Revisiting an Old Issue: Northwestern’s Unrecognized 1931 Basketball National Title

Regular reader Mike D. brought to my attention a worthwhile issue I want to talk about today. I figure looking back a major positive is a probably a good idea in the wake of yesterday’s disappointment. Recently Northwestern’s athletic department added a number of banners recognizing the accomplishment of a number of teams to the Welsh-Ryan Arena rafters. Absent for those banners is the greatest accomplishment of a team that calls that building home. I’ve brought up this issue in the past, but for those that don’t know, NU was awarded the NCAA Men’s Basketball National Title for their 16-1 season in 1931. Admittedly the title was retroactively awarded when in 1939 a group of basketball experts at the Helms Foundation decided it was unjust that no titles were awarded for the first 38 years of the 20th century. But still the others schools who won titles through that manner celebrate their accomplishments. The list includes Big Ten member Purdue (who won the year after the ‘Cats in 1932), North Carolina, and as can be seen in the 1923 banner here the Kansas Jayhawks. When I think college basketball, I think Kansas and North Carolina. They are pretty much the bluest bloods of the sport. If a Helms Foundation National Title is good enough for them, it’s good enough for us.

I can’t understand why NU doesn’t want to acknowledge this great accomplishment and the great people who were part of it. Looking at the record of NU’s 1931 Head Coach Dutch Lonborg it quickly becomes clear he was one of the most respected basketball coaches of his era and his success at Northwestern was primarily the reason. Although he coached at three different schools (McPherson College, Washburn College, and NU), Lonborg recorded 73.3% of his career wins at NU. Aside from the National Title and Big Ten Title in 1931, Lonborg also led NU to the Big Ten Title in 1933 and second place finishes in 1932 and 1934. He is also Northwestern’s longest tenured head basketball coach coaching NU from the 1927-28 season until 1949-50.

NU’s 1931 Captain Joe Reiff was also a history making player. On a Wildcat team which featured a number of talented players, Reiff was the star. He picked up not only the MOP award from the Helms Foundation, but also was named a first team All-American. Reiff’s All-American award during that 1931 campaign was the first ever earned by a Wildcat. While earning that All-American award, Reiff led the Big Ten in scoring. Amazingly he was just a sophomore at the time.

In 1932 Reiff and the Wildcats finished second in the Big Ten to Helms Foundation National Champ Purdue. Reiff finished second in the league in scoring and was named a third-team All-American. That might have been something of a disappointment, as it was certainly a step back from that national title caliber team from the year before, but Reiff and Wildcats rebounded the next season to capture their second Big Ten Title. Again, Reiff led the Wildcats and the Big Ten in scoring. In fact, he set what was at the time a Big Ten record by scoring 168 points (14.0 PPG) in Big Ten play. Obviously, the offense flow of basketball was a little different in the early 1930s, but I say again that doesn’t change the significance of what was accomplishment. Reiff’s teammate Elmer Johnson finished second in the league in scoring. For his efforts, Reiff earned his second first team All-American honor in 1933 making him the first and second Wildcat All-American. Overall the Wildcats were 15-4 in that season. That Big Ten Title Reiff led the ‘Cats to in 1933 is also the last time Northwestern won a Big Ten Title in Basketball.

Why NU has chosen to ignore Lonborg and Reiff’s National Title is beyond me, but it really doesn’t matter. What matters is that given NU’s new emphasis on acknowledging history with the new Welsh-Ryan Arena banners, a great opportunity exists to finally acknowledge what those men and the best NU hoops squad ever accomplished.

The List...

Since I’ve started following NU hoops I’ve seen odd occurrences, tragic occurrences, and just down right bad occurrences. I can’t think of another athletic program which has experienced more strangeness. Here’s the list I came up with. Feel free to add more…

- Nick Knapp has a heart problem and is never allowed to play for NU
- Evan Eschmeyer misses two years with a foot injury and never teams with either the 93-94 senior class or Big Ten scoring champ Geno Carlisle
- Darieon Dean walks into a stop sign on a road trip…he never plays again
- Matt Moran goes AWOL and transfers to Bradley because of family issues
- Carvell Ammons gets homesick and transfers to Illinois
- Geno Carlisle transfers to Cal
- In a truly tragic incident former Coach Ricky Byrdsong is killed by a white supremacist
- Sean Wink and Aaron Molnar quit because Coach Kevin O’Neill yells at them too much
- Terrence Avery also quits because of O’Neill…he becomes all-conference at Indiana State
- Brody Deren, Steve Lepore, and David Newman quit to avoid another year of O’Neill…Deren and Lepore play in the NCAA Tournament at Creighton and Wake Forest
- O’Neill takes an NBA job and sneaks movers into his office to clear it out during an NU football game so nobody realizes he is going until he’s gone
- Bill Carmody arrives having inherited a team from O’Neill with a ton of recruits who can’t play and a star (Ben Johnson) who wants to transfer
- Johnson transfers to Minnesota after 1 year
- Carmody begins to reverse the NU trend and get players to transfer into NU, however, the two most touted Mike Thompson (the tall one) and Bernard Cote leave NU before they finish their eligibility
- Highly regarded Peoria-area recruit Brandon Lee is arrested and sent to jail
- Flit, Michigan-area recruit Gary Lee quits the team after academic issues
- Vedran Vukusic misses a year with a shoulder injury when he might have had the strongest team around him
- T.J. Parker leaves NU to go pro (in France)
- Seniors Kevin Coble and Jeff Ryan go down right before NU’s seemingly most promising season
- Kevin Coble quits before returning for his 5th-year

NU’s Top 5 Wins (both basketball and football) over Iowa since ‘95

Okay, I’m going to jump on the ongoing message board debates between NU and Iowa fans over at Wildcat Report with today’s post. In this post I’m looking back at recent contests between NU and Iowa in both football and basketball in effort to come up with a top five. NU has had enough success in football and basketball versus the Hawkeyes since 1995 that a number of choices exist. I think I’ve picked the best, but feel free to disagree.

5. 1996 football Northwestern, 40 Iowa, 13

The Wildcats and the Hawkeyes were a national TV contest on ABC with Keith Jackson on the call and most expecting a tight low scoring Big Ten contest. NU altered the script by burying the Hawkeyes thanks to typical great mid-1990s defense, a key trick play, and loads of yards from Darnell Autry. NU could have scored more, but instead of run up the score like Hayden Fry had on him, Gary Barnett made his point in the opposite manner by calling runs up the middle at the end of the game even though NU had the ball in the red zone.

4. 2004 basketball Northwestern, 51 Iowa, 49

With 0.7 seconds left Vedran Vukusic sunk a jumper from the top of the key to give the Wildcats a series sweep of the Hawkeyes for the first time since 1959. It was the first of three years in a row in which the Wildcats would beat the Hawkeyes in the games final moments.

3. 2009 football Northwestern, 17 Iowa, 10

Dan Persa takes over for an injured Mike Kafka and leads the ‘Cats to a game deciding TD to help top the #4 ranked Hawkeyes on the road. Corey Wotton made the game’s biggest play by sacking Hawkeye QB Ricky Stanzi in the endzone and causing a fumble which Marshall Thomas recovered for the ‘Cats first TD.

2. 2005 football Northwestern, 28 Iowa, 27

14 points in the last 3:28 from a Tyrell Sutton TD, an outside kick recovery, and a Ross Lane TD catch allowed the Wildcats to pull the stunner of all stunners on a Hawkeye squad which was already celebrating a victory.

1. 2005 basketball Northwestern, 75 Iowa, 74

Michael Jenkins in the corner drills a game winning three pointer at the buzzer which hits every part of the rim before dropping in. Even more amazing, though, was NU’s 12 point comeback in the final three minutes of regulation to send the game to OT. Some people might think one of the football wins ranks higher, but I challenge anyone who was at this game to disagree. Just think how you felt when Jenkins’s ball finally decided to go in.

So I might have left you favorite game off this list. It was tough a list to make. Several other games like the 2008 football win or Craig Moore’s final home game at Welsh-Ryan Arena almost made the list. Feel free to disagree and tell me what I missed.

Some Thoughts as the BTN’s NU Week Finishes

The Big Ten Network’s Northwestern week ends tonight. If you tune this evening you can see NU beat Iowa (always awesome) in hoops 51-48 from 2006 (Thanks to great play by Vedran and Evan Seacat's single biggest moment) and NU beat MSU in football 27-26 (Victory Right Part II) in 2001. Both those are good games, though, they’re a little slow until till the final moments. I did enjoy many of the games the BTN put on this week, but they’re the games we always see and always talk about. At one point I talked with a member of the Big Ten Network’s staff about showing some lesser known “Greatest Games” and he said basically that they get suggestions virtually everyday for what games to show, but getting rights to rebroadcast them isn’t always easy. For example, ESPN still owns the rights to the 1997 NU-MSU football game in which Anwawn Jones blocks the Spartans final FG and every once and a while puts that game on ESPNClassic. Look for it this fall.

Obviously, games that aired on the BTN would be easier to show repeatedly. Considering that, I think the Big Ten Network missed out a couple fairly recent “Greatest Games” involving NU. I’ve mentioned this before, but if I were the BTN I’d constantly rebroadcast football games form the 2007 season and basketball from the 2007-08 season because the BTN had such small distribution that virtually nobody saw those games anyway. They do show NU-MSU from 2007 a lot, but there is much more. For example….

On October 13th , 2007 Northwestern beat Minnesota in double overtime 49-48. Here’s a link to NUBears You Tube highlights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dylzr0a0j7I&feature=player_embedded


Earlier that year NU scored in the final seconds to beat Nevada and avenge a loss to the Pack in 2006. Once again here’s a link to the highlights (I love the locker room speech from Fitz which starts the highlight)…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtXM4klllE0&feature=player_embedded


Looking at recent basketball history, every NU fans enjoys seeing the ‘Cats upset #7 MSU in 2009, but the ‘Cats also pulled off a great road win at Purdue that year…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VznrhSbbgKc&feature=player_embedded

Finally, going to very recent history, NU’s upset in hoops over the Fighting Illini this year is one of my favorites and likely will remain so for years to come…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDuZ0gg9NSQ&feature=player_embedded

Wildcat Flashback: NU's Best Big Ten Tournament Game

Lake the Posts recently did a post on Northwestern rather embarrassing Big Ten Tournament history. Going into Thursday’s game, NU stands at 4-12 in the Big Ten Tournament. This is by far the worst mark of any school. Those four wins were all first round games as NU has never advanced to Saturday in the tournament. Looking back over the years of the Big Ten Tournament, which started in 1998, the Wildcats best run undoubtedly occurred in 1999. Although the ‘Cats only won one game (54-44 in Round 1 over Penn State) they nearly knocked off the nation’s #2 team, Michigan State, in the quarterfinals. I would go so far as to say that the ‘Cats loss on March 5, 1999 to Michigan State was in fact their best performance in the Big Ten Tournament. What you see below is my personal story of that day. I've shared some of these thoughts in the past, but this post has some extra story. Plus, the game itself, despite being a loss, is worth remembering.

I know the obvious joke here is that Northwestern basketball has suffered so many losses that I’ve been forced to dip into that long list of defeats to find NU’s best Big Ten Tournament game, but the truth is any basketball fan that saw the Wildcats and the Spartans play that day would be hard pressed not to list NU’s performance among the most impressive they have seen.

The game was played in front of near sellout crowd at the United Center in Chicago. Sadly, despite the fact Northwestern’s campus is probably less than 10 miles from the UC very few Wildcat fans were in attendance. Perhaps the reason was because it seemed impossible for the Wildcats to pull off the upset of the 26-4 and #2-ranked Spartans. Thanks to the fact not many ‘Cats fans were present, and many Michigan State fans had apparently assumed their game against NU would such a runaway it wasn’t worth attending, the majority of the crowd at the United Center happened to be red clad Wisconsin Badger fans who had shown up early for the day’s second game.

I have to admit that I wasn’t at the game either. As a high school student at the time (and one who wanted to go to NU) I couldn’t very well walk out of school or hang out in the cafeteria missing class, plus I had baseball practice after school. Given this unfortunate, I set my VCR (it was the 20th century) and hoped nobody would tell me what happened before I got home from school and baseball practice. I wasn’t that worried. It wasn’t as if many of my friends followed the Wildcats closely. Most of the guys I was at practice with that day wouldn’t know Evan Eschmeyer from his brother Jeff even though Evan was about ten inches taller.

Given my confidence I wouldn’t find out anything until I got home and watched my tape, I was surprised when waiting for my ride home to overhear Northwestern mentioned in a conversation between my teammate, Mike Cook, and another kid waiting for a ride home.

I remember the moment clearly. I was sitting on the gym stairs looking out the double doors through a light rain waiting for my mom’s car. When I heard NU mentioned I was conflicted. I didn’t really want to know what happened, but I figured if NU was being discussed at all it meant a possible upset. After all, the only time NU gains the attention of Joe-fan is why they doing something remarkable.


As I walked over Mike pointed at me and said, “Tell him, his family has season-tickets at Northwestern.”

“It’s no big deal,” the kid said. “Northwestern played Michigan State today.”

“I know that,” I said exasperated. Who the hell did this guy think was talking to?

“Well,” he said with what I thought was an unnecessarily long pause. “The game was really awesome.”

Having never met the kid before, I assumed he wasn’t trying to drive me crazy, but he was doing a hell of a good job anyway.

“What happened?” I asked a louder than necessary.

I held my breath. Would I have reason to celebrate or reason to despair?

Finally I got my answer, “Northwestern missed a shot at buzzer that would have won the game. Michigan State won by two.”

It would be over dramatic to say I collapsed to the floor, but I do recall stumbling a little. I wasn’t sure what to feel. I was disappointed, but for NU to have some close to the upset was great achievement. I felt pride in the Wildcats effort.

“I guess it was a good game,” I said.

“It sure was,” my informant answered.

With that ringing endorsement I decided despite knowing the unfortunate result of the game I’d still watch my recording of the game. I’m glad I did. In all my years watching sports I may have never seen a better effort from an underdog than what the ‘Cats gave that day. I remember the camera fixing on the Wisconsin fans as they rose to their feet to cheer Evan Eschmeyer as he gave the Wildcats what would be their final lead of the day with about three minutes left in the game.

In the final three minutes, Michigan State managed to scrape together five points. That was enough to secure the victory, but NU didn’t go down easy. Down two with the clocking winding towards zero, David Newman got the ball after an MSU basket and rushed it towards the hoop. Once in the lane, Newman lofted a soft floater which looked on target until Michigan State’s Antonio Smith batted it away. Michigan State’s fans breathed a sigh of relief until they saw the batted ball roll into the hands of Steve Lepore. After one quick dribble, Lepore leaned in over a defender and fired an off balance three point shot. To this day, I believe he came inches from changing Northwestern basketball forever.

When you’re trying to build a program goal number one is a signature win. It’s the win which announces a team’s presence to the nation. It informs all their upcoming opponents that they better be ready to play or they’ll be adding a number on the right column of their record. It’s Northwestern’s 1995 football team beating Michigan or Davidson topping Georgetown in the NCAA Tournament. It might even be Northwestern basketball beating Michigan State last year in East Lansing (you could certainly argue that was a signature win), but without a doubt the loss to Michigan State on March 5, 1999 was the closest Northwestern came to signature win before last January. I’d argue it would have been far more significant that last year’s victory given the stage on which it would have occurred and what it might have setup.

If the Wildcats had beaten the Spartans they would have advanced to play Wisconsin in the semi-finals of the Big Ten Tournament. Had they beat the Badgers, which they certainly could have, they would have played the last place Illinois Fighting Illini who had made remarkable run to the final in the conference title game. It would have been almost a perfect confluence of events for the ‘Cats to make their first NCAA tournament. Not only would the road there have been relatively easy, but the team would have been playing with a ton of extra confidence after knocking off the number two team in the nation live on ESPN. Beating Michigan State in full view of a national TV audience could have totally changed the national perception of Northwestern basketball. Not only might the ‘Cats future opponents in the Big Ten Tournament have found themselves very worried about NU’s unstoppable momentum, but the national press which such an upset would have generated might have changed how the average college basketball fan and potential recruits viewed Northwestern basketball. Unfortunately, thanks to the United Center rims, NU’s dream of a signature win remained unrealized.

When the ball left his hand, Steve Lepore’s shot for the win looked as if it was right on, but it ended up slightly short and hit the front edge. When the ball hit the rim, it bounced high into to the air and it looked for a moment as if the ball might still manage to fall into the basket. Unfortunately, on the way down the ball stuck the rim a second time before falling to the hardwood floor.

Although it was sad to watch the ‘Cats play so well and come up short, I think my pain was eased somewhat by knowing that despite failing to achieve their signature win, NU earned the respect of the college basketball world. The broadcasters on ESPN effusively praised Eschmeyer’s fantastic play. In his postgame press conference, Michigan State Head Coach Tom Izzo said NU deserved to win and admitted the Wildcats outplayed and outhustled his mighty Spartans. The most memorable praise for the ‘Cats, though, came from the crowd of Wisconsin fans who rose to their feet and saluted the ‘Cats effort with a standing ovation after the final buzzer sounded. It was a fantastic moment.

Northwestern Basketball: The Class of 2010

Seniors Jeremy Nash and Matt Steger with NU's Chicago Invitational Challenge Championship Trophy

Thursday of this week at least two seniors, Jeremy Nash and Matt Steger will play their final Big Ten home game. It’s also possible a third, Jeff Ryan, will also see a Big Ten opponent in Welsh-Ryan for the last time. I’m not a big fan of basketball program keeping Ryan in limbo as they pursue a recruit for next season, but that’s simply the nature of college athletics. You have to recruit the best possible players to be successful or you aren’t employed. I just wonder what the uncertainty of his future is doing to Jeff’s academic and career plans. Whatever the case, I certainly hope NU takes time to honor Jeff with Matt and Jeremy in case he doesn’t come back. It he does return, he can join Michael Jenkins and Ivan Tolic as players with multiple senior days.

What I think is most special about this senior class is that they’ve seen some of the lowest lows and highest highs in NU basketball history. They arrived in 2006-07 to a team which lost a number of senior starters, most notably Vedran Vukusic. As a result, Jeff Ryan and Kevin Coble (who would have been honored as a senior if not for his injury) got the chance to crack the starting lineup. Ryan started ten games that year and played perhaps the best game of his career when he scored 18 points in a narrow loss to #3 Wisconsin at Welsh-Ryan while subbing for an injured Coble. Ryan’s sub-30% three point percentage has been a point of distress for fans during his three years of play, but he made an amazing banked-in three on that day to help NU almost pull of a shocking upset. I’ll never forget the frustration on Bo Ryan’s face as Jeff consistently blew by defenders. Clearly the Badgers weren’t prepared for Ryan playing instead of Coble and it showed.

Unfortunately for Ryan and the ‘Cats, the 06-07 season was mostly filled with close losses like that Wisconsin game. The ‘Cats went 2-16 in the Big Ten. They beat only Minnesota (in a blowout) and Penn State by two, thanks to a Craig Moore miracle heave towards the hoop with the shoot clock running down. The Wildcats were 13-18 overall that season, but I doubt the players look back with much fondness on wins over North Florida by 1 point and Wheaton College by 2 points. Still, the fact that Coble, Ryan, and every once and a while Jeremy Nash, got solid minutes did probably help develop what would become a solid team two years later.

Sadly, before that solid team emerged in 2008-09, NU faced the 2007-08 season. When I said this group faced the lowest of lows, I was talking about this season. Northwestern finished that year 8-22 overall and 1-17 in the Big Ten. Many of those Big Ten losses weren’t close and that was the year the movement to fire NU Coach Bill Carmody really picked up steam. In fact, during player introductions while starters such as Jeff Ryan and Kevin Coble were introduced, the NU student section other gave voice or displayed signs indicting their desire to see NU hire a new coach. The sentiments in the stands probably didn’t make a huge difference of the floor, though, Craig Moore did once to tell group of anti-Carmody students to shut up. Bottom line, playing in a situation where they lost virtually every game and faced uncertainty about their program’s future had to be tough. It was probably especially tough for Jeff Ryan who also ended up missing the season’s final eight games due to injury. While Ryan was out at the end of the season, though, classmate Jeremy Nash made his first major impacts on NU’s basketball program. Nash, who missed the season’s first eight games, started to appear more in the role of defensive stopper and posted career highs in points and rebounds that February before making his first start in the Big Ten Tournament that March. NU lost that BTT game to Minnesota after holding a 10-point, a trend which would depressingly continue the next year, but that game at least showed despite their 1-17 Big Ten record, Northwestern’s basketball team had life.

That life appeared much more clearly in 2008-09. This was the year this class experienced some of the highest highs in NU basketball history, maybe the highest highs since the National Championship of 1931. With Jeremy Nash causing havoc at the point of the 1-3-1 zone, Northwestern upset #7 Michigan State in East Lansing 70-63. It was the Wildcats first ever win at the Breslin Center and their first win over a top-10 team in a decade and a half. Later in the season, the ‘Cats beat Ohio State for the first time in more than a decade and won at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana for the first time ever. Jeremy Nash was active in all those victories, but for classmate Jeff Ryan, the biggest win came when NU won at #19 Purdue. NU’s primary defense in 08-09 was the 1-3-1. However, NU decided to take the rare step on playing man-to-man against Purdue late in the game. When that occurred, Ryan got matched up on Purdue superstar Robbie Hummel and competelly shut him down for a seven minute stretch when the Wildcats surged into the lead.

This season, Jeff Ryan and Kevin Coble have been out virtually all year. Even walk-on senior Matt Steger has spent the majority of the year in street clothes on NU’s bench. As a result, the only senior to any significant time has been Jeremy Nash. With the leadership spotlight on him alone, Nash has responded. People often talk about players making themselves better, but Nash has taken that concept to a whole new level. A guy who looked like he couldn’t through his jump shot into Lake Michigan from the Lakefill as a freshman, Nash now converts about 30% of his threes. That’s not great, but it’s enough that a defense has to respect him as a shooter and that’s given him a much more well-rounded offensive game. It’s the reason he’s second on the team in assists and fourth in scoring. Speaking of Nash making threes, he made what I think is the current front runner for shot of the year when he hit a three to put NU ahead against Illinois on January 23rd. Now, the season isn’t over yet and I hope, and know Jeremy does as well, that both he and his teammates have many more big shots in their future, but it’s impressive that a player who was such an offensive liability in the past can be the guy who made the season’s biggest offensive play. I think it is safe to say that if some players with more talent had Nash’s work ethic they would be far superior to what they are today.

Speaking of work ethic, I’d be remiss if I didn’t end this post with some words of praise for Matt Steger. Thanks to injury Steger, like Coble and Ryan, has spent most of this year sitting behind the bench. But for three years he practiced just as hard as any player on the NU roster and did so not because he needed to get ready to play and beat teams like Michigan State and Purdue, but so his teammates could be ready to beat Michigan State and Purdue. The legacy of this senior class will not doubt be their contributions to some of NU’s best basketball moments, but let’s please remember the member of this class that helped set those moments up even if we as fans didn’t often see him do so.

Finally, best wishes to Jeremy, Jeff, and Matt in their future, whatever that might be, but let’s remember they’ve got at least two more home games and a big Big Ten Tournament at which they could use our support before they leave Evanston.

Go ‘Cats!

Go 2010 Seniors!

‘Cats NCAA Dreams Very Likely Dead Thanks to Humiliating 78-65 Loss in Iowa City

This may seem like revisionist history, but I was tempted to predict an Iowa win in this contest. But instead of doing so, I told myself, “No, this Northwestern team is different than the teams of the past. They won’t let down, they won’t fail in the big game, they won’t be the group saying, ‘if only this or that had gone the other way’ at the end of the year.” Well, I was wrong. This was the same exact game NU fans have see hundreds of times when they start to have expectations. It was virtually every game of consequence from the 2003-04 season to the 2005-06 season. I could probably spare you all a post and just have you think back to those times, but I've got stuff to say, so I'll post my thoughts.

This was also the type of uninspired effort which NU showed in virtually every game two years ago, when they went 1-17 in the Big Ten. Like that year, tonight Northwestern was pathetic in every area from offense, to defense, to coaching, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the postgame meal is stale.

NU looked totally lost to start the game. They didn’t seem to have a clue as to what offensive set to run, they struggled to get any sort of an open look, and multiple times settled for Jeremy Nash threes. Nash’s offense has obviously improved, but no way was the game plan to have him be the primary offensive weapon to start the game. As bad as that was, though, NU’s defense was even worse. They let Iowa get inside early in the game and therefore decided they need to switch to the 1-3-1. Unfortunately, in the 1-3-1, NU didn’t guard Devan Bawinkle from behind the arc despite the fact Bawinkle has never attempted a two in his career.

NU also didn’t seem able to get a team on the court who could play together without turnovers and forced threes. When NU got down they stopped running offense and started shooting threes like they hoped that if they hit a shot from deep enough it would be a like a “hot spot” in the old NBA Jam video game where you could get 7 or 8 points back with one bomb.

Luka Mirkovic struggled and was pulled. Kyle Rowley struggled and was pulled. Mirkovic came back, but was playing the worst game of his career, so Davide Curletti and Ivan Peljusic played for the first time in eons. Alex Marcotullio saw more time as did Mike Capocci, yet none of them seemed able to play defense or make shots. I don’t mean to pick on those guys. No Wildcat played well. They looked lazy. Almost as if they were either full of themselves because they won two games or looking ahead to Minnesota.

I can’t really quantify just how bad NU played. You can look at the stats and say things like, “NU made only 8-of-26 threes, while Iowa made 12-of-24 or Iowa got 36 rebounds while NU got only 28.” The thing is those stats aren’t enough to explain this game. The best I can do is say if you saw NU’s teams in 95-96, 99-00, or 07-08, that was what this game looked like. NU looked like a team that wasn’t athletic enough or skilled enough to play defense, grab a rebound, or make a shot. The problem is that this isn’t a team that is undermanned like those squads. This is probably Northwestern’s most balanced team ever.

Perhaps the best summary of this game might be to look to a quote from the character of lawyer Jackie Chiles played by actor Phil Morris on the television show Seinfeld. When faced with one of the many times Cosmo Kramer has ruined Jackie’s shot at a huge payday, the frustrated attorney declares, “this is the most public yet of my many humiliations." Northwestern basketball hasn’t exactly impressed in its history. Humiliating losses were the norm at times in the past, but with the nation watching closely, and in many cases rooting, for NU to make the Big Dance, this game is indeed the most public of NU’s many humiliating losses.

Positive Thoughts...

This week has been really tough as an NU fan. Therefore, I went back into my archives decided to rerun a post from last year about my favorite experience as a Wildcat fan. I hope this reminds everyone why following the ‘Cats is so much fun.


On January 26, 2005, Northwestern and Iowa met for what is my favorite ever game as a Northwestern fan. Though I hold great hope that this year’s team will provide me tournament action which will usurp Michael Jenkins’s clutch three as my favorite NU basketball fan moment, the heroics of Jenkins and Vedran Vukusic will always be my favorite NU student fan moment.

As I think back on the game, I remember my friends and I arriving in the student section slightly late, about the under 16:00 timeout, thanks to having just played an intramural game. I also remember being extremely ticked about losing our game and getting ever angrier as I entered the arena and saw the ‘Cats down early. Thanks to our late arrival, we ended up in the corner of the student section closet to the Iowa bench. Through I generally preferred a more central location, this turned out to be a great seat. As the first half of the game progressed, the game got closer and the student section started taunting Iowa grade Pierre Pierce. Usually, it seems the taunts from the NU student section roll right off the back of the Big Ten’s stars, but Pierce seemed rattled. Late in the first half he started committing turnovers. Seeing the success of our efforts, we continued taunt Pierce the rest of the game, and he continued to turn the ball over. He ended up with 10 TO’s total. Combined with his 15 points, I suppose he could say he got a double-double, but it probably wasn’t the type he envisioned.

Despite our efforts, however, as the game went into the second half, it seemed Pierce and the Hawkeyes would get out of Welsh-Ryan with a victory. With only 3:27 seconds left, Iowa held a 12 point lead. At that point, Coach Carmody had the Wildcats start fouling the Hawkeyes. Coaches always have players start fouling late, but it rarely works. This time it did. Pierce and his backcourt teammate Jeff Horner proceeded to clunk free throw after free throw, and Vedran Vukusic started to take over for the Wildcats. Vedran scored 13 points to in the final two minute of regulation to tie the score. Most notably, with a sore shoulder which almost kept him out of the game, he drilled three straight free throws to send the game to overtime. Since we were close to the Iowa bench, we could see Iowa coach Steve Alford talking to his players during timeouts. At one point, a student behind me started shouting, “I read his lips, he said Vedran, he said Vedran.” Indeed, Alford tried to get his players to stop Vukusic, but they couldn’t.

In overtime, the Hawkeyes still couldn’t stop Vukusic. He brought the Wildcats to within a point at 73-72 when he made a basket and got fouled with just under twenty seconds left. NU then fouled Iowa, after the Hawks made a single free throw, the score was 74-72. Then, disaster seemed to strike for NU. The ‘Cats attempt to tie the game, a backdoor pass from T.J. Parker to Vedran, went out of bounds. Thankfully, Parker made up for his poor pass when he stole the ball from Pierce on the inbounds. It was Pierce’s final turnover, number ten, and the crowd let him have it as he walked towards the Iowa bench.

As the Hawkeyes gathered around their bench, it was again clear to the lip reader behind me that coach Alford wanted his players to keep close watch on Vukusic. It made sense. NU would want the player with 32 points to get his hands on the ball in an effort to tie or win the game. Thinking along the lines of Alford, I watched Vedran closely as the two teams came back on the court. As Tim Doyle stood with the ball under the basket, Vedran and Davor Duvancic ran a classic X-cross under the hoop. Iowa stuck with both tall Wildcats. Thankfully, Iowa was as focused on Vedran as I was and didn’t see little Michael Jenkins standing all alone in the corner. Doyle did, though. He threw a typically sharp pass to Jenkins. Once he had the ball, Jenkins let fly a three pointer. I remember as the ball went up and bounced high of the rim having time to think, “Damn, that was a great comeback, too bad we lost.” Thankfully, the ball didn’t hear my thoughts. It bounced high off the rim a second time and fell through the net. Final score: Northwestern, 75 Iowa, 74.

In a split second after the ball fell through the basket, I was on the court. It was the most amazing spontaneous outpouring of joy and excitement I have ever been a part of. I can’t say I really remember running to mid court, but I remember once I got there jumping up and down, high fiving everybody, and watching a group of my fellow students lift Michael Jenkins into the air in attempt to carry him off the court. It was an amazing shared experience. It’s the reason college basketball is so much fun, and the reason that as a student you should never miss a game. I know my roommates who didn’t see Michael Jenkins’s shot in person celebrated in our living room almost as much as those of us at the game, I saw the evidence when I got back Still, I don’t think they experienced that same shared experience of excitement as those of us at the game (Plus, they can't play "Where's Waldo" and find themselves in the photo at the top of the page). Anyone who was in the student section that night knows what I’m talking about. It’s hard to describe, but all I can say is I’ve been to a lot of sporting events and I’ve felt anything quite like it before or since. I’ve talked to family members who were NU students during the 1994 upset of Michigan and they describe that game in a similar way. I guess part of it is the magic of sharing a victory with your classmates. So, I say to all current students, make sure you show up the rest of the year, because you never know when that Welsh-Ryan Arena magic is going to strike.

Top NU Hoops Games of the 2000s - Part 2

Now it is time for the top 5 Northwestern basketball games of the past decade. I debated number five for a time, but actually numbers one to four were always on my list. They were not, however, always in the order which they appear below. I especially debated the top two, but I’m happy with this list in the end so let’s get to it...

# 5 January 14th 2004 – Northwestern 70 #25 Illinois 60

This game makes the top five for a few reasons. First, it had two unbelievable individual performances from Davor Duvancic and Jitim Young. Davor hit 4 threes, including one that bounced high off the front of the rim then in the hoop, and scored 22 points. Jitim added a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Second, NU was down 9 points and the half yet still won by 10. That’s second half domination. Third, the game was first win over Illinois in 5 seasons for NU and was played in front of a sell-out crowd. When the game was over the Illini fans left depressed and the Wildcat fans rushed the court.

#4 February 10th 2001 – Northwestern 69 #14 Iowa 61

Bill Carmody’s first Big Ten win as NU’s coach ended a 32-game regular season conference losing streak which dated back to the end of the 1999 regular season. The ‘Cats got 20 points from Winston Blake in the victory and began a trend of having success against Iowa in Welsh-Ryan which has continued throughout Carmody’s career.

#3 February 7th 2004 – Northwestern 69 #11 Wisconsin 51

This game wasn’t exactly dramatic, but it is by far NU’s most dominated performance against a high-level opponent in the decade. Northwestern took a team expected to contend for a Big Ten title and totally dismantled them. Vedran Vukusic had 18 points, Jitim Young 17 points, and Davor Duvancic 12 points in the easy NU victory.

#2 January 26th 2005 – Northwestern 75 #23 Iowa 74 (overtime)

Mich-ael…Jen-kins…clap…clap…clap. This game actually was #1 on my initial list which focused more on the excitement of the contest. It got bumped when I factored in importance to the program overall. Nevertheless, this contest remains the best NU athletic contest I attended as a student. With game seemingly over Vedran Vukusic took over to singlehandedly bring NU back to tie the score in the final few minutes. Then in over time when Iowa crusted around Vedran, Time Doyle found Michael Jenkins alone in the corner. As Jenkins shot bounced high off the rim every NU fan thought for sure the comeback had fallen short, but when it bounded again and fell into the net Welsh-Ryan erupted in the most amazing out pouring of spontaneous shared joy I’ve ever seen. Mich-ael…Jen-kins…clap…clap…clap.

#1 January 21st 2009 - Northwestern 70 #7 Michigan State 63

This game has everything a number one game should have. It was exciting (not buzzer beater exciting, but still good), it was very important to NU’s program development, and it featured an individual performance for the ages from junior forward Kevin Coble. Coble put on a dominating display on his way to 31 points making shots that it seemed nobody else, save maybe Michael Jordan, could put through the twine. The game showed Big Ten fans Northwestern might just be a serious threat in conference play. It featured clutch performances down the stretch from Craig Moore drilling a three when it looked like Michigan State was ready to retake the lead and Juice Thompson icing the game from the line. Most importantly, though, if Northwestern takes the step forward we all think they will to start the next decade this game will be looked back as the launching point for birth of a new age of Northwestern basketball. An age where Northwestern can stand up against top teams, where NU’s players can compete with the best of the nation, and where an NCAA Tournament breath is a realistic expectation, not an unachievable winter dream.

Basketball Schedule Update

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

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

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

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

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

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

Go Cats!

It's Almost Football Season: Don't Toss the Sutton Jersey in the Closet

So we're only 24 hours away from the start of college football’s season and only a couple days from the start of NU’s season. Though I created this blog as primarily a basketball site, I still find myself unbelievably pumped when football season comes upon us. It’s almost the same type of feeling as being a kid waiting for Christmas. You don’t know exactly what you’re going to get, but you’re excited about the possibilities. For Northwestern the possibilities are huge. I’d say with four easy non-conference games that anything less than an 8 win season would have to be disappointing. This is a major change from fourteen years ago in 1995 when anybody outside of the NU program wouldn’t have expected the ‘Cats to win more than 3 games. Sports Illustrated ranked NU in the 70s that year and called punter Paul Burton the ‘Cats best player. To everyone’s shock, the ‘Cats won 10 games in 1995, and although Burton had a nice season, it was running back Darnell Autry who made the cover of Sports Illustrated when SI featured the ‘Cats. Will the 2009 season see NU on it’s first SI Cover since that year? Who knows, but the Wildcats are blessed with talent, some known, and some unknown. Let’s take a look.

#12 Andrew Brewer: The Wildcats receivers might be a bit under the radar, but Brewer’s 6-3 size and 4.4 foot speed should place him firmly on every opponent’s radar as long as he stays healthy.

#13 Mike Kafka: Most people point to Kafka’s game against Minnesota when discussing his ability to lead NU, but I also want to point to NU’s first drive against Ohio State. NU ran Kafka something like 7 straight times and the great Buckeye defense couldn’t stop him. For that series, Kafka was without a doubt the best player on the field. Eventually OSU figured out Mick McCall wasn’t opening the whole playbook for Kafka at the time, but if it opens this year the ‘Cats will be in a January bowl game.

#19 Arby Fields: Tyrell Sutton is gone, but if you bought a Tyrell jersey don’t toss it in the back of the closet. His replacement in jersey number will also replace Tyrell at running back. Simmons might be slated as the starter, but it’ll likely be Fields who is running the ball the brunt of the time when the Big Ten season comes around. Fields will also join NU defensive end Quentin Williams as an outfielder on NU’s baseball team next spring. Talk about a talented guy!

#57 Nate Williams: I don’t know why more people don’t talk about this guy. He was all over the field last year as middle linebacker when he took over. He’s got to have legit 4.4 speed as he ran down Juice Williams a couple times against Illinois. Considering who his head coach is, I think he’ll get even better this year.

#9 Drake Dunsmore; Something of a forgotten man after a pre-season injury last year. I would not be surprised to see Dunsmore led NU in receptions. With Kafka at the QB spot I expect to see more superback formations and with Dunsmore’s speed and versatility I think he’ll make a case for All-Big Ten honors.

#99 Corey Wotton: How is this guy not the pre-season pick for Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Is the media blind? He’s big, he’s strong, he’s quick off the ball, and he’s got a monster playing next to him in Corbin Bryant. I think Wotton gets at least 12 sacks this season.

Wildcats Have Something to Prove in Both Football and Basketball (And They Will Prove It)

For very different reasons both Northwestern’s football team and men’s basketball team have a lot to prove in their upcoming seasons. Both had what I would call successful seasons last year, but many doubters remain. The sense I get inside the Northwestern community is that Wildcat Nation stands in direct opposition to those who doubt the gridiron ‘Cats. We expect Coach Fitz’s crew to ride a strong defense and Mike Kafka’s legs to a minimum of 8 wins. At the same time, though, Wildcat Nation is much more divided in its expectations for Coach Carmody’s basketball Wildcats. The optimistic Wildcat hoops fans are still cautious in their optimism, but they fully expect last season’s win total of 17 to increase into the 20s and perhaps place the ‘Cats in the NCAA tournament. The less optimistic feel that Bill Carmody simply doesn’t have what it takes to get Northwestern into the NCAA tournament and will likely be looking for work when his contract runs out.

While it might be frustrating to some to hear negative comments about the team we support, I think it is important to remember that those comments bother us far more than the players or coaches. The players and coaches either don’t bother to read the negatives written in magazines, newspapers, and internet sites or they use them as motivation. One of the most powerful forms of motivation is the desire to prove that you can accomplish a feat which others think you have no chance to accomplish.

I believe both Northwestern teams will use this form of motivation and excel in the coming seasons. I’ve already heard the NU receiving core has responded to the fact nearly every preseason publication has ranked them at the bottom of the Big Ten by introducing themselves during media day by saying, “I’m nobody.” What they really mean is they’re nobody yet, but Andrew Brewer, Sidney Stewart, and Jeremy Ebert have confidence that by November everybody will know their names.

Really, with the fact NU loses so many skill positions players I can almost understand why some prognosticators aren’t picking NU as high as I think maybe they should. What is upsetting is those prognosticators who predict Northwestern to finish near the bottom of the Big Ten just because it is Northwestern. The past is the past, people need to look at the now. Fitz hasn’t yet won a Big Ten Title as a coach (just wait and maybe not too long), but he’s got the program in great shape. I seriously doubt we’ll ever see any total disaster years at NU with him running the show.

Basketball wise, I again ask people to evaluate in the now, not the past. Yes, NU basketball has a horrible history. Way worse than NU football (expect for that 1931 National Title which I’m still hoping NU’s AD will take note of), but last year was a very successful season for NU. Yes, it at times had the feel of a rollercoaster with some amazing highs and remarkable lows, but it was still a winning season. NU’s players (and coaches) both had some of the best performances I’ve seen from those associated with Wildcat hoops. Off that winning season NU brings back its best player in Kevin Coble and a great team leader in Juice Thompson. The Wildcats also bring in their second consecutive high-level recurring class. There is no reason not to believe such a team will improve over the previous season. If the recruits and the sophomores really step it up to help Coble and Juice they might even improve a lot. If NU’s basketball players do hear the doubters out there, I hope they take a lesson for NU’s football squad and embrace the doubt with the quiet confidence that comes with knowing you will be successful no matter what others say.

Simply put, right now Northwestern has the chance to prove the doubters wrong and put together very successful seasons in football and men’s basketball that prove to be jumping off points for sustained success. And I say to those fans who can’t get over NU’s past struggles, get out of the past. The Wildcats of today can beat anybody. Welcome to the future.

Memorabilia: Farewell to McGaw, Welcome to Welsh-Ryan Arena

Today’s Northwestern memorabilia post focuses on items given to fans at the last game at the old McGaw Hall and the first at brand new Welsh-Ryan Arena in 1983. People often have very negative things to say about Welsh-Ryan Arena today, but I think it has a lot of good points. Still, I have to admit that I suspect there have not been a ton of changes to Welsh-Ryan since McGaw was remodeled in 1983 and some areas of the building show that pretty prominently. The concourse being the most obvious.

First off we have a hard hat which was given to fans at the last game hosted at McGaw Hall in 1982. With the building getting remodeled, the hard hat was a pretty cool giveaway. I can imagine fans, at least in the student section, might even have enjoyed wearing those the next season as well.
Next up we have key chair in the form of a ticket which was given to fans at the first game NU hosted in the remodeled Welsh-Ryan Arena. You can see in the close up at this point the arena was being called Welsh-Ryan Arena in McGaw Hall. Now, despite the fact the building is still McGaw Hall, that full name has been dropped. I also want to say I have no idea why NU chose Section 103 Row H Seat 11 as the seat for the key chair. I suspect some reason must have existed, perhaps it was the first seat installed.

News and Notes: Chicago College Baskeetball named 1931 hero Joseph Reiff the fourth best player in Chicago Basketball history. Here the link: http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/chicago-college-basketball/2009/08/top-10-greatest-chicago-college-basketball-players---4.html

Memorabilia: More Schedule Cards

Two events inspired this post in which I want to take a look at some more NU memorabilia. First, I picked up a new schedule card for NU’s 2009 football season. Second, reader Jon Solomon from princetonbasketball.com sent me a couple old NU schedule cards he found from the late 90s and 2001 (Thanks, Jon).

If you remember my last post on schedule cards I discussed what I believed made for a good schedule card and what did not. I think overall what you’ll see today are good examples of schedule cards—this year's football card included. However I do have on major issue with the 2009 football schedule card and I will be fascinated to see if others are share my feelings.

First off you see both men’s and women’s basketball schedule cards from the 98-99 season. For the men’s team, of course, this was a successful year with an NIT qualification. Aside from positive memories, what I like about these two schedule cards is they show actions shots. Both feature photos which I think would catch someone’s eye if the walked by these cards as they entered a restaurant.

Next up, we have football schedule cards. First from the 2001 season and then from this upcoming season. The 2001 card features a semi-action shot as Zak Kustok is looking to pass, but I’m not sure it’s as exciting as the shot of Evan Eschmeyer going to the hoop. Still, I really like the fact the 2001 football card featured a slogan, “Chicagoland’s Big 10 Show” while that campaign wasn’t super-successful, it was nice to see NU trying to brand itself in Chicago.

As you can see below, this year’s schedule card features the “Play Smart - Play with Integrity” slogan which has started to show up on NU football merchandise recently. I like that slogan as to me it represents the ideals of Northwestern athletics very well. This year’s schedule card also continues the trend which started in the last couple years of indentifying the player on the card. I think this is a great improvement over the past schedule cards which did not do this. Sure, if you were an NU fan in 2001 you knew Zak Kustok on sight, but it is possible some casual sports fans in Chicago might know a players name, but not be able to put a jersey number to that name. Indentifying the player helps those casual fans make more of a connection with NU. It’s even better when the picture shows the player making an eye-catching play. In that regard, the picture of Corey Wotton on this year’s card isn’t bad. It shows him stopping and ball carrier and gives the viewer a sense of Corey’s size and strength. However, I do have one major issue with the picture featured. Corey Wotton played in 13 football games last fall. Of those football games, Northwestern won 9 and I think Corey made big plays in all 9 of those wins. Therefore, I really have to ask why of all the pictures to use was one of the Indiana game selected (Does this bother anyone else?). Yes, I know it’s just a picture and really makes no difference, but loyal readers can probably tell I spend a lot of time thinking about past NU games. I really enjoy remembering the great wins, but I try to block out the really painful losses. Indiana was the most painful and disheartening loss of last season and personally I’d like to keep blocking that out. Wasn’t there a picture of Corey sacking the SIU QB in the rain that could have been used? The Big Ten Network sure enjoyed running clips of those sacks during Fitz’s press conference during media day.

Still, overall the new schedule card isn’t bad. The picture does, I’ll admit, catch your eye and I like how the new three-fold style allows for more information. I also like how the 2010 schedule is listed as well, though, it would help a lot if NU could find a 12th game so the schedule was actually complete. Hopefully we’ll know that soon, but before we worry about 2010, let’s hope that new schedule card helps get some people out to games in 2009.

Poll Results Thoughts

A new poll has been posted based on the increasing chatter both in the media and on-line regarding the Wrigley Field game. Before you vote, though, here are some thoughts on the last two polls at Welsh-Ryan Ramblings.

The poll conducted regarding NU’s 1931 Helms Foundation NCAA Basketball National Championship featured about 70% of NU fans supporting NU recognizing the title. The other 30% of voters were split nearly evenly between auguring NU shouldn’t recognize the title and not really caring since the event occurred in 1931. I think what this poll shows is that the majority of NU fans would be supportive should NU recognize the 1931 National Champions. Even those who said they were opposed probably wouldn’t vehemently protest an acknowledgement of the title in the media guide. I think they are more opposed to a banner raising ceremony which comes nearly 80 years late. If I’m missing the boat here please leave a message in the comment section.

The second poll conducted featured the question of what old “kind of” classic game fans might want to see rerun. Aside from discovering that this wasn’t a topic many were interested in (this poll got the lowest vote total in WRR history) it revealed the NU football game against Minnesota in 2007 does have some folks who’d like to take a second look. Personally, I’d love to get the chance to TiVo and watch all the NU wins which aired on the BTN in football and basketball during the 2007-08 school year as at the time I like many others did not have the BTN on my cable system.

News and Notes:
ESPN.com ranks NU Women's Basketball's Recruiting class number 20 in the nation: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/basketball/womens/news/story?id=4352878

Another not quite classic NU game that the BTN could rerun

Whether it’s healthy or not is debatable, but as is evidenced by several past posts I'm always thinking about past NU games I'd like to see again and a recent trip to purchase an HD TV reminded me of another Northwestern football game which was exciting enough for a repeat viewing, though, not particularly important in the grand scheme of NU football history. That game was Northwestern’s 2002 49-40 win at Navy. In that wild contest both Jason Wright and Noah Herron rushed for over 100 yards and in only his third career start freshman quarterback Brett Basanez directed an NU attack which Navy’s defense couldn’t stop. Now, you might ask why did shopping for an HD TV make me remember that contest. Well, that game was broadcast exclusively on HDnet (it was also run on tape delay on Comcast SportsNet in Maryland). Now, I was actually at this game as the sideline reporter on the WNUR broadcast crew so I didn’t get to see the original HD broadcast (my father did since he went to an electronics store with HD TVs instead of listening to me and my colleagues), but I strongly suspect it is sitting in the achieves somewhere at either HDnet’s cooperate offices or the Naval Academy gathering dust. Given this fact, I see no reason why the Big Ten Network couldn’t get their hands on this contest and rerun the game. I have to give great credit to the BTN for the number of games they do in HD. One of my best friends went to a Mountain West school and he often complains about how few games on The Mountain (the MWC’s own network) are in HD. Given that HD TV was in its relatively infancy in 2002 the odds are most NU fans who weren’t in Annapolis never saw this game. Let me tell you, it was worth seeing. I remember it being nearly impossible to keep up with the frantic pace of the game as the running games of both schools plowed through defenses with ease. In fact, in terms of scoring the game is similar to several of the NU classics from 2000 or 2005, the rest of the season in 2002 simply wasn’t as good (Actually it was rather terrible). Still, from my point of view, of the many games rerun on networks like the BTN or ESPN Classic, the most watchable are those with high entertainment value, say a high scoring affair like the 54-51 win over Michigan, or games with great novelty, such as a game very few people saw live. This contest fits both bills and I would love to see it again.
The Wildcats line up on defense vs Navy in 2002

NU Football Tickets Offer Hope for Acknowledgement of 1931 Championship

When I opened the FedEx envelope with my 2009 football tickets I became hopeful that Northwestern might actually be moving towards recognizing our 1931 NCAA Basketball Title. How is this the case? Well, as you can see below, this year’s tickets feature All-American players from NU’s past. From Otto Graham to Zach Strief, the Northwestern ticket office has decided to honor Wildcats of the past by putting them on the NU football season tickets. I take this as a positive step that the folks at Northwestern’s Athletic Department want to acknowledge the successes and achievements of past players and teams. Considering a National Championship is the highest point of achievement for any college sports team, I am optimistic Northwestern might soon start giving acknowledgement of the 1931 team’s accomplishments some serious consideration. I still encourage those who have not done so to sign the petition and to encourage others to do so as well. I hope that at some point this season the support from the NU community for acknowledgement of the past will lead to a banner honoring the 1931 title team.

Classic NU games which aired originally on the BTN

NU beat Michigan on the BTN in 2008 and it'd be great to see that win again...

The good news for NU fans is the upcoming Big Ten Network schedule has several repeats of classic NU games listed as airing in the next few days and weeks. This is great, except that other than last year's football final vs Illinois (airing twice Saturday) all the classic games are games which the BTN has already aired a bunch of times. Here at Welsh-Ryan Ramblings we love watching classic NU sports, but we also like variety. As a result, here are a couple classics which one has to assume would be easy to rebroadcast since they aired on the BTN originally.

2007 football vs Nevada: This game featured a great finish which rivals many of NU’s classic conclusions over the years. If it had been against a Big Ten opponent, I think it would rank on the all-time list. As it is, it’s still exciting and well worth a repeat viewing.

2007 football vs Minnesota: I mentioned this on my earlier list of classics which the BTN should air, but I want to add that it’s actually a better game than the 2007 MSU game which the BTN airs all the time.

2007-2008 basketball vs Michigan: It was NU’s only conference win and a pretty good game. Classic Craig Moore if nothing else.

2008-2009 basketball vs DePaul: NU hammers the Demons 63-36, well worth a second (or third) watching.

2008-2009 basketball vs/at Indiana: NU beat the Hoosiers twice last season. They won at home in a dramatic game in Welsh-Ryan and then recorded their first win at Assembly Hall in a blow out.

The Records of '31

The quest to get Northwestern to recognize Coach Lonborg’s 1931 National Champions continues today with a post dedicated to the records set that season. I also want to say that as this weekend is historic for NU athletics with football coach Pat Fitzgerald getting inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame, there is no better time to think about the significance of all aspects NU’s athletic history. Fans as you gather with fellow NU fans in South Bend, or anywhere else, let them know about our forgotten National Champs and encourage them to sign the petition and help bring awareness to the efforts of Riel, Reiff, Lonborg, and the ‘Cats.

The first record the Wildcats set was most consecutive victories. NU won 12 straight games to start the season that year and 13 straight games if you include the last game from the year before. NU also set a record in 1931 for most consecutive road wins with 7 straight wins away from home. Overall, Northwestern won 16 games which is tied for the third most single-season wins in school history with the 2001-2002 Wildcats. NU’s winning percentage in 1931 is also a school record with a percentage of .941. Those are all significant achievements and when you factor in the Big Ten Title (NU’s first) and Joseph Reiff’s All-American honor (also NU’s first), 1931 becomes by far the most decorated and historically significant year in Northwestern basketball history. With this fact in mind I once again urge Jim Phillips and his staff at NU’s athletic department to recognize the National Championship awarded to the 1931 Wildcats by hanging a banner in Welsh-Ryan Arena. Finally, while some might say commemorating accomplishments almost 80 years old is silly as they are insignificant to today’s team. I say that history is never insignificant. As the banner is raised to the rafters, Wildcats fans would realize that Northwestern accomplished the ultimate goal in college basketball once before and will without a doubt do so again.

Other Members of the 1931 Championship Squad

Finding statistical data from 1931 has not been easy task, but I was able to learn a little more about the athletes who played alongside Joseph Reiff as the ‘Cats went 16-1 from the Biographical Dictionary of American Sports. Coach Dutch Lonborg’s team was characterized by large athletic players. The 6-3 Reiff at center was the primary scorer for the ‘Cats leading the team with 123 points in 12 league games. That average of just over 10 ppg was enough to lead the league in scoring. Alongside Reiff in the front court for the ‘Cats were forwards Robert McCarnes and Bert Riel. Both men were also known for their size and athletic skill. Riel served as the team captain. In the backcourt the Wildcats featured guards Frank Marshall and Arthur Smith. With that squad the Wildcats were able to beat Notre Dame twice (always a nice thing to do), the University of Alabama (which must have taken a long train trip), and Bradley University. The Wildcats also won 11 of the team’s 12 league games. Those wins, according to the Helms Foundation, were enough to rate the Wildcats National Champs. So, I again ask Northwestern’s Athletic Department to acknowledge that accomplishment and recognize the efforts of Riel, Reiff, and their teammates.


I want to thank wildcatreport.com poster streamsofwhiskey who is this thread posted pictures of the banner’s Kansas and North Carolina have for their Helms Foundation National Champs. Also, I want to think everyone who so far has voted in the poll or signed the petition. It is great to see some names I recognize from both my time at NU and my home town on the list. Now, let’s all encourage our follow alums and NU supports who have not signed to do so. 10,000 signatures might be a little to lofty of a goal, but I’d like to get 500 or 1,000 before I send it along to NU.

News and Notes: NU's ACC/Big Ten Challenge game vs NC State will be on ESPNU. Here's hoping that Comcast and ESPN finish their deal to get ESPNU onto Comcast systems by that time.