tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78093697826848464272024-03-07T20:22:53.199-08:00The East Coast WildcatA Northwestern sports blog with a decidedly New York biasEast Coast Wildcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306025903215018613noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809369782684846427.post-41319759568933329952011-11-19T07:03:00.000-08:002011-11-19T07:10:01.527-08:00Rocked 'Em Like a Hurricane<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sxdmw4tJJ1Y" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" align="middle" width="420"></iframe><br /><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> 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name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal">Let's just get this out there: I'm never going to pass on the chance to work 80's hair band videos into my posts.<br 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mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p style="font-family: arial;" face="arial" class="MsoNormal">I mentioned in the LSU post-game that I was worried about where the points were going to come from once teams wised up a bit and started to shut down Shurna. These fears may’ve been, um, misplaced. </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" face="arial" class="MsoNormal">With Shurna guarded closely for most of the game against Tulsa, Drew Crawford shredded the Golden Hurricanes’ defense with 28 points, as the Cats advanced to the Charleston Classic final, 69-65. Beginning with the second half on Thursday, Crawford’s now put together a solid 60 straight minutes of lights-out basketball, and showed that although Shurna is the team’s “star,” Crawford <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>may have even greater potential.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Games like this should only further increase his confidence and aggressiveness on the court. </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">Shurna was much more quiet on Friday, with 17 points, but much of that was due to being the constant focus of Tulsa’s D. Cobb looks ready to start turning things on, and as he works back from his hip injury, he could be a deadly weapon by the time we get to conference play. Sobo’s comfort with the system is growing faster than India’s population right now, with the next big step being him taking more of a shooting role. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Reggie Mother-Fucking Hearn was impressive once again, scoring 4 points and pulling down three rebounds. In reality, RMFH should have had at least two more boards, but was unable to control them. Now that he’s getting real minutes, Hearn should put in some work around the boards to improve his form and strength, to avoid careless lost opportunities. </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">So far, Marco’s minutes have really dropped off in this tournament, while Demps has yet to see the floor. Marco may still be slowed by his bum ankle, but a quick scour of the interwebs hasn’t shed any light on the issue with Demps. I’m sure more will be revealed on that front in the next week or so. </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">Yet again, play from the center position was the biggest concern. While Mirk and Curletti combined for 10 points, they pulled down only 2 rebounds in total…you know, fewer than 6’4” walk-on Reggie Mother-Fucking Hearn. There’s only so much one can write about the frustration at watching our big men play, but we’ll state the obvious: Northwestern won’t be a tourney team without improved play at the 5 spot. Simple as that. </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">The Tulsa win was huge for Northwestern, propelling them to 3-0 and showing that we can hang with (possible) bubble teams. The Cats utilized the 1-3-1 less frequently than in the LSU match-up, but overall showed improvement on D. Having Hearn, Crawford and Cobb on the floor at once gives Northwestern a great defensive look . Next up, the Cats will play Seton Hall Sunday night for the championship. In theory, it should be an easier match-up than Tulsa, but the day we assume a win is the day you know we’ll start a losing streak. Til then, Go Cats!</p>East Coast Wildcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306025903215018613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809369782684846427.post-89209395319735378192011-11-18T07:20:00.000-08:002011-11-18T08:10:14.779-08:00Heeeere's Johnny!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.thesportsbank.net/core/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/John-Shurna.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 240px;" src="http://www.thesportsbank.net/core/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/John-Shurna.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> 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name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><p face="arial" class="MsoNormal">And the legend of one of the ‘Cats most prolific offensive weapons ever grows…</p><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">The Senior leader, hero, and the player with the most-improved acne condition went nuclear Thursday afternoon, scoring 37 points and single-handedly carrying the ‘Cats through a dreadful first half en route to an important 88-82 victory over the Tiger Bloods of LSU.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Going 4/9 from three and, more importantly, 13/14 from the free throw line, Shurna took the team on his shoulders and managed more points than the next 3 top scoring NU players combined. With Juice no longer available late in a close game, it appears Shurna has embraced his new role as “The Man,” willing to take the key shots down the stretch, and make plays himself when the time calls. </p><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">But despite the victory over an athletic - if inexperienced - LSU team, Shurna’s Herculean output may be a sign that all is not well in Cat-land. As NU’s competition improves, it’s a pretty safe bet that teams will focus their energy on containing Shurna and making the rest of the team beat them. In that case, I’m not sure where the points are going to come from. Crawford continues to be very streaky, and Marco and Sobo’s reliance on outside shots always increases risk for an off night. A more full post on the scoring concerns will come later in the non-con schedule, but contributions from the rest of the team are certainly something to keep an eye on. </p><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">Anyway, back to Thursday!</p><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">Besides Sure Thing Shurna, there were some other great performances, at least in the second half. Crawford scored all 17 of his points in the second frame, mixing it up between 3’s and mid-range jumpers, as well as going 5/6 from the line. While he’s shown some of the aggression we’re hoping for around the hoop, he’ll need to work on finishing. Fortunately, I think this should resolve itself as the season drags on. </p><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">Freshman and future star Sobolewski added 10 points, including the virtual game winner – a ballsy baseline 3 with under a minute left in the game to give the Cats a 4 point lead. Cajones, he has ‘em. The rest of his line was respectable as well: 4 rebounds, a steal and a block, 6 assists and only 2 turnovers, while running the offense for much of the game. In the longer run, we’ll want to see him get more than 5 shot attempts per game, but he was impressive in this outing. </p><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">And then there was Reggie Hearn. Or, Reggie Mother-Fucking Hearn (RMFH) as he’ll be known as henceforth. The former walk-on had another great game, and I’m calling it right now: there will be REG-GIE chants in Welsh-Ryan before the season’s end. He’s the next Michael Jenkins (clap, clap, clap-clap-clap). 6 points with a couple rebounds, an assist and a steal may not seem that impressive, but the kid brought some serious energy, and his six points came at a crucial point in keeping the game close in the second half. RMFH has earned his scholarship, and should continue to see 15 minutes a game moving forward. </p><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">Marco and Cobb added 14 points off the bench, which is a positive sign. As they continue to come back from injury, those contributions should increase. Strangely, Demps did not see the floor at all in yesterday’s game. And that’s pretty much all…no one else to talk about…not anything I’m forgetting…</p><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">Dammit. The centers. </p><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">We’ll talk about them as one, as their ineptitude yesterday was indistinguishable from each other. Here’s the line: 40 minutes, 4 points, 3 rebounds, 0 (ZERO) assists, 1 block, 2 turnovers and 5 personal fouls. Oh. My. God. Defensively, Cats fans have all but abandoned hope that our Disaster Duo will contribute much, especially against better competition, but this offensive output is below even our restrained expectations. If NU is to have any hope of cracking the glass ceiling this year, we’re going to need 10+ points and rebounds a game from our big men. What is going on?!? If I’m Carmody, I tell Luka he needs to dunk once a game or he’s doing laps. Something, anything to force him to be more aggressive. </p><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">Today the Cats will play Tulsa and their 7 foot center. Northwestern fans will of course remember Tulsa from our loss to them in the 2010 NIT, and this year they are again expected to be a solid NCAA bubble team. I don’t like the match-up, but if we can get enough production from Crawford, Sobo and Marco to overcome Mirk and Curletti, we’ve got a chance. Til then, Go Cats!</p>East Coast Wildcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306025903215018613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809369782684846427.post-40491100469630408582011-11-14T19:27:00.000-08:002011-11-16T19:21:48.922-08:00One Down...<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> 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mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">First game is in the bag: Cats 60, Broncs 36. And while it may have been nothing more than a glorified scrimmage in front of the few hundred or so people who decided to come out, that doesn't mean I can't have a bad case of premature evaluation. So here goes:<br /><br />Northwestern certainly wasn't overly inspiring on the offensive end Sunday night, but considering injuries to returning players and inexperience among the freshmen this early in the season, fortunately, there were no major concerns either.<br /><br />Despite playing at what seemed like less than full intensity at times, Shurna is clearly the team's star, playing at a different level than everyone else out there (and that's saying something with our weapons this year). While the Cats came out cold from deep, Shurna managed to knock down a couple threes to keep momentum rolling. More importantly, #24 showed off some great moves in the paint, cementing him as one of the best all around offensive players int he conferences. Future opponents: be afraid, be very afraid.<br /><br />Whoa at Drew Crawford's new build. The guy's shed some serious weight and is now cut like a Greek god. This may only make sense to Cats fans, but he now looks like the players on the teams we face in conference - a sight Northwestern fans are most definitely not used to seeing in purple. Coming off of his ankle injury, it was tough to tell if there will be any significant change in Crawford's quickness, but I think we'll be pleasantly surprised. To be honest, it appears all of the Cats have spent some time in the gym this offseason. Obviously, this doesn't guarentee that we'll suddenly be pushing opposing players around like Purple Powerhouse that we are, errr, could be, but the strength certainly shouldn't hurt.<br /><br />Scoring-wise, Crawford was fine on offense, going 3-7 from the field with one 3 and 11 points total. But, as I mentioned in the season preview, what we're looking for is agression, and boy did we see something that made our repeatedly-broken-and-stomped-on hearts flutter: seeing an open lane to the hoop, Crawford went all Superman on us with a leap-from-the-foul-line, in-your-face, bring-down-the-house, I-really-like-dashes dunk attempt, the likes of which Northwestern is almost always on the receiving end of on the next day's SportsCenter Top Ten. Unfortunately, in this case gravity was Superman's kryptonite, as he was soundly rejected by the front edge of the rim (one of 2 missed dunks by Northwestern, naturally), and nearly injured his shoulder in the process. Still, its that type of move to the hoop that could make Crawford a truly great player this year.<br /><br />It was tough to get a read on Marcotullio, as he still seems to be bouncing back from his ankle injury. As he heals, I expect that he'll end up being the primary PG in Northwestern's set, with Sobo backing him with significant minutes. JerShonn Cobb sat out the game as he continues recovery from hip surgery, but may be available Thursday when the Cats tip-off in the Charleston Classic.</p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">The play of the freshman, Sobo and Demps, was adequate for the opening game, but leaves me somewhat concerned in anticipation of our more difficult early season match-ups. Sobo seemed to have the better grasp of the offense, as well as solid ball-handling skills, but was not much of an offensive threat. As the level of competition increases, it will be important to see if he’s able to continue playing effectively as a PG under greater defensive pressure, as well as showing a better outside shot. However, I do feel really good about his longer term prospects, not only from a basketball perspective, but as a real spark with his feisty attitude. Demps will almost certainly also develop into a solid player, though his comfort with the Princeton system may be a longer time coming. </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">And now on to the centers… On the positive side, both Mirk and Curletti had a size advantage over Texas Pan-Am’s center and used it well on the offensive side of the ball. Mirk in particular showed off a few good post moves that I can’t recall seeing before, and was very effective inside the paint. He also showed a little more aggression in tracking down rebounds, though against stronger competition I’ m not confident that will necessarily continue. Defensively, Mirk had the stronger night by every possible definition. Now, much of this if probably due to the fact that in the first half Curletti came in and picked up two (2!!) fouls in 25 (25!!) seconds. That is to say, in the time it takes Dr. Pepper to tell you they’re having a Real. Good. Time, Curletti managed to come in, play, and get himself pulled. All joking aside, this could be a major problem moving forward, as Northwestern is only two deep at the center position. Its fair to expect that Mirk is going to be pulling huge minutes this season. </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">One big positive on offense was the play of walk-on Reggie Hearn. Hearn was all over the place on both ends. Offensively, he had the second highest scoring game of his career, while complementing that with a solid effort on the boards. As the primary starters work their way back from injury, Hearn’s minutes will no doubt take a hit, but he should be a solid option off the bench moving forward. Look for him to pick up 10-15 minutes a game, with a consistent 5-10 points and a couple boards. </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">Overall, we didn’t learn much based on the level of competition and the lingering effects of injuries to a number of players. We’ll certainly know a lot more by Thursday and Friday night, after the Cats get through the first couple of games of the Charleston Classic. The Princeton Offense offers an advantage in these types of tourneys as opponents have limited time to prepare, but if the Cats don’t come out rolling on offense, things could go off the tracks quickly. We’ll have the full recaps here. Till then, Go Cats!!</p>East Coast Wildcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306025903215018613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809369782684846427.post-2102056960842587412011-11-10T06:39:00.000-08:002011-11-10T06:41:54.136-08:00Wildcat Basketball 2011: Getting Defensive<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://cbschicago.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/john-shurna1.jpg?w=420&h=316"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 420px; height: 316px;" src="http://cbschicago.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/john-shurna1.jpg?w=420&h=316" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> 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priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">And now, the thrilling conclusion to our two part series: Northwestern Basketball 2011. Today, we look at the Defense. </p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">The thrills!</p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">The heartbreak!</p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">The horror!</p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">As good as Northwestern has been on offense the past 2 seasons, they have been equally bad on defense. How else can you explain finishing under .500 in conference with the 3<sup>rd</sup> best offense in the B1G? You can’t, I assure you. Last year, as Cats fans watched with disbelief, Northwestern’s defense was cut up worse than the folks in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. When fans search for reasons for our continued failure to reach the Dance, defense sits alone at the top of the list. How could things be this bad?</p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">Blame can be assigned liberally across the team and coaches. For much of Coach Carmody’s tenure, reports surfaced that the team practiced little defense in their preparations, instead choosing to focus on mastering the complexities of our offense. At times in the early to mid-2000s, the team didn’t need to execute on the defensive end: the very slow pace of the Princeton Offense limited opponents’ possessions, and would sometimes prevent other teams from getting into any rhythm on offense. Northwestern fans should remember <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>games such as the 40-39 victory over Purdue, back in a time where there was a running joke that the football team would outscore the basketball Cats on any given weekend. </p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">As our offensive pace has increased in the past 2 years, some of the natural defensive advantages of the Princeton Offense have been lost. In their absence, some glaring defensive deficiencies have emerged. In any given game, the Cats can sport a 2-3, 1-3-1 or man defense. All have been beaten badly by our conference brethren. </p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">Having set that stage, is there any chance of improvement in the 2011-12 campaign? Maybe…</p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">One of the big issues in my mind is that while systems like the Princeton Offense can minimize and overcome a talent gap between the Cats and Big Ten opponents, it’s more difficult to compensate for these differences on defense. Northwestern today is more athletic than at any point in their history, but with the exception of a few players, are still generally less athletic than some of their B1G competition. </p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">When executed well, the Cats should be able to limit some of the differences through their zone defenses. However, whether it’s coaching or a lack of trust in the big men in the paint, Northwestern’s 2-3 zone is consistently beaten by dribble penetration -> defensive collapses on the ball -> opponent kicking it out -> open shot on the perimeter. Nearly every week some player lights us up with their career record in points, and as fans we wonder why we have such bad “luck” and always catch players on their best nights. Truth is, when you end up leaving guys on the outside more open than Tobias and Lindsay Funke’s marriage, they’re going to hit some shots. </p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">Issues with our 1-3-1 zone are more well documented. While the unique defensive look can be very effective against teams out of conference, at this point most Big Ten schools have learned to exploit its key weakness, namely the single player covering the whole baseline. Teams with solid ball movement who can avoid the trapping D at the top will consistently get a man wide open for a 3 on the baseline. </p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">The loss of Juice Thompson will undoubtedly have offensive repercussions, but the defensive impact is less certain. Juice was not one of the stronger pieces of our defense last season, and he was particularly out of place at the bottom of the 1-3-1. How many times did we hear the play by play guys laughing about the 5’10” Juice guarding a 6’9” center down low? Too many. </p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">This year many expect Crawford to fill that role in the 1-3-1, which certainly adds a lot of length at the position, without a drop off in speed.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In both zone sets, increased minutes for Marcotullio should be a positive. Marco’s quick hands generated some key turnovers last season, and it’s not hard seeing him develop into a defensive player similarly effective to Jeremy Nash 2 years ago. Finally free of injury, Shurna should be even more mobile this season, which combined with his size should result in further improved. Down low, he’s proven himself to be a fairly capable shot blocker.</p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">The jury will remain out on the freshmen until after the Cats navigate through some of their tougher non-Con matchups, but from a size and strength perspective both Demps and Sobo look as though they can hold their own. </p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">Continued concern will revolve around the play of our centers (yes, its them again). Defensively, both Mirk and Curletti have been dominated at times by Big Ten centers. Unfortunately, there’s no reason to think this year will be any different. The key to stopping Big Ten centers from putting up huge numbers against Northwestern will be the Cats’ ability to keep the ball out of their hands as much as possible, or forcing them to get possession outside of the immediate vicinity of the hoop. This would give the Cats time to drop another player down low for the double team, which would hopefully prove more effective. Of course, the clear downside to this strategy is the open shot we’d basically concede on a kick out to whichever offensive player had been abandoned. </p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">On the whole, the 2011-12 defense shouldn’t be any worse than last season, and may even show some improvement based on the new personnel. However, as we learned in some games last season, our best progress on the defensive end might not be tied to defensive play at all. </p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">Playing against an immensely talented Ohio State team last season without Shurna, Northwestern decided that their best chance at victory was to kick it old school: revert back to running the Princeton Offense at a snail’s pace. Limit possessions, throw off Ohio State’s flow and see what happens. While the Cats ultimately lost in a close game, the strategy worked brilliantly. Moving into 2011, the Cats’ should continue to adjust their speed on offense up or down based on the quality of opponent. Sure, slowing it down makes the games more frustrating to watch, but if the strategy works, I trust you won’t find any fans complaining. </p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">Expect some improvement in the players year over year, but look to the gameplan for any serious defensive improvement this season. The offense possibly being the best defense…it’s so Northwestern.</p>East Coast Wildcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306025903215018613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809369782684846427.post-44640229551064576142011-11-09T08:05:00.000-08:002011-11-09T08:23:41.115-08:00Wildcats Basketball 2011: Now With 0% Juice<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://cbschicago.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/drew-crawford.jpg?w=300"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="http://cbschicago.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/drew-crawford.jpg?w=300" alt="" border="0" /></a><p style="font-family: arial;" face="arial" class="MsoNormal">The Northwestern Wildcats get set to open their season this Sunday at home against our perennial Lone Star opponent Texas Pan-American, coming off back to back 20 win seasons for the first time in school history. After first round exit in the 2010 NIT, the Cats marched through the first two rounds of the 2011 NIT before falling in overtime to Oklahoma State in the quarter finals. Only a few years removed from the disasterous campaigns of 2006 and 2007, it would appear that the men in purple are on the upswing as they chase that “impossible” dream we like to call Madness. This year’s team returns senior All-everything candidate John Shurna, a ton of talent at guard/forward in juniors Drew Crawford, Alex Marcotullio and sophomore JerShonn Cobb, and experience at center in Luka Mirkovic and Davide Curletti. Northwestern will also feature some of the most hyped freshman to take the court in purple in Tre Demps and Dave Sobolewski. However, the focus for the early part of the season may not be on who is back for the Cats this year, but rather the noticeable absence of one player: Juice Thompson. </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" face="arial" class="MsoNormal">Juice’s offensive prowess, ability to take care of the ball, and grasp of the Princeton Offense lead to him starting all four years at Northwestern. But beyond his impressive stat sheet during that time, Juice was also the vocal and emotional leader of an improving Cats team. For a team not particularly known for their attitude, he brought a fire to the court that was often the catalyst for a big run or shocking upset. In time our young talent should be able to replace the holes he’s left on offense, but taking the next step as a program could very well come down to the team’s ability to replace the lost leadership. </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" face="arial" class="MsoNormal">Good basketball programs are those that have the ability to – pardon the cliché – reload, not rebuild year after year. Following the winningest two year stretch in program history, Northwestern finds itself with increased media attention, increased support, and the potential to break into the upper half of the conference. Considering this, 2011 will be a crucial year to the team’s long term trajectory: continue to win and momentum (support, recruiting or otherwise) will continue to strengthen. Come up short of any post season, and the many of the recent gains could potentially be lost. </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" face="arial" class="MsoNormal">So, what do we expect? Let’s dive in! Today we take on the offense:</p> <p style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">The Good:</p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">The Cats’ offense in the half-court should continue to be a strength in 2011, as it was in 2010. Few teams in the Big Ten (+ 2) feature as many scoring threats from all over the floor as Northwestern. Shurna, the senior with a deadly, if unconventional, outside shot and a solid interior presence, should lead the scoring barrage. Barring injury he’ll be a force to be reckoned with throughout the season, period. Crawford’s continued development as a multi-threat player will be key to taking the pressure off of Shurna and the incoming freshmen. The junior has shown brilliance at times over his first two years, but his game has certainly been streaky at times. When his threes are falling, the Cats’ will be able to boast an unstoppable 3-4 players on the floor capable of shooting over 35% from behind the arc. However, on the days he goes cold, Crawford will need to be more aggressive and use his athletic ability to drive inside and take more high-percentage shots around the basket. No question he’s got the skills, but he’ll need to shed the hesitation to be “the man” at times.</p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">Northwestern’s 3 point party continues with junior Alex Marcotullio, or Marco-3-llio to those of us who feel an uncontrollable desire to come up with crappy nicknames. A career 36% 3-point shooter, look for Marco to step up to fill some of the scoring void created by Juice’s gradutation. After averaging 6 points a game in 2010-11, Marco should put up consistent double digit scoring nights in the 2011-12 campaign. Also helping to fill the void will be sophomore JerShon Cobb. Cobb’s game is more like that of Crawford, but an injury-plagued freshmen year limited his contributions.</p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">These four returning studs will be sharing playing time with two of the most heralded incoming freshmen in memory, Tre Demps and Dave Sobolewski. While video out on the Youtubes has created palpable excitement about these guys, any Northwestern fan knows that with the complexity of the Princeton Offense, it may very well take some time for the freshmen to settle down and get comfortable. The good news is that word coming out of the Cats’ throttling of Robert Morris on Monday is that Sobo is the real deal and ready to go already. Demps showed flashes of talent, but is likely to need more work as Northwestern plays through their non-conference schedule. </p> <p style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">The Not as Good:</p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">Let’s discuss the infamous center position. A note to take the edge off ahead of any seeming negativity: playing center in the Princeton Offense requires a different (and often broader) skill set than doing so in a more traditional set. In addition to being expected to bring size and scoring around the hoop, our centers need to be able to run the offense from the top of the key, be moderate 3-point threats, and generally be more mobile than others at the position. It’s hard, I get it. But this position has been a weakness for the Cats for as long as I’ve followed the team (8 years!), and for all of the strengths Northwestern boasts on offense, center could continue to be a concern this year. </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">The Cats return a ton of experience in Luka Mirkovic and Davide Curletti. Both have shown the ability to contribute on offense, with Curletti being the slightly stronger option if not for his propensity to put the ball in the hands of the guys wearing the wrong color jerseys. Both players bring size down low, but are simply smaller than a lot of the centers they’ll be facing when the Cats get to conference play. To overcome this, both Luka and Davide need to bring an aggressiveness to the court, and therein lies the issue. For all of their size and talent, our centers just often play “weak.” Limited output from this position is by no means a death knell for NU’s offense, but it takes away what could be another way to beat opponents, particularly on nights when the outside shoots aren’t falling. With another year under their belts, the collective hope is that we’ll see the tough play out of these guys that we’ve been looking for. </p> <p style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">The (Potentially) Bad:</p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">Concerns at center or not, I stand by the feeling that we should be ok in the half-court offense. Unfortunately, as the name implies, that covers only half of the court. While Juice’s offensive contributions may be replaced rather quickly, losing his ball handling skills as PG and ability to get the ball across the timeline under pressure are more worrying. In his place, Marcotullio, Demps and Sobo are all likely to share time as the primary ball handlers. Marco has been pretty solid in that role when covering for Juice in the past, but the jury is still out on the freshmen. </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">With the exceptions of a couple of our tougher non-conference opponents, I’m not too worried about our ability to bring the ball up during the early part of the season, but look for ¾ or full court pressure to ramp up as we enter Big Ten play. In a worst case scenario, turning the ball over or committing 10 second violations under full court pressure will lead to us seeing more consistent pressure as the season drags on. Even if we manage to get the ball into the half court without turning it over, time wasted dealing with the pressure could result in issues running the Princeton Offense effectively once there. We’ve seen a significant increase in the speed of the offense in the past two years (no more of the desperation heaves as the shot clock hits zero), but with freshman and sophomores contributing significant minutes this season, the offense may require more time to generate open looks and cuts. Between shooting reps, I hope that Carmody has the guys practicing every possible way to get the ball across mid-court safely and quickly. Well, that and defense…<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>(more to come on that one)</p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">More broadly, as the season kicks off we’re forced to ask “who’s the leader?” This is by far the biggest void left with Juice’s graduation. Despite being the clear star, Shurna has traditionally lead by example, rather than vocally. Mirkovic wears his emotions on his sleeve, but to a fault. With Mirk, the bigger concern is him getting his emotions in check this season, rather than trying to get him to inspire the guys around him. </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">If anyone is to step up, my pick is Marcotullio. Since his freshman year, he’s brought an intensity and an attitude to the court that most Cats’ fans aren’t used to seeing. By taking over some of the PG role Juice had filled, the transition to him as the new vocal leader seems natural. The biggest impediment to him carrying the team’s "leader" tag could be his play: if he emerges as one of the top 2-3 guys this season, it’s easy to take on such a role, but if he’s less of a contributor, it’s harder to get others’ attention. Come the end of non-conference play, we should know a lot more. </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">Our other major potential speed bump will be staying healthy. Injuries have derailed more Cats’ teams than I care to count. Vukusic, Coble, Shurna – all major players who have gone down in recent years. Any serious run to the Tournament will require Northwestern to avoid anything much worse than the usual bumps and bruises that come along over the course of a season. So far, things aren’t looking good: Marcotullio, Crawford and Cobb all sat out Monday’s exhibition with injury, and their status for Sunday’s season opener is questionable. Marco and Crawford are fighting ankle injuries, while Cobb is nursing hip problems that could potentially slow him for the whole season. With a weak opening opponent, the Cats may be able to scrape out a win with some or all of the group on the bench, but they’ll all be needed next week as Northwestern competes in the Charleston Classic. </p> <p style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">The Ugly:</p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">Did you know that if you shoot the ball and miss, that your team is allowed to chase it down? Northwestern doesn’t. </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">Yes, I know I sound like a broken record (and like every other Northwestern fan on the interwebs), but our lack of offensive rebounding is, err, offensive. And it’s not like we’re sacrificing rebounds so that we can drop back and play a fantastic defense. Lately we’ve been stopping less than the Mexican border. Sure, we limit opponents’ transition baskets, but what’s the difference between them scoring 5 seconds or 25? </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">We’re a team heavily reliant on mid-range and 3 point shooting, and there’s going to be games where we just can’t hit anything. It happens to everyone. On days when you can’t make your first attempt, you have to try to give yourself a second or third chance to score. Our size and strength will definitely prevent us from being an elite rebounding team in conference no matter how hard we try, but even being mediocre is a significant step up from abominable. </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">The scrimmage again Robert Morris hasn’t given us any reason for hope, either. Despite winning 99-48 on 63% FG shooting (a ridiculous 71% from 3), the Cats lost the offensive rebounding battle 17-5. Some of this discrepancy is certainly due to the Cats having fewer opportunities for rebounds with their hot shooting, but even accounting for that, Northwestern snatched 28% of possible offensive boards compared to 36% for Robert Morris. </p> <p style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">The Others:</p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">I’ve only touched on 8 players in this preview so far, but a few others should be noted. Jr Reggie Hearn saw significant minutes against Robert Morris and may get a chance to pick up a few minutes per at guard this season, particularly if the Cats can’t ditch the injury bug. Hearn is comfortable from both inside and outside the arc, and has shot ~30% from 3 in limited playing time so far in his career. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Sr Nick Fruendt could also pull some time this season at guard or (in a worst case scenario) center if our big men get in foul trouble. Despite going 2-2 from deep on Monday, Fruendt tends to play closer to the basket, where he shot 50% last season. Michael Turner and James Montgomery III round out the squad, but I’d be lying if I said anything I wrote about them was more than irresponsible speculation. So let’s leave it at “they look good in purple.”</p> <p style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">Overall:</p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">Generally, the offense with be what carries Northwestern through the 2011 season, and the Cats should once again be in the top half of the Big Ten conference in points per game, after being 3<sup>rd</sup> in 2010-11, averaging 72 points. While Shurna is likely to lead the team in scoring, overall scoring should be very balanced across the team, in addition to having significant contributions for the first and second guys off the bench. The 3 will continue to be the heart of the offense, but with the very un-Northwestern-like athleticism of Crawford, Cobb and the freshman, mid-range jumpers and points in the paint (excluding layups) will likely constitute a larger percentage of the output than traditionally seen. The Princeton Offense should generate the classic open layups in our non-Con play, but those will probably be more limited in Big Ten play, as we’ve seen against most B1G teams in recent years. </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">There are going to be moments of frustration, for sure, as the loss of Juice should mean more turnovers, struggles in full court pressure, and a clunkier offense than last season overall. Unfortunately, I feel like the Cats will blow a couple of B1G games this year due to these issues – something that could very well haunt them come selection time (for the NCAAs, or others). With a few tough games scheduled for the non-Con slate this season, we should have a good feel for the team’s prospects ahead of conference play this year. How they stack up offensively versus last year’s squad we’ll know in just a few weeks.</p>East Coast Wildcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306025903215018613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809369782684846427.post-75845370436987803972011-11-03T12:57:00.000-07:002011-11-03T13:06:40.508-07:00The March Begins<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.laketheposts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/NEW-court.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://www.laketheposts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/NEW-court.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">It’s a story well known among Wildcat circles, but bears repeating every year as a new basketball season approaches. </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">Seven years prior to the launch of the Model T, way back in 1901, basketball was introduced in Evanston. At 110 years young, Northwestern’s program outdates a few others you may have heard of: Georgetown, Duke, Illinois, UConn, UCLA, Michigan, UNC, Kentucky, and most of what would constitute Division I today. But longevity does not necessarily breed success, and in the century-plus since Northwestern first took the court, it is difficult to argue that there has been any team in all of professional or Division I sports with a history of futility exceeding that of the Cats. The classic points:</p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; font-family:arial;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span>Northwestern sports the most losses (1,345), most points allowed and largest negative point differential all time in Division 1 basketball. The Cats winning percentage to-date stands just shy of 39%. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; font-family:arial;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span>Northwestern has won two conference titles, but none since 1933. Since 1968, the team has yet to finish in the top 4 of the conference, and managed a last place finish in 13 consecutive seasons stretching into the mid-1990s. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; font-family:arial;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span>In 2004, Coach Bill Carmody was awarded Big Ten Coach of the Year for guiding the team to a .500 finish in conference, and 14-15 record overall. Just take that in for a second.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; font-family:arial;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span>Last, but not least of course, the Cats have never, EVER, been to the NCAA Tournament. Frankly, it’s never even been close. Only 6 times since 1968 has Northwestern even finished above .500. </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">There are 345 schools that currently compete in Division 1 basketball. The sad truth is that for the vast majority of these schools, there is no hope of ever winning a national title. In the tournament so known for its upsets and Cinderella stories, eventually the powerhouses always prevail. Since seeding was introduced in 1979, only one team lower than a #4 seed has cut down the nets at the end of March Madness (Villanova in 1985, a #8 seed). Not a top-25 team? Fuggedaboutit.</p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">So for those schools in the CAA, MAAC, MEAC and many of the other eligible conferences, the goal really isn’t to take home a title, but rather just make it to March and maybe pull off a first round upset that your school will never forget. While fewer than 20% of teams make the Tournament in a given year (well below any of the 4 major professional sports and the ridiculous 60% that make a college football bowl), in the long run, a team’s odds are pretty good. Only 52 teams playing today have never qualified, and most of those are programs that have only recently joined the Division 1 party. Stretching things back a bit, only 5 teams that have been playing since the Tournament’s inception in 1939 have never been invited. Any Northwestern fan knows the list by heart:</p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; font-family:arial;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span>Army</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; font-family:arial;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span>William and Mary</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; font-family:arial;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span>St Francis (NY)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; font-family:arial;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span>The Citadel</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; font-family:arial;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span>Northwestern</p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">So there we go. We are the 1% (#OccupyMarchMadness anyone?). </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">But why does it matter? Surely I don’t think that there are legions of William & Mary fans (go Tribe!) rehashing their horrible hoops history on these here interwebs. I judge St Francis’ commitment based on their athletic site, which <a href="http://www.sfcathletics.com/splash.aspx?path=mbball&id=splash_25">appears designed by a GeoCities rookie circa 1998</a>. A quick search of Google reveals that the Citadel doesn’t even have a sports blog. But for Northwestern fans, it haunts us. </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">Thing is, that talk about the goal being just making it to the Tournament doesn’t apply in the increasingly inaccurately named Big Ten. Not only has every other team made it to the promised land, 8 – yes EIGHT – of the teams in the conference have played in the national championship game. Of the other three, two (Penn State and Minnesota) have made the Final Four, and Nebraska, well, they don’t really count towards Big Ten comparisons yet. Over half of the conference may be invited to the Dance in a given year, yet when the music starts playing, year in and year out, Northwestern finds themselves without a date and a tux, sitting at home wondering what went wrong. </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">Bad coaches, no administrative support, stringent admissions standards, and just sheer bad luck – each of these has played a role in the Cats’ continued futility. But in 70+ years of Madness, one’s left to ponder how basic probability hasn’t resulted in a fluke year where Northwestern could sneak into the field. Red Sox fans agonized over going 94 years without winning a “world” championship. For Northwestern, it’s like going nearly 80 years without winning their <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">division</i>.</p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">Recent years have brought raised hopes and crushing disappointments. Late season losses, player defections and failures in the Big Ten Tournament have continued the streak. As the Big Ten business has grown, leading to increased TV exposure, tens of millions of dollars in revenue and extraordinary pressure to win, the task has not become any easier. Northwestern basketball today is at its highest point since the 1960s, but the window of opportunity to take the next step may be closing. Success breeds momentum, and its not too hard to think that with a few more years of coming up just short, that Northwestern could fall back to the dark ages that have defined most of the program’s existence. </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">As the new season kicks off, we again hope for that miracle season, and the chance to see NORTHWESTERN glowing on the Selection Sunday screen for the first time. Some teams out there hope to hear “One Shining Moment” in the background as they cut the nets, we just want a chance to stand in the spotlight. </p>East Coast Wildcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306025903215018613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809369782684846427.post-5526127195937072812010-12-18T11:39:00.000-08:002010-12-19T08:30:37.341-08:00Please Tase Me, Bro!!<p><object height="300" width="499"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qhixXslAf4o?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qhixXslAf4o?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="499" height="300"></embed></object></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Well hello there, its been a while. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">My therapy is finally over and I have come to accept that fact that no, Dan Persa really won't be playing in the TicketCity Bowl, and yes, that makes the +9.5 line likely not generous enough. But, like my life in suburbia, that's in the past (Manhattan, ftw!). Like a crossed-eyed man, its time to change my focus and start thinking about what could be the second greatest thrill ride in NU sports history. This year, the chance of finally making That Which Shall Not Be Named is as real as it has ever been, and for the more "seasoned" fans, maybe as real as it will ever be. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">So check back early and often for news and uneducated opinion as the 'Cats of the hard court wrap up their high school-level out of conference slate and move on to the big boys of the Big11TenNow12. As all Northwestern fans know, each game has the potential to be as shocking as a taser to the stomach.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">-ECW</span></p>East Coast Wildcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306025903215018613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809369782684846427.post-66381562723968839772010-09-29T12:01:00.000-07:002010-09-29T13:13:51.625-07:00THE BIG EAST CONSIDERS EXPANSION, EYES A LESS ACCURATE NAME THAN THE BIG TEN<p><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RJgpMNvVRXs?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RJgpMNvVRXs?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">In the madness of conference expansion news that dominated college football headlines during over the summer, a clear dynamic emerged: the power hungry Pac-10 and Big11Ten were dead set on ripping apart and feasting on the poor carcasses of the Big 12 and Big East like they were a delicious Thanksgiving turkey (with the apple pie - ACC - looking on nervously and hoping that dinner alone would satisfy their ravenous appetites). </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">In the end, the changes to the conference landscape were in fact minor, and eventually the college football world turned its attention towards the 2010 season while things calmed and the dust settled. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">That is, until the Big East - slow, "special" child of the BCS conferences that they are - decided they wanted to join the side of the agressors. The conference of 8 football and 1,478 basketball teams has decided to expand its ranks. And in a stunning imitation of the fine batch of QBs populating the conference at the moment, their expansion plans have landed unfathomably far from any predictable target...</span><a href="http://content.usatoday.com/communities/campusrivalry/post/2010/09/big-east-reportedly-is-considering-tcu-as-part-of-expansion-plans/1"><span style="font-family:arial;">as word has gotten out they are interested in TCU</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">The Big East's 2005 expansion to University of South Florida may have indicated the league's desire to break out of its traditional Northeast shell. And hell, that was a match made in heaven - the school, located in the North Florida city of Tampa was already geographically challenged. But the possible move for TCU defies any sort of logic.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Except for this: joining a BCS conference opens the door for TCU to make a national championship run - something non-BCS schools could never do (I'm looking at you, Boise St). It would also give the Big East conference some small bit of respectability, as TCU has already beaten more BCS conference teams this season than the whole Big East (2 versus 1). Of course, TCU also has one more ranked team, #24 TCU, than the Big East can lay claim to at the moment. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Folks, reality continues to out-do fiction.</span></p>East Coast Wildcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306025903215018613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809369782684846427.post-63445586735215416932010-09-22T12:32:00.000-07:002010-09-22T12:35:56.133-07:00I'VE FELT THE SAME WAY SINCE THE OUTBACK BOWL<p><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rRty9niJxe0?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rRty9niJxe0?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">I can only assume there's no videos out there of purple-clad toddlers screaming at the site of a stand selling Illini gear. True rivalry...the south gets it.</span></p>East Coast Wildcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306025903215018613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809369782684846427.post-52818323633052230702010-09-19T10:10:00.000-07:002010-09-19T11:49:45.513-07:00TAKIN' CARE OF BUSINESS<span style="font-family:arial;">Along with the commonly cited issues of special teams and playing down to opponents, one of the major factors holding Northwestern back from taking the "next step" as a program has been their lack of success in out of conference road games. From 1996-2009, the Cats were a very mediocre 10-12 on those road trips (including 0-4 in bowl games). With this history, along with the vivid memories of the team's struggles in the heat and humidity at Duke in '08, many fans of the Cardiac Cats looked at this season's contests at Vandy and Rice with deserved anxiety.<br /><br />Yet, as the Cats walked off the field last night after dominating their second opponent in as many weeks, even the most skeptical 'Cats fan had to admit that it appears the team may have finally turned that corner. Next week will be the final test - facing a powerful offense at home with a chance to go 4-0 - but the results to date have shown a team ready to shed the ghosts of its past and step up as a top tier football program.<br /><br /><strong>Cats 30, Rice 13.</strong><br /><br />After some struggles in the first quarter, the Cats dominated virtually every facet of the game, completely shutting down the Rice offense (whose lone TD was against the second and third string D in the waning seconds), and continuing to produce on offense. In a testament to the incredible performance of Dan Persa to date, last night seemed like an "off" night for the QB...in which he still completed 75% of his attempts and had another passing TD with no interceptions.<br /><br />There are areas to improve, no doubt. While the 'Cats front 4 put unbelievable pressure on Rice's QB and running attack in the second half, some questions still remain in the secondary's ability to limit the opponent's passing game. And though the ground game showed some (slight) improvement, NU has a long way to go in developing a legitimate rushing attack. Still, these concerns are limited when considering the big picture of the Cats performance in 2010. </span><br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;">A few of the particularly strong showings from last night should be noted. Persa, as always, carried the team through the air and on the ground. While his completion percentage dropped to a clearly unacceptable 82%, he still remains tops in the country in that category, and 3rd in QB efficiency overall. WR Jeremy Ebert and superback Drake Dunsmore also put on great performances, combining for 169 yards receiving and a TD. To date, Dunsmore has done a fanstastic job in the superback role, helping to add yet another wrinkle to NU's complex passing offense. Lastly, the one man interception machine, Quentin Davie, had a pick-six for his 3rd INT in this young season - one of Rice's 4 turnovers on the night. There are many others who deserve mention, particularly on defense, including Hunter Bates, Jack DiNardo and Vince Browne.<br /><br />Dominant and "business as usual" are not terms typically used to describe the Northwestern Wildcat games of the past 15 years. I'm not fully sold yet...but it may be time to start considering this the start of a new age.<br /><br />GO CATS!</span></p>East Coast Wildcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306025903215018613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809369782684846427.post-32535047934218290352010-09-12T18:49:00.000-07:002010-09-12T19:03:14.010-07:00WILDCAT HIGHLIGHTS, WEEK 2<object height=289 width=416><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lTTnzPLcy38?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lTTnzPLcy38?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width=416 height=289></embed></object>East Coast Wildcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306025903215018613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809369782684846427.post-57967447498137504712010-09-12T17:41:00.000-07:002010-09-12T18:41:50.307-07:00DECISIVE<span style="font-family:arial;">After years of experiencing NU games involving last second field goals, goal line stands, and dramatic comebacks, I had a very strange experience watching the Cats Saturday afternoon: boredom. Watching the game at a local restaurant with 30 other purple passionates, I'll admit that most of us spent the better part of the second half talking amongst ourselves...more or less not paying attention to the action unfolding on the screen. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Ladies and gentlemen, we've finally arrived. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Despite a very respectable performance in conference over the past 15 years, (one of) Northwestern's archilles heel has been playing down to their opponents in the out of conference schedule. Losses to Duke, New Hampshire and Syracuse are just a few of the painful moments 'Cats fans have lived through recently. Thus, NU fans were understandably anxious going into a game against a 1-AA team with a apparently potent offense. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">By the end of the first quarter, it was clear those fears were misplaced. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The 'Cats first team offense looked simply unstoppable, scoring on their first three possessions and leading 30-3 at the half. Persa picked up right where left off last week, going 19/23 with 3 TDs, and keeping his quarterback rating higher than Snoop Dogg at an after-party. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">While the defense gave up yards early to the Redbirds, they too clamped down and held a solid offense to just 3 points, and virtually nothing in the second half. In addition, the D stepped up and had 3 interceptions, giving nervous NU fans some hope that the Vanderbilt performance was not indicative of what to expect this year. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">However, despite all of the positives in one of the Cats most dominating wins of late, the biggest concern remains: the Northwestern running continues to flounder. The Cats had 163 yards on the ground, but averaged only 3.3 yards per carry. Northwestern has proven it can win games with a pass-only offensive attack, but the difference between making a bowl and contending for a Big11Ten championship (in any year) is having a solid run game to compliment the passing attack.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Overall though, the complaints were few as the Cats came to play and ran circles around an inferior opponent. Heading down to Rice for another out of conference road contest, fans can only hope this current roll continues.</span>East Coast Wildcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306025903215018613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809369782684846427.post-90223602310367683952010-09-09T19:42:00.000-07:002010-09-10T12:34:48.532-07:00KNOW YOUR OPPONENT: ILLINOIS STATE<span style="font-family:arial;">This week, the 'Cats return to the friendly confines of Ryan Field to take on the Redbirds of Illinois State. Because one cannot conquer an opponent before truly understanding them, the East Coast Wildcat proudly presents Know Your Opponent: Illinois State. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"><strong><em>When: </em></strong>Saturday, September 11th at noon EST. BigTen Network (channel 720 Cablevision, 472 Time Warner, 610 DirecTV)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><em><strong>'Dey old:</strong></em> While you may never have heard of Illinois State, it's certainly been there all along. Founded in 1857, Illinois State holds the distinction of being the oldest public university in the state (take that, University of Illinois). In fact, the university was brought into existence by legal papers written up by Abraham Lincoln. Though never having been there, I think its a safe bet that this fact is included in pretty much everything they publish (gotta have your claim to fame somehow). Like many schools back in the day, the university was established primarily as a place to train teachers, giving it the official name of Illinois State Normal University. However, this school has the particular oddity of also being located in Normal, Illinois, meaning that one could reasonably call the place Illinois State Normal University - Normal. I'll stop here.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><em><strong>Be happy:</strong></em> According to Wikipedia, ISU's motto is "Gladly we Learn and Teach" While this reads more like one of the wonderful English translations you'd find on the sign for a Chinese elementary school, it is in fact the actual motto. More dissappointing than the phrasing itself, however, is the fact that they were only two flipped words away from owning the motto GTL. Missed opportunities all around.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The school's alma mater should also be noted for the fact that it is written to the tune of the German national anthem. So, big picture, if they ask you if you are in fact gladly teaching and learning, you say yes and ask no questions. The More You Know *insert flying star and NBC song here*.<cue></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><em><strong>So who do I know?:</strong></em> Many of ISU's notable alums populate the world of entertainment, something us Northwestern fans can identify with pretty well. Gary Sinise, Gary Cole (Bill Lumbergh of <em>Office Space</em>) and Carlos Benard (Tony Almeida of <em>24</em>) all called ISU home. I'll still see all these guys and raise them Charlton Heston...we win!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><em><strong>Who's mascot would win in a fight:</strong></em> A truly underrated piece of winning football games, whose mascot is tougher? As mentioned earlier, Illinois State is the home of the Redbirds, with a logo more or less the same as Louisville and every other cardinal-themed team out there. As any cardinal would realistically fly away from an attacking wildcat, I have my suspicions that this fight would be somewhat less than entertaining, but for posterity's sake, I'm giving this one to Northwestern (we so rarely win!).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><em>So that whole football thing:</em></strong> Illinois State may be a 1-AA school full of the future teachers of America, but their roster is also full of former 1-A players, making them one of the more dangerous 1-AA teams out there. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">In their season opener, the Redbirds threw for over 300 yards on route to a 55-54 victory over Central Missouri State. They complimented their arial attack with an additional 187 yards on the ground. While the opponent surely had something to do with these numbers, the Cats D will have their hands full and better come out playing early - the Redbirds scored 40 in the first half of that game. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">More positive, however, is how terrifyingly bad a defensive effort Illinois State put up in that match: 33 first downs, 547 passing yards and 5 passing TDs for Central Missouri has to make any 'Cats fan think we'll have a better chance of scoring than Tiger Woods at a local IHOP. This begs the question, though...what does NU do on offense?</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The seemingly obvious answer is to let Persa throw all day and tear apart the Redbirds defense. Realistically, Persa should be able to put up a 400+ yard, 3+ TD performance. However, I fear that NU will continue to try and force their ground game to be successful in spite of the passing opportunity in front of them. I can't help but be scared of this situation - if NU tries to force an unsuccessful rushing attack, they'll likely keep ISU in the game until late. As any NU fans knows, if you let a team hang around, you never know what can happen. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Fortunately, I have enough faith in our OC to believe he'll transition to a pass-happy offense by the 4th quarter if things are not going well, letting the 'Cats shut the door on the Rebirds. My call: <strong>NU 34 - ISU 17</strong>. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Till next time, GO CATS!</span>East Coast Wildcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306025903215018613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809369782684846427.post-19089411162153027872010-09-09T18:13:00.000-07:002010-09-10T12:52:50.345-07:00WHAT WE LEARNED IN WEEK 1<span style="font-family:arial;">Well its time to just give in and admit it - Northwestern is incapable of winning a game in relaxing fashion. After going up 10-0 early in the first quarter, it looked as if all of the fears of laying an egg on the road versus an SEC bottom-feeder would be avoided. Alas, it was not to be. Not until a personal foul penalty in the final minutes gave NU a first down and the ability to run out the clock was there any feeling of comfort for 'Cats fans.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">But only one thing counts: a 23-21 victory, 1-0 to start the season. So what'd we learned in this (all too common) nail-biter?</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">Quarterback</span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Dan Persa entered the season opener with huge shoes to fill following the graduation of Mike Kafka, including the 4TD performance in the Outback Bowl. In what had the potentional to be a disasterous first start on the road, Persa was the brightest spot on a generally lackluster performance for the men in purple. His 19/21, 226 yards, 3TD performance set a NU completion percentage record, and Persa complimented his throwing accuracy with a solid running game as well.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Following a very successful first start, expectations are likely to be sky-high for the Junior QB moving forward. While we aren't likely to learn much more about Persa this week (as the running game will take precedence), the game at Rice in two weeks will be a good test to see if our new phenom can keep rolling.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">Running Game</span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">As Cee Lo Green would say..."WHHHYYYYYYY!!! WHHHHHY!" Hopes were high going into the game that with an experienced O-line the running game would finally be resurrected from the depths of despair known as 2009. Instead, the ground game may have actually taken a step back...literally. Starting RB Arby Fields finished with -7, yes NEGATIVE SEVEN yards on 10 carries. None of the Cats RBs finished with over 50 yards, and the total rushing yards other than Persa's were a terrifying 61. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">How did this happen? First the O-line showed few signs of being the powerful unit fans had expected coming into the season. Throughout the game the line struggled to open up holes and give the backs some room to run. This problem exacerabates the fact that NU's RB's lack the speed required to get to the outside and turn the corner, meaning that opening up holes on dive and draw plays is crucial for the Cats to pick up consistent yardage on the ground. Additionally, while the backs play tough, none possess the talents of former stars Sutton and Wright, in that they can't make their own space with the ball. There are times when the backs need to open their own routes, and so far none of the current corps have shown us much in that area.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Keep the kids away, because this has become a horror movie.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">Defense</span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">It may be that practicing against the 'Cats running backs has brought the D down as well, but the Cats showed that they have a lot of work to do in stopping opponents rushing attacks. Zac Stacy led the charge for Vandy, gaining only 69 yards but averaging 7 yards per carry. The 192 total rushing yards the Commodores put up is not the end of the world on its own, but when considering that Vandy's top running back gained only 46 yards because he was slowed due to injury, those numbers are far scarier (horror movie, part II). </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Under Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern's defenses have traditionally improved as the season goes on, so the hopeful assumption is that this year will be the same. The D will have a serious challenge this week against Illinois St, so the improvement better come quickly...we cannot lose to another 1-AA team. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">We have a lot more to learn about the Cats in the next two games, particularly about the running and defensive woes. One this is for certain though - no matter against who and no matter where, the game is always going to be much too close for comfort.</span>East Coast Wildcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306025903215018613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809369782684846427.post-3662513281258056042010-09-02T19:25:00.000-07:002010-09-02T19:26:23.683-07:00LET THE GAMES BEGIN<span style="font-family:arial;">It’s that time again!! After 8 months of wandering through the cold, dark, empty world that is the offseason, college football has returned. With the exception of the Lou Holtz lisp, it’s all sweet music to our ears.<br /><br />Now, you may be wondering “Hey, we had a breakdown of the offense recently…where’s the defense?” Well my friends, my manager is a football fan, but not quite enough to let me blog during work – so we’ll get to it when we get to it. But the season is finally upon us, so lets roll. Hide the women and children, its about to get wild.<br /><br />Then grab a couple beers, pull the emergency slide and take the plunge baby – ITS WILDCAT FOOTBALL TIME!!<br /><br />When we last left our faithful warriors, they were trudging off the Raymond James gridiron following yet another overtime bowl game loss. 78 pass attempts, 4 TDs, 5 INTS, 3 missed field goals and a whole lot of WTF football, ‘Cats fans were forced to end the season knowing the bowl win drought would be extended to at least 61 years.<br /><br />The 2010 road to the Rose Bowl begins this Saturday, and air is buzzing like a stadium of vuvulzelas. Someone grab Michael J Fox, because Northwestern fans are practically shaking with excitement. Unfortunately, this year’s early season schedule is full of more potential landmines than trying to walk across the DMZ.<br /><br />What time is it?? Preview time…<br /><br /><strong>Who we playin?</strong> Vanderbilt. The shining beacon of hope in the cesspool that is the SEC. They are the Northwestern of the SEC, minus a few small details like football competitiveness and ability to rock the color purple.<br /><br /><strong>Whats their mascot?</strong> The Commodores. A fantastic choice, not only for its uniqueness, but for being the name of team that plays in an entirely landlocked state. Want to get in your opponent’s head? Tell ‘em you’re a Navy Admiral 700 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. That’s thinking outside the box, fool.<br /><br /><strong>The line:</strong> Northwestern -4.5<br /><br /><strong>Why the Cats will win:</strong> We’re better on offense, better on defense, and our special teams can only hurt us so much. Vanderbilt had a woeful run defense last season, which may be exactly what NU needs to get their ground game going in 2010.<br /><br />Vanderbilt is coached by Robbie Caldwell, a man who took over the team just 6 weeks ago following the abrupt retirement of former coach Bobby Johnson. With so little time to adjust to the head coaching role and prepare, advantage has to go to the ‘Cats.<br /><br />Another possible break for Northwestern is that the heart of Vandy’s offense, RB Warren Norman, underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on Wednesday and is questionable for Saturday’s game. How one can be QUESTIONABLE 4 days after knee surgery is a testament to either modern medicine, or to scientists who have created robots capable of fully integrating into society.<br /><br /><strong>Why the ‘Cats will lose:</strong> Night game in the south…see Duke, 2008. Fortunately the weather looks to be less unbearable than that fateful night, but season openers are nothing if not unpredictable. The ‘Cats have played well on the road the last two seasons, though they have struggled in out of conference road contests.<br /><br />Coach Caldwell has generated some excitement around the team, and the squad is looking to bounce back after a rough campaign last season. If the Cats get off to a slow start on the road, Persa may try to do too much to carry the team, which never ends well.<br /><br /><strong>The Prediction:</strong> The Cats start the season off right with a 24-14 victory over Vandy. Persa looks like the QB we’re expecting, and the Cats ground game has a respectable – but not confidence inspiring – showing. The first of the landmines is avoided, and the Cats head back to Evanston for their home opener 1-0.<br /><br />The preview was short and tame this week on account of me needing to leave early tomorrow for a par-tay weekend in Cincinatti. Hoping to be back to the old antics next week. Till then, get excited and GO CATS!</span>East Coast Wildcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306025903215018613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809369782684846427.post-79249951564868885702010-09-02T09:29:00.000-07:002010-09-02T10:02:55.689-07:009/2/95 - THE DAY THAT STARTED IT ALL<p><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/m0KfjEdrcBc?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/m0KfjEdrcBc?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">15 years ago today, Northwestern's rise out of the Dark Ages began with the stunning defeat of Notre Dame in South Bend. Coach Barnett's pre-game words of "Don't carry me off the field when </span><span style="font-family:arial;">we win. Act like you've done this before" kick-started arguably the greatest season in Wildcat history. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">28 point underdogs on the road, coming off a 3-7-1 season. A 17-15 victory that shocked the college football world, and in some ways was a pivotal moment in the history of both programs.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">In today's college football world parity abounds, and while results such as Appalachian State over Michigan and others are shocking, "unbelievable" upsets are becoming an expected part of a college football season. In 1995, a time in which one couldn't watch 25 games in a weekend, few college football teams had any significant national exposure - leading to a much larger gap between the "haves" and "have-nots" of the college landscape. Notre Dame, ranked #9 at the time, was very much one of the "haves," and in the hours and days after the final seconds ticked off the clock many commentators called the outcome the greatest upset in college football history. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Of course, today, we know that the result was not much of an upset at all - Northwestern would finish the regular season 10-2, winning the Big Ten and getting the chance to play in the Rose Bowl. Yet this takes nothing away from the impact of that day. Northwestern had lead "big" games in the past - even leading Notre Dame at halftime the season before - but this time they closed the deal. Barnett had come in and preached "belief without evidence" as a motivational tool for the 'Cats as they fought against 25 years of futility. At long last, they had their evidence.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Oh, and we have not been invited back since.</span><br /></p>East Coast Wildcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306025903215018613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809369782684846427.post-44763331057349379092010-09-02T08:59:00.000-07:002010-09-02T09:18:56.529-07:00FITZ MEETS HIS MATCH IN INTENSITY<a href="http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/fire-breathing-7.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 326px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/fire-breathing-7.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Vanderbilt's brand-spankin' new coach Robbie Caldwell may have a warm, inviting drawl of a long-time southerner, but apparently </span><a href="http://twitter.com/RobbieCaldwell/statuses/22731511882"><span style="font-family:arial;">the man can bring the energy</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">. Twitter, the entertainment value you can provide in 140 </span><span style="font-family:arial;">characters or less never ceases to amaze me. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">And for those out there still doubting Coach Caldwell's craziness, this is a </span><a href="http://www.teamspeedkills.com/2010/7/22/1582771/joining-the-show-robbie-caldwell"><span style="font-family:arial;">man who has impregnated many, many turkeys in his day</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">. Be afraid, be very afraid.</span><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/Fire_breathing_20060715_7005_collien.jpg"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>East Coast Wildcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306025903215018613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809369782684846427.post-29835335844517817622010-08-30T04:55:00.000-07:002010-08-30T05:16:19.130-07:00WELL, WE'VE GOT THEIR ATTENTION<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fhcflDSUMvc?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fhcflDSUMvc?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><p><span style="font-family:arial;">The common complaint of NU fans of being ignored by the national media has just been discredited in spectacular fashion. With the release of the 2010-11 men's basketball schedule came the announcement that the 'Cats would be facing off at home against Illinois Feb 5th in a nationally televised game on CBS. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">C-B-freakin-S! The Radio City Music Hall stage of the college basketball world. If this was cookie cutter comedy film, insert here the oversize lady fanning herself quickly before passing out. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">The game will be the first ever game at Welsh-Ryan Arena broadcast on CBS, and only the second time NU has ever been on the network. In continuing the theme of "this is the year we better break through," the 'Cats will be featured on the ESPN family of networks at least 4 times during the season. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Back to football talk for now, but begin your preparations for a very exciting winter.</span></p><p></p>East Coast Wildcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306025903215018613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809369782684846427.post-71139727827037173532010-08-28T13:45:00.000-07:002010-08-28T13:54:34.214-07:00WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2010 - THE OFFENSE<span style="font-family:arial;">In 2009, QB Mike Kafka and the Wildcats offense put on a passing clinic for the college football world, ranking 13th in the country passing yards per game, and culminating in with a 532 yd, 4 TD (…oh, and 5 INT) performance in the Outback Bowl. The offense that takes the field against Vanderbilt next Saturday will feature a number of new faces in key roles, most notably at QB. Here are the key questions for the offense as we enter the 2010 season:<br /><br />-Can Dan Persa step up at QB and replicate Mike Kafka’s success from 2009?<br />-Can the Wildcats establish a legitimate rushing attack, after a woeful ground game in 2009?<br />-Can the WR corps replace the losses of Andrew Brewer and Zeke Markshausen and continue to drive the success of the spread offense?<br /><br /><strong>QUARTERBACK</strong><br /><br />The story behind NU’s successful 8-4 campaign in 2009 was the emergence of senior QB Mike Kafka. After losing the starting job in 2006 after a posting a 57% completion rate with 1 TD and 6 INTs, Kafka spent most of the next two years as the backup to CJ Bacher, with only 49 pass attempts over that time. Following Bacher’s graduation, Kafka retook the starting spot looking more changed than <a href="http://stupidcelebrities.net/wp-content/sammy-sosa-skin.jpg">fellow Chicago icon, Sammy Sosa</a>. 3,430 yards and 19 TDs later, Kafka found himself selected in the 4th round of the NFL Draft and headed to Philly to enter a dogfight with Mike Vick for the back-up role (poor choice of words).<br /><br />Now, its up to junior QB Dan Persa to take the reigns and lead one of the Big11Ten’s most prolific offenses. Reports from camp this summer have been glowing, leaving ‘Cats fans hopeful for a Kafka-esque improvement year over year. Last season Persa logged significant minutes against both Penn St and Iowa, due to injury to Kafka. In those games, he was 19/32 for 152 yards with a TD and an INT.<br /><br />Like Kafka, Persa is known for his ability to scramble, though unlike his predecessor, Persa comes to NU as an experienced passing QB. Persa started all four years in high school in a pass-oriented offense, while Kakfa had only one year of high school experience in which he primarily ran out of the QB spot. Still, translating that experience to the college level will be a challenge, and a deciding factor in the ‘Cats success this season will come down to how long it takes Persa to become comfortable in the starting role.<br /><br /><strong>RUNNING BACK</strong><br /><br />Last year the phones at the Evanston police department were overwhelmed by people filing missing person reports on the ‘Cats running game. On the season, the ‘Cats ranked 95th in the country in rushing yards, with Arby Fields leading the team with a mere 302 yards on the SEASON.<br /><br />The ground game was limited both by a lack of a breakout running back as well as an inexperienced O-line. In 2009, NU had no senior starters on an O-line that gave up 32 sacks on the year. This year Northwestern returns all of the starting line and looks to have one of the best lines in the Big11Ten. Not only will they be returning experience, but current starters are facing intense competition from a number of highly-regarded underclassmen – which should hopefully raise everyone’s game.<br /><br />Now, onto the RB’s themselves. NU returns all of the backs who logged significant minutes last year, and the hope will be that with another year under their belt, performance will improve accordingly. Though dinged up during training camp, look for Arby Fields to be the RB that gets the most minutes early in the season. Scott Concannon and Jacob Schmidt will pick up the rest of the reps, both bringing more of a fullback size and style to the position.<br /><br /><strong>WIDE RECEIEVERS</strong><br /><br />With the lack of production on the ground in 2009, the WR corps were vital to the ‘Cats on-field success. Having graduated the top 2 wide receivers, Andrew Brewer and Zeke Markshausen, the ‘Cats will look to their younger players to step up in 2010.<br /><br />Junior Jeremy Ebert is likely take over Brewer’s former spot as the deep-threat outside receiver, following an injury-plagued season last year. Despite a bevy of talent, it will be interesting to see how he handles the outside role as he lacks the size NU has typically featured at the position.<br /><br />Zeke’s spot as the slot receiver is likely to be filled by either senior Sidney Stewart or up and coming sophomore Demetrius Fields. Stewart has been effective at virtually all WR spots over his NU career, so he may more suited to take on the deeper slot spot. This would leave Fields handling the shorter crossing routes for the most part.<br /><br />The fourth WR spot will most likely alternate between the RB and super-back Drake Dunsmore, much like last season. Along with Fields, this spot will handle the short routes that essentially work as a running game for the ‘Cats.<br /><br /><strong>BIG PICTURE</strong><br /><br />With the expected improvement in the O-line, the ‘Cats should see better balance on offense in 2010, though passing is still likely to determine the unit’s overall success. Despite accolades at camp so far, it will be very difficult for Persa to replicates Kafka’s success from last season.<br /><br />An improved running game should help NU better put away opponents in the cases where the ‘Cats have late leads. Additionally, with a legitimate rushing threat, there will be much less pressure on Persa to carry the team early.<br /><br />Overall, I expect the offense to take a step back from 2009, though continue to be effective through better overall balance. If Persa does prove himself as effective as Kafka in 2009, NU has the potential to be a top 15 offense nationally…but such predictions will be way premature until at least a few weeks into the season. </span>East Coast Wildcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306025903215018613noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809369782684846427.post-6631827846469239302010-08-27T05:52:00.000-07:002010-08-27T06:15:16.755-07:00AND YET HE PLAYS AN ILLINOIS GRAD ON THE SHOW...<div align="center"><a href="http://www.kcconfidential.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/300-eric-stonestreet1.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.kcconfidential.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/300-eric-stonestreet1.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><em> Eric Stonestreet of ABC's Modern Family</em></span></div><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">We've all got to start somewhere. Eric Stonestreet of "Modern Family" fame kicked off his career playing yet another flamboyant character back in 1996...the Purple Pride Guy in a series of NU football commercials. Note to readers: full body paint is not a slimming look. Click to watch the video <a href="http://nusports.cstv.com/allaccess/index.html?media=145819">here</a>. <em>(video courtesy of NUSports.com, info provided by LakeThePosts.com)</em></span><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Could he be the original inspiration for </span><a href="http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/tobias112409.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;">this man</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">?</span><br /></p><div align="center"></div>East Coast Wildcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306025903215018613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809369782684846427.post-6129463475286938492010-08-26T06:17:00.000-07:002010-08-26T06:38:17.674-07:00HE ALSO ENJOYS LONG WALKS ON THE BEACH<div align="center"><a href="http://www.doreenmolloy.com/People%20holding%20hands.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 394px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 305px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.doreenmolloy.com/People%20holding%20hands.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><em><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Possible leaked photo from Tuesday's team practice</span><br /></span></em><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">Pat Fitzgerald does not like to see his players fight. Not one bit. So when a pair of players started going at it during the team's practice Tuesday, Fitz did what any man truly in touch with his sensitive side would do: </span><a href="http://content.usatoday.com/communities/campusrivalry/post/2010/08/pat-fitzgerald-shows-interesting-way-to-break-up-fight-at-northwestern-practice/1"><span style="font-family:arial;">make the offenders walk laps around the field holding hands</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">. <p></span></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span> </div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">There have been no fights since.</span></div></div>East Coast Wildcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306025903215018613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809369782684846427.post-46312248321868275342010-08-25T18:25:00.000-07:002010-08-26T05:30:09.662-07:00WE'RE BA-ACK...<span style="font-family:arial;">The weather is beginning to cool, kids are enjoying their final days of freedom, and the Mets are in slumps, in jail, and generally generating less interest than the latest release of <em>Now That's What I Call Music</em> (volume 34, at last count).</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">It can only mean one thing: college football season is here.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">So clear your Saturday schedules, break out your dusty purple shirts, and start practicing some new cheers to get under the skin of Hawkeyes fans. This year, we've taken the terrible puns, offensive jokes, and occassional "analysis" to the blogosphere - so check back here for news, predictions and a huge purple bias as we ride the emotional roller coaster that is always Northwestern football. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">The East Coast Wildcat - here to prove New Yorkers can care about college sports after all.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span>East Coast Wildcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306025903215018613noreply@blogger.com0