isn’t the easy way into the NCAA Tournament, but its worth noting the possibility.
Ohio State’s roster is so full of talent that it is almost ridiculous to expect anybody in the Big Ten to beat them. Preseason National Player of the Year Jared Sullinger headlines the OSU front court which also features athletic forward Deshaun Thomas who has stepped up his game this season especially in the contests which Sullinger sat out with an injured back. The Ohio State backcourt features two players listed amongst the top-25 nationally in the preseason in guards Aaron Kraft and William Buford. Kraft is the defensive stopper who while not a great shooter (30% from three) does tend to impact the game on defense in getting steals and handling the ball very well with a nearly 3-to-1 assist to turnover ratio. Buford is more of scoring threat at 15.8 ppg and making 37% of his threes. He’s also a nice athlete that can get to the hoop when he needs to do so. These two will present a major challenge for NU’s backcourt of Dave Sobolewski and Reggie Hearn. If he’s closer to 100% look for more action from JerShon Cobb to at least try and even out the athletic skill battle.
NU’s front court seemingly is the their strong point with Drew Crawford and John Shurna, but when you stack it up against Sullinger and Thomas it looks more average. Obviously, neither Shurna nor Crawford will battle Sullinger one on one. That’ll be the job of Luka Mirkovic and Davide Curletti who I actually think played Sullinger about as well as they could have last year, but the result was still 20 points and 18 rebounds for Sullinger when the teams met in the Big Ten Tournament. Those 20 points were mostly on free throws, though as Sullinger only made two field goals. Nevertheless, if NU can’t keep Sulinger and Thomas at least somewhat off the glass they can’t win unless they shoot a ridiculous percentage from three point range. To do that Shurna needs to have a big game and he also has to do a good job containing the athletic Thomas and not committing fouls.
Last year Northwestern used mostly a switching man to man defense versus Ohio State. However, I think last year’s Buckeyes were better shooters. I could see NU be successful with the 1-3-1 zone this year. It’ll clog the paint and may slow the game down. NU has to slow this game way down compared to the Creighton game which at times was a little too fast. I suspect NU will do this and that’ll help them for about 30 minutes before Ohio State pulls away. I predict: Ohio State, 63 Northwestern, 50
Ohio State’s roster is so full of talent that it is almost ridiculous to expect anybody in the Big Ten to beat them. Preseason National Player of the Year Jared Sullinger headlines the OSU front court which also features athletic forward Deshaun Thomas who has stepped up his game this season especially in the contests which Sullinger sat out with an injured back. The Ohio State backcourt features two players listed amongst the top-25 nationally in the preseason in guards Aaron Kraft and William Buford. Kraft is the defensive stopper who while not a great shooter (30% from three) does tend to impact the game on defense in getting steals and handling the ball very well with a nearly 3-to-1 assist to turnover ratio. Buford is more of scoring threat at 15.8 ppg and making 37% of his threes. He’s also a nice athlete that can get to the hoop when he needs to do so. These two will present a major challenge for NU’s backcourt of Dave Sobolewski and Reggie Hearn. If he’s closer to 100% look for more action from JerShon Cobb to at least try and even out the athletic skill battle.
NU’s front court seemingly is the their strong point with Drew Crawford and John Shurna, but when you stack it up against Sullinger and Thomas it looks more average. Obviously, neither Shurna nor Crawford will battle Sullinger one on one. That’ll be the job of Luka Mirkovic and Davide Curletti who I actually think played Sullinger about as well as they could have last year, but the result was still 20 points and 18 rebounds for Sullinger when the teams met in the Big Ten Tournament. Those 20 points were mostly on free throws, though as Sullinger only made two field goals. Nevertheless, if NU can’t keep Sulinger and Thomas at least somewhat off the glass they can’t win unless they shoot a ridiculous percentage from three point range. To do that Shurna needs to have a big game and he also has to do a good job containing the athletic Thomas and not committing fouls.
Last year Northwestern used mostly a switching man to man defense versus Ohio State. However, I think last year’s Buckeyes were better shooters. I could see NU be successful with the 1-3-1 zone this year. It’ll clog the paint and may slow the game down. NU has to slow this game way down compared to the Creighton game which at times was a little too fast. I suspect NU will do this and that’ll help them for about 30 minutes before Ohio State pulls away. I predict: Ohio State, 63 Northwestern, 50
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Wildcats NCAA Tournament Hopes Can Get Serious with Wins in Next Eight Days
I know various projections have Northwestern in the NCAA Tournament right now, but at this point I don’t see Northwestern as an NCAA Tournament team. So far Northwestern has lost to the only sure BCS-conference NCAA Tournament team they faced in Baylor and that loss wasn’t even close. Yes, the ‘Cats have nice wins over some mid-major tournament teams and a win over possible bubble team Seton Hall, but that’s not enough yet for me to put them in the Big Dance. There was a time when I would have been more optimistic, but perhaps I’ve been beaten down by getting my hopes up so much over the past few years only to see them crushed. Sometimes I honestly wonder if Northwestern has a basketball program just to make their fans’ lives miserable. Of course, that misery would turn to total joy if Northwestern were ever to make the NCAA Tournament because so many long suffering fans and former players would feel as if everything they hoped and worked for over many years finally paid off. So while NU isn’t an NCAA team as of this moment, we have to wonder if they can be one as of March. March might be several months away, but I actually think we’ll get a clue as to NU’s fate on Selection Sunday in the next eight days.
Northwestern will be on the road at ranked opponents Creighton and Ohio State before the New Year starts. While many will say NU has no chance to beat Ohio State and a limited to shot at Creighton, I think wins in both games are possible, though, winning one of two is more realistic. Even just getting one of the two wins, as long as the loss doesn’t look like the Baylor game, will make me shift my view about NU’s tourney chances. The reason is that to make the NCAA Tournament a team can’t just beat everyone they are supposed to beat. They need wins which boost their resume. Perhaps making Creighton even more important, it often helps if one of those resume boosting wins comes outside of conference play. Therefore, let’s look at what NU needs to do to beat the Blue Jays.
Creighton is led in scoring and rebounding by Doug McDermott. The Jays are 9-1 and McDermott has been their leading scorer in 9 of the 10 games and the leading rebounder in 8 of the 10 games. But don’t start to believe Creighton is a one man team. They squad also features point guard Antoine Young who is a double figure scorer and an excellent ball handler. He’s not a great shooter like McDermott who makes 57% of his three point shot is, but Young’s quickness could give NU’s guards some trouble.
Creighton also has a center in Gregory Echenique who scores almost double figures and who has collected 1/3 of his rebounds on the offensive end of the floor. Considering that the ‘Cats struggled at times to secure the glass against smaller teams this season this has to be a concern. NU needs to see Luka Mirkovic put together his second strong game in a row and really play with attitude and focus.
Stopping McDermott and Young is perhaps an even tougher task with Creighton as a team making 43% of their threes and having almost a 2-to-1 assist to turnover ratio. The 1-3-1 zone seems a little risky to employ. The only thing that might make it worth considering is that Northwestern might be a stronger team than any of the squads Creighton posted those numbers against. Still, I’d like to see NU play man defense. I think the ‘Cats can handle the Blue Jays if they play with focus and intensity. They just can’t be lackadaisical. Also, I’d like to see Reggie Hearn guard Young as I think his 6-4 size and bulk will be tough for the 6-0 Young. I’d also like to see Drew Crawford and JerShon Cobb rotate on McDermott as they are NU’s most athletic players and the best way to stop him is probably not to let him catch the ball in an area where he can make plays. Some might suggest John Shurna take that defensive assignment, but I don’t want Shurna so exhausted from chasing McDermott through screens that he doesn’t have the legs to hit shots. Realistically, this should be a high scoring game and NU needs at least 25 points for Shurna to win that type of game. If John has no legs to get into this shot we could see a Central Connecticut State type performance and nobody wants that. However, if Shurna knocks down 6-7 threes NU has a got a great chance. As a team, I’d say Northwestern needs to make at least 12 threes to win this contest. That’s possible as Creighton’s three point defense has been just average, but NU needs to make it look just bad. NU’s centers need to hit some shots and a healthy Alex Marcotullio would help a lot too (though I don’t want to assume he’ll play). Also, NU cannot just expect to hit threes and win. The threes are a key factor, but the basket must be attacked as well. With that in mind, I’m really hoping we’ll see JerShon Cobb step up and have a big game. He’s got the talent and he seems to be getting more into the flow these last few games. This would be a big game for him to up his game and make some big plays. Obviously, Drew Crawford is also a factor whenever NU wants to attack the hoop, when he does so he must make his free throws. It’ll take a great effort, but NU can beat Creighton. They can beat Ohio State too, but that’ll take an even greater effort, but beating Creighton could be a great springboard. I’ll have an official prediction up in the next day or so. I want to believe NU can win this, but I know it’ll be a tough task.
Northwestern will be on the road at ranked opponents Creighton and Ohio State before the New Year starts. While many will say NU has no chance to beat Ohio State and a limited to shot at Creighton, I think wins in both games are possible, though, winning one of two is more realistic. Even just getting one of the two wins, as long as the loss doesn’t look like the Baylor game, will make me shift my view about NU’s tourney chances. The reason is that to make the NCAA Tournament a team can’t just beat everyone they are supposed to beat. They need wins which boost their resume. Perhaps making Creighton even more important, it often helps if one of those resume boosting wins comes outside of conference play. Therefore, let’s look at what NU needs to do to beat the Blue Jays.
Creighton is led in scoring and rebounding by Doug McDermott. The Jays are 9-1 and McDermott has been their leading scorer in 9 of the 10 games and the leading rebounder in 8 of the 10 games. But don’t start to believe Creighton is a one man team. They squad also features point guard Antoine Young who is a double figure scorer and an excellent ball handler. He’s not a great shooter like McDermott who makes 57% of his three point shot is, but Young’s quickness could give NU’s guards some trouble.
Creighton also has a center in Gregory Echenique who scores almost double figures and who has collected 1/3 of his rebounds on the offensive end of the floor. Considering that the ‘Cats struggled at times to secure the glass against smaller teams this season this has to be a concern. NU needs to see Luka Mirkovic put together his second strong game in a row and really play with attitude and focus.
Stopping McDermott and Young is perhaps an even tougher task with Creighton as a team making 43% of their threes and having almost a 2-to-1 assist to turnover ratio. The 1-3-1 zone seems a little risky to employ. The only thing that might make it worth considering is that Northwestern might be a stronger team than any of the squads Creighton posted those numbers against. Still, I’d like to see NU play man defense. I think the ‘Cats can handle the Blue Jays if they play with focus and intensity. They just can’t be lackadaisical. Also, I’d like to see Reggie Hearn guard Young as I think his 6-4 size and bulk will be tough for the 6-0 Young. I’d also like to see Drew Crawford and JerShon Cobb rotate on McDermott as they are NU’s most athletic players and the best way to stop him is probably not to let him catch the ball in an area where he can make plays. Some might suggest John Shurna take that defensive assignment, but I don’t want Shurna so exhausted from chasing McDermott through screens that he doesn’t have the legs to hit shots. Realistically, this should be a high scoring game and NU needs at least 25 points for Shurna to win that type of game. If John has no legs to get into this shot we could see a Central Connecticut State type performance and nobody wants that. However, if Shurna knocks down 6-7 threes NU has a got a great chance. As a team, I’d say Northwestern needs to make at least 12 threes to win this contest. That’s possible as Creighton’s three point defense has been just average, but NU needs to make it look just bad. NU’s centers need to hit some shots and a healthy Alex Marcotullio would help a lot too (though I don’t want to assume he’ll play). Also, NU cannot just expect to hit threes and win. The threes are a key factor, but the basket must be attacked as well. With that in mind, I’m really hoping we’ll see JerShon Cobb step up and have a big game. He’s got the talent and he seems to be getting more into the flow these last few games. This would be a big game for him to up his game and make some big plays. Obviously, Drew Crawford is also a factor whenever NU wants to attack the hoop, when he does so he must make his free throws. It’ll take a great effort, but NU can beat Creighton. They can beat Ohio State too, but that’ll take an even greater effort, but beating Creighton could be a great springboard. I’ll have an official prediction up in the next day or so. I want to believe NU can win this, but I know it’ll be a tough task.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Close Again, but Still Nothing
I don’t really know what to say right now. Another good effort, but the bottom line is Northwestern just can’t reach the summit when it comes to postseason sports in both men’s basketball and football. I know people will talk about how this was a great effort, and it was, but it means nothing and I can’t pretend like it does. The loss is a loss. No such thing as a good loss exists which means the NIT selection committee is just going to see Northwestern as an 18-13 team with really no good wins. That means the odds are NU is going to play a road game in the NIT now, and because they stink outside of Evanston they’ll likely lose it. So while a 67-61 loss to the #1 team in the country (especially playing short handed) is a nice accomplishment, it’s not an accomplishment that’s really worth anything other than another number of the record’s right hand side. It’s like the Outback Bowl two years ago, everybody was so proud of that game, but the bottom line is it was a loss. I don’t care how great the game was; we’ve mastered losing close games. Let’s work on winning them.
What went well today? John Shurna was great. He scored 23 points and really came back from a major sub-par effort against Minnesota. I wish he would have tried score in the post late in regulation instead of passing to ice cold Drew Crawford and I think he forced a few shots in OT, but overall I’d say Shurna was NU’s best player today. Crawford did alright as well, but the fact his jump shot has totally deserted him makes him a less effective player. He did do a decent job of taking the ball to the hoop, but his preference for finger rolls and fade-a-aways made him miss a number of looks I thought he could/should have finished. In the end, those might have been the difference in the game. He did hit all his free throws and actually NU’s free throw shooting today was fantastic. If NU had won in regulation it would have been the reason. I thought NU also did play decent defense, but the fact is Jared Sullinger is just a monster compared to anybody NU has. No matter how well Luka Mirkovic, Davide Curletti, or John Shurna played him, the odds were they were going to foul him at some point. In overtime, the refs seemed to become more willing to call those fouls and that hurt the ‘Cats as well.
Juice Thompson wasn’t as good today as yesterday, but OSU’s Aaron Craft is a great defender and he made Thompson have to really work for shots that yesterday he could have got with ease. NU also didn’t really get the same bench contribution today as yesterday, but I think we all knew that Ohio State was a tough game for Nick Fruendt. Maybe having JerShon Cobb and Mike Capocci might have pushed NU over the top in this one, but that’s worthless speculation.
In the end, NU played well, but the better team won and the game’s best player made the biggest difference. It was simply a surprise that most of that difference came at the free throw line and not in the post where NU actually did okay on Sullinger. If Northwestern ever wants to truly compete with good teams, they will have to improve their post players. Like I said, Mirkovic and Curletti did okay, but Sullinger still got way more rebounds and scored way more points. Also, Mirkovic almost cost NU a chance to win even earlier in OT with a silly technical foul because he couldn’t control his emotions. Thankfully, the OSU player missed both shots the so the foul didn’t really matter in terms of points, but it did send Mirkovic to the bench which might have made a difference since then the smaller Shurna had to guard Sullinger.
The bottom line is this is another terribly disappointing loss for Northwestern basketball. It’s the kind of loss that makes you wonder if making the tournament will ever be possible. NU actually caught a few breaks today such as an Alex Marcotullio three counting when it shouldn’t have and OSU shooting sub-par, but is wasn’t enough. Seemingly, nothing ever is.
What went well today? John Shurna was great. He scored 23 points and really came back from a major sub-par effort against Minnesota. I wish he would have tried score in the post late in regulation instead of passing to ice cold Drew Crawford and I think he forced a few shots in OT, but overall I’d say Shurna was NU’s best player today. Crawford did alright as well, but the fact his jump shot has totally deserted him makes him a less effective player. He did do a decent job of taking the ball to the hoop, but his preference for finger rolls and fade-a-aways made him miss a number of looks I thought he could/should have finished. In the end, those might have been the difference in the game. He did hit all his free throws and actually NU’s free throw shooting today was fantastic. If NU had won in regulation it would have been the reason. I thought NU also did play decent defense, but the fact is Jared Sullinger is just a monster compared to anybody NU has. No matter how well Luka Mirkovic, Davide Curletti, or John Shurna played him, the odds were they were going to foul him at some point. In overtime, the refs seemed to become more willing to call those fouls and that hurt the ‘Cats as well.
Juice Thompson wasn’t as good today as yesterday, but OSU’s Aaron Craft is a great defender and he made Thompson have to really work for shots that yesterday he could have got with ease. NU also didn’t really get the same bench contribution today as yesterday, but I think we all knew that Ohio State was a tough game for Nick Fruendt. Maybe having JerShon Cobb and Mike Capocci might have pushed NU over the top in this one, but that’s worthless speculation.
In the end, NU played well, but the better team won and the game’s best player made the biggest difference. It was simply a surprise that most of that difference came at the free throw line and not in the post where NU actually did okay on Sullinger. If Northwestern ever wants to truly compete with good teams, they will have to improve their post players. Like I said, Mirkovic and Curletti did okay, but Sullinger still got way more rebounds and scored way more points. Also, Mirkovic almost cost NU a chance to win even earlier in OT with a silly technical foul because he couldn’t control his emotions. Thankfully, the OSU player missed both shots the so the foul didn’t really matter in terms of points, but it did send Mirkovic to the bench which might have made a difference since then the smaller Shurna had to guard Sullinger.
The bottom line is this is another terribly disappointing loss for Northwestern basketball. It’s the kind of loss that makes you wonder if making the tournament will ever be possible. NU actually caught a few breaks today such as an Alex Marcotullio three counting when it shouldn’t have and OSU shooting sub-par, but is wasn’t enough. Seemingly, nothing ever is.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Wildcats Effort is Commendable…Result is Once Again Frustrating
Northwestern’s players and coaches did so much well Saturday night in their one point loss to Ohio State that part of me is still confused by the fact NU didn’t win the game. Obviously, in the end it came down NU’s Alex Marcotullio waiting too long to make a backdoor pass to JerShon Cobb and then NU fouling Jared Sullinger who made 1-of-2 free throws. He really is an excellent player and it was long odds that he’d miss both foul shots with the game on the line. Drew Crawford’s 2-of-12 overall and 1-of-8 from three shooting day didn’t help NU’s upset bid as we all know Crawford is capable of much more and for Marcotullio who is one of NU’s best passers to throw the ball away is frustrating as well. I actually think Cobb was opened on the backdoor about a second and half before Marcotullio released the ball. In regards to Crawford, I once asked a former player if they thought any part of shooting was luck. I wanted to know why someone like Crawford could have everything go in one night and nothing on a night like tonight. I was told shooting has basically nothing to do with luck. When someone like Crawford makes his shots it’s because he is in rhythm with no nerves and is taking the time he needs to get off a shot, but when he is off like tonight he is likely somewhat nervous and is rushing his shot. Playing the number one team in the nation might be a reason to be nervous, but Crawford showed he was clearly the equal to many of the Buckeyes athletic players as he led NU’s rebounding effort which actually bested the Buckeyes 31-20. Truthfully, I think Drew might be the most frustrating player I’ve ever cheered for. He is more than capable of being an All-Big Ten type guy, but he has nights he looks like a walk-on could contribute the same numbers. Tonight he was somewhere in between, but somewhere between isn’t going to be good enough to beat #1.
I also feel like NU could have handled the end of the game better, but that’s now just dumb and fruitless second guessing. Still, what about a timeout after Sullinger missed the first free throw to make him think about it? Or, before that, what about with 46.2 seconds left when you’re inbounding trying to go with a quick three with a screen the screener play in order to get a two-for-one chance because you don’t want OSU with the last possession. Again, this is second guessing, but I want to offer these thoughts just to allow people to think about them. I mean obviously, NU’s game plan was solid tonight and as they always do they did a pretty good job on out of bounds plays, but it amazes me how Bill Carmody still seems struggle with end of game situations given how well he handles play calling at other points in the game.
I have to hand it to Juice Thompson who started slow, but had a big second half and clearly wasn’t afraid to hit the big shot. His 16 points and 8 assists are solid numbers, but just from watching the game you could tell how valuable Juice was to NU’s effort. This was a great example of leadership. While I think NU’s possession where Marcotullio turned the ball over might have resulted in a layup if Alex released his pass an instant sooner, I also don’t know why Juice didn’t get the ball.
I also have to give a big thumbs up to JerShon Cobb. He scored just 8 points, but like Drew Crawford showed he was as good an athlete as OSU’s guys as he pulled down 6 rebounds and played very nice defense in his 36 minutes. He also didn’t turn the ball over and to be honest seemed like one of NU’s most confident players.
Mike Capocci also played a very nice game before leaving with an injury. His 11 points actually led NU at the time he left. Considering NU was without their leading scorer and had the guy who was effectively replacing him on the bench for the game’s final 10 minutes makes the one point margin of loss even more remarkable. Still, the fact that Capocci got hurt in what was probably has best career game has to add to the feeling that NU hoops just can’t catch a break.
I also have to say that I thought NU’s team defense on Jared Sullinger wasn’t really all that bad. Luka Mirkovic, Davide Curletti and company battled him all night. Even the last play actually looked like it could have been considered a block if not for the body contact from the second defender. Luka and Davide combined didn’t have great night statically and looking back Davide’s missed free throw and Luka’s missed point blank layup on a great set play want to make you tear you hair out, but they gave commendable efforts.
At the end of the day, though, Ohio State is 22-0 and continues to survive close games. Northwestern is 13-8 and with eight games plus the Big Ten Tournament left it doesn’t look like they’ll be making the NCAA Tournament. I’m not even sure I see them in the NIT at this point. I know they made the NIT last year, but remember they were the last team in at 20-13 and I’m not sure I see NU getting a great many more wins this season. I sure am not counting either Penn State game as a win. Certainly, NU could run off eight straight wins and everything would change, but that isn’t a likely scenario. I do wonder if playing a slow paced game like tonight might be a better choice for NU when they play better teams in the future. They certainly didn’t look like they could run with Illinois and Wisconsin the first time and slow paced teams like Indiana and Penn State have beaten those squads.
I think what’s most disappointing about this loss is that it had the potential to be a unifying moment for the NU fan base. I think it is pretty clear that a lot of people want Bill Carmody fired. You don’t need to look to far on NU message boards, fan sites, or Welsh-Ryan Arena in order to see/hear examples of that feeling. If NU won this game I’m not sure how anyone could do anything other than support the coach. It would have been one of the biggest upsets in the history of college basketball (especially after Capocci joined Shurna on the DL) It seems ridiculous that Luka Mirkovic missing a point blank layup on what was actually a great play call by Carmody might be the straw that breaks the camel’s back as far as the coach goes, but I suspect the outcry from the people who want Carmody gone is going to start to grow now and if NU only wins two or three more games (which is very possible) I think Jim Phillips might have to listen. Whether you like Carmody or not you have to feel for the guy now, because basically, though parts of his coaching tonight weren’t great, essentially he stands a real chance of losing his job despite one of his best efforts as a coach. NU’s game plan tonight was spectacular and it wasn’t just Luka’s miss, NU ran a number of plays which got open shots which Crawford, Marcotullio, and Thompson missed. I guess you can say Carmody still deserves the blame because he recruited those guys, but when they’re on their game Crawford, Marcotullio, and Thompson are really as good of shooters as you’re going to get from guys who aren’t future NBAers and NU isn’t getting any future NBAers anytime soon. It really is too bad because this game could have been one of the best events ever for the Northwestern community and for our players and coaches who work so hard. Instead, it’s just another loss and it may in the end have an even higher cost than that for some of those involved.
I also feel like NU could have handled the end of the game better, but that’s now just dumb and fruitless second guessing. Still, what about a timeout after Sullinger missed the first free throw to make him think about it? Or, before that, what about with 46.2 seconds left when you’re inbounding trying to go with a quick three with a screen the screener play in order to get a two-for-one chance because you don’t want OSU with the last possession. Again, this is second guessing, but I want to offer these thoughts just to allow people to think about them. I mean obviously, NU’s game plan was solid tonight and as they always do they did a pretty good job on out of bounds plays, but it amazes me how Bill Carmody still seems struggle with end of game situations given how well he handles play calling at other points in the game.
I have to hand it to Juice Thompson who started slow, but had a big second half and clearly wasn’t afraid to hit the big shot. His 16 points and 8 assists are solid numbers, but just from watching the game you could tell how valuable Juice was to NU’s effort. This was a great example of leadership. While I think NU’s possession where Marcotullio turned the ball over might have resulted in a layup if Alex released his pass an instant sooner, I also don’t know why Juice didn’t get the ball.
I also have to give a big thumbs up to JerShon Cobb. He scored just 8 points, but like Drew Crawford showed he was as good an athlete as OSU’s guys as he pulled down 6 rebounds and played very nice defense in his 36 minutes. He also didn’t turn the ball over and to be honest seemed like one of NU’s most confident players.
Mike Capocci also played a very nice game before leaving with an injury. His 11 points actually led NU at the time he left. Considering NU was without their leading scorer and had the guy who was effectively replacing him on the bench for the game’s final 10 minutes makes the one point margin of loss even more remarkable. Still, the fact that Capocci got hurt in what was probably has best career game has to add to the feeling that NU hoops just can’t catch a break.
I also have to say that I thought NU’s team defense on Jared Sullinger wasn’t really all that bad. Luka Mirkovic, Davide Curletti and company battled him all night. Even the last play actually looked like it could have been considered a block if not for the body contact from the second defender. Luka and Davide combined didn’t have great night statically and looking back Davide’s missed free throw and Luka’s missed point blank layup on a great set play want to make you tear you hair out, but they gave commendable efforts.
At the end of the day, though, Ohio State is 22-0 and continues to survive close games. Northwestern is 13-8 and with eight games plus the Big Ten Tournament left it doesn’t look like they’ll be making the NCAA Tournament. I’m not even sure I see them in the NIT at this point. I know they made the NIT last year, but remember they were the last team in at 20-13 and I’m not sure I see NU getting a great many more wins this season. I sure am not counting either Penn State game as a win. Certainly, NU could run off eight straight wins and everything would change, but that isn’t a likely scenario. I do wonder if playing a slow paced game like tonight might be a better choice for NU when they play better teams in the future. They certainly didn’t look like they could run with Illinois and Wisconsin the first time and slow paced teams like Indiana and Penn State have beaten those squads.
I think what’s most disappointing about this loss is that it had the potential to be a unifying moment for the NU fan base. I think it is pretty clear that a lot of people want Bill Carmody fired. You don’t need to look to far on NU message boards, fan sites, or Welsh-Ryan Arena in order to see/hear examples of that feeling. If NU won this game I’m not sure how anyone could do anything other than support the coach. It would have been one of the biggest upsets in the history of college basketball (especially after Capocci joined Shurna on the DL) It seems ridiculous that Luka Mirkovic missing a point blank layup on what was actually a great play call by Carmody might be the straw that breaks the camel’s back as far as the coach goes, but I suspect the outcry from the people who want Carmody gone is going to start to grow now and if NU only wins two or three more games (which is very possible) I think Jim Phillips might have to listen. Whether you like Carmody or not you have to feel for the guy now, because basically, though parts of his coaching tonight weren’t great, essentially he stands a real chance of losing his job despite one of his best efforts as a coach. NU’s game plan tonight was spectacular and it wasn’t just Luka’s miss, NU ran a number of plays which got open shots which Crawford, Marcotullio, and Thompson missed. I guess you can say Carmody still deserves the blame because he recruited those guys, but when they’re on their game Crawford, Marcotullio, and Thompson are really as good of shooters as you’re going to get from guys who aren’t future NBAers and NU isn’t getting any future NBAers anytime soon. It really is too bad because this game could have been one of the best events ever for the Northwestern community and for our players and coaches who work so hard. Instead, it’s just another loss and it may in the end have an even higher cost than that for some of those involved.
Shurna Out for OSU
NU's odds of an upset just got longer as John Shurna is out with his concussion. That said, concussions are serious things and he shouldn't play if symptoms are still lingering. To be honest, I wish he hadn’t played the second half vs Minnesota with a concussion. I know it was said he didn’t have symptoms, but I don’t know how one could watch that play and not think a concussion likely.
With Shurna out NU’s chances of winning are slim to none and I think slim is standing by the door waiting for his wife to finish chatting with neighbors so he can walk out. With that in mind, what I want to see from Northwestern tonight most is, obviously, still a win. But in the world realistic expectations what I want to see is maximum effort. At times Northwestern doesn’t play hard. They don’t. And that’s been the case for a couple years now and it’s my biggest frustration with this team and coaching staff. How you lack intensity in some of your only 18 Big Ten games a season is beyond me, but NU mangers it regularly. So, again, what I want to see tonight is NU fight until they absolutely cannot fight anymore. They need to hustle on defense, dive for loose balls, get bodies on rebounders, and never stop moving on offense. Doing all those things might still result in a loss. It probably will, but it’ll least give them an outside outside chance and give the fans reason to cheer their efforts.
Just to offer one other thought, with Shurna gone I’d probably revise my prediction and say OSU, 69 NU, 43 because I think the odds of NU getting points are significantly reduced. But this is Northwestern basketball and it exists to rip out your heart and then kick it around in a really intense game of soccer. Therefore, part of me would have not be surprised whatsoever if Northwestern plays this game close and loses like 50 to 48.
With Shurna out NU’s chances of winning are slim to none and I think slim is standing by the door waiting for his wife to finish chatting with neighbors so he can walk out. With that in mind, what I want to see from Northwestern tonight most is, obviously, still a win. But in the world realistic expectations what I want to see is maximum effort. At times Northwestern doesn’t play hard. They don’t. And that’s been the case for a couple years now and it’s my biggest frustration with this team and coaching staff. How you lack intensity in some of your only 18 Big Ten games a season is beyond me, but NU mangers it regularly. So, again, what I want to see tonight is NU fight until they absolutely cannot fight anymore. They need to hustle on defense, dive for loose balls, get bodies on rebounders, and never stop moving on offense. Doing all those things might still result in a loss. It probably will, but it’ll least give them an outside outside chance and give the fans reason to cheer their efforts.
Just to offer one other thought, with Shurna gone I’d probably revise my prediction and say OSU, 69 NU, 43 because I think the odds of NU getting points are significantly reduced. But this is Northwestern basketball and it exists to rip out your heart and then kick it around in a really intense game of soccer. Therefore, part of me would have not be surprised whatsoever if Northwestern plays this game close and loses like 50 to 48.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Long Odds for NU on Saturday
Northwestern plays Ohio State on Saturday at 5PM in Evanston in front of a sold-out Welsh-Ryan Arena and a national television audience on ESPN2. It is arguably the best chance in the history of Northwestern basketball (major sports?) for the Wildcats to get a win which will define their program and gain them respect nationally, locally, and within their own fan base and community. It is also a game which features some of the longest odds against NU in a very long time. Not only are the Wildcats massive underdogs to the #1 ranked and undefeated Buckeyes, but their best player is hurt and many in their fan base are actively speculating about a future for the team which doesn’t include Head Coach Bill Carmody, despite the fact the coach just recently inked a contract extension. The reason for such speculation is that NU has struggled in recent big games and while their 13-7 record is eye test worthy from the outside, those of us inside NU fandom know that this team’s failure to meet high expectations for the second straight season has become frustrating beyond belief. Now, though, the schedule makers have given NU and their coach a chance at redemption. Sure, the odds of a win seem astronomical, but this is the chance that the Wildcats have been given so they might as well embrace the opportunity and give the most effort they ever have.
Looking at the numbers this isn’t a matchup which offers much hope for NU. Yes, Ohio State has had several close calls, but they just annihilated a Purdue team which handed NU a double-digit defeat. Making matters worse, Ohio State’s strengths are Northwestern’s weaknesses and NU’s limited strengths don’t seem enough to counter. For example, Ohio State’s inside game led by possible Big Ten Player of the Year Jared Sullinger (17.8ppg, 10.0rpg, 57.6%fg) and Dallas Lauderdale (4.6ppg. 4.0rpg, 18.4 minutes a game) give the Buckeyes two big bodies that can rebound, play defense, and score inside. How NU will stop these two with Luka Mirkovic and Davide Curletti is anybody’s guess. Some might suggest NU play 1-3-1 to try and deny those guys the ball, but if they get the ball they’ll score with ridiculous ease over Juice Thompson. Plus, Ohio State rarely turns the ball over and as a team makes 41% of their threes. NU also may be at a disadvantage because leading scorer John Shurna might be out with a concussion. Not only does that take one of NU’s best weapons off the court, but at least at 6-8 Shurna could possibly get in the way of OSU’s big guys inside. If NU has to go with 6-6 Mike Capocci against Lauderdale, Sullinger, or DeShaun Thomas the game could become a layup drill for Ohio State. Obviously, NU’s perimeter players need to pressure the ball with intensity to prevent easy post feeds. This will take a major concentrated effort from a number of players who are much too often extremely passive on defense.
On offense Northwestern will need to revert a more traditional Princeton style of play. NU can’t try to score 90 points in this game. They never will. They need to try to score 50 and somehow try to hold Ohio State in the 40s. That seems very difficult, but NU has in the past shown the ability to pass the ball around without turning in over for most of the shot clock and still get a decent shot. That needs to be the plan on Saturday. If NU shoots the ball with less than 10 seconds on the shot clock every time, Ohio State will also have less offensive possessions and each mistake will become more critical. Of course, NU needs every close shot to fall in that scenario in comparison to what happened Wednesday at Minnesota. That’s important because if NU wins this game it’ll be more because of a psychological advantage than a physical advantage. NU’s players need to believe they have a chance and somehow NU needs to get Ohio State to start to panic and being to think, “Oh crap! We’re the number 1 team in America and we might lose to Northwestern.” If NU gets the Buckeyes thinking that way in raises the odds of Buckeye mistakes. That’s how lesser teams in the NCAA tournament pull upsets. They start to get the big guys thinking the wrong way and an athlete who is worried about failure is usually better terrible.
A sold out Welsh-Ryan should provide a great atmosphere as long as NU doesn’t get blown away early. I look forward to seeing the crowd. Obviously, if this game were played 100 times Ohio State would probably win more than 90 of those matchups. Maybe 99 of them. But the fact is this game is only going to be played once and all Northwestern has to do is have enough confidence, hustle, fearlessness, and luck to win that one. Is it likely? Not at all. Is it impossible? No. Do I think it will happen? Well, no, but I believe it could happen and that’s why I’ll be as hyped as ever come Saturday at 5PM. I predict: Ohio State, 69 Northwestern, 51
Looking at the numbers this isn’t a matchup which offers much hope for NU. Yes, Ohio State has had several close calls, but they just annihilated a Purdue team which handed NU a double-digit defeat. Making matters worse, Ohio State’s strengths are Northwestern’s weaknesses and NU’s limited strengths don’t seem enough to counter. For example, Ohio State’s inside game led by possible Big Ten Player of the Year Jared Sullinger (17.8ppg, 10.0rpg, 57.6%fg) and Dallas Lauderdale (4.6ppg. 4.0rpg, 18.4 minutes a game) give the Buckeyes two big bodies that can rebound, play defense, and score inside. How NU will stop these two with Luka Mirkovic and Davide Curletti is anybody’s guess. Some might suggest NU play 1-3-1 to try and deny those guys the ball, but if they get the ball they’ll score with ridiculous ease over Juice Thompson. Plus, Ohio State rarely turns the ball over and as a team makes 41% of their threes. NU also may be at a disadvantage because leading scorer John Shurna might be out with a concussion. Not only does that take one of NU’s best weapons off the court, but at least at 6-8 Shurna could possibly get in the way of OSU’s big guys inside. If NU has to go with 6-6 Mike Capocci against Lauderdale, Sullinger, or DeShaun Thomas the game could become a layup drill for Ohio State. Obviously, NU’s perimeter players need to pressure the ball with intensity to prevent easy post feeds. This will take a major concentrated effort from a number of players who are much too often extremely passive on defense.
On offense Northwestern will need to revert a more traditional Princeton style of play. NU can’t try to score 90 points in this game. They never will. They need to try to score 50 and somehow try to hold Ohio State in the 40s. That seems very difficult, but NU has in the past shown the ability to pass the ball around without turning in over for most of the shot clock and still get a decent shot. That needs to be the plan on Saturday. If NU shoots the ball with less than 10 seconds on the shot clock every time, Ohio State will also have less offensive possessions and each mistake will become more critical. Of course, NU needs every close shot to fall in that scenario in comparison to what happened Wednesday at Minnesota. That’s important because if NU wins this game it’ll be more because of a psychological advantage than a physical advantage. NU’s players need to believe they have a chance and somehow NU needs to get Ohio State to start to panic and being to think, “Oh crap! We’re the number 1 team in America and we might lose to Northwestern.” If NU gets the Buckeyes thinking that way in raises the odds of Buckeye mistakes. That’s how lesser teams in the NCAA tournament pull upsets. They start to get the big guys thinking the wrong way and an athlete who is worried about failure is usually better terrible.
A sold out Welsh-Ryan should provide a great atmosphere as long as NU doesn’t get blown away early. I look forward to seeing the crowd. Obviously, if this game were played 100 times Ohio State would probably win more than 90 of those matchups. Maybe 99 of them. But the fact is this game is only going to be played once and all Northwestern has to do is have enough confidence, hustle, fearlessness, and luck to win that one. Is it likely? Not at all. Is it impossible? No. Do I think it will happen? Well, no, but I believe it could happen and that’s why I’ll be as hyped as ever come Saturday at 5PM. I predict: Ohio State, 69 Northwestern, 51
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Over Before It Started: Buckeyes Get Lead Early and Beat Wildcats 76-56
Northwestern hasn’t won at Ohio State since 1977. There was little question that doing so Tuesday night would be tough. What is disappointing more than the loss, though, is that this team looked like it could have been any of the Wildcat teams since 1977 which posted 0 or 1 Big Ten wins that played in Value City Arena—not possibly the best team Northwestern has ever fielded. Now, I don’t think I’m overstating it when I say Ohio State might be the Big Ten’s best team right now. Evan Turner, who put on a good show with 20 points and 13 rebounds, is the Big Ten’s best player. What’s frustrating about this game isn’t Northwestern lost to such a team, but that Northwestern basically handed Ohio State the game in the first 8 minutes. While Ohio State looked prepared to attack Northwestern’s defense, Northwestern looked lost on offense. After getting down, the Wildcats started to wildly force shots and try to make seemingly impossible passes. The result was a 40-17 halftime advantage for Ohio State and NU shooting just 18.2%. That type of shooting is simply a recipe for disaster. Some people will say that NU was just cold, but I firmly believe Northwestern made themselves cold by letting panic set in when OSU built a big early lead. For example, it was almost impossible to count the numbers of times someone made hopeless drive into the lane or forced up a three. What’s odd is Northwestern staged a big comeback against Ohio State last year so they should have known a comeback was possible. Not to mention if they players watched any basketball this weekend they saw comebacks from Minnesota and North Carolina, which while falling short, at least made games which looked out of hand very close down the wire.
I guess a certain amount of credit has to go to OSU coach Thad Matta who must have altered his attack after NU forced so many OSU turnovers last year. Instead of passing the ball out of bounds against the 1-3-1, Evan Turner was finding William Buford on the baseline for some of the easiest dunks I’ve ever seen. Aside for the ease which Buford got his dunks, what was also disappointing was the fact NU’s defensive change, a press, then resulted in even more easy Buckeye baskets. I felt that at that point NU’s athletic limits were very much in display.
Bill Carmody tried some different personal (Peljusic and Fruendt both played early) to ignite the Wildcats, but in the end only John Shurna truly stepped up. Shurna had 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting. NU’s next highest scorer was Drew Crawford who scored 11 points on 3-of-10 from the field. Crawford and Michael Thompson combined to shoot 5-of-20 overall and 4-of-13 from three. Crawford also only connected on 3-of-6 free throws. Perhaps one minor bright spot other than Shurna might have been Kyle Rowley’s five rebounds, but elements of Rowley’s offensive game still showed he has a way to go before becoming a complete player.
I would say the best move is for NU is to try and forget this game and concentrate on a huge game against Illinois this Saturday.
Also, don’t forget that Big Ten Network’s series HOOPS ON CAMPUS is coming to Northwestern!
They're looking for the best basketball players who don’t play for the team to participate in a SLAM DUNK CONTEST.
Open try-out Wednesday, January 20 at 7pm @ SPAC Courts.
They're also looking for 100 of the biggest NU hoops fans to come out and show your team spirit!
The contest takes place Thursday, January 21 at 7:30pm @ SPAC Courts.
I guess a certain amount of credit has to go to OSU coach Thad Matta who must have altered his attack after NU forced so many OSU turnovers last year. Instead of passing the ball out of bounds against the 1-3-1, Evan Turner was finding William Buford on the baseline for some of the easiest dunks I’ve ever seen. Aside for the ease which Buford got his dunks, what was also disappointing was the fact NU’s defensive change, a press, then resulted in even more easy Buckeye baskets. I felt that at that point NU’s athletic limits were very much in display.
Bill Carmody tried some different personal (Peljusic and Fruendt both played early) to ignite the Wildcats, but in the end only John Shurna truly stepped up. Shurna had 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting. NU’s next highest scorer was Drew Crawford who scored 11 points on 3-of-10 from the field. Crawford and Michael Thompson combined to shoot 5-of-20 overall and 4-of-13 from three. Crawford also only connected on 3-of-6 free throws. Perhaps one minor bright spot other than Shurna might have been Kyle Rowley’s five rebounds, but elements of Rowley’s offensive game still showed he has a way to go before becoming a complete player.
I would say the best move is for NU is to try and forget this game and concentrate on a huge game against Illinois this Saturday.
Also, don’t forget that Big Ten Network’s series HOOPS ON CAMPUS is coming to Northwestern!
They're looking for the best basketball players who don’t play for the team to participate in a SLAM DUNK CONTEST.
Open try-out Wednesday, January 20 at 7pm @ SPAC Courts.
They're also looking for 100 of the biggest NU hoops fans to come out and show your team spirit!
The contest takes place Thursday, January 21 at 7:30pm @ SPAC Courts.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Game 18: Northwestern Wildcats @ Ohio State
The Matchup: Northwestern (13-4) @ Ohio State (13-5)
Location: Value City Arena (Columbus, Ohio)
TV: Big Ten Network (6:00 PM CT Tuesday January 19th, 2010)
Radio: WCPT 92.7FM
Fun Fact: This is the only scheduled meeting between these teams this season. They split last year in two games which both came down to the final minute.
About the Game
Northwestern travels to Columbus Tuesday night to fact the Big Ten’s best player at a location where his team is unbeaten. Both the Wildcats and the Buckeyes defeated ranked teams in their last outing with the ‘Cats beating Purdue and OSU beating Wisconsin. Before their win over Wisconsin, OSU also beat Purdue behind a career night from Evan Turner.
As I’ve said before, there is no question in my mind that Turner is the best player in the Big Ten. His numbers 18.5 ppg, 9.4 rpg, and 5.3 apg tell some of that story. Watching him play against Purdue and Wisconsin pretty much told the rest of the story. When the Buckeyes needed someone to push them to victory over top flight opponents all they had to do was give the ball to Turner and get out of the way. It was the same story last year in Columbus when NU took a lead with just under 4 minutes left, but then Turner took over and essentially ended NU’s chances at victory.
So, how will NU try to stop Turner this year? Well, the ‘Cats played a great switching man-to-man defense against Purdue for most of the game. The only negative was that E’Twaun Moore was virtually unguardable for the ‘Cats. This is somewhat of an issue because Evan Turner is better than Moore. Last year, the ‘Cats played some man-to-man against Ohio State and forced some turnovers. However, it was injured guard/forward Jeff Ryan who was the ‘Cats primary defender on Turner. With Ryan out, it might be a lot to ask of Drew Crawford or Jeremy Nash to guard Turner with his 6-7 size.
Ohio State is still turnover prone because they don’t have a set point guard. Getting pressure on them is critical. NU’s 1-3-1 zone might be useful in doing this, but OSU has some very good shooters in Jon Diebler (45.2% 3PT), Jeremie Simmons (42.9% 3PT), and William Buford (36.9% 3PT). Those guys could pick apart the 1-3-1 if NU doesn’t force turnovers.
The best move for Northwestern might be to switch defenses regularly and not let the turnover prone Buckeyes get comfortable. NU has at times shown some press when playing man-to-man and the Buckeyes might be a good team to breakout the press against for extended periods. If you force them to make decisions in the backcourt, Minnesota showed those decisions are often bad. The other advantage NU would have in switching back to man-to-man regularly is how well playing man allowed the ‘Cats to rebound. Despite some inside beef from Dallas Lauderdale, OSU isn’t the best rebounding team. In fact, Turner and Buford get more boards than Lauderdale. As a team, OSU gets 33.7 rpg game. That’s about two more than their opponents.
Prediction:
This is a tough game to predict because while it looks like Ohio State has some big advantages, Northwestern’s John Shurna and Luka Mirkovic could offer some matchup problems for the Buckeyes. Of course, Evan Turner might neutralize those matchup issues all by himself because I don’t think anybody on NU’s roster can guard him. The biggest advantage Ohio State has, though, might be playing at home where they are 11-0. Part of me thinks it’s about time OSU’s current home winning streak and the home winning streak against NU (which dates back to before every player who will compete in the game was born) comes to an end. Another part of me thinks NU will have to wait to go to Minnesota to pick up their second Big Ten road win. Ohio State, 69 Northwestern 68
I’ll say that prediction could get reversed to a 1-point NU win if the Wildcats three point range, which has been mostly absent the last two games, returns to make up for some of the easy twos Turner will get breaking down NU’s defense. With as much as OSU likes to zone, I do think it is possible NU will hit about 14 threes and pull off the big upset.
Location: Value City Arena (Columbus, Ohio)
TV: Big Ten Network (6:00 PM CT Tuesday January 19th, 2010)
Radio: WCPT 92.7FM
Fun Fact: This is the only scheduled meeting between these teams this season. They split last year in two games which both came down to the final minute.
About the Game
Northwestern travels to Columbus Tuesday night to fact the Big Ten’s best player at a location where his team is unbeaten. Both the Wildcats and the Buckeyes defeated ranked teams in their last outing with the ‘Cats beating Purdue and OSU beating Wisconsin. Before their win over Wisconsin, OSU also beat Purdue behind a career night from Evan Turner.
As I’ve said before, there is no question in my mind that Turner is the best player in the Big Ten. His numbers 18.5 ppg, 9.4 rpg, and 5.3 apg tell some of that story. Watching him play against Purdue and Wisconsin pretty much told the rest of the story. When the Buckeyes needed someone to push them to victory over top flight opponents all they had to do was give the ball to Turner and get out of the way. It was the same story last year in Columbus when NU took a lead with just under 4 minutes left, but then Turner took over and essentially ended NU’s chances at victory.
So, how will NU try to stop Turner this year? Well, the ‘Cats played a great switching man-to-man defense against Purdue for most of the game. The only negative was that E’Twaun Moore was virtually unguardable for the ‘Cats. This is somewhat of an issue because Evan Turner is better than Moore. Last year, the ‘Cats played some man-to-man against Ohio State and forced some turnovers. However, it was injured guard/forward Jeff Ryan who was the ‘Cats primary defender on Turner. With Ryan out, it might be a lot to ask of Drew Crawford or Jeremy Nash to guard Turner with his 6-7 size.
Ohio State is still turnover prone because they don’t have a set point guard. Getting pressure on them is critical. NU’s 1-3-1 zone might be useful in doing this, but OSU has some very good shooters in Jon Diebler (45.2% 3PT), Jeremie Simmons (42.9% 3PT), and William Buford (36.9% 3PT). Those guys could pick apart the 1-3-1 if NU doesn’t force turnovers.
The best move for Northwestern might be to switch defenses regularly and not let the turnover prone Buckeyes get comfortable. NU has at times shown some press when playing man-to-man and the Buckeyes might be a good team to breakout the press against for extended periods. If you force them to make decisions in the backcourt, Minnesota showed those decisions are often bad. The other advantage NU would have in switching back to man-to-man regularly is how well playing man allowed the ‘Cats to rebound. Despite some inside beef from Dallas Lauderdale, OSU isn’t the best rebounding team. In fact, Turner and Buford get more boards than Lauderdale. As a team, OSU gets 33.7 rpg game. That’s about two more than their opponents.
Prediction:
This is a tough game to predict because while it looks like Ohio State has some big advantages, Northwestern’s John Shurna and Luka Mirkovic could offer some matchup problems for the Buckeyes. Of course, Evan Turner might neutralize those matchup issues all by himself because I don’t think anybody on NU’s roster can guard him. The biggest advantage Ohio State has, though, might be playing at home where they are 11-0. Part of me thinks it’s about time OSU’s current home winning streak and the home winning streak against NU (which dates back to before every player who will compete in the game was born) comes to an end. Another part of me thinks NU will have to wait to go to Minnesota to pick up their second Big Ten road win. Ohio State, 69 Northwestern 68
I’ll say that prediction could get reversed to a 1-point NU win if the Wildcats three point range, which has been mostly absent the last two games, returns to make up for some of the easy twos Turner will get breaking down NU’s defense. With as much as OSU likes to zone, I do think it is possible NU will hit about 14 threes and pull off the big upset.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Last Shot, Wildcats Fall Short: Buckeyes win 52-47
In maybe the most important game for the Northwestern Wildcats they fell short thanks to a lackluster start and the play of Ohio State star Evan Turner. Turner made shot after shot down stretch and blocked the Wildcats last shot by Luka Mirkovic to preserve the win. Despite the loss, Northwestern has to feel good about their effort to come back from a terrible fist half and actually take a 45-43 lead late in the game. However, the Wildcats showed one of their serious weaknesses which is containing a player with great ability to penetrate their zone. The same weakness cost the Wildcats dearly in a home loss to Michigan and their star Manny Harris. If Northwestern really wants to make it to the next level they must develop the ability to stop such players.
On the positive side, Craig Moore overcame a slow start and ended up with 18 points and 4 rebounds. Kevin Coble also scored in double figures for NU with 13 points, but committed far too many turnovers to really be considered effective. Coble had 4 turnovers and no assists. To be fair, though, the entire Wildcat roster had trouble holding on to the ball. When the coaching staff looks back at this game the 16 turnovers, many unforced, will be a major reason for the loss. Craig Moore’s 1 assists and 3 turnovers weren’t much better than Coble’s numbers. The Wildcats did out rebound Ohio State 26-25 and credit must go to the entire team as the ‘Cats made a total team effort on the boards. For the record, Kyle Rowley actually tied Craig Moore for the team-high with 4 rebounds.
In the end, Northwestern has to look at their inability to stop Evan Turner and their slow start as the reasons for their loss. Some might blame the slow start on the Wildcats missing their shootaround due to their bus driver forgetting about daylight saving time, but I think that’s a pretty poor excuse. NU just seemed a little overcome by the magnitude of the game early. Hopefully, despite the loss, the fact NU recovered and battled in a big game will help the ‘Cats in the Big Ten Tournament against Minnesota.
Finally, although I think missing the shootaround isn’t a great excuse, I will say I think Kevin Coble was fouled on his shot with less than 20 seconds left which would have tied the game. Even the Ohio State player who landed on him, Jon Diebler, seemed to expect the foul as he got the classic, “aw crap!” look on his face until he realized nothing was called. Of course, the fact is officials (especially veteran officials like Tim Higgins, Eric Curry, and Ted Hillary) rarely call those sorts of fouls in the last 20 seconds and maybe Coble should have known that. I don’t know? Maybe even if Coble had hit all three free throws Evan Turner still would have won the game at the buzzer. He looked unstoppable. I don’t know. All I know is that the Wildcats played a good 20 minutes today. If they had played a good 40, I think they would be in the NCAA Tournament. Instead, they are in a “must-win” scenario against Minnesota, and they if they are fortunate enough to win, against Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament. Those are two tough games. NU must show up for 40 minutes if they want to beat Minnesota on Thursday.
On the positive side, Craig Moore overcame a slow start and ended up with 18 points and 4 rebounds. Kevin Coble also scored in double figures for NU with 13 points, but committed far too many turnovers to really be considered effective. Coble had 4 turnovers and no assists. To be fair, though, the entire Wildcat roster had trouble holding on to the ball. When the coaching staff looks back at this game the 16 turnovers, many unforced, will be a major reason for the loss. Craig Moore’s 1 assists and 3 turnovers weren’t much better than Coble’s numbers. The Wildcats did out rebound Ohio State 26-25 and credit must go to the entire team as the ‘Cats made a total team effort on the boards. For the record, Kyle Rowley actually tied Craig Moore for the team-high with 4 rebounds.
In the end, Northwestern has to look at their inability to stop Evan Turner and their slow start as the reasons for their loss. Some might blame the slow start on the Wildcats missing their shootaround due to their bus driver forgetting about daylight saving time, but I think that’s a pretty poor excuse. NU just seemed a little overcome by the magnitude of the game early. Hopefully, despite the loss, the fact NU recovered and battled in a big game will help the ‘Cats in the Big Ten Tournament against Minnesota.
Finally, although I think missing the shootaround isn’t a great excuse, I will say I think Kevin Coble was fouled on his shot with less than 20 seconds left which would have tied the game. Even the Ohio State player who landed on him, Jon Diebler, seemed to expect the foul as he got the classic, “aw crap!” look on his face until he realized nothing was called. Of course, the fact is officials (especially veteran officials like Tim Higgins, Eric Curry, and Ted Hillary) rarely call those sorts of fouls in the last 20 seconds and maybe Coble should have known that. I don’t know? Maybe even if Coble had hit all three free throws Evan Turner still would have won the game at the buzzer. He looked unstoppable. I don’t know. All I know is that the Wildcats played a good 20 minutes today. If they had played a good 40, I think they would be in the NCAA Tournament. Instead, they are in a “must-win” scenario against Minnesota, and they if they are fortunate enough to win, against Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament. Those are two tough games. NU must show up for 40 minutes if they want to beat Minnesota on Thursday.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Game 29: Northwestern @ Ohio State
The Matchup: Northwestern (17-11) @ Ohio State (19-9)
Location: Value City Arena (Columbus, OH)
TV: Big Ten Network (4:00 PM CT)
Radio: WGN 720 AM
Fun Fact: Northwestern hasn’t beaten Ohio State in Columbus since 1977.
About the Game
When the season started not many people expected Northwestern and Ohio State to meet with this much on the line on the season’s final day. As the two teams enter this game, both Northwestern and Ohio State are fighting for a bid in the NCAA Tournament. Right now the Buckeyes are in better shape with 2 more wins overall and a better Big Ten record. However, the Wildcats beat the Buckeyes in Evanston on the strength of John Shurna’s clutch three pointer. If the Wildcats beat the Buckeyes twice it will put them above Ohio State in the Big Ten standings and possibly in the selection committee’s mind.
The key to Northwestern’s victory in the first game between these two teams was outstanding shooting by Craig Moore and Kevin Coble. Coble scored 26 points and Moore 23 points. Both took major advantage of the Buckeye zone by finding wide open shots. If NU’s top guns can find similar openings NU has a good chance. However, Ohio State’s effort in their zone was somewhat passive in Evanston. In other games, the Buckeyes play a much more aggressive brand of zone defense. I suspect Thad Matta will stress the importance of staying aggressive in the zone on Sunday. It certainly helped them squeak out the victory over Iowa.
Another key to the game will be the battle in the post. When Northwestern pulled off their comeback from a 12-point deficit in the second half they got great play from Kyle Rowley down low. Rowley was as quick and aggressive on that night as he has been all year. With size and athletic skill of Buckeye centers B.J. Mullens and Dallas Lauderdale similar play from Rowley and a healthy Luka Mirkovic will be critical. If Northwestern can get some inside points and stay close in rebounding they have a chance for the monumental win.
Finally, in the first defense the Wildcats played great defense against Buckeye star Evan Turner. NU used the 1-3-1, which hasn’t worked as well since, and forced the Buckeye star into a ton of turnovers. The odds are Turner will be looking to rebound in big way and make up for his poor game in Evanston. How will NU stop Turner? Coach Carmody might need to go back to the 1-3-1, but I would also not be surprised to see Jeff Ryan, who played great defense on Purdue’s Robbie Hummel, get some time on the court to try to contain Turner.
Prediction:
This is a tough game to predict. Right now I think Northwestern can beat anybody, but Ohio State is a team with a lot on the line in this game as well. As a result, the intangibles of this matchup don’t really favor either squad. Before NU played Purdue I really thought if the Wildcats were to win either of their last two games it would be this contest. I like the matchup of the NU shooters against the Ohio State zone and despite their size, Ohio State actually has a negative rebound margin this year. Coming into this game Northwestern seems to have momentum and Ohio State has struggled recently. However, the Buckeyes have the home court advantage and this game has a lot riding on it for them as well. The truth is I’m having a lot of trouble making an objective prediction for this game. Part of me just wants to pick the NU, but the other part knows there is a reason Ohio State is the favorite in this contest for a reason. The early line from Las Vegas has Ohio State as 7 point favorites, I definitely think that’s too large a spread. If Ohio State wins I think it’ll be something like 66-61. If Northwestern wins I think it’ll be something 61-59. Objectively, I have to say the game will probably be more like the first of those two scores, but this seems like the year for NU to buck the odds and make the score more like the latter.
Location: Value City Arena (Columbus, OH)
TV: Big Ten Network (4:00 PM CT)
Radio: WGN 720 AM
Fun Fact: Northwestern hasn’t beaten Ohio State in Columbus since 1977.
About the Game
When the season started not many people expected Northwestern and Ohio State to meet with this much on the line on the season’s final day. As the two teams enter this game, both Northwestern and Ohio State are fighting for a bid in the NCAA Tournament. Right now the Buckeyes are in better shape with 2 more wins overall and a better Big Ten record. However, the Wildcats beat the Buckeyes in Evanston on the strength of John Shurna’s clutch three pointer. If the Wildcats beat the Buckeyes twice it will put them above Ohio State in the Big Ten standings and possibly in the selection committee’s mind.
The key to Northwestern’s victory in the first game between these two teams was outstanding shooting by Craig Moore and Kevin Coble. Coble scored 26 points and Moore 23 points. Both took major advantage of the Buckeye zone by finding wide open shots. If NU’s top guns can find similar openings NU has a good chance. However, Ohio State’s effort in their zone was somewhat passive in Evanston. In other games, the Buckeyes play a much more aggressive brand of zone defense. I suspect Thad Matta will stress the importance of staying aggressive in the zone on Sunday. It certainly helped them squeak out the victory over Iowa.
Another key to the game will be the battle in the post. When Northwestern pulled off their comeback from a 12-point deficit in the second half they got great play from Kyle Rowley down low. Rowley was as quick and aggressive on that night as he has been all year. With size and athletic skill of Buckeye centers B.J. Mullens and Dallas Lauderdale similar play from Rowley and a healthy Luka Mirkovic will be critical. If Northwestern can get some inside points and stay close in rebounding they have a chance for the monumental win.
Finally, in the first defense the Wildcats played great defense against Buckeye star Evan Turner. NU used the 1-3-1, which hasn’t worked as well since, and forced the Buckeye star into a ton of turnovers. The odds are Turner will be looking to rebound in big way and make up for his poor game in Evanston. How will NU stop Turner? Coach Carmody might need to go back to the 1-3-1, but I would also not be surprised to see Jeff Ryan, who played great defense on Purdue’s Robbie Hummel, get some time on the court to try to contain Turner.
Prediction:
This is a tough game to predict. Right now I think Northwestern can beat anybody, but Ohio State is a team with a lot on the line in this game as well. As a result, the intangibles of this matchup don’t really favor either squad. Before NU played Purdue I really thought if the Wildcats were to win either of their last two games it would be this contest. I like the matchup of the NU shooters against the Ohio State zone and despite their size, Ohio State actually has a negative rebound margin this year. Coming into this game Northwestern seems to have momentum and Ohio State has struggled recently. However, the Buckeyes have the home court advantage and this game has a lot riding on it for them as well. The truth is I’m having a lot of trouble making an objective prediction for this game. Part of me just wants to pick the NU, but the other part knows there is a reason Ohio State is the favorite in this contest for a reason. The early line from Las Vegas has Ohio State as 7 point favorites, I definitely think that’s too large a spread. If Ohio State wins I think it’ll be something like 66-61. If Northwestern wins I think it’ll be something 61-59. Objectively, I have to say the game will probably be more like the first of those two scores, but this seems like the year for NU to buck the odds and make the score more like the latter.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Friday Flashback: Big Game Time
Sunday's game with Ohio State is setting up as the biggest game this season (maybe ever) for NU basketball. Of course, we wouldn't be looking at the Ohio State game as such an important contest if it weren't for Wednesday's win over Purdue or the wins over Michigan State and Florida State earlier in the year. The poll conducted this last week had the Michigan State game as NU's biggest win of the season with a total of 61 of 64 votes. That's 95%. Now, though, I wonder if the same poll was run today would the Purdue game have won? If NU beats Ohio State on Sunday is that the team's biggest win? These are the type of questions which I enjoy taking the time to ponder. In all my years watching Northwestern basketball I find it hard to think of another season which featured more than one or two big wins. This year there seem to be an endless supply and I suspect more big wins might be on the horizon. Also, this year has featured some wins over teams Northwestern traditionally has not played well against. The victory over Ohio State at home was a great example of this. If Northwestern can win at Ohio State on Sunday and record a sweep of the Buckeyes, that victory will erase yet another long losing streak.
As I think back over my Northwestern fan experience, I have trouble recalling any string of victories which would match a win Sunday followed by a Big Ten Tournament round 1 win. Combined with the victory at Purdue, such a streak would give Northwestern 19 wins and place them, I believe, in serious bubble contention. If NU could somehow get 20 wins, I believe, the Wildcats will make the NCAA Tournament.
Northwestern has posted some nice strings of wins in the past. The 2003-2004 team had a very nice run of three straight victories over #11 Wisconsin, at Purdue, and on ESPN2 vs Penn State. In the Penn State game the Wildcats went on a 30-2 run. Sadly, 2003-2004 was also the last time Northwestern really dominated Penn State. The ‘Cats also posted a Big Tournament record in steals against the Lions that year.
Getting back to NU winning streaks, the 2001-2002 team would have posted an impressive four game winning steak with wins over Wisconsin and Michigan State included. However, a loss on the road got in the way. Where on the road? You guessed it, Columbus, Ohio. That loss was a disappointing one for NU. It might have factored heavily into NU not making the NIT that year. NU was down one point late when Vedran Vukusic tried to take the ball to the hoop and got called for a charge. He probably should have passed to a red-hot Winston Blake who had posted a career high in points, but even with the foul on Vedran NU still got a chance to win. After Ohio State made only one of two free throws the score was 58-57. After passing the ball around the perimeter, the Wildcats got two shots. Unfortunately, Tavaras Hardy and Jitim Young both missed. Sadly, that has been the type of game which has plagued Northwestern at Ohio State for 32 years. Hopefully, Sunday will be different. If it is, it might very well displace the wins at Michigan State and Purdue as the biggest of the year for the ‘Cats—at least until the first game in the Big Ten Tournament.
As I think back over my Northwestern fan experience, I have trouble recalling any string of victories which would match a win Sunday followed by a Big Ten Tournament round 1 win. Combined with the victory at Purdue, such a streak would give Northwestern 19 wins and place them, I believe, in serious bubble contention. If NU could somehow get 20 wins, I believe, the Wildcats will make the NCAA Tournament.
Northwestern has posted some nice strings of wins in the past. The 2003-2004 team had a very nice run of three straight victories over #11 Wisconsin, at Purdue, and on ESPN2 vs Penn State. In the Penn State game the Wildcats went on a 30-2 run. Sadly, 2003-2004 was also the last time Northwestern really dominated Penn State. The ‘Cats also posted a Big Tournament record in steals against the Lions that year.
Getting back to NU winning streaks, the 2001-2002 team would have posted an impressive four game winning steak with wins over Wisconsin and Michigan State included. However, a loss on the road got in the way. Where on the road? You guessed it, Columbus, Ohio. That loss was a disappointing one for NU. It might have factored heavily into NU not making the NIT that year. NU was down one point late when Vedran Vukusic tried to take the ball to the hoop and got called for a charge. He probably should have passed to a red-hot Winston Blake who had posted a career high in points, but even with the foul on Vedran NU still got a chance to win. After Ohio State made only one of two free throws the score was 58-57. After passing the ball around the perimeter, the Wildcats got two shots. Unfortunately, Tavaras Hardy and Jitim Young both missed. Sadly, that has been the type of game which has plagued Northwestern at Ohio State for 32 years. Hopefully, Sunday will be different. If it is, it might very well displace the wins at Michigan State and Purdue as the biggest of the year for the ‘Cats—at least until the first game in the Big Ten Tournament.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Game 24: Ohio State @ Northwestern
The Matchup: Ohio State (17-6) @ Northwestern (13-10)
Location: Welsh-Ryan Arena (Evanston, IL)
TV: Big Ten Network (8:00 PM CT Wednesday)
Radio: WGN 720 AM
Fun Fact: Northwestern last defeated Ohio State in the 1997-98 season. In that contest, Napoleon Harris scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for the Wildcats.
About the Game
Ohio State comes into this contest on the heels of a 55-50 loss to Wisconsin which ended the Buckeyes four game winning streak. Despite that loss, Ohio State is a team that is probably at this point in the NCAA tournament. Now, they need to start winning again to improve their seed. The Wildcats have lost three in a row since beating Wisconsin. They likely need three wins in their last six games to ensure an NIT bid. To get to that total, this win is essential.
Ohio State has two big advantages in this game. The first is Evan Turner. After Northwestern couldn’t stop Michigan’s Manny Harris, it is hard to believe they can stop Turner who in my opinion is a better version of Harris. Turner stands 6-7 and averages 17.3 ppg, 7.4 rpg, and 3.3 apg. He will be a very difficult matchup for any defense the Wildcats choose to play. If they play 1-3-1, Turner will try to penetrate the zone. In a 2-3, if will be critical NU gets a player who can matchup with Turner on the court. Who is that player, probably Jeff Ryan, who played the best defense of anyone against Harris in his brief appearance on the court Sunday afternoon.
Ohio State’s other big advantage is in the front court where athletic 6-8 forward Dallas Lauderdale and 7-0 center B.J. Mullens offer a tough challenge for whoever the Wildcats play at center. Mullens leads the Big Ten with a shooting percentage of 63.6%, of course, most his shots are dunks. As a team the Buckeyes shoot 36.3% from three and 48.1% overall. That overall percentage is the highest in the league. In terms of shooting threes, John Diebler and William Buford have the ability to knock down the three and NU must get out on them.
Prediction:
Northwestern’s hopes in this game rest primarily on the fact Ohio State will play a zone defense which gives Craig Moore shots. Given Moore’s recent struggles to get open, if he gets clear looks I expect him to take advantage. However, the Wildcats will need to play way above expectations on defense and on the glass to pull off the upset. Before this three game home stand started, I thought this was NU’s toughest matchup. Now, it is their last chance at a victory. Sadly, I don’t expect them to pull it off. Ohio State, 70 Northwestern, 55
Location: Welsh-Ryan Arena (Evanston, IL)
TV: Big Ten Network (8:00 PM CT Wednesday)
Radio: WGN 720 AM
Fun Fact: Northwestern last defeated Ohio State in the 1997-98 season. In that contest, Napoleon Harris scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for the Wildcats.
About the Game
Ohio State comes into this contest on the heels of a 55-50 loss to Wisconsin which ended the Buckeyes four game winning streak. Despite that loss, Ohio State is a team that is probably at this point in the NCAA tournament. Now, they need to start winning again to improve their seed. The Wildcats have lost three in a row since beating Wisconsin. They likely need three wins in their last six games to ensure an NIT bid. To get to that total, this win is essential.
Ohio State has two big advantages in this game. The first is Evan Turner. After Northwestern couldn’t stop Michigan’s Manny Harris, it is hard to believe they can stop Turner who in my opinion is a better version of Harris. Turner stands 6-7 and averages 17.3 ppg, 7.4 rpg, and 3.3 apg. He will be a very difficult matchup for any defense the Wildcats choose to play. If they play 1-3-1, Turner will try to penetrate the zone. In a 2-3, if will be critical NU gets a player who can matchup with Turner on the court. Who is that player, probably Jeff Ryan, who played the best defense of anyone against Harris in his brief appearance on the court Sunday afternoon.
Ohio State’s other big advantage is in the front court where athletic 6-8 forward Dallas Lauderdale and 7-0 center B.J. Mullens offer a tough challenge for whoever the Wildcats play at center. Mullens leads the Big Ten with a shooting percentage of 63.6%, of course, most his shots are dunks. As a team the Buckeyes shoot 36.3% from three and 48.1% overall. That overall percentage is the highest in the league. In terms of shooting threes, John Diebler and William Buford have the ability to knock down the three and NU must get out on them.
Prediction:
Northwestern’s hopes in this game rest primarily on the fact Ohio State will play a zone defense which gives Craig Moore shots. Given Moore’s recent struggles to get open, if he gets clear looks I expect him to take advantage. However, the Wildcats will need to play way above expectations on defense and on the glass to pull off the upset. Before this three game home stand started, I thought this was NU’s toughest matchup. Now, it is their last chance at a victory. Sadly, I don’t expect them to pull it off. Ohio State, 70 Northwestern, 55
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Alamo Bowl Road Update
So I watched Ohio State get beat by WVU yesterday and then headed out to the Alamo Bowl Pep Rally. Both events gave my great hope for Northwestern as I thought Ohio State was one of the Big Ten's top hoops squads and NU had way more people at the pep rally than Mizzou. I hope these events are a sign NU owns late December sporting events.
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