Northwestern

Poll: First Coach to be Fired?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 09:27:00 -0700

Picture of the Day: Bill Carmody

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 08:00:48 -0700

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Picture of the Day

Thanks to our friends over at Icon Sports Media, we have access to thousands of great college basketball photos to use on the site. Each day during the season, CHN will feature a Picture of the Day, which might include a newsworthy, funny, or simply interesting subject. At the bottom will be a caption or headline that might be informative or amusing. The possibilities are endless! During the off-season, we'll publish scattered favorites that were missed during the year.

Bill Carmody

Sometimes when things go wrong, as has happened in 31 of Northwestern's last 34 Big Ten games.. you have no choice but to take it like a man and suck your thumb..

- Check out recent Pictures of the Day!

- Also check out the Cheerleader of the Day!

- Watch all of CHN's favorite College Basketball Videos!

State of '08: Illinois

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 10:40:02 -0700

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Duke or Carolina? BC or UMASS? Gonzaga or Washington.. or Washington State? What is the best program in each state? While there's not much competition in Hawaii.. there are great debates to be had in loaded regions like California, North Carolina, and Texas. The State of '08 is a ranking of every program in every state.. based mostly on recent success (the last five years) mixed in with subjective factors such as conference prestige, historical success, and overall program direction.

Up today: Illinois. For more info, check out the State of '08 introduction.

ILLINOIS

ILLINOIS - In 2005, Bruce Weber led Illinois to the National Title game behind the amazing backcourt duo of Deron Williams and Dee Brown. But those were Bill Self's guys, and Weber's teams have gotten worse every season. Last year the Illini missed out on the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1999.. and have little shot of making it this year as well. While Illinois is still the class of the state, SIU continues to the close the gap. The Illini's 2010 class can't get on to campus quickly enough.

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS - Before last season, SIU had made 6 NCAA Tournaments in a row, including two Sweet Sixteen runs along the way. Even last year, despite the mediocre 11-7 MVC record, the Salukis were better than many think.. as they knocked off Top 40 foes like Mississippi State, Saint Mary's, and Western Kentucky.. all of whom made the Big Dance.

BRADLEY - In 2006, Bradley made a name for itself, shocking many pundits by making the Sweet Sixteen. 2007 was arguably an equally successful regular season (an RPI of 38 vs 33 the previous season), but the Braves ended up in the NIT. Bradley has topped DePaul in the RPI each of the last 3 seasons (also beating them 3 times in a row), and should accomplish that feat again in 2009

DEPAUL - Still trying to find its groove in the Big East, DePaul should most likely finish in the conference's bottom 3 in 08-09. The program has made just 2 NCAA Tourney trips in the last decade, in 2000 & 2004. Fourth year coach Jerry Wainright has some work to do getting DePaul back to that level.

UIC - Veteran coach Jimmy Collins has led UIC to 3 NCAA Tournaments since taking over in 1996. Since their last trip in 2004, the Flames have been mired in mediocrity, going 32-34 in Horizon League games in that period. Another similar middle of the pack finish is expected in 08-09.

6. ILLINOIS STATE - 1998 was the last time the Redbirds made the Big dance, but 07-08 was the best since then. First year Tim Jankovich led his team to a 13-5 MVC record, and an RPI of 34. Illinois State had the 2nd highest RPI of any team that didn't make the Big Dance.. and got screwed by playing the only higher team (Dayton) in the 2nd round of the NIT. Another NIT is possible this season, but the NCAA Tournament will have to wait.

7. NORTHWESTERN - The Wildcats' futility is known to all fans, as the program has yet to reach the NCAA Tournament in its 100+ year existence. The last postseason trip (one of 3 ever) was in 1999, a first round loss in the NIT. From 02-04, BIll Carmody supplied some hope as NU finished with a .500 Big Ten record in '04 for the first time since 1968. But the hope has mostly fizzled out with just 3 wins in their last 34 conference games.

8. LOYOLA - Coming off a down season, Loyola is hoping to repeat the success they had in 06 & 07 when Blake Schilb led the Ramblers to 19 & 21 win seasons. Jim Whitesell's crew should most likely improve on last year's RPI of 222.

9. NORTHERN ILLINOIS - The Huskies are coming off two brutal seasons (just 12 D1 wins combined), and should once again be one of the worst teams in the MAC this season. But every couple years NIU has a decent run: In 2006, they upset DePaul (for the 2nd year in a row), as well as Kansas State, and Ohio. In 2003, they finished 3rd in the MAC and won two conference tourney games

10. CHICAGO STATE - From 2001 to 2003, Chicago State may have been the country's worst program. Now CSU is simply bad, and lacks a conference affiliation since leaving the Summit League after 2006. (2006 was oddly one of CSU's best ever D1 seasons, as they finished on a tear and went to the conference title game). Its hard to expect much from the Cougars any time soon.

11. WESTERN ILLINOIS* - One of the country's usual doormats, WIU is arguably coming off its best season since 1999. Which isn't saying too much considering the Leathernecks won just 10 D1 games and only beat one Top 200 team all season (North Dakota State). There's every reason to expect another 290-300 RPI this year.

12. EASTERN ILLINOIS* - In 2004, EIU went from being a run of the mill sub par program to one of the worst in the country. With an RPI of 337 last year, the Panthers were the 3rd worst full-time D1 team, only edging out UMES and fellow OVC team Jacksonville State.

* WIU and EIU have had very similar success recently, and have even split their meetings in the past 4 years. I give WIU the edge for being in the Summit League, which has outperformed the OVC for the last handful of seasons.

Last: Indiana (Yes, I know I reversed the order of Indiana & Illinois by mistake..) - Next: Iowa

State of '08: The Introduction (& State list/links)

Northestern Basketball Schedule: 2008-09

Press Release — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 07:18:33 -0700

EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern University today announced its 2008-09 men's basketball schedule with the Wildcats playing a total of 15 games against nine different teams that reached the postseason a year ago. The regular season tips off Sunday, Nov. 16 with NU hosting Central Arkansas at Welsh-Ryan Arena, the first of 17 home games on the slate.

For the second consecutive year, every one of the Wildcats' Big Ten contests will be televised nationally on either Big Ten Network, ESPN or ESPN2. Overall, at least four of Northwestern's games this season are scheduled to be on either one of the ESPN platforms.

The 'Cats have one exhibition game on their schedule as they host local foe Robert Morris College Nov. 6. Following the regular season opener against Central Arkansas, Northwestern faces Texas A&M-Corpus Christi three days later.

NU hits the road for the first time Nov. 22 when it travels to Providence, R.I., to square off against Brown. A Thanksgiving Eve date at Butler looms that next Wednesday as the Wildcats take on a Bulldogs squad that was ranked in the top 15 the majority of last season and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Northwestern then returns home for four consecutive games at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The 'Cats welcome UC Riverside Dec. 1 just two days prior to a contest against Florida State as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The challenging week of three games in six days concludes with a matchup against local rival DePaul Dec. 6. NU concludes the homestand by hosting UMKC Dec. 15.

A road trip to Stanford awaits the Wildcats Dec. 20. New head coach Johnny Dawkins inherits a team that advanced to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament a season ago. The pre-conference portion of the schedule concludes Dec. 23 when SMU travels to Evanston.

For the first time, Big Ten Conference play gets underway prior to the start of the new year. The 18-game slate begins Dec. 31 as Northwestern travels to Penn State for an 11 a.m. Central time contest. It is the only scheduled meeting between the Wildcats and the Nittany Lions this season.

The 'Cats play three of their next four games at home as they face Michigan State Jan. 3 in the conference home opener. Following a matchup at reigning Big Ten champion Wisconsin Jan. 7, NU has seven days off to prepare for a showdown against Purdue which finished second in the Big Ten last season.

A home game against Minnesota is on tap for Jan. 18 before the Wildcats conclude their season series with Michigan State in East Lansing that following Wednesday. Northwestern must make a return trip to the state of Michigan just three days later as it heads to Ann Arbor to challenge the Wolverines.

The 'Cats then tip off a stretch during which they'll play six of the next seven games on their home court. Contests against Indiana and Wisconsin precede a step outside Big Ten play when NU hosts Chicago State Feb. 4. The lone road contest over the stretch takes place Feb. 7 at Iowa before the team returns to Evanston for the team's lone regular season game against in-state rival Illinois.

Following home games against Michigan and Ohio State, the schedule turns in the opposite direction for Northwestern as it plays four of its final five regular season games on the road. Things get underway with a game at Minnesota Feb. 22. After a contest at Indiana, the Wildcats conclude their 2008-09 home season with a Senior Day showdown against Iowa Feb. 28.

NU heads to Purdue for a game that will be played March 3, 4 or 5 before concluding the regular season at Ohio State March 8.

The 2009 Big Ten Tournament is set for March 12-15 at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

The Big Ten Conference is expected to release game times and television designations for all non-conference games in the coming days. Please check NUsports.com for updates as they become available.

Poll: Who Will be the Worst Team in the Big Ten?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 07:58:11 -0700

2008-09 Northwestern Basketball Preview: #128

Joel Welser — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 08:58:26 -0700

Northwestern Wildcats

Overall Rank: #128

Conference Rank: #9 Big Ten

2007-08: 8-22, 1-17, 11^th

2007-08 postseason: none

Sure the 1-17 conference record was horrible and there really was not a good win on the schedule, but that was a young Northwestern team. This year will not be a whole lot better, after all this is Northwestern we are talking about, but it will be better. Kevin Coble is a legitimate all-conference player. He missed part of last year, but he managed to lead the team with 15.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game anyway. A full year out of the sharpshooting forward should be enough to add a couple wins onto that total by itself.

Who’s Out:

Nine different players started at least one game for the Wildcats last year and eight of them are back. Nikola Baran started 16 games but opted to transfer after the season. Jason Okrzesik was a decent sharpshooter off the bench and averaged 6.2 points per game, but Northwestern will not have a problem finding shooters. Jean-Marc Melchoir and Tonjua Jones will not be returning after seeing limited action during the 2007-2008 campaign.

Who’s In:

What the team really needs is some production from the frontcourt and the recruiting class certainly addresses that need. Kyle Rowley, Davide’ Curletti, Luka Mirkovic and John Shurna are all post players. Rowley is a seven-foooter who can immediately make a contribution. He is a fine passer out of the paint and has played for Trinidad and Tobago’s under-18 nation team. At the least, he can grab some rebounds and clog the paint as a freshman. Like the traditional Northwestern big man, Curletti can hit the outside shot. Mirkovic will stick around the basket a little more, but fellow power forward Shurna can do everything. Shurna needs to add some bulk to his 6-8 frame to battle in the Big Ten, but he is a fine shooter who can also pass and hit the glass. Shooting guard Nick Fruendt is the lone perimeter player of the group. He has a superb mid-range game and will always work hard off the ball to get the open look. Not only does he work for open looks, but he also knocks down the shots consistently.

Who to Watch:

Coble is not the only quality returning player on the team. Craig Moore had a poor sophomore season but really came on strong last year and knocked down the most three-pointers in the Big Ten. Speaking of consistent shooters, Michael Thompson certainly fits into that category. As a freshman, Thompson hit 43.3 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc. More important than his ability to keep the opposing defense honest with his outside shot and more important than his 11.6 points per game is Thompson’s ability to create for his teammates. He dished out 4.3 assists per game and only turned it over 2.2 times. The ratio is not that great, but it is pretty impressive for a freshman in the Big Ten.

Final Projection:

Coble, Moore and Thompson will be the stars of the team, but Coach Bill Carmody has a handful of players who could make a bigger impact this year. Forward Ivan Peljusic came on strong at the end of his freshman year when he was inserted into the starting lineup. Sterling Williams is an experienced option on the wing and Jeff Ryan could be a great scorer if he could stay healthy. Even Jeremy Nash and Mike Capocci had their moments later in the year. If most of those players can improve a little bit, or at least stay healthy, Northwestern will have plenty of weapons. Now if they can just play a little defense and not get outrebounded by ten per game, the Wildcats will cause a few teams some big problems in the Big Ten.

Projected Post-season Tournament: none

Projected Starting Five:

Michael Thompson, Sophomore, Guard, 11.6 points per game

Craig Moore, Senior, Guard, 13.4 points per game

Sterling Williams, Senior, Guard, 5.3 points per game

Kevin Coble, Junior, Forward, 15.9 points per game

Ivan Peljusic, Sophomore, Forward, 3.9 points per game

Complete Top 144 Ranking | 2008-09 Preview & Awards | Coach Interviews | Discuss the Preview

Three Stars of the Day: Foster, Moore, Williams

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 04:30:54 -0800

Three Stars of The Day

We handpick the best performances of the day, whether it be stat lines that make you drool, or clutch performances. Either way, its our way of showing the love:

Shan Foster - Vanderbilt

Getting hot from behind the arc, Foster hit 6 threes, scored 32 points, and led Vandy to a win over #1 Tennessee

Craig Moore - Northwestern

The Wildcats finally won their first Big Ten game behind Moore's 25 points

Reggie Williams - VMI

Had 34 points and 12 boards as the Keydets pulled off a close road win at Liberty

Other Top Performers

Jeff Adrien - UCONN - Had a double-double with 27 & 11.. but it was against lowly Rutgers

Byron Eaton - Oklahoma State - Hit the game-winning shot with under 2 seconds to go as OSU won another road game

Trent Plaisted - BYU - Led his team with 23 points and at the game-winning FT's that put BYU ahead of UNM in OT

Previous Stars of the Day

February 25th - DJ Augustin, Texas

February 20th - OJ Mayo, USC

February 19th - Blake Griffin, Oklahoma

February 18th - John Bryant, Santa Clara

February 17th - Johnson/Teague, Wake Forest

February 15th - Tyrese Rice, Boston College

February 12th - J'Nathan Bullock, Cleveland State

February 10th - Tyler Hansbrough, UNC

February 9th - Hasheem Thabeet, UCONN

February 7th - Ronald Ramon, Pittsburgh

February 6th - Michael Beasley, Kansas State

February 4th - Todd Golden, Saint Mary's

February 3rd - Tyler Hansbrough, UNC

January 30th - Chase Budinger, Arizona

January 29th - Beasley/Walker, Kansas State

January 28th - Chris Godzinski, Wofford

January 27th - DeMarcus Nelson, Duke

January 26th - Hackett/Lewis/Mayo, USC

January 24th - Jerryd Bayless, Arizona

January 22nd - Patrick Patterson, Kentucky

January 21st - DJ Augustin, Texas

January 20th - Dezmon Harris, Weber State

January 19th - James Gist, Maryland

January 18th - Abbott/Harden, Arizona State

January 17th - Dionte Christmas, Temple

January 14th - Roy Hibbert, Georgetown

January 11th - Lester Hudson, Tennessee-Martin

January 9th - DJ White, Indiana

January 8th - Lester Hudson, Tennessee-Martin

January 7th - Wayne Ellington, UNC

January 6th - Shan Foster, Vanderbilt

January 5th - Damon Huffman, Brown

January 4th - Luke Harangody, Notre Dame

January 3rd - Damon Huffman, Brown

January 2nd - Martin Zeno, Texas Tech

November/December Star of the Day Archive

Picture of the Day: Northwestern's Craig Moore

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 22:02:06 -0800

Thanks to our friends over at Icon Sports Media, we now have access to thousands of great college basketball photos to use on the site. Each day, CHN will feature a Picture of the Day, which might include a newsworthy, funny, or simply interesting subject. At the bottom will be a caption or headline that might be informative or amusing. The possibilities are endless!

Northwestern's Craig Moore

It's not easy finding pictures of Northwestern basketball, let alone a good picture. So we're stuck with this older semi-blurry shot of Craig Moore inbounding the ball. Last night, Moore scored a game-high 25 points to lead the Wildcats to a win over Michigan. It was Northwestern's first Big Ten win of the year (and first since February 10th of 2007), just their 2nd win over a Top 200 team, and seventh overall. Even though the picture might not be special, they deserved some kudos.

- Check out recent Pictures of the Day!

- Also check out the Cheerleader of the Day!

Daily Dribble: 12/15

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 21:20:47 -0800

I took a slow Thursday of college hoops to watch some NBA Basketball on TNT. Adam Morrison and the Charlotte Bobcats faced JJ Redick and the Orlando Magic in the battle of the new white hopes (at least until Chase Budinger comes along). Morrison came through with 22 points off the bench to help lead Charlotte to a rare win. Morrison is coming off one of the worst shooting slumps of not just his young NBA career.. but of his life.. anybody's life for that matter. From December 3 to December 10, Morrison put up some the worst numbers I've seen in NBA history. December 3: 1-5 shooting, 2 points, 19 minutes. December 6: 1-10 shooting, 4 points, 35 minutes. December 8: 1-11 shooting, 2 points, 30 minutes. December 10: 1-8 shooting, 3 points, 26 minutes. Add it up.. 4 for 34 shooting (12%), 11 points, 110 minutes.. Awful. At least Morrison has shown flashes and is averaging 13 per game. Though he's supposedly healthy now, JJ has been injured and has barely made an impact with Orlando. The 5 points he scored in the loss, upped his career total to 11. JJ simply seems afraid to shoot at this point. I've never seen a guy pump fake so many times in a half of basketball. We'll give him some time before judging completely.. Anyways, back to the college game. Harvard improved to 6-4 with a road win at Central Connecticut. The Crimson haven't been over .500 in the last handful of years, so this is an impressive start. They feature one of the country's most productive 7-footers in senior Brian Cusworth. Cusworth is averaging 17 points, 8 boards, and 2 blocks per game on the season. The Ivy isn't known for dominant big man play, so Cusworth gives Harvard a unique dimenson. The win by Harvard continues what has been a pretty solid start for the Ivy League in non-conference play. The league is 31-38 (45%), which is a good amount better than last year's 39% finish. In fact, at 31-38, the Ivy has a better record than more respected leagues like the WCC (.446 to the Ivy's .449), MAC (.446), and Horizon (.406). In case you were wondering, the conference with the best overall winning percentage right now is.. the Pac-10 with an impressive 65-16 record (.802). Congrats to Northwestern for proving they're one of the worst offensive teams in recent memory. The Wildcats scored 41 and won by 2 points.. over a D3 team. This is a Wheaton team that's already lost to two D3 teams by the way.. so its not like they're a bunch of world-beaters. #19 Memphis bounced back from an embarassing loss to Tennessee by winning their second game in a row. The Tigers blew out Austin Peay, putting the game away from the tip with a 22-2 run. Chris Douglas-Roberts scored a career high 28 in the win. Memphis faces a big test next Wednesday night when they leave home to face Arizona. A loss in that game could drop the Tigers out of the Top 25. Charleston ended a 4-game slide by beating Chattanooga 62-60 last night. It was only a few years back that Charleston was winning 20+ games consistently and giving major teams problems. Right now, the Cougars are 4-6 and seem set for a season of mediocrity. Bobby Cremins has some long-term work to do, because its not even like Charleston is that young right now. Three of their starters, and their 2 leading scorers are seniors. Nothing too much happening on Friday's schedule. Eastern Washington heads to #24 Oregon in the most intriguing game. It gives high-scoring sophomore Rodney Stuckey (25 ppg) a chance to strut his stuff against a ranked opponent. Stuckey is coming off the lowest scoring game in his career, 12 points in a loss against Santa Clara, but he scored 31 in his last game against a ranked team.

Daily Dribble: 11/26

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 25 Nov 2006 21:17:24 -0800

Who will be the new #1? Florida's overtime loss to Kansas really shakes up the national polls. Pittsburgh was #3 but who have they beat? UMASS at home? Ohio State? They dont even have their best player. UCLA? The Bruins would be my choice, but Im really not sure what way the voters would go. This game should never have gone to overtime.. and this is why Bill Self is known as a great recruiter and not a great coach. His team's bonehead plays (Kaun's foul which though was a questionable call still can't happen, Wright's foul down low, and the inability to rebound the free throw miss) basically blew a 4 point lead that should have been locked up. Yes, these plays aren't directly Bill's fault, but preparation and awareness are the coaches duties. Give Darrell Arthur credit. Down the stretch it wasn't Julian Wright or Brandon Rush who made the difference for Kansas, but the freshman big man. I questioned why Arthur would choose to go to Kansas thinking that the deep and talented roster would limit his playing time. But Arthur is better than I thought and deserving of 30 minutes per game for the Jayhawks. Thank goodness I'm not a Northwestern fan. The Wildcats are one of the most painful teams to watch.. not only because they cant score and slow the game to a halt, but also because they're simply bad. Northwestern beat North Florida by 1 point, 40-39 at home yesterday. This is a North Florida team that has yet to beat a D1 team and lost to 1-4 Florida Atlantic by 15 points at home. Northwestern has a chance to bust the Big Ten's RPI by finishing below 250.. Congrats to Jackson State for a nice 71-68 win over UIC. Why is this a big deal.. because last year the SWAC conference as a whole only won 8, yes 8, non-conference games. Jackson State's victory, led by Trey Johnson's 36 points, already give them 3 non-conference wins. For the SWAC, this is a big deal. Don't be tricked by Wake Forest's 5-0 start. The Deacons started 11-2 last year beating similar talent at home, before losing 11 of 12 conference games. And that was with Gray and Williams. Smart money says a similar slide will begin within the next month. It took Butler 2 OT's to dispatch with Kent State and move to 7-0. The most likely teams to drop out of the AP poll are Tennessee and Boston College. Gonzaga, who was unranked in the AP, should move in along with Butler. Wichita State, who barely snuck into the AP Poll in 24th (but missed the Coaches Poll.. another reason why the AP is usually a better poll), picked up another huge win for the MVC by beating LSU this afternoon. This win is another monster victory for the MVC in their continued (and getting repetitive) effort to prove that their for real. Eventually it has to get to the point where these types of wins are no longer consider "shocking." Less publicized but equally impressive yesterday were wins by Illinois State at St. John's and Creighton against George Mason. Bradley, who was expected to struggle this year, lost their first game by 4 at Illinois. This was a good showing for the Braves, as was Missouri State's OT loss to Oklahoma State following their big win against Wisconsin. When all is said and done though, Wichita State will probably be the only MVC team ranked this Monday. Rice, behind heralded Morris Almond, was expected to be a contender for an at-large bid and 2nd place in the CUSA. But the Owls are now 2-4 and Almond has become a one-man show. He had 42 in yesterday's loss to 1-3 Utah, but the rest of the team combined for just 21 points on 8 of 31 shooting. Rice needs Lorenzo Williams back and contributing to have any chance at making noise the rest of the way. Jon Teitel put together a short piece on the statistical exploits of Nevada's Nick Fazekas yesterday. Coming into the day, Fazekas was 91 points shy of reaching the 2,000 point plateau. Only 5 players, Rick Barry, Bill Bradley, Larry Bird, Christian Laettner, and Keith Van Horn have 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and hit over 50% FG's and 80% FT's. Fazekas, who added 28 points and 15 rebounds last night in a win over Santa Clara, will join this amazingly select club in a few weeks. In case you were wondering, Syracuse doesn't have a real road game outside of New York state until January 7th. If you were wondering, that will end up being 14 games at home or neutral sites and 1 road game in Buffalo by that time. One would think there's no highways or airport in and out of Syracuse.