Northwestern vs. Indiana/conference tournament game thread extravaganza
We're opening this up early today, as there's lots of college basketball on and who better to discuss it with then my closest internet friends? Northwestern game isn't til about 4 PM central, but there are plenty of games to entertain us until then. Comment away; rants, analysis, and predictions for today's game are all welcome.
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watching g-town syracuse
i like to tell people who think bill carmody is a bad coach to watch georgetown execute the princeton offense. it’s barely recognizable, but the talent they have is able to make that not matter.
by Rodger Sherman on Mar 11, 2010 12:25 PM CST reply actions
very true
i think my point is that although nu is almost never successful, and georgetown is perennially ranked/tourney bound, i feel carmody runs an extraordinarily difficult offense better than one of the best teams in the country.
it’s just the disparity in talent that makes sure that northwestern is a bottom feeder and georgetown is not. obviously, that’s on carmody, for not being a better recruiter, or bringing in guys who have a chance in hell against big ten offenses
but that’s besides the point.
by Rodger Sherman on Mar 11, 2010 12:32 PM CST up reply actions
do you two guys always talk to each other in the comments section of your own site?
by firebillcarmody on Mar 11, 2010 12:41 PM CST reply actions
hey
those comments were intended for anybody. just so happened loretta was the only person man enough to write back.
yeah, that’s right, i’m calling you out.
by Rodger Sherman on Mar 11, 2010 12:44 PM CST up reply actions
relax, relax
just giving you guys a hard time because i can. it’s so refreshing to have NU bloggers with a sense of humor. not that i’m referring to anyone else specifically… cough Lake the Posts cough Welsh-Ryan Ramblings cough
by firebillcarmody on Mar 11, 2010 12:45 PM CST up reply actions
I believe
Irrationally, I believe we can run through this tourney. It’s about time for another “Illini in 1999” (I think that was the year) type run, where a Big Ten also-ran (or, in the case of Illinois, the bottom feeder) makes an improbably run to the conference finals.
So why NU this year?
1. The tourney format favors NU — this may seem counterintuitive, but the fact we play a short bench, and that our main guys have played so many minutes, actually HELPS in the quick tourney turn-arounds. Our guys are prepared for the grind, and thus will excel in the game-game-game with no off-days format. (NOTE: this could be the most moronic thing I’ve ever written, but I’m talking myself into it).
2. The tourney sets up well for us — we can beat Indiana. In round 2, we have/can beat Purdue. At that point, anything is possible….we could have the crowd behind us in the semis/finals….
3. Shooters win tourney games — as the tourney goes on, and legs get tired, you’ll see less running/driving and more 3s….which favors our skill players who can shoot (Shurna, Thompson, Nash, Marcotullio, Crawford) from deep.
4. Because at some point, sometime, NU has to get to the NCAA tourney — so why not this year?
Iowa under Alford
Didn’t Iowa under Steve Alford have a similar type of run as well? I like your thinking — after all these games, I’m still trying to figure out what team is gonna show up. Obnoxious stat that has no bearing on today’s outcome: We’re 2-0 in neutral sites this year.
www.massivecreativity.com
by macarthur31 on Mar 11, 2010 12:55 PM CST up reply actions
sadly
we’re playing indiana in indianapolis. you have a better chance of getting a 50/50 crowd at welsh-ryan.
by Rodger Sherman on Mar 11, 2010 1:03 PM CST up reply actions
This Doesn't Have Anything to Do With the Big Ten Tournament...
But does anyone else think this year’s NCAA tourney is going to be among the best in history? I expect upsets galore. All of the top teams look mortal. Hopefully it is, cause it might be the last good tournament ever (see my previous comments on the evil idea that is expansion).
As for today, I expect us to win, but barely. And I can seriously see us getting to the finals. We’ll need somebody to beat Ohio State in order to have any chance of winning the tournament, since I think they’re the only team we can’t compete with.
Also...
We need to win at least two BTT games just to get a sniff of the NIT, since all these regular season champs keep going down (Quinnipiac and Weber State are the latest).
Just Realized I Said the Exact Same Thing Loretta Did Earlier Today...
Oops. Wasn’t trying to steal your analysis, I swear.
Marquette-nova
I’m an NYC boy, so forgive me: big east tourney OWNS the btt. It’s almost as good as the ncaa’s.
by Rodger Sherman on Mar 11, 2010 3:50 PM CST via mobile reply actions
“a bit of an awkard release” by Shurna. i’d say it’s more than a bit
by firebillcarmody on Mar 11, 2010 4:08 PM CST reply actions
Teddy Greenstein will call that dunk “thunderous”
by firebillcarmody on Mar 11, 2010 4:11 PM CST reply actions
Comrade curletti?
The color guy today is all about questionable word choice
by Rodger Sherman on Mar 11, 2010 4:22 PM CST via mobile reply actions
never made the tourney
that was a horribly inaccurate stat. and northwestern has not been “knocking on the door” unless that is the door to 6th place
by firebillcarmody on Mar 11, 2010 4:24 PM CST reply actions
dammit marco. miss a three and then get beat baseline
by firebillcarmody on Mar 11, 2010 4:30 PM CST reply actions
good lord that was an ugly minute of basketball
by firebillcarmody on Mar 11, 2010 4:41 PM CST reply actions
Live at Conseco here
This is a virtual home game for IU.
A futile crusade to prevent mass ignorance
HammerAndRails, SBNation's Boilermaker Blog
oh, no it won’t. they called it on juice also
by firebillcarmody on Mar 11, 2010 5:03 PM CST reply actions
Steve Lavin - hack
“… the surprisingly porous Northwestern defense….” Um, clearly a sign of someone who didn’t do a whole lot of research.
i think the winnableness of this game will just make me that much angrier if they lose. nothing particular to point to… NU is just not a good basketball team.
by firebillcarmody on Mar 11, 2010 5:19 PM CST reply actions
This should be fun
Since I am here in Indy is there anything you guys want me to ask Carmody in the presser?
A futile crusade to prevent mass ignorance
HammerAndRails, SBNation's Boilermaker Blog
ask him if he learns a lot from watching Mitch Henderson use the white board
by firebillcarmody on Mar 11, 2010 5:33 PM CST up reply actions
Cripple Fight!
This one is going straight to the time capsule. Such a disjointed game. I’m amazed that we’ve found a way to tie it.
Had to be done
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWk6RgQbPVc
A futile crusade to prevent mass ignorance
HammerAndRails, SBNation's Boilermaker Blog
not sure how i feel if this comes down to FTs
by firebillcarmody on Mar 11, 2010 5:36 PM CST reply actions
Nash 2 points for the Takedown
A futile crusade to prevent mass ignorance
HammerAndRails, SBNation's Boilermaker Blog
a lot of time left
let’s not make this more complicated than it needs to be
by firebillcarmody on Mar 11, 2010 5:46 PM CST reply actions
This would be NU's first ever 20 win season, right?
A futile crusade to prevent mass ignorance
HammerAndRails, SBNation's Boilermaker Blog
i consider myself “in the league” and yes, it would shock me if NU won the b10 tourney
by firebillcarmody on Mar 11, 2010 5:50 PM CST reply actions
ugh
carmody slurping won’t continue tomorrow if they lose by 20 after Lavin has skipped down.
by firebillcarmody on Mar 11, 2010 5:54 PM CST reply actions
Just got home nice comeback
I saw the score at the half and was worried. Go cats we live another day.
Looked at the stats Shurna and others had a tough day shooting
This could be good, Shurna will probably have a big day against Purdue
1 Down, 3 to go...
Next on the chopping block: Purdue. Without Hummel, this is a team we can beat.
As for today, let me first say how surprised I am that the 1-3-1 was so effective. I agree, a lot of that is due to Indiana being pretty bad right now, but still… holding any team without a field goal for 9+ minutes is impressive. Still, against the Boilermakers I’d like to see us go bad to man-to-man (or the matchup zone that allowed us to kill Purdue on the boards).
Our offense was weak for the most part. We were terrible from three point range (a lot of that was bad shot selection), but thankfully Juice came through in the clutch. Big win!
Grades
Guards: B+
Forwards: B
Big Men: D (Mirkovic did nothing, neither did anyone else)
Coaching: B (Give Carmody credit. He stuck with the one three one, even as I was screaming at my television set for him to get out of it. And it worked.)
Now it’s time to do it all again tomorrow. Go Cats!

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