Today’s contest was Northwestern’s most uneven performance since the narrow escape against Tennessee State, but just like that contest the Wildcats pulled themselves together well enough to post a victory. In the past, Northwestern would have collapsed after Stanford cut a 10 point advantage to a 1 point advantage, but like Alex Marcotullio did in a similar spot against TSU, Michael “Juice” Thompson knocked down a clutch three to prevent the Cardinal from getting a shot at the lead.
The high point for Northwestern had to be John Shurna’s play. While he still hasn’t caught fire from three point range (just 1-of-6) he converted 7-of-8 two point shots and 5-of-5 free throws to score 22 points. When Stanford had major foul trouble inside, I was disappointed NU didn’t try to post up Shurna more because he looked very solid against the Cardinal’s inside defenders. Shurna also grabbed 8 rebounds of which half came on the offensive glass and a few of which Shurna converted right into NU points. Somewhere between now and the Big Ten season John needs to regain his three point stroke, but at least his versatile skills allow him to remain a scoring threat even when threes aren’t falling.
Actually, the only Wildcat who looked to have range from three today (team was 6-of-25) was Juice Thompson who made 3-of-5 on route to 15 points. Thompson also had 4 assists and 2 steals. He also played virtually the entire game resting only for about 7 seconds late in the second half.
NU’s other double figure scorer was Drew Crawford who finished with 12 points. He scored 7 in the first half, but foul trouble forced him to the bench for most of the second half. Still, Crawford managed to add 4 rebounds and 2 blocks to his totals. He also hit two late free throws which sealed the game.
One thing NU did well overall was move the ball to setup good looks and easy drives to the hoop. As a result of that ball movement Stanford was forced to foul or allow NU easy baskets. Unfortunately, Northwestern somewhat struggled in taking advantage of all the Stanford fouls. The Wildcats shot 33 free throws, but made only 22. Luke Mirkovic made only 2-of-5 and Kyle Rowley missed his two attempts, so the center position really struggled at the line. Amazingly, NU actually had a stretch where they scored 11 straight points from the free throw line. If they’d shot better they might have scored 15 or more in a row from the line.
Other than the free throw issues, though, Mirkovic played well. He scored 9 points had 6 rebounds (5 in the 2nd half), and dished out 5 assists. He also hit a three which is big because it shows he might be gaining some consistent range from behind the arc.
Finally, one area where I felt NU unexpectedly struggled was off the bench. NU had only 5 bench points in their 70. Three points from Alex Marcotullio and two from Kyle Rowley. Rowley’s basket came on one of his better plays of the season when he found himself wide open and converted the look. Marcotullio scored on a nice runner going to the hoop and a free throw opportunity where he converted one of two. He surprisingly missed all four of three point shots, but the positive is he didn’t let it bother the rest of his game as he had two assists against no turnovers and three steals.
Northwestern plays Central Connecticut State on Tuesday before starting Big Ten play on December 30th. A win would give this NU team a better start than Coach Ricky Byrdsong’s 93-94 team that started 9-0, but then dropped 9 games so was 9-2 after 11 contests. It will also be another chance for NU to play an aggressive defensive team before taking a couple tough costumers in Illinois and Michigan State at the start of Big Ten play.
Showing posts with label Stanford. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stanford. Show all posts
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Game 10: Stanford @ Northwestern Wildcats
The Matchup: Stanford (5-4) @ Northwestern (8-1)
Location: Welsh-Ryan Arena (Evanston, IL)
TV: Big Ten Network (1:00 PM Saturday December 19th)
Radio: WGN 720 AM
Fun Fact: Stanford holds a 4-1 series advantage over NU.
About the Game
The Wildcats move towards the end of the non-conference season with their last major test before the Big Ten. So far NU has passed virtually every test they’ve faced, but Stanford has beaten NU three straight seasons. Last year the Cardinal defeated NU 65-59 when they held off a late NU rally. If Northwestern is going to break the Stanford winning steak they will have to continue their fantastic offensive play and play solid defense against a Stanford team which features a couple big scorers.
Stanford’s top scorer and rebounder is Landry Fields. The 6-7 Fields is a senior who scores 22.9 ppg and averages 8.8 rebounds per contest. Fields is the a versatile player and it will be interesting to see what defense NU plays. Bill Carmody seemed to be trying to force the ‘Cats to work on man-to-man and the 2-3 matchup against North Carolina A&T and North Florida, but overall NU still looked a lot more comfortable in the 1-3-1. Being able to use all three defenses could help NU against Stanford.
Stanford’s other big offensive threat 6-4 sophomore guard Jeremy Green. Green is a very athletic player who scores 15.7 ppg and grabs 4.1 rpg.
The athletic skill Stanford has makes the Cardinal a tough team to play against on offense. They will play a very aggressive pressure defense. NU will need Michael “Juice” Thompson to play his usual solid game and guys like Jeremy Nash, Drew Crawford, and Alex Marcotullio will also have to be solid with the ball. Hopefully NU will be able to get some easy baskets on backdoors which will setup NU’s shooters for open shots.
In contrast to past seasons one place where NU might be able to out dual Stanford is on the glass. Other than Fields, Stanford doesn’t have a player who averages more than 5.0 rebounds per game. 6-9 forwards Jack Trotter and Andrew Zimmermann are 2nd and 3rd respectively on the Cardinal in hitting the glass at 4.7 and 4.2 rpg. NU will start Luke Mirkovic or Kyle Rowley who are both bigger than either Cardinal forward alongside John Shurna who at 6-8 is almost as big and has shown to be very solid rebounder both offensively and defensively.
Prediction:
It is too bad students are away on break right now as this could have been a contest where NU had a huge home court advantage. As it stands, NU will need good support from what will probably be a large than unusual late non-conference crowd. Between that somewhat home court advantage and NU’s consistent play combined with Stanford’s inconsistency this year, I think NU wins in a game with a similar path to NU’s game against Iowa State or N.C. State. Northwestern, 78 Stanford, 70
Location: Welsh-Ryan Arena (Evanston, IL)
TV: Big Ten Network (1:00 PM Saturday December 19th)
Radio: WGN 720 AM
Fun Fact: Stanford holds a 4-1 series advantage over NU.
About the Game
The Wildcats move towards the end of the non-conference season with their last major test before the Big Ten. So far NU has passed virtually every test they’ve faced, but Stanford has beaten NU three straight seasons. Last year the Cardinal defeated NU 65-59 when they held off a late NU rally. If Northwestern is going to break the Stanford winning steak they will have to continue their fantastic offensive play and play solid defense against a Stanford team which features a couple big scorers.
Stanford’s top scorer and rebounder is Landry Fields. The 6-7 Fields is a senior who scores 22.9 ppg and averages 8.8 rebounds per contest. Fields is the a versatile player and it will be interesting to see what defense NU plays. Bill Carmody seemed to be trying to force the ‘Cats to work on man-to-man and the 2-3 matchup against North Carolina A&T and North Florida, but overall NU still looked a lot more comfortable in the 1-3-1. Being able to use all three defenses could help NU against Stanford.
Stanford’s other big offensive threat 6-4 sophomore guard Jeremy Green. Green is a very athletic player who scores 15.7 ppg and grabs 4.1 rpg.
The athletic skill Stanford has makes the Cardinal a tough team to play against on offense. They will play a very aggressive pressure defense. NU will need Michael “Juice” Thompson to play his usual solid game and guys like Jeremy Nash, Drew Crawford, and Alex Marcotullio will also have to be solid with the ball. Hopefully NU will be able to get some easy baskets on backdoors which will setup NU’s shooters for open shots.
In contrast to past seasons one place where NU might be able to out dual Stanford is on the glass. Other than Fields, Stanford doesn’t have a player who averages more than 5.0 rebounds per game. 6-9 forwards Jack Trotter and Andrew Zimmermann are 2nd and 3rd respectively on the Cardinal in hitting the glass at 4.7 and 4.2 rpg. NU will start Luke Mirkovic or Kyle Rowley who are both bigger than either Cardinal forward alongside John Shurna who at 6-8 is almost as big and has shown to be very solid rebounder both offensively and defensively.
Prediction:
It is too bad students are away on break right now as this could have been a contest where NU had a huge home court advantage. As it stands, NU will need good support from what will probably be a large than unusual late non-conference crowd. Between that somewhat home court advantage and NU’s consistent play combined with Stanford’s inconsistency this year, I think NU wins in a game with a similar path to NU’s game against Iowa State or N.C. State. Northwestern, 78 Stanford, 70
Sunday, December 21, 2008
'Cats must learn to win on the road
This loss is not nearly as big a deal as some have stated. The fact is Northwestern is 7-2 this year and has a chance to make the postseason this year. The key, though, is playing better on the road. NU is 1-2 this year on the road. Their only win was at Brown and more or less occurred because Craig Moore was unconscious during the game’s first half and single handily put the game away. NU’s freshmen, especially key man John Shurna, have seriously struggled on the road. This needs to change because if NU wants to make the postseason they need at least three wins (out of nine) on the road in conference play. Their best chances are the opener at Penn State, at Iowa, and at Indiana. That’s not to say NU can’t pull off a road upset, but those are the best chances. To win any road games, though, NU needs Shurna and his teammates to get more comfortable. As I stated before this game, good teams don’t worry about the team they are playing or where they are playing. They simply play basketball. When the Wildcats get on the road they seem to let the environment get to them. This cannot happen. Shurna and his teammates need to trust their skills and concentrate and doing their jobs. The offense you run at home against Central Arkansas is no different than the one you should run on the road against Wisconsin. Let’s hope the ‘Cats learn that lesson sonner rather than later.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Couple More Quick Stanford Thoughts
Luka Mirkovic played his best game of the year with 7 points and 6 rebounds. However, I'm sure he'll kick himself about that missed free throw and trouble boxing out late.
Kyle Rowley seemed to score on a couple nice moves, but for a 7-foot guy it seems he doesn't get that many rebounds. Only 2 tonight in 16 minutes. I mean he was by far the biggest guy on the court, yet it didn't sound like he played like it.
Kevin Coble stepped up again to make some big shots late, but his 52% free throw shooting is a serious problem. That's got to be mental because the guy is an 80% free throw shooter for his career.
Craig Moore had another off day. He's a seriously streaky player and I'd pay close attention to his first couple shots vs SMU.
Juice had 6 turnovers along with 6 assists. This might have been the worst game of his career.
Ivan Peljusic only played 4 minutes all in the first half. I really believe he is NU's second best rebounder after Shurna and so I'm pretty upset he wasn't on the court at the end. It seems to me Ivan is given the shortest leash of anybody by Coach Carmody. Considering all the great things Ivan does on the court I don't like that fact all. In fact, this is an issue on which I'll write more at a later date.
Kyle Rowley seemed to score on a couple nice moves, but for a 7-foot guy it seems he doesn't get that many rebounds. Only 2 tonight in 16 minutes. I mean he was by far the biggest guy on the court, yet it didn't sound like he played like it.
Kevin Coble stepped up again to make some big shots late, but his 52% free throw shooting is a serious problem. That's got to be mental because the guy is an 80% free throw shooter for his career.
Craig Moore had another off day. He's a seriously streaky player and I'd pay close attention to his first couple shots vs SMU.
Juice had 6 turnovers along with 6 assists. This might have been the worst game of his career.
Ivan Peljusic only played 4 minutes all in the first half. I really believe he is NU's second best rebounder after Shurna and so I'm pretty upset he wasn't on the court at the end. It seems to me Ivan is given the shortest leash of anybody by Coach Carmody. Considering all the great things Ivan does on the court I don't like that fact all. In fact, this is an issue on which I'll write more at a later date.
Listenting to NU at Stanford on WNUR 2nd Half
Listening to 'NUR during the second half...
9:58 CT – NU scores first.
9:59 CT- Juice scores, it’s under ten. Stanford scores its over ten. Wait Shurna scored it’s back under.
10:02 CT - Craig make his second shot of the game, but Goods answers. 9 point lead for Stanford.
10:03 CT - John Shurna now has four fouls and the lead is back to double digits.
10:05 CT – The WNUR guys are searching for explanations for the ‘Cats problems is it the players or the coaches. At this point I’d vote both, but NU has made comebacks before.
10:08 CT – Both Juice and Moore seem to be having trouble tonight. So, how ‘bout those SMU Mustangs? Did you know they’re coached by Matt Dougherty who has his won blog?
10:10 CT – Seems right now like NU has chances, but isn’t taking advantage. Luka with a put back, that’s something. Let’s hope that’s the start of big things.
10:12 CT – Moore airball followed by silly foul. He’s such a streaky player.
10:17 CT – Another NU turnover and Carmody isn’t pleased. Neither am I.
10:18 CT – Good point by Aaron and Brendan, Stanford is leaving the door open, but NU can’t step through. Stanford is back to a double digit lead.
10:21 CT- Shurna fouls out. Brendan says it was a bad call. From my point of view on the radio, I agree.
10:25 CT- NU can’t keep putting Stanford on the line.
10:27 CT – Guess what? Stanford is shooting free throws. No good. Good.
10:29 CT – Coble for three. 2 possession game.
10:30 CT – Stanford answers with a two. Eight point lead for Stanford with 4:51 to go.
10:31 CT – Kevin Coble for three and a defensive stop for NU. This is a BIG possession.
10:32 CT- Luka scores but Josh Owens answers with a dunk. Still just a five point game.
10:35 CT – Jeff Ryan for two, but again Stanford has an answer.
10:36 CT – NU now within 2, must PLAY D. Stanford gets a loose ball and will now get two free throws. No good. Block Out! Luka with the board.
10:37 CT – Luka to the line for 1 and 1. Good. No good. NU down 1.
10:39 CT – Mitch Johnson to the lie for Stanford. Good (60-58 Stanford). Timeout. NU has down a nice job with this comeback.
10:40 CT – Johnson ready to shoot second free throw. No good, but Stanford gets the offensive rebound and calls a TO. FRAK!
10:42 CT- Johnson beats the buzzer for three. Bad news for NU.
10:46 CT – Why Can’t Kevin Coble make free throws this year? Why?
10:47 CT – Stanford wins 65-59. NU really lost this one in the last three minutes of the first half.
9:58 CT – NU scores first.
9:59 CT- Juice scores, it’s under ten. Stanford scores its over ten. Wait Shurna scored it’s back under.
10:02 CT - Craig make his second shot of the game, but Goods answers. 9 point lead for Stanford.
10:03 CT - John Shurna now has four fouls and the lead is back to double digits.
10:05 CT – The WNUR guys are searching for explanations for the ‘Cats problems is it the players or the coaches. At this point I’d vote both, but NU has made comebacks before.
10:08 CT – Both Juice and Moore seem to be having trouble tonight. So, how ‘bout those SMU Mustangs? Did you know they’re coached by Matt Dougherty who has his won blog?
10:10 CT – Seems right now like NU has chances, but isn’t taking advantage. Luka with a put back, that’s something. Let’s hope that’s the start of big things.
10:12 CT – Moore airball followed by silly foul. He’s such a streaky player.
10:17 CT – Another NU turnover and Carmody isn’t pleased. Neither am I.
10:18 CT – Good point by Aaron and Brendan, Stanford is leaving the door open, but NU can’t step through. Stanford is back to a double digit lead.
10:21 CT- Shurna fouls out. Brendan says it was a bad call. From my point of view on the radio, I agree.
10:25 CT- NU can’t keep putting Stanford on the line.
10:27 CT – Guess what? Stanford is shooting free throws. No good. Good.
10:29 CT – Coble for three. 2 possession game.
10:30 CT – Stanford answers with a two. Eight point lead for Stanford with 4:51 to go.
10:31 CT – Kevin Coble for three and a defensive stop for NU. This is a BIG possession.
10:32 CT- Luka scores but Josh Owens answers with a dunk. Still just a five point game.
10:35 CT – Jeff Ryan for two, but again Stanford has an answer.
10:36 CT – NU now within 2, must PLAY D. Stanford gets a loose ball and will now get two free throws. No good. Block Out! Luka with the board.
10:37 CT – Luka to the line for 1 and 1. Good. No good. NU down 1.
10:39 CT – Mitch Johnson to the lie for Stanford. Good (60-58 Stanford). Timeout. NU has down a nice job with this comeback.
10:40 CT – Johnson ready to shoot second free throw. No good, but Stanford gets the offensive rebound and calls a TO. FRAK!
10:42 CT- Johnson beats the buzzer for three. Bad news for NU.
10:46 CT – Why Can’t Kevin Coble make free throws this year? Why?
10:47 CT – Stanford wins 65-59. NU really lost this one in the last three minutes of the first half.
Listening to the Stanford Game on WNUR 1st Half
In the following post I'll document my feelings as I listen to NU play Stanford on WNUR 89.3 FM.
9:07 CT - After two 2 TO's John Shurna hits a three 10-7 Stanford. NU then gets a TO. Good news.
9:08 CT - Jeff Ryan is called for a charge, that's NU's third offensive foul of the game. Are these Pac-10 refs?
9: 10 CT – Hill hits another three for Stanford. This sounds like bad old school NU perimeter defense.
9:11 CT- Jeff Ryan made a free throw! 13-10 Stanford.
9:12 CT – Coble and Moore really need to get some shots off. Stanford leads 14-10.
9:14 CT – Sounds like Jeff Ryan has come to play tonight.
9:16 CT - Coble scores, sounds like Stanford really wants to run. Another Wildcat foul?
9:17 CT - Under 12:00 TO and Stanford leads by 2 points. Why did Mirkovic come off the bench ahead of Peljusic?
9:20 CT – Jeff Ryan to the line, everybody hold your breath. No good. Good. 1 point Stanford lead.
9:22 CT – Craig Moore is on the board. NU by 2.
9:22 CT (still) – Moore gets picked and Stanford scores and leads by 2.
9:23 CT – Ryan turns the ball over. Is the road impacting the ‘Cats or is Stanford just that good on defense?
9:24 CT – Juice to the line. Good. Coach Carmody is subbing a lot. My boy Ivan Peljusic is in the game now. Juice misses second throw. Stanford still by 1.
9:25 CT- Jeremy Nash for three!!! Go ‘Cats bench. Media timeout occurs shortly afterwards and NU leads by 2 with less than eight minutes to go in half number one. How does NU have 10 turnovers already?
9:28 CT – Mitch Johnson just hit his first three on the year. Crap! Offensive foul on Peljusic. Double Carp!
9:30 CT – Moore misses layup and Stanford hits three. Frak! (That’s for all you BSG fans out there)
9:32 CT – Aaron and Brendan aren’t impressed with the ‘Cats so far. I can’t see what’s going on, but I’m inclined to agree with them. This sounds like NU is really playing struggling. Stanford by just 4, though.
9:37 CT - 33-24 Stanford now after another Johnson three and it seems NU can’t hold on to the ball. Now it’s 36-24 Stanford. What’s going on out there guys?
9:39 CT- Luka hits a long 2. Let’s hope it starts something.
9:40 CT – Anthony Goods is very, well, good(s). 39-26 Stanford.
9:42 CT – NU fails even to get off a shot as the first half clock runs down. This is performance is not even remotely okay. It’s horrible. The Cardinal is 8-of-12 from three. That was a problem in the past for NU and it looks like it might be again.
9:07 CT - After two 2 TO's John Shurna hits a three 10-7 Stanford. NU then gets a TO. Good news.
9:08 CT - Jeff Ryan is called for a charge, that's NU's third offensive foul of the game. Are these Pac-10 refs?
9: 10 CT – Hill hits another three for Stanford. This sounds like bad old school NU perimeter defense.
9:11 CT- Jeff Ryan made a free throw! 13-10 Stanford.
9:12 CT – Coble and Moore really need to get some shots off. Stanford leads 14-10.
9:14 CT – Sounds like Jeff Ryan has come to play tonight.
9:16 CT - Coble scores, sounds like Stanford really wants to run. Another Wildcat foul?
9:17 CT - Under 12:00 TO and Stanford leads by 2 points. Why did Mirkovic come off the bench ahead of Peljusic?
9:20 CT – Jeff Ryan to the line, everybody hold your breath. No good. Good. 1 point Stanford lead.
9:22 CT – Craig Moore is on the board. NU by 2.
9:22 CT (still) – Moore gets picked and Stanford scores and leads by 2.
9:23 CT – Ryan turns the ball over. Is the road impacting the ‘Cats or is Stanford just that good on defense?
9:24 CT – Juice to the line. Good. Coach Carmody is subbing a lot. My boy Ivan Peljusic is in the game now. Juice misses second throw. Stanford still by 1.
9:25 CT- Jeremy Nash for three!!! Go ‘Cats bench. Media timeout occurs shortly afterwards and NU leads by 2 with less than eight minutes to go in half number one. How does NU have 10 turnovers already?
9:28 CT – Mitch Johnson just hit his first three on the year. Crap! Offensive foul on Peljusic. Double Carp!
9:30 CT – Moore misses layup and Stanford hits three. Frak! (That’s for all you BSG fans out there)
9:32 CT – Aaron and Brendan aren’t impressed with the ‘Cats so far. I can’t see what’s going on, but I’m inclined to agree with them. This sounds like NU is really playing struggling. Stanford by just 4, though.
9:37 CT - 33-24 Stanford now after another Johnson three and it seems NU can’t hold on to the ball. Now it’s 36-24 Stanford. What’s going on out there guys?
9:39 CT- Luka hits a long 2. Let’s hope it starts something.
9:40 CT – Anthony Goods is very, well, good(s). 39-26 Stanford.
9:42 CT – NU fails even to get off a shot as the first half clock runs down. This is performance is not even remotely okay. It’s horrible. The Cardinal is 8-of-12 from three. That was a problem in the past for NU and it looks like it might be again.
Eyewitness Reports From Stanford?
For those of us in Chicago there is no way to witness tonight's contest between the Wildcats and Cardinal. Now, I don't know if many NU fans will be in Stanford, CA at the game tonight, but if anybody is and wants to e-mail welshryanramblings@gmail.com with a report after the contest I'd love to post it here and give you a byline. After all, an eyewitness report would provide far more detail than analysis from listening to the radio and reading a box score.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Northwestern Wildcats @ Stanford
The Matchup: Northwestern (7-1) @ Stanford (6-0)
Location: Maples Pavilion (Stanford, CA)
TV: None
Radio: WNUR 89.3 FM (9:00 CT/7:00 PT)
Fun Fact: Stanford in one of 13 unbeaten teams remaining in the country.
About Stanford
Stanford enters this game 6-0 which has a lot of people talking about what a big game this is for the Wildcats. I have to say I think to some extent people are overstating this game’s importance. Obviously it always looks good when you beat an undefeated team, but NU has already done that twice this year (FSU and UC-Riverside). The fact is beating undefeated Stanford isn’t any more significant than beating undefeated FSU other than the fact the game against Stanford is on the road. In fact, FSU is probably better than Stanford. Overall, I just hope the Wildcats don’t take this game more seriously than they need to. They need to take the attitude that playing Stanford on December 20th is no different than playing Central Arkansas on November 16th or playing in the Big Ten Tournament on March 12th. That’s what good teams do. They just come out and play basketball and don’t get overwhelmed by the situation.
Now, as to what the ‘Cats will face from the Cardinal. Stanford has a new coach this year in former Duke assistant Johnny Dawkins and his squad has a dramatically different look than Trent Johnson’s as he doesn’t have any Lopez brothers to clog the lane. In fact, Stanford’s tallest starters are 6-8 forwards Lawrence Hill and Josh Owens. Hill leads the Cardinal with 6.3 rebounds per game and Owens pulls down 5.7 rebounds himself. At first glance it seems the Wildcats have something of a height advantage with 7-0 center Kyle Rowley and 6-8 forwards John Shurna and Kevin Coble. However, the Cardinal also has swingman Landry Fields who grabs 5.8 rebounds a game himself which gives them the significant advantage of a player who can outrebound smaller guards. Overall, the Cardinal average 32.8 rebounds per game (the ‘Cats average 32.9 rebounds per game).
Offensively the Cardinal average 78.3 point per game, this should make for an interesting matchup as NU only allows 48.9. The Cardinal reach that average of 78.3 point per game on the strength of four starters who average double figures. Fields averages 11.3 ppg, Owens 13.7 ppg, and Hill 14.2 ppg. The Cardinal are led in scoring by Anthony Goods who average 19.0 points per game. Goods shoots 40.5% from three point range (17-of-42). He also shoots 82.5 from the free throw line (33-of-40). The Cardinal’s fifth starter is point guard Mitch Johnson. Johnson doesn’t score much (5.2 ppg), but he does do a nice job running the team with 32 assists and only 17 turnovers. Off the bench, NU fans should look out for Jeremy Green who shoots 42.9% from three point range.
Prediction: This is going to be a tough game for Northwestern based primarily on the fact it’s a long distance road trip. So far this season Northwestern is 1-1 on the road. Stanford is 4-0 at home, but their wins are over the less than impressive quadrangle of CS-Northridge, Air Force, Colorado, and Northern Arizona. One advantage Stanford has from playing at home is a good crowd. Though Maples doesn’t always sell out, 6,795 fans showed up for the UNA game. That’s almost 93% capacity. NU’s best crowd this year 4,053 is still less than half of Welsh-Ryan’s capacity. Such a hostile crowd could make a difference considering NU is starting two freshmen and one sophomore while Stanford starts three seniors and junior. Between the long road trip, the crowd, and the two team’s experience I think Stanford has the advantage in this game, but it should be close and if NU gets a few breaks the ‘Cats can win. Taking everything into account, though, my predication is Stanford, 66 Northwestern, 62.
Location: Maples Pavilion (Stanford, CA)
TV: None
Radio: WNUR 89.3 FM (9:00 CT/7:00 PT)
Fun Fact: Stanford in one of 13 unbeaten teams remaining in the country.
About Stanford
Stanford enters this game 6-0 which has a lot of people talking about what a big game this is for the Wildcats. I have to say I think to some extent people are overstating this game’s importance. Obviously it always looks good when you beat an undefeated team, but NU has already done that twice this year (FSU and UC-Riverside). The fact is beating undefeated Stanford isn’t any more significant than beating undefeated FSU other than the fact the game against Stanford is on the road. In fact, FSU is probably better than Stanford. Overall, I just hope the Wildcats don’t take this game more seriously than they need to. They need to take the attitude that playing Stanford on December 20th is no different than playing Central Arkansas on November 16th or playing in the Big Ten Tournament on March 12th. That’s what good teams do. They just come out and play basketball and don’t get overwhelmed by the situation.
Now, as to what the ‘Cats will face from the Cardinal. Stanford has a new coach this year in former Duke assistant Johnny Dawkins and his squad has a dramatically different look than Trent Johnson’s as he doesn’t have any Lopez brothers to clog the lane. In fact, Stanford’s tallest starters are 6-8 forwards Lawrence Hill and Josh Owens. Hill leads the Cardinal with 6.3 rebounds per game and Owens pulls down 5.7 rebounds himself. At first glance it seems the Wildcats have something of a height advantage with 7-0 center Kyle Rowley and 6-8 forwards John Shurna and Kevin Coble. However, the Cardinal also has swingman Landry Fields who grabs 5.8 rebounds a game himself which gives them the significant advantage of a player who can outrebound smaller guards. Overall, the Cardinal average 32.8 rebounds per game (the ‘Cats average 32.9 rebounds per game).
Offensively the Cardinal average 78.3 point per game, this should make for an interesting matchup as NU only allows 48.9. The Cardinal reach that average of 78.3 point per game on the strength of four starters who average double figures. Fields averages 11.3 ppg, Owens 13.7 ppg, and Hill 14.2 ppg. The Cardinal are led in scoring by Anthony Goods who average 19.0 points per game. Goods shoots 40.5% from three point range (17-of-42). He also shoots 82.5 from the free throw line (33-of-40). The Cardinal’s fifth starter is point guard Mitch Johnson. Johnson doesn’t score much (5.2 ppg), but he does do a nice job running the team with 32 assists and only 17 turnovers. Off the bench, NU fans should look out for Jeremy Green who shoots 42.9% from three point range.
Prediction: This is going to be a tough game for Northwestern based primarily on the fact it’s a long distance road trip. So far this season Northwestern is 1-1 on the road. Stanford is 4-0 at home, but their wins are over the less than impressive quadrangle of CS-Northridge, Air Force, Colorado, and Northern Arizona. One advantage Stanford has from playing at home is a good crowd. Though Maples doesn’t always sell out, 6,795 fans showed up for the UNA game. That’s almost 93% capacity. NU’s best crowd this year 4,053 is still less than half of Welsh-Ryan’s capacity. Such a hostile crowd could make a difference considering NU is starting two freshmen and one sophomore while Stanford starts three seniors and junior. Between the long road trip, the crowd, and the two team’s experience I think Stanford has the advantage in this game, but it should be close and if NU gets a few breaks the ‘Cats can win. Taking everything into account, though, my predication is Stanford, 66 Northwestern, 62.
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