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‘Cats play with our hearts again in close loss to Wisconsin
In forty minutes, we got a glimpse of the two Northwestern basketball teams that fans have grown to love and hate over the course of this season. With lackluster defense, little hustle, and poor shot selection, the ‘Cats of the first half resembled the team that staggered onto the court against teams like Texas-Pan American, Ohio State, and the first game against Michigan State. But in the second half, out of the locker room ran an inspired, tough team with a sense of urgency, not unlike the team that upset Purdue, demolished Michigan, and handed Illinois a tough loss. Unfortunately for Northwestern, it took way too long for the team to finally realize how vital this game was, something that becomes very apparent in the report card. more 
Another week of basketball, another week of questions left unanswered. How much did the wins over Michigan and Indiana really mean? The Wildcats did hold Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims, two of the Big Ten’s top six scorers, to a combined 15 points. Against Indiana, the ‘Cats spread the wealth as their entire starting lineup reached double figures in points. John Shurna played an essentially flawless game solely out on the perimeter, going 5-8 from downtown en route to 16 points. A physical Jeremy Nash grabbed 10 boards despite being in foul trouble for most of the game due to questionable calls, proving that he could be a threat on the boards and posting his second consecutive game of double-digit rebounds. Even Kyle Rowley, who I love to poke fun at, had moments where he looked like the physical defensive presence I hope he will one day become, whipping the crowd into a “Kyle Rowley” chant after an incredibly physical defensive stand. more
The time for cautious optimism is over. After watching the Wildcats almost destroy their tournament hopes against Texas-Pan American, I declared the worst to be over. After the disaster in Columbus, I took solace in the win over Illinois. But now, with 10 games left until Selection Sunday, it’s time to face reality: If Northwestern wants to appear on an tournament bracket for the first time in school history, they are going to have to step it up—and fast. more
NU road struggles continue in nail-biting loss in Minnesota
Last night’s game against Minnesota looked, at times, like the ‘Cats win over Michigan in Ann Arbor a couple weeks back. On the road against a more athletic team, NU fought back from behind, but unlike against Michigan, it was too little, too late, as they fell to the Golden Gophers, 65-61. more
An emotional victory over rival-Illinois brings tourney hopes back to life
Being a Wildcat fan cannot be good for your health; with a team like the ‘Cats, you can never relax. Northwestern is not consistently great, they are not consistently terrible, and they are not consistently mediocre. They are just straight inconsistent. Whenever the ‘Cats step onto the court, there’s no telling whether they will be able to hold their own with the likes of Purdue and Michigan, struggle and trade points with a team like Texas-Pan American, or get blown away like they did against Ohio State.
Each week since the Texas Pan-American game, it has been the same story for NU. One game, the ‘Cats lose a tough one (Wisconsin) or get demolished (Ohio State), forcing their fans to concede that they have no shot at the NIT, let alone the Big Dance. But in the other game, they either pull a huge upset (Purdue) or play inspired basketball, whipping their fans into tournament frenzy (Illinois). Each disappointing game is coupled with a motivating one and frankly, I’m just getting confused. We are still totally uncertain about our destiny as each week we give and take, and ultimately we’ve ended up exactly where we started. more
‘Cats can’t build off Purdue win, walloped by Ohio State
There’s something you should know about Northwestern. While they may have finally gotten over the hump this season when it comes to winning close games, and may even reach the summit and make it to the Big Dance, consistency is not their strong suit.
After Saturday’s marquee victory over Purdue, the ‘Cats laid an egg in Columbus on Tuesday night, falling to the #25 Buckeyes 76-56. The game was over two minutes in, and we can only hope that NU uses this as motivation to beat the Illini on Saturday. Onto the grades. more
Even the most optimistic of ‘Cats fans came into this week with anything less than total confidence. With a 1-2 record in the Big Ten, it seemed clear that for Northwestern to stay alive in the tournament discussion, they needed to take one of their next two games against No. 16 Wisconsin or No. 6 Purdue. Once Trevon Hughes willed the Badgers to victory by nailing three three-pointers in a row, it seemed as though NU was destined to drop to the bottom of the Big Ten rankings. more
‘Cats showing symptoms of March Madness
In the history books, Northwestern sits right next to the NCAA Tournament—but not in the way they would like. The closest the ‘Cats have been to the Big Dance was when the first tournament was held at the original Patten Gym (since demolished to build Tech). more
An up-and-down Winter Break for the Wildcats
2009 ended in historic fashion for the Northwestern Wildcats Men’s basketball team.
2010 smacked them back to reality.
The ‘Cats concluded their 2009 non-conference slate with lopsided wins over North Carolina A&T, North Florida, and Central Connecticut State. They had a thrilling victory over Stanford in a battle of the ‘we’re good academic schools that also want to be good at sports’ schools. more
There was a time that basketball season could not come soon enough as NU’s football team flailed against the likes of Syracuse and Minnesota. Saturday’s victory over Iowa has made football relevant again, but that doesn’t mean we here at The Post aren’t fired up for Friday night when the Wildcats’ men’s basketball team begins their 2009-2010 campaign against the Northern Illinois Huskies at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
This week, we will preview different aspects of the season to get you ready for what could be a historic run for the historically-bad basketball program. Today we start with the Wildcats’ backcourt. more
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