The Northwestern Wildcats are perhaps the hottest team in the Conference right now as they won their fourth straight last nite beating Purdue on their home court 64 to 61. This string of victories include home wins against OSU and Iowa, and road wins against Indiana and the Boilermakers. The Boilermakers had control of the first half but, in the face of strong Northwestern defensive pressure, they lost their grip in the second half and were outscored 36 to 26. Critical to the outcome was the gutsy play of Michael Thompson and NU bench that has developed into a source of pride rather than the consternation to which Cat fans are accustomed. A huge game awaits in Columbus on Sunday.
Historic Milestones
This season for the Wildcats is one of achieving a number of historic milestones including road wins in East Lansing and the Assembly Hall in Bloomington. The Cats had not won in Bloomington in 40 years- 1968 was the last time. The win last night against Purdue also was rare as the Cats seldom play well on the road against the stronger Conference foes. As to season records, the Cats already have won the most games ever with 17. They will have a chance to add to this record with a road trip to Columbus and a first round appearance in the Big Ten Conference.
Craig Moore has established himself as one of the best ever three-point shooters in the Conference. Should the Cats continue their strong play, they could get their first ever NCAA tournament bid. Based on their performance to date, they probably are assured of a NIT bid with a first round game or two on their home court. Coach Carmody has greatly strengthened his resume for the Conference Coach of the Year with this season’s end push.
Bench Minutes and Size
A key to last nights game was the play of Ryan and Williams. Williams is a fifth year senior and has played a ton of minutes in the prior three years often as a starter. This year, Williams is adding to his already stellar academic resume with a masters degree, and he has been patiently waiting for the call when the younger players fail to perform in specific game situations. In the last home game against Iowa, Coach Carmody did not play Sterling even though he was honored at the beginning of the game as a senior. So it was fitting that he played a significant role with Jeff Ryan in carving out the victory last night. Between the two, Williams and Ryan scored 10 points in a combined total of 24 minutes at a critical juncture of the game.
Another key factor in the Cats play has been the steady improvement of Thompson. No longer can defenses concentrate on the outside shooting of Moore and Coble as Thompson has improved greatly his outside shooting. HIs three straight three pointers against Iowa late in the second half were keys to that win.
Another major factor in the Cats improvement this season is the steady improvement of Luka Mirkovic and Kyle Rowley, both freshmen. Luka had 8 rebounds in the game last night and he has been able to make inside shoots when his teammates find him, which they are doing with more confidence. Rowley has great potential with his long and wide body if for no other reason being his consumption of valuable real estate in the paint. His game has steadily improved.
The growth and development of these two freshmen make the strong outside shooting game of the Cats much more effective as they often go inside and flip out passes to open shooters. Cat fans are very excited about the future as Mirkovic and Rowley improve the games to be dominant big men. Lickliter would love to have players with the dimensions of these two as they would plug the big hole in the middle of the Hawkeye offensive and defensive schemes.
A NCAA Bid?
Can this Cat team add another historic milestone to their resume? A win in Columbus would make their Conference record 9 wins and 9 losses. This is not out of the realm of possibility in that they beat the Buckeyes in Columbus, and the Buckeyes are not playing very well at this time. With a win in Columbus and a first round win in the BT Tournament, the Cats may well be headed for their first NCAA tournament ever.
Original Story:
http://hoopraker.com/2009/03/05/wildc...
