For the second consecutive season, with the game on the line in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament, the Wildcats gave up a costly turnover in the final seconds. Last season, Jeremy Nash threw the ball away with the ‘Cats trailing by 3 to Michigan State with under a minute to go. This season, the culprit was Sterling Williams who inexplicably did not use the Wildcats final timeout while trapped on the baseline with the ‘Cats trailing by 1 with under 10 seconds to go.
NU was in control of this game for the entire first half, too. They led by double digits and were hitting shots from all over the court. Their offense was at a comfortable pace and their defensive rebounding was stout. However, right as the second half began, their shots came quicker and the offense transitioned to a more up-tempo style that favored Minnesota. In turn, they crept back into the game with strong offensive rebounding and an extended-full court press. In the end the Gophers prevailed 55-52.
Overall, this season was a step-back for the Wildcats. They lost Tim Doyle and Vince Scott, but no one was expecting only 1 Big Ten victory this season. Even Bill Carmody supporters such as myself, recognize that next season will be very important for the future of the program. Coach Carmody has taken a lot of heat from students and alumni throughout the season. Despite being the all-time wins leader in Northwestern history, he still has yet to make it to the postseason in his time at NU. With a 1-18 record in the Big Ten, Coach Carmody is entering a critical season. Next year needs to be the season NU breaks through. Significant improvements are imperative and the progress can no longer be monitored by improvements by individual players, but rather should be monitored in win totals. Coach Carmody needs to use his 3 highly touted incoming recruits to make significant progress next season. With new Athletic Director Jim Phillips entering NU in April and longtime Carmody-supporter Henry Bienen exiting NU after the 2009 school year, the end could be near for Coach Carmody.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Fitting End
I feel disgusted after sitting through the home loss to Wisconsin, more so than most of the other losses the 'Cats have piled up this year. Maybe it was all the Badger fans. Maybe it was another late 1st-half-second half collapse. Maybe it was the fact that there was NO BAND FOR THE FINAL BIG TEN GAME OF THE SEASON.
Whatever it was, I feel worse about this program now than I have all season. And that's saying something.
It's easy to pile on the fans who didn't show (and who can blame them?) or the no-show band. There are deeper problems with this program, from the coach and players on the court to the lack of any institutional support coming from Northwestern. How do you expect to compete in a first-rate conference with a second, or dare I say, third-rate program?
Could NU pull out a win over Minnesota at the Big Ten Tournament Thursday? Sure, I guess so. But that's not the point right now. Things need to change with this program. It starts at the top- hopefully Jim Phillips can work with the NU administration to building up this program.
Today was an embarrassment. I'm glad I don't have to sit through another game like that this year. Don't think I can handle it.
Your depressed blogger,
Gotty
Whatever it was, I feel worse about this program now than I have all season. And that's saying something.
It's easy to pile on the fans who didn't show (and who can blame them?) or the no-show band. There are deeper problems with this program, from the coach and players on the court to the lack of any institutional support coming from Northwestern. How do you expect to compete in a first-rate conference with a second, or dare I say, third-rate program?
Could NU pull out a win over Minnesota at the Big Ten Tournament Thursday? Sure, I guess so. But that's not the point right now. Things need to change with this program. It starts at the top- hopefully Jim Phillips can work with the NU administration to building up this program.
Today was an embarrassment. I'm glad I don't have to sit through another game like that this year. Don't think I can handle it.
Your depressed blogger,
Gotty
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Just Adjust
Coming off their first Big Ten win of the season, Northwestern was looking for glory this afternoon in West-Lafayette, Indiana. It seemed like good things would happen with Ivan Peljusic leading the charge with a career high 13 points in the first half alone. However, the ‘Cats were never able to maintain their lead and eventually fell to the Boilermakers.
The game was there for the taking, but the ‘Cats just couldn’t come up with key buckets or defensive stops. Sound familiar?
On a positive note, there have been some recent good signs within the basketball program. As of late, Ivan Peljusic has emerged from bench-warmer and towel waver extraordinaire, to a legitimate post presence, playing a big role for the Wildcats. He’s shown a nice touch around the basket, good energy, and aggressive rebounding. Even though he makes you scratch your head a few times a game with some decision-making, his energy and aggressiveness will only help the team going forward.
Additionally, in recent games the ‘Cats have gotten into a good rhythm in the first half. Their offense is crisp and they’re aggressive on the boards. However, with the exception of the Indiana game last Saturday, their play continues to regress in the second half.
It’s been clear all season that Coach Carmody needs to work on his in-game adjustments. But these recent second half struggles have pushed the problem over the top. Despite their clear second half struggles; he rarely makes personnel or defensive changes. It is no coincidence that in the last 5 games opponents have shot 52.2%, 54.2%, 52.6%, 52.2%, and 61.9% from the field in the second half. In addition, over that same 5 game stretch NU opponents’ field goal percentage has improved by an average of 13.2% from the first half to the second half. Now some of the credit certainly should go to the opponents for their play and halftime adjustments. But, Coach Carmody definitely deserves some blame for his lack of in-game adjustments.
What’s causing these struggles down the stretch? Is it fatigue? If so, balance the minutes of the players. Cut down some of the minutes of Juice Thompson, Craig Moore, and Kevin Coble from the 35+ they’re currently averaging, down to a more manageable 30. At the same time, give more minutes to youngsters Peljusic, Jeremy Nash, and Mike Capocci. Not only are they better rebounders than the aforementioned Moore, Thompson, and Coble; but they would also benefit greatly from consistent minutes.
Unfortunately, the cause of the ‘Cats second half struggles may not be fatigue, but rather in-game defensive adjustments. All season long, I, among others, have been crying for Coach Carmody to change things defensively. He has started to occasionally switch out of the 1-3-1 defense, but the results of this adjustment tend to vary from game to game. Still, his stubborn nature and lack of creativity has hit a boiling point with most Northwestern fans. Game after game, opponents say in postgame press conferences that they were confused with the Northwestern zone early, but once they figured it out things really started to click offensively. After today’s game Purdue’s Tarrance Crump said, “We started getting adjusted to their zone, and how they were playing us. Once we started attacking we got some open looks. Once we made some shots, it opened up the zone.” Hmmm…once the Boilermakers got comfortable in the zone they were able to adjust and find the shots. I’m not saying that the ‘Cats should immediately abandon the 1-3-1 for the remainder of the game once they start struggling in the second half. I just think the ‘Cats would be better served to constantly switch defenses throughout the entire game in order to confuse opponents. They would force opponents to take extra time on offense, in turn slowing the pace down to a more comfortable speed. Until the ‘Cats add more defensive strategies to their arsenal, they’ll continue to struggle in the second half.
Up next: Home vs. Iowa on Tuesday at 8 PM…could this be the second Big Ten win???
The game was there for the taking, but the ‘Cats just couldn’t come up with key buckets or defensive stops. Sound familiar?
On a positive note, there have been some recent good signs within the basketball program. As of late, Ivan Peljusic has emerged from bench-warmer and towel waver extraordinaire, to a legitimate post presence, playing a big role for the Wildcats. He’s shown a nice touch around the basket, good energy, and aggressive rebounding. Even though he makes you scratch your head a few times a game with some decision-making, his energy and aggressiveness will only help the team going forward.
Additionally, in recent games the ‘Cats have gotten into a good rhythm in the first half. Their offense is crisp and they’re aggressive on the boards. However, with the exception of the Indiana game last Saturday, their play continues to regress in the second half.
It’s been clear all season that Coach Carmody needs to work on his in-game adjustments. But these recent second half struggles have pushed the problem over the top. Despite their clear second half struggles; he rarely makes personnel or defensive changes. It is no coincidence that in the last 5 games opponents have shot 52.2%, 54.2%, 52.6%, 52.2%, and 61.9% from the field in the second half. In addition, over that same 5 game stretch NU opponents’ field goal percentage has improved by an average of 13.2% from the first half to the second half. Now some of the credit certainly should go to the opponents for their play and halftime adjustments. But, Coach Carmody definitely deserves some blame for his lack of in-game adjustments.
What’s causing these struggles down the stretch? Is it fatigue? If so, balance the minutes of the players. Cut down some of the minutes of Juice Thompson, Craig Moore, and Kevin Coble from the 35+ they’re currently averaging, down to a more manageable 30. At the same time, give more minutes to youngsters Peljusic, Jeremy Nash, and Mike Capocci. Not only are they better rebounders than the aforementioned Moore, Thompson, and Coble; but they would also benefit greatly from consistent minutes.
Unfortunately, the cause of the ‘Cats second half struggles may not be fatigue, but rather in-game defensive adjustments. All season long, I, among others, have been crying for Coach Carmody to change things defensively. He has started to occasionally switch out of the 1-3-1 defense, but the results of this adjustment tend to vary from game to game. Still, his stubborn nature and lack of creativity has hit a boiling point with most Northwestern fans. Game after game, opponents say in postgame press conferences that they were confused with the Northwestern zone early, but once they figured it out things really started to click offensively. After today’s game Purdue’s Tarrance Crump said, “We started getting adjusted to their zone, and how they were playing us. Once we started attacking we got some open looks. Once we made some shots, it opened up the zone.” Hmmm…once the Boilermakers got comfortable in the zone they were able to adjust and find the shots. I’m not saying that the ‘Cats should immediately abandon the 1-3-1 for the remainder of the game once they start struggling in the second half. I just think the ‘Cats would be better served to constantly switch defenses throughout the entire game in order to confuse opponents. They would force opponents to take extra time on offense, in turn slowing the pace down to a more comfortable speed. Until the ‘Cats add more defensive strategies to their arsenal, they’ll continue to struggle in the second half.
Up next: Home vs. Iowa on Tuesday at 8 PM…could this be the second Big Ten win???
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Broken Record
The 'Cats keep it close in the first half. They make a run in the second half. And then things fall apart, and they lose.
Sounds familiar, eh?
It is a formula that breeds no success, a sure recipe for an 0-18 conference season. Northwestern simply cannot finish ballgames. They come out with plenty of intensity, especially defensively, in the first half. Teams cannot figure out their defense and miss shots. Meanwhile, they can never fully capitalize offensively.
So they go into the half fairly even with their opponent. They come out playing pretty well in the second half most of the time, before completely sputtering with 8-10 minutes to go. Tonight, that collapse was greater vs. Iowa because they took a 14 POINT LEAD IN THE SECOND HALF. And they still blew it. Surprised? Not at this point.
Look at the games that have followed the above formula: PSU, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue, Iowa. That is 8 of the 11 big ten teams. And nobody should doubt that this formula will not play out a few more times this season.
So why can't they play well until the final buzzer? Well, to make a long story short, it is depth. For some reason, teams can rarely match Northwestern's intensity at first. Energy goes a long way, and for the first 20 minutes, the 'Cats have enough to make up for noticeable disparities in talent. But then the lack of a deep bench starts to show. They cannot keep the intensity up for a full 40 minutes; adrenaline only takes you so far. And so then they falter, and lose.
Obviously it is frustrating. It has to be for the players more so than the fans. It just does not seem like there is a way to solve the problem any time soon. Unless some of these bench players start developing some serious game soon, Carmody will be forced to trot out the same players for 30-35 minutes a game. It is taking a toll.
And speaking of taking a toll, these losses keep taking a toll on the fans. It's hard enough to get fellow students to come to the games as it is- now try fighting the 0-18 argument. It's not easy to counter.
Next up: Indiana on Saturday night. Many Indiana fans will be there, but will Kelvin Sampson?
Sounds familiar, eh?
It is a formula that breeds no success, a sure recipe for an 0-18 conference season. Northwestern simply cannot finish ballgames. They come out with plenty of intensity, especially defensively, in the first half. Teams cannot figure out their defense and miss shots. Meanwhile, they can never fully capitalize offensively.
So they go into the half fairly even with their opponent. They come out playing pretty well in the second half most of the time, before completely sputtering with 8-10 minutes to go. Tonight, that collapse was greater vs. Iowa because they took a 14 POINT LEAD IN THE SECOND HALF. And they still blew it. Surprised? Not at this point.
Look at the games that have followed the above formula: PSU, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue, Iowa. That is 8 of the 11 big ten teams. And nobody should doubt that this formula will not play out a few more times this season.
So why can't they play well until the final buzzer? Well, to make a long story short, it is depth. For some reason, teams can rarely match Northwestern's intensity at first. Energy goes a long way, and for the first 20 minutes, the 'Cats have enough to make up for noticeable disparities in talent. But then the lack of a deep bench starts to show. They cannot keep the intensity up for a full 40 minutes; adrenaline only takes you so far. And so then they falter, and lose.
Obviously it is frustrating. It has to be for the players more so than the fans. It just does not seem like there is a way to solve the problem any time soon. Unless some of these bench players start developing some serious game soon, Carmody will be forced to trot out the same players for 30-35 minutes a game. It is taking a toll.
And speaking of taking a toll, these losses keep taking a toll on the fans. It's hard enough to get fellow students to come to the games as it is- now try fighting the 0-18 argument. It's not easy to counter.
Next up: Indiana on Saturday night. Many Indiana fans will be there, but will Kelvin Sampson?
Sunday, February 10, 2008
NU @ Minnesota - WBB Live Blog
Thought we'd try something new today. As Aaron Morse and Ranjan Rohathgi bring you the action over the airwaves on WNUR 89.3FM, I'll be providing my running commentary on this blog. Could be fun. Could be stupid. Probably won't be read. But why not try it.
1:40pm -- Pregame begins...both team shooting around...We have starting lineups: Erin Dickerson is starting again. She got her first start on Thursday. Aaron and Ranjan talked to Coach Combs about this...she wants to use Meshia Reed off the bench. She did that a lot with Foamy two years ago. Not sure if it was effective, since they still only won 2 games in the BT, but hey, that's better than this year.
1:52pm -- Just heard the interview with Coach Combs. Most truthful quote: "we've got a lot of problems this year." It's tough to narrow it down to one issue. Turnovers, low field goal percentages, lack of offensive rhythm. No one else in the BT has less than 4 wins. It's a rough season...hopefully the main cause is injuries, because that will get better next year.
1:58pm -- What a ridiculous atmosphere in the Barn. This is a decent Minnesota team, receiving some votes, but they're bringing out fans like they're at the top. Probably around 6,000 people in stands. There is a special "Think Pink" event for breast cancer, which NU will host next week. But I this is the atmosphere they get every year. Borton's clubs play extremely well at home...and NU struggled at the best BT venue, Purdue (32 turnovers, anyone?)
2pm -- The guys are discussing guard play and how poor its been as a whole. I wonder how much of that is due to only one guard on the bench! Dickerson's the only sub with Stutz, Marshall, Hicks, and even Cartwright out. That's an awful lot of playing time.
Tip-off -- Ranjan's keys --- 1. limit turnovers (NU bad, MIN good)...2. win the three-point battle...3. Shut down Fox/Knight/Ellis-Milan
Tip-off -- Melissa Miller surprising start. It's gotta be because she's from Bloomington, MN and is a senior. Can't think of a reason she deserves it over Amy.
2:10pm -- The defense has been giving up an open look every possession. The Gophers have missed a lot and the turned the ball over twice...but they should be leading by 10.
2:13pm -- I know Aaron loves seeing Jenny Eckhart score early. How many times has he said "Eckhart needs to shoot more." She looked more comfortable just driving inside. Let's hope she does it again.
2:16pm -- Luck be a Lady today. The Wildcats, leading the Big Ten in turnovers, they've handed it to Minnesota 4 times so far. Luckily, the Gophers can't seem to hold on, giving NU plenty of chances. They've wasted them, though, with two shot-clock violations.
2:19pm -- First time in weeks I've seen a new inbounds play for the Wildcats. Instead of the quick spin around the right wing, usually Eckhart, they gave it to Reed underneath. What happened? A lay-in and one. Let's see it again.
2:23pm -- MESHIA REED. Misses a three, fights for her own rebound, gets it to Bibbs, follows up that shot with a put back. What a possession for her. Maybe being on the bench actually does give her a fire in the belly.
2:27pm -- Emily Fox just checked out. I'm very glad I put her on my pre-season All-Big Ten list. She is fantastic. My most vivid memory of her is last season, stealing the ball with 1 second left in Evanston and putting up a jumper to win the game.
2:31pm -- What is going on here? It's such a pleasure to finally see Northwestern playing well. The difference so far has been intensity on both ends. Every player seems focused and determined more than any game I've seen. I guess that big steak dinner last night isn't slowing them down.
2:34pm -- NU's got a completely different gameplan. They're attacking the basket, purposely looking to draw fouls. Bibbs, Reed, Eckhart, they've all done it. Unfortunately, Reed hasn't put it away at the line, but Minnesota's already in the bonus.
2:42 -- The reason NU's suddenly fallen is Korinne Campbell. Six straight points for her thanks to wide-open layups. The defense is so worried about the outside shot of players like Fox they're shading in front. A lack of awareness lets Campbell get behind her. 30-22 now.
2:44pm -- Melissa Miller got the start today because she lives 20 minutes away. She just made a shot from her patented location inside the arc and a whole contingent of fans behind the NU bench started cheering. I'm assuming her family and friends, including what looks like her grandparents. The grandfather's wearing a long-sleeve NU t-shirt with black suspenders. A man after my own heart.
2:47pm (halftime) -- It's 34-24. A 17-2 run in the last 7 minutes. The defense didn't break down...it was already broken. Minnesota has just figured out how to use it. Offensively, the problem lies in not understanding the offense, 12 games into the season. Ellen Jaeschke has been great on the boards, but she's tried nothing but off-balance hook/push shots. Amy's attempts have been nearly as ugly. If the Cats are going to come back and win, they'll need to actually post up, not get the ball and immediately shoot.
2:55pm -- The most frustrating thing to see from Northwestern is downright sloppy play. Of the 9 turnovers in the first half (which isn't terrible), three in a row, late in the half, were simply throwing the ball out of bounds. There were three shot clock violations, plus the end of the first half not getting the shot off in time. That's 5 inexcusable turnovers. Steals happen. But those unforced errors show a talent disparity.
2:59pm -- Usually both teams return from the locker room with 4 minutes left in halftime. The Gophers got on the court at 5 minutes remaining...the Wildcats walked out 2 and a half minutes later. That must have been quite a speech from Coach Combs.
3:00pm -- Kevin Fishbain and Andrew Gothelf, our in-studio crew, just mentioned Emily Fox's hidden talent: speed stacking. My 11-year-old sister is very good at it...it's tremendously difficult. Not sure how much that skill can translate into basketball, but I'll assume it increases her ball-handling ability and improves her concentration on fast breaks. I have no idea.
3:05pm -- Ellen Jaeschke just checked out for her cousin. I liked the adjustment though through the first two minutes. She twice faked that off-balance hook I mentioned earlier and passed it away quickly. Minnesota was left out of position. Unfortunately the Wildcats couldn't hit.
3:07pm -- Ellen hasn't done much on offense, but her absence was just felt on the defensive end. She's the only one who's able to box out. Amy allowed two offensive boards on one possession. She could really learn something from her older cousin.
3:12pm -- It's been a rough year for Sara Stutz. Poor shooting followed by an injury a few weeks ago. She's hoping to recover enough to play again before she graduates, but she's contributing right now on the bench. The majority of that last NU timeout was spent by Stutz giving the team a speech, not Coach Combs. Perhaps the peer motivation will turn things around.
3:14pm -- Ranjan's doing a great job assessing Savannah Stedman. I don't remember hearing anyone breaking her game down this much. But with so many post players, Stedman's getting the call today. No Boyd, no Bielawski. It's been a challenge finding suitable replacements for the Jaeschkes. Stedman's getting her shot, but like Ranjan said, she needs to build up some strength for next year.
3:17pm -- Just as I posted that, Boyd came in. Boyd needs to work on just the opposite of Stedman. She's got all muscle, but little finesse. Her shots seem designed solely to draw a foul, but she is a presence down low. If she can find the line between charging and posting up, she'll be a solid contributor.
3:23pm -- I'm confused why Amy Jaeschke doesn't get the ball more often right below the basket. She obviously has difficulty posting up, but she needs to work on it. Most of the time, she gets the ball well outside the lane and if she can't get closer, she just turns around and chucks it up. That's not taking advantage of her height.
3:25pm -- Today's a "Think Pink" event for Minnesota. It's quite a show of unity when everyone on the bench is wearing a bright pink t-shirt, and every coach a bright pink tie/dress/shirt. Breast cancer has made a number of headlines at NU due to Carlys Coble's situation. Hopefully Northwestern can get a lot of support next week against the Badgers when they host a Think Pink event of their own.
3:26pm -- Meshia Reed is clearly the best athlete on this team. I like Combs strategy of starting her on the bench, but she needs to play more. Just hit her first three, giving her 11 points, the other 8 in only 11 minutes in the first half. When Foamy would come in off the bench, she'd be on the court within 2 minutes. Reed's too valuable on both sides of the ball to be kept on the sidelines.
3:32pm -- Amy Jaeschke picked up her 4th block. She's played just 15 games but already has 37 blocks. That ties her on the single-season list with Anucha Browne and Sarah Kwasinski, the last highly touted NU recruit. A top 50 player who never really panned out. Decent player, but not the game-changer people expected. Hopefully Amy continues to exceed her.
3:34pm -- The women's tennis team loses to Georgia Tech this time, 4-2, but they're still a force to be reckoned with. They beat GT less than two weeks ago when they were #1, and they needed to go through a string of top 15 teams to get to the championship game. They'll probably get a Big Ten win before the women's team does (Tennis plays PSU on Saturday)
3:43pm (game over) -- The final score: 68-48. Northwestern looked great for most of that first half, but finally Minnesota's athleticism prevailed. This would have been a much closer game if the Cats did three things: Box out successfully on defense, limit careless turnovers (throwing the ball out of bounds, shot clock violations), and consistently feeding the ball inside. Two of those are coachable. Let's hope they focus on it before facing Michigan on Valentine's Day.
3:45pm -- One more thing, on a personal note. Today completed my Tour de League at WNUR. Minneapolis is my eleventh and final Big Ten city that I've had the pleasure of visiting for a broadcast. Thank you to all those previous and current Sports Directors who helped me attain this prestigious goal (following in the footsteps of Ray Garcia and Dan Platt, among others). But a special thanks to the teams and coaches who have been so generous to allow WNUR broadcasters to travel with them, especially Coach Beth Combs and this women's basketball team. I was lucky enough to call the lone road win for the Cats these past four years in conference play (@ Michigan). Hopefully, many more are in store after I graduate.
That's it and that's all for this waltz down memory lane (and periodic updates from the Barn). Thanks for reading. - Ryan "Bobo" Morton
1:40pm -- Pregame begins...both team shooting around...We have starting lineups: Erin Dickerson is starting again. She got her first start on Thursday. Aaron and Ranjan talked to Coach Combs about this...she wants to use Meshia Reed off the bench. She did that a lot with Foamy two years ago. Not sure if it was effective, since they still only won 2 games in the BT, but hey, that's better than this year.
1:52pm -- Just heard the interview with Coach Combs. Most truthful quote: "we've got a lot of problems this year." It's tough to narrow it down to one issue. Turnovers, low field goal percentages, lack of offensive rhythm. No one else in the BT has less than 4 wins. It's a rough season...hopefully the main cause is injuries, because that will get better next year.
1:58pm -- What a ridiculous atmosphere in the Barn. This is a decent Minnesota team, receiving some votes, but they're bringing out fans like they're at the top. Probably around 6,000 people in stands. There is a special "Think Pink" event for breast cancer, which NU will host next week. But I this is the atmosphere they get every year. Borton's clubs play extremely well at home...and NU struggled at the best BT venue, Purdue (32 turnovers, anyone?)
2pm -- The guys are discussing guard play and how poor its been as a whole. I wonder how much of that is due to only one guard on the bench! Dickerson's the only sub with Stutz, Marshall, Hicks, and even Cartwright out. That's an awful lot of playing time.
Tip-off -- Ranjan's keys --- 1. limit turnovers (NU bad, MIN good)...2. win the three-point battle...3. Shut down Fox/Knight/Ellis-Milan
Tip-off -- Melissa Miller surprising start. It's gotta be because she's from Bloomington, MN and is a senior. Can't think of a reason she deserves it over Amy.
2:10pm -- The defense has been giving up an open look every possession. The Gophers have missed a lot and the turned the ball over twice...but they should be leading by 10.
2:13pm -- I know Aaron loves seeing Jenny Eckhart score early. How many times has he said "Eckhart needs to shoot more." She looked more comfortable just driving inside. Let's hope she does it again.
2:16pm -- Luck be a Lady today. The Wildcats, leading the Big Ten in turnovers, they've handed it to Minnesota 4 times so far. Luckily, the Gophers can't seem to hold on, giving NU plenty of chances. They've wasted them, though, with two shot-clock violations.
2:19pm -- First time in weeks I've seen a new inbounds play for the Wildcats. Instead of the quick spin around the right wing, usually Eckhart, they gave it to Reed underneath. What happened? A lay-in and one. Let's see it again.
2:23pm -- MESHIA REED. Misses a three, fights for her own rebound, gets it to Bibbs, follows up that shot with a put back. What a possession for her. Maybe being on the bench actually does give her a fire in the belly.
2:27pm -- Emily Fox just checked out. I'm very glad I put her on my pre-season All-Big Ten list. She is fantastic. My most vivid memory of her is last season, stealing the ball with 1 second left in Evanston and putting up a jumper to win the game.
2:31pm -- What is going on here? It's such a pleasure to finally see Northwestern playing well. The difference so far has been intensity on both ends. Every player seems focused and determined more than any game I've seen. I guess that big steak dinner last night isn't slowing them down.
2:34pm -- NU's got a completely different gameplan. They're attacking the basket, purposely looking to draw fouls. Bibbs, Reed, Eckhart, they've all done it. Unfortunately, Reed hasn't put it away at the line, but Minnesota's already in the bonus.
2:42 -- The reason NU's suddenly fallen is Korinne Campbell. Six straight points for her thanks to wide-open layups. The defense is so worried about the outside shot of players like Fox they're shading in front. A lack of awareness lets Campbell get behind her. 30-22 now.
2:44pm -- Melissa Miller got the start today because she lives 20 minutes away. She just made a shot from her patented location inside the arc and a whole contingent of fans behind the NU bench started cheering. I'm assuming her family and friends, including what looks like her grandparents. The grandfather's wearing a long-sleeve NU t-shirt with black suspenders. A man after my own heart.
2:47pm (halftime) -- It's 34-24. A 17-2 run in the last 7 minutes. The defense didn't break down...it was already broken. Minnesota has just figured out how to use it. Offensively, the problem lies in not understanding the offense, 12 games into the season. Ellen Jaeschke has been great on the boards, but she's tried nothing but off-balance hook/push shots. Amy's attempts have been nearly as ugly. If the Cats are going to come back and win, they'll need to actually post up, not get the ball and immediately shoot.
2:55pm -- The most frustrating thing to see from Northwestern is downright sloppy play. Of the 9 turnovers in the first half (which isn't terrible), three in a row, late in the half, were simply throwing the ball out of bounds. There were three shot clock violations, plus the end of the first half not getting the shot off in time. That's 5 inexcusable turnovers. Steals happen. But those unforced errors show a talent disparity.
2:59pm -- Usually both teams return from the locker room with 4 minutes left in halftime. The Gophers got on the court at 5 minutes remaining...the Wildcats walked out 2 and a half minutes later. That must have been quite a speech from Coach Combs.
3:00pm -- Kevin Fishbain and Andrew Gothelf, our in-studio crew, just mentioned Emily Fox's hidden talent: speed stacking. My 11-year-old sister is very good at it...it's tremendously difficult. Not sure how much that skill can translate into basketball, but I'll assume it increases her ball-handling ability and improves her concentration on fast breaks. I have no idea.
3:05pm -- Ellen Jaeschke just checked out for her cousin. I liked the adjustment though through the first two minutes. She twice faked that off-balance hook I mentioned earlier and passed it away quickly. Minnesota was left out of position. Unfortunately the Wildcats couldn't hit.
3:07pm -- Ellen hasn't done much on offense, but her absence was just felt on the defensive end. She's the only one who's able to box out. Amy allowed two offensive boards on one possession. She could really learn something from her older cousin.
3:12pm -- It's been a rough year for Sara Stutz. Poor shooting followed by an injury a few weeks ago. She's hoping to recover enough to play again before she graduates, but she's contributing right now on the bench. The majority of that last NU timeout was spent by Stutz giving the team a speech, not Coach Combs. Perhaps the peer motivation will turn things around.
3:14pm -- Ranjan's doing a great job assessing Savannah Stedman. I don't remember hearing anyone breaking her game down this much. But with so many post players, Stedman's getting the call today. No Boyd, no Bielawski. It's been a challenge finding suitable replacements for the Jaeschkes. Stedman's getting her shot, but like Ranjan said, she needs to build up some strength for next year.
3:17pm -- Just as I posted that, Boyd came in. Boyd needs to work on just the opposite of Stedman. She's got all muscle, but little finesse. Her shots seem designed solely to draw a foul, but she is a presence down low. If she can find the line between charging and posting up, she'll be a solid contributor.
3:23pm -- I'm confused why Amy Jaeschke doesn't get the ball more often right below the basket. She obviously has difficulty posting up, but she needs to work on it. Most of the time, she gets the ball well outside the lane and if she can't get closer, she just turns around and chucks it up. That's not taking advantage of her height.
3:25pm -- Today's a "Think Pink" event for Minnesota. It's quite a show of unity when everyone on the bench is wearing a bright pink t-shirt, and every coach a bright pink tie/dress/shirt. Breast cancer has made a number of headlines at NU due to Carlys Coble's situation. Hopefully Northwestern can get a lot of support next week against the Badgers when they host a Think Pink event of their own.
3:26pm -- Meshia Reed is clearly the best athlete on this team. I like Combs strategy of starting her on the bench, but she needs to play more. Just hit her first three, giving her 11 points, the other 8 in only 11 minutes in the first half. When Foamy would come in off the bench, she'd be on the court within 2 minutes. Reed's too valuable on both sides of the ball to be kept on the sidelines.
3:32pm -- Amy Jaeschke picked up her 4th block. She's played just 15 games but already has 37 blocks. That ties her on the single-season list with Anucha Browne and Sarah Kwasinski, the last highly touted NU recruit. A top 50 player who never really panned out. Decent player, but not the game-changer people expected. Hopefully Amy continues to exceed her.
3:34pm -- The women's tennis team loses to Georgia Tech this time, 4-2, but they're still a force to be reckoned with. They beat GT less than two weeks ago when they were #1, and they needed to go through a string of top 15 teams to get to the championship game. They'll probably get a Big Ten win before the women's team does (Tennis plays PSU on Saturday)
3:43pm (game over) -- The final score: 68-48. Northwestern looked great for most of that first half, but finally Minnesota's athleticism prevailed. This would have been a much closer game if the Cats did three things: Box out successfully on defense, limit careless turnovers (throwing the ball out of bounds, shot clock violations), and consistently feeding the ball inside. Two of those are coachable. Let's hope they focus on it before facing Michigan on Valentine's Day.
3:45pm -- One more thing, on a personal note. Today completed my Tour de League at WNUR. Minneapolis is my eleventh and final Big Ten city that I've had the pleasure of visiting for a broadcast. Thank you to all those previous and current Sports Directors who helped me attain this prestigious goal (following in the footsteps of Ray Garcia and Dan Platt, among others). But a special thanks to the teams and coaches who have been so generous to allow WNUR broadcasters to travel with them, especially Coach Beth Combs and this women's basketball team. I was lucky enough to call the lone road win for the Cats these past four years in conference play (@ Michigan). Hopefully, many more are in store after I graduate.
That's it and that's all for this waltz down memory lane (and periodic updates from the Barn). Thanks for reading. - Ryan "Bobo" Morton
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Wanted: Scorers
Frustrating, frustrating, frustrating. Even when Northwestern plays well, they still can’t find a way to win. For most of the first half, much like when they traveled to Indiana last Sunday, they shot the ball well and were executing their offense to perfection. Craig Moore was finding teammates on backdoor cuts and the ‘Cats spacing was much improved.
But even while leading 18-14 in the first half, the ‘Cats never had a chance. Michigan State was bound to make a run, and eventually their tenacious defense, timely shooting, and good rebounding helped them pull away from the pesky ‘Cats. However, not all was lost for the ‘Cats. Jeremy Nash played nicely on both ends of the court, and finished with 10 rebounds, including 4 offensively. Nash also caused some havoc at the top of the 1-3-1 defense using his good athleticism. In the end though, the Spartans were just too much. The ‘Cats couldn’t stop Drew Neitzel, as he finished the game with 21 points on 8-12 shooting.
Going forward, the ‘Cats desperately need 2 players to step up and become consistent scorers. Right now, the only players who can be counted on, game in and game out are Moore, Kevin Coble, and Juice Thompson. But with a fourth and fifth threat, more opportunities will open up for the aforementioned big 3. So with that said, who are the candidates for these two spots?
Candidate 1: Jeff Ryan
He already plays 25+ minutes a game and has proven that he can score when needed. With that said, he still needs to bring his game to the next level. If Ryan develops a consistent 3-point shot, he can become a huge asset for the ‘Cats. Opponents will finally be forced to respect his perimeter game, and in turn, he’ll open lanes for backdoor cuts. He clearly has struggled with his confidence this season, but the potential is there.
Candidate 2: Jeremy Nash
He’s improved light years from last season, and is finally getting some consistent minutes in Carmody’s rotation. He’s arguably the best rebounder on the team, his 3-point shot is starting to come around, and he has shown the ability to slash into the lane and finish at the basket. Even though, he plays out of control at times, Nash is a talent who, if given the minutes, could turn into an all-around player the ‘Cats need to compliment Coble, Moore, and Thompson.
Candidate 3: Mike Capocci
Even though he’s currently stuck in Carmody’s doghouse and doesn’t always appear to completely understand the offense, Capocci’s leaping ability and athleticism are attributes the ‘Cats badly need on the court at all times. With time and improved confidence, Capocci can become a solid player in the Princeton Offense. He showed a nice touch around the rim in the non-conference season, and the ‘Cats need to add a low-post presence to their offense.
Up next: Home vs. Ohio State on Wednesday at 8
But even while leading 18-14 in the first half, the ‘Cats never had a chance. Michigan State was bound to make a run, and eventually their tenacious defense, timely shooting, and good rebounding helped them pull away from the pesky ‘Cats. However, not all was lost for the ‘Cats. Jeremy Nash played nicely on both ends of the court, and finished with 10 rebounds, including 4 offensively. Nash also caused some havoc at the top of the 1-3-1 defense using his good athleticism. In the end though, the Spartans were just too much. The ‘Cats couldn’t stop Drew Neitzel, as he finished the game with 21 points on 8-12 shooting.
Going forward, the ‘Cats desperately need 2 players to step up and become consistent scorers. Right now, the only players who can be counted on, game in and game out are Moore, Kevin Coble, and Juice Thompson. But with a fourth and fifth threat, more opportunities will open up for the aforementioned big 3. So with that said, who are the candidates for these two spots?
Candidate 1: Jeff Ryan
He already plays 25+ minutes a game and has proven that he can score when needed. With that said, he still needs to bring his game to the next level. If Ryan develops a consistent 3-point shot, he can become a huge asset for the ‘Cats. Opponents will finally be forced to respect his perimeter game, and in turn, he’ll open lanes for backdoor cuts. He clearly has struggled with his confidence this season, but the potential is there.
Candidate 2: Jeremy Nash
He’s improved light years from last season, and is finally getting some consistent minutes in Carmody’s rotation. He’s arguably the best rebounder on the team, his 3-point shot is starting to come around, and he has shown the ability to slash into the lane and finish at the basket. Even though, he plays out of control at times, Nash is a talent who, if given the minutes, could turn into an all-around player the ‘Cats need to compliment Coble, Moore, and Thompson.
Candidate 3: Mike Capocci
Even though he’s currently stuck in Carmody’s doghouse and doesn’t always appear to completely understand the offense, Capocci’s leaping ability and athleticism are attributes the ‘Cats badly need on the court at all times. With time and improved confidence, Capocci can become a solid player in the Princeton Offense. He showed a nice touch around the rim in the non-conference season, and the ‘Cats need to add a low-post presence to their offense.
Up next: Home vs. Ohio State on Wednesday at 8
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Avoiding Disaster
That could've been really bad.
The 'Cats, as usual, started off sluggishly against the Texas Pan-American Broncs. Everyone kept waiting for them to wake up and go on a run.
It took a while.
Northwestern trailed by 4 at halftime, and a fan base already incredibly frustrated with the team's lackluster performance this season was ready to pounce on one man: Bill Carmody.
Fortunately (or unfortunately if you really want Carmody to be fired no matter what), Northwestern had a flexible game plan that allowed them to score 34 points in the paint. Neither team had a size advantage, which allowed the 'Cats to finally use a talent disparity in their favor.
Kevin Coble and Michael Thompson, particularly in the second half, drove to the basket, drawing fouls and creating easy scoring opportunities. Coble finished with 29, Thompson with 18 and 7 assists.
Carmody has to be given credit here. He is often called inflexible and stubborn for refusing to match his team's style of play to the talent on the floor and the opponent on the court. That is a major fault of his, and among other things, could lead to his firing. But for one game, Carmody seemed to make the right moves in his half-time adjustments.
I was also happy to see Carmody keep Jeremy Nash on the floor in the second half. Though against Big Ten teams Nash might not be much of a scoring threat, he seems to be gaining confidence in the offense, which might prove helpful next season.
Still, this was Texas Pan-American. The 'Cats next travel to Bloomington to take on #11 Indiana, which probably won't be pretty. Northwestern needs to somehow find a way to save this momentum for next week when they take on Minnesota at home.
The 'Cats, as usual, started off sluggishly against the Texas Pan-American Broncs. Everyone kept waiting for them to wake up and go on a run.
It took a while.
Northwestern trailed by 4 at halftime, and a fan base already incredibly frustrated with the team's lackluster performance this season was ready to pounce on one man: Bill Carmody.
Fortunately (or unfortunately if you really want Carmody to be fired no matter what), Northwestern had a flexible game plan that allowed them to score 34 points in the paint. Neither team had a size advantage, which allowed the 'Cats to finally use a talent disparity in their favor.
Kevin Coble and Michael Thompson, particularly in the second half, drove to the basket, drawing fouls and creating easy scoring opportunities. Coble finished with 29, Thompson with 18 and 7 assists.
Carmody has to be given credit here. He is often called inflexible and stubborn for refusing to match his team's style of play to the talent on the floor and the opponent on the court. That is a major fault of his, and among other things, could lead to his firing. But for one game, Carmody seemed to make the right moves in his half-time adjustments.
I was also happy to see Carmody keep Jeremy Nash on the floor in the second half. Though against Big Ten teams Nash might not be much of a scoring threat, he seems to be gaining confidence in the offense, which might prove helpful next season.
Still, this was Texas Pan-American. The 'Cats next travel to Bloomington to take on #11 Indiana, which probably won't be pretty. Northwestern needs to somehow find a way to save this momentum for next week when they take on Minnesota at home.
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