Women's Fencing: Rumblings and Grumblings

Overheard at practice:

- Various teammates were discussing the return of freshman sabreist Jill Mahen after practice last week. While Mahen is still recovering from the shoulder injury she sustained in a freak car accident on Sheridan Road, she has been fencing in practice and making a strong recovery. Mahen did have a bag of ice on her shoulder after practice last Thursday. While it appears that Mahen won’t make her initial goal of fencing in NU Duals this weekend, she will be able to fence in the Notre Dame Duals next weekend Feb. 9 and 10.

- Teammates were also discussing the fact that coach Laurie Schiller has decreased the number of full squad practices. Schiller noted after practice that he hasn’t had an off day since early January, and it’s taking a toll on him, so it must be taking a toll on the squad. Schiller canceled practice on Monday the 28^th to let the team rest after a long weekend in New York at the NYU Duals. The team will, however, continue practicing throughout this week in order to prepare for 11 matches this weekend. The Cats fence top-ranked opponents: No. 3 Ohio State, No. 4 Penn State and No. 9 Temple.

NYU Duals Insider Information:

- In the recent story “NU shows promise in losses to top teams”, the sabre and foil squads were highlighted, as were individual performances by members of both weapons. Sophomore Joanna Niklinska went 14-2 and was the epée squad’s top performer. Last season Niklinska earned honorable mention All-Midwest Conference honors after going 40-17 on the season.

Coach Schiller Quotable:

- Despite the fact that NU lost to Notre Dame 15-12, Coach Schiller was not upset with the loss. Rather, Schiller is confident that the next time the teams meet in two weeks, the Cats will come out on top. For him, there’s not much that can be done during the actual meet, so he will prepare the team for their next contest with the No. 1 Fighting Irish.

“There’s not a whole lot you can do during a match itself as a coach. I mean you can try to do some coaching from the sidelines. It’s like tennis or wrestling, there’s only so much you can do, since it’s such an individual sport. So I’ll do what we can to get (the team) ready.”

- Schiller also feels that his squad's No. 6 ranking proves the Cats can compete with any of the nation’s teams, including Notre Dame.

“I think they know they can compete with the top team in the country. You just have to turn around 2 bouts basically. Everybody realizes we can win these matches; it’s just a matter of doing it. That’s the nature of competition.”

Men's Basketball: NU Picks Up Pieces from Loss

Coach Bill Carmody said after Northwestern's 70-37 loss to Illinois on Sunday that nothing went right. The Wildcats scored the first three points of the game and never saw the lead again, shooting 31 percent on the night. The Wildcats fell to 0-7 in the Big Ten for the first time since 2003 (the team won its eighth conference game, against Indiana).

Northwestern struggled to get much going offensively and were beaten defensively by an athletic Illinois team, which was also struggling at the bottom of the Big Ten standings.

The loss left the Cats searching for answers heading into their final non-conference game Wednesday night against Texas-Pan American and the rest of the Big Ten schedule ahead.

"We really need to just focus on what we do and not worry about the other team so much," sophomore forward Jeff Ryan said. "We’re making a lot of mistakes ourselves. We’re beating ourselves with turnovers and mistakes on defense. It’s just getting back to doing what we do best and trying to work hard in practice every day."

Carmody said what the other team does is not important. He is concerned more with how the team is playing together and how it plays offensively and defensively more than with NU's opponents. He said the Cats need to play well to get a win.

Sophomore forward Kevin Coble called Sunday's game a "fluke." He said the game was a step backward and the team needs to continue to progress and find positives in each game.

Players were in early Tuesday working on individual workouts and individual games. Carmody hopes the hard work comes together starting Wednesday.

"We need a win and you have to play well," Carmody said. "It’s real basic. I think the guys are playing hard. The guys are coming in for extra shooting and extra individual stuff and it’s got to pay off."

Women's Basketball: The New Miami Dolphins

NU lost to the Wisconsin Badgers 75-45 today. That is the ninth loss in a row for the Wildcats. Their last win came on Dec. 17. And no, you did not read that incorrectly.

The return of freshman phenom Amy Jaeschke, who returned to the starting lineup after a wrist injury on Dec. 17, was supposed to be the savior for the Cats. And they did come through that night with a dominant win over Marquette. One problem remains.

They have not won a game since.

This includes a winless record against Big Ten opponents. If there was any team that the Cats could conquer in their conference, it was supposed to be the Badgers. The same Badgers who had lost six of their last eight games. The same Badgers who had only one more conference victory than the hapless Cats did.

The same Badgers who were apparently the Harlem Globetrotters on Sunday, and NU the unlucky squad chosen to endure an inevitable defeat.

Now NU women's basketball fans are in the same position as those who supported the 2007 Miami Dolphins. One non-conference win is all that can be asked for.

And no, NU fans don't have a perfect 16-0 season to fall back on.

NU vs. Illinois - Men's Basketball

The National Anthem's been sung, so it's almost game time here at Assembly Hall, where the 6-10 Wildcats are set to take on the 9-11 Illini. The teams are a combined 1-11 in conference. Enough said?

The Illini have won eight straight against the Cats and NU is 0 for its last 12 tries in the conference, since it beat Penn State last Feb. 10.

Pat Houlihan is ready. So is Jean-Marc Melchior. That must mean it's time to play.

Starting lineups - NU: G - 22 Michael Thompson; G - 20 Craig MooreG - 32 Sterling Williams; F - 11 Nikola Baran; F - 44 Kevin Coble
Illinois: G - 1 Trent Meacham; G - 32 Demetri McCamey; C - 54 Mike Tisdale; F - 42 Brian Randle; F - 23 Rodney Alexander (6-10 center Shaun Pruitt isn't starting, but he will play.)

19:45 - The shot clock is off, prompting an official to ask, "Why is the shot clock not on?" They get is squared away to the chant of "Awkward silence" from the fans. A+ effort.

15:44 - 3 of 9 shooting and five turnovers combined for the two teams. It's 5-3 Illini and coach Bill Carmody is not pleased with Nikola Baran, who he just replaced with Jeff Ryan.

14:02 - Shaun Pruitt is in. 10-3 Illlini after a rim-rocking alley oop from Alexander and a 3 from Meacham.

13:04 - And Pruitt doesn't wait long. He puts in a layup underneath to extend the Illini's lead to 12-3 and draw a 30-second timeout from Carmody. Ooh, a Jeremy Nash sighting.

11:58 - The Cats are 2 for 8 with five turnovers. People are dancing. Not much else to say. Illini 12-5. After a recent turnover, Carmody just sat back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. Not much else he can do. Illinois coach Bruce Weber keeps shouting things like "Rodney! Go!"

9:57 - Alexander has more alley oops right now than NU has field goals, leading 3-2. He got one on two consecutive trips down the court, extending Illinois' lead to 18-5 and giving Carmody that old sinking feeling.

8:21 - Another timeout NU, as the run has reached 22-2 in the last 10:46. At this pace, the Cats will score 17 points. Gotta be a record.

7:53 - Media timeout for a change. Still 22-5, with Williams heading to the line. Heard from the student section: "C'mon Bill. Bill, you're better than this." Heard from an usher: "This game's over." I agree with both.

1:51 - NU is showing some life. Pruitt celebrates by tackling Craig Moore after NU gets a steal. The Illini lead 28-16, but NU is on a 11-4 run in the last 5:34. Or I should say Williams and Thompson are on a 11-4 run. The two guards have all but two of NU's points tonight.

Halftime - It's 31-18 Illinois, and it could have been a lot worse. The Cats actually ended the half on a 13-7 run in the last 7:25. It's not big, but it's something.

Ryan, Williams, Thompson and Nash have combined for all of the Cats' scoring on 7-of-12 shooting. The rest of the team? Zero. Of eight. Craig Moore, who looked to be getting back on track against Michigan State is 0 of 5 from the field, all 3-point attempts. Coble has only taken two shots, but he did have an impressive rebound.

The only bright side for NU is, like Michigan, Illinois is really bad. So NU could, like against Michigan, put together a little run in the second half and be back in the game. And the Cats will in all likelihood come up short. Like against Michigan. The fans miss Chief Illiniweek. Carmody misses Tim Doyle ... and Vedran Vukusic ... and Mohamed Hachad ... and probably Evan Eschmeyer ...

16:50 - Timeout NU after Meacham hits a 3-pointer and a long two in a row to extend Illinois' lead to 36-20. NU leads Illinois in free throws made. Now it just needs to wait for a dystopian future in which the NCAA outlaws points off of field goals.

15:46 - First media timeout of the second half and a McCamey 3 has Illinois' lead at 39-20. This game has the feeling of a slow, yet insistent, suffocation.

11:11 - The Illini are in the midst of a monster run. Ever since NU closed the lead to 31-20 at the beginning of the half, Illinois has outscored the Cats 19-5. And then they brought in Michael Jordan's son, Jeff. Carmody brought in Mike Capocci to counter.

7:06 - Oi. As in Illin ... s. Worked better in my head. Anyway, the Illini have extended that run to 27-8 and have a 58-28 lead over the Cats. Jeff Jordan, the "Air Apparent" (I must be delirious), put in four points in five minutes and got a UGE ovation when he went out. He also tried to take off from the right wing and dunk over Sterling Williams, but he had to settle for free throws instead. I thought I saw the hint of a tongue coming out of his mouth. Two free throws from Calvin Brock makes it 60-28 Illini.

2:39 - Last media timeout, so it won't be long now. Illinois leads 67-36. And NU is bringing in Pat Houlihan, Ivan Peljusic and Jean-Marc Melchior, who have played a TOTAL of 99 minutes this year. That's slightly longer than "Half Baked," but can't even touch "There Will Be Blood."

1:19 - And here's Tonjua Jones. All that's left is for Matt Steger to come in. Is Evan Seacat still around?

Game Over - Illinois 70, NU 37. Had some laughs, had some tears. Had a lot of turnovers. NU is now 0-7 in conference. Night. Ya'll come back now, hear?

Men's Tennis: Butler Dual Recap

Northwestern beat Butler 7-0 on Friday. It seemed as though the Wildcats dominated the entire night, but the final score does not show how hard-fought some of the matches were. NU won two of the three doubles matches to earn the doubles point. All but one of the singles points were earned on straight sets. Freshman David Seyferth earned the team its second point, winning his match 6-3, 6-1 at No. 6. Sophomore captain Alex Sanborn earned the team’s third point with a 6-1, 6-3 victory at No. 3. No. 1 Junior Marc Dwyer clinched the Cats’ victory with the fourth point, winning 6-3, 6-2.

Men's Basketball: Opponents Don't Overlook Cats

Northwestern may be 6-10 and 0-6 in the conference, but they are hardly a team which teams circle on the calendar and think of as an easy win.

When teams come to Welsh-Ryan Arena or play the Wildcats at home, they know they are in for a challenge.

"Northwestern is always a tricky team," Minnesota forward Dan Coleman said after his team defeated NU 82-63 at Williams Arena on Jan. 9. "Usually, if they beat you, it's because you didn't execute well or play well. Tonight, we didn't get beat on those back cuts or trick plays, and that's huge because that's energy plays for them."

NU presents a lot of challenges to teams. The team plays the complex Princeton offense, which can tire defenses into giving up back door cuts and easy layups with its constant motion.

The defense also presents problems. The Cats typically play a 1-3-1 zone and put a lot of pressure on opposing point guards and perimeter players by trapping the ball. Michigan State was able to attack the corners -- the weakness of the zone -- in its 78-62 win Thursday night, but struggled with turnovers. The Spartans committed 16 turnovers.

Ohio State guard Evan Turner said his team struggled against the defense in finding gaps and taking care of the ball. The Buckeyes committed 20 miscues in their 62-51 win on Jan. 6. But Turner noted the Cats never gave up and hit shots, helping them cut the lead to four points in the second half.

Teams in the Big Ten recognize the unique challenges NU presents. Both their offense and defense are unusual sets to play. With players like sophomore forward Kevin Coble and freshman guard Michael Thompson developing into solid players, the Cats can present even more challenges.

"This is a hard team to play both offensively and defensively," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said after Thursday's win. "We made some shots that we don't normally make. They are a tough team to play against because Coble is a hell of a player and (junior guard Craig) Moore had a coming out party against us tonight (scoring a career-high 28 points). The guy I like, who didn't play as well tonight, is the Thompson kid. He played very well on film and we did a very good job on him."

NU has earned the respect of opponents, but the team has yet this season to put the flashes of strong play opposing coaches have seen in them into a conference victory.

Men's Tennis: TENNIS 110: Introduction to Tennis Vocabulary

To get in the mood for the midterm season that’s coming up soon (especially for you math/science guys), I’ve compiled a list of some basic tennis vocabulary for you guys. Study hard!

Ace – A serve the opponent does not touch because it is hit too well.
Example: Jaime Lee Curtis’ ace flew right past Kevin Kline.

Blank/Bagel – To beat someone without having them score on you. In a set, the opponent would have lost all of the games, and in a match, the opponent would have lost all of the sets.
Example: Ned Flanders blanked/bageled Homer Simpson in the singles match, 6-0.

Break – To beat somebody when they are serving. This term is often used in the phrase “break point” where the person has an opportunity to win a game while their opponent is serving.
Example: Up 15-40, Voltaire has a chance to break David Ricardo.

Love – The term used for zero in a score.
Example: Lance Bass is currently winning this game 30-love.

Shank – To hit a ball on the rim of your racquet. This action usually influences your shot negatively. This term can also be used as a noun, which would be a shot that was hit off of the rim of the racquet.
Example: Mario’s shank cost him the game against his brother Luigi.
Or
Example: Kenny G. lost the match because he shanked half of his shots.

Unforced Error – A mistake that is made because of your own mistake. These are mistakes that are off of returnable shots by your opponent.
Example: All of Edward R. Murrow’s unforced errors came from shots that hit the net.

Men's Basketball Live Blog: Michigan St. at NU

Well, it's another thrilling night of exciting Wildcats basketball here at jam-packed Welsh-Ryan Arena (that was sarcasm, in case you didn't pick that up).

We're counting down to tip-off, with the teams' differences already showing themselves during warm-ups. Spartans: tall, athletic. Cats: short, scrawny. We'll see how things play out, but if recent history is any indication, it won't go well for NU. Bill Carmody is 1-12 in his career against the Spartans, and NU hasn't beaten the boys in green since 2002.

If the purple is going to have any chance, they'll need a great defensive performance from Juice Thompson on Drew Neitzel, a lights-out shooting performance from Craig Moore and a lot of turnovers (Michigan State does turn the ball over almost 15 times per game, so maybe there's some hope there). Well, tip-off is approaching. I'll update throughout the game.

Starters
NU: Craig Moore, Michael Thompson, Kevin Coble, Sterling Williams, Nikola Baran (unexpectedly starting over Jeff Ryan)
MSU: Drew Naymick, Goran Suton, Raymar Morgan, Travis Walton, Drew Neitzel

14:41 -- Things aren't looking good for NU, as MSU is out to a 15-5 lead, thanks to four 3-pointers and some anemic Cats offense. This could get really ugly, really fast, as NU looks completely over-matched against the No. 10 team in the nation. At least Moore made his first shot attempt from downtown.

13:25 -- First timeout of the contest, with MSU leading 17-9. The good news is that Baran managed to score for the Cats off his own miss, showing he perhaps deserves the start. The bad news is that if MSU continues to shoot the 3 like it has been so far, NU has absolutely no chance to win this game. It's hard enough to play interior defense on a team with an enormous size advantage as it is, but if that team can also kick the ball out and bury shots from the perimeter, it's all over.

Well, Baran is on the bench out of the break, so I guess Carmody didn't think much of that last bucket.

9:10 -- Carmody just called a 30-second timeout, and for good reason. Neitzel just buried another shot from beyond the arc to push MSU's lead to 25-11, as the Spartans threaten to pull away before the half. Physically, Neitzel looks like he'd fit right in with the Cats, but he is showing why he is considered one of the best point guards in college basketball.

7:46 -- Someone in the Wild Side was just held up a sign saying "300 Spartans, 1 diploma," which looks to be a lot more clever than Carmody's gameplan so far, with MSU leading 28-11.

The Spartans are 6 of 7 shooting the 3-ball, which is clearly the story of the game so far. NU better find a way to stop it soon, or this is going to get embarrassing.

3:42 -- NU is making a valient attempt to not go into the locker room already out of the game. After a 19-4 MSU run, Baran and Moore knocked down consecutive 3-pointers and the Spartans turned the ball over on the ensuing possession, giving NU the ball back, trailing 36-21. If the Cats can keep this momentum up for a few more minutes, it can salvage some scrap of hope for the second half.

2:00 -- CAN YOU FEEL THE EXCITEMENT?! The Wild Side, which has filled up throughout the course of the half, definitely is. Tom Izzo just called timeout, because his team is reeling from a 13-0 NU run, causing the crowd to roar as loudly as it has all season. Does NU......dare to dream?

HALFTIME -- Well, give the Cats credit -- they look a massive punch, but managed to crawl to their feet and get themselves back into the game, by closing the half on a 16-2 run. That stretch included a play in which Jason Okrzesik fell down with the ball but managed to flip it to Kevin Coble while still on his butt, leading to a 3 by Coble that briefly pulled NU to within seven. But MSU answered with a 3 of its own to push the lead back to 10. 41-31. Hopefully the second half will at least be interesting.

Fun note: Former Spartan and current Charlotte Bobcat Jason Richardson is in attendance (he plays the Bulls tomorrow). Hey, why don't former Cats playing in the NBA come back to watch........oh, wait.....Sorry, that was a cheap shot. But hey, at least Tim Doyle is here! I guess that will have to do.

Not-so-fun note: At the half, MSU's bench is outscoring NU's 16-0, mostly thanks to 12 points from freshman Chris Allen, who is 4 of 4 from downtown.

Second Half

18:37 -- So far, we have a Neitzel 3, an NU shot clock violation, a Raymar Morgan dunk, and a Drew Naymick block of Nikola Baran. Uh-oh! 46-31 MSU.

16:35 -- Well, that pretty much summarizes NU's effort in the second half so far: an NU cheerleader just fell on her backside as the squad ran out on the court during a timeout. So far in the second half, MSU has shut out the Cats 9-0 and once again is threatening to pull away.

13:35 -- Steve Kerr is in the house! Oh, actually that's Craig Moore, but it's easy to explain the confusion. The streaky junior guard is currently on a hot streak, knocking down treys on three consecutive possessions. He also showed some stingy defense, drawing a charging foul and also forcing an MSU foul on a loose ball. It's games like these that keep Moore in the lineup despite his more frequent 2 of 10 shooting performances. Well, let's enjoy it while it lasts.

11:27 -- I haven't seen Cloverfield yet, but I suspect the monster sort of resembles MSU's Raymar Morgan, who just shook the rim with a frightening dunk. NU looked scared, and rightfully so.

7:28 -- 64-45 MSU. Whatever momentum Moore generated seems to have dissipated and the game is headed to its inevitable destination -- with NU on the short end. Well, at least they gave the fans who braved the cold a few moments of excitement.

The game also gave some shirtless students with their chests painted a chance to get on ESPN2, so there's that.

2:24 -- Things are winding down, with MSU ahead 69-56. The final score isn't likely to be too embarrassing for the Cats, but this game has never really been in much doubt. Still, things could have been a lot worse.

FINAL SCORE: MSU 78, NU 62.

Good night from Welsh-Ryan Arena. Until next time....

Administration: Making a Good AD

Northwestern is currently in the process of searching for a new Director of Athletics and Recreation after former director Mark Murphy stepped down to become the CEO and president of the NFL's Green Bay Packers.

University President Henry S. Bienen is conducting the search for a new athletic director. Director of Media Relations Charles Loebbaka said the search may take a long time, but it is continuing.

To fill the gap between the previous athletic director and the next one is Bob Gundlach. Bienen named Gundlach the Interim Director of Athletics and Recreation on Dec. 18. Gundlach has performed the duties of athletic director since Jan. 1.

Gundlach has been around the athletic program since 1988, when he was part of the committee on athletics and recreation. The linguistics professor has served as a faculty representative for the school at the conference and national level since 2002.

He said he was not being considered for the permanent position and will return to his role as a faculty representative once a new AD is found.

Gundlach said being the chair of a large organization -- or even a small one like his linguistics department -- is about being able to manage different leaders. Linguistics professor Gregory Ward said what Gundlach did well as chair was listening to different opinions and making sure everyone's voices were heard. He very rarely moved forward without a consensus in his department.

Despite being in the position for a short time, Gundlach still has a vision for what NU athletics should aspire to be. He said the program's foundation is integrity -- playing ethically and fairly and working as a team -- and then on striving for excellence.

"Any time a new person comes in, I think it’s an opportunity to take a fresh look at how we balance the different goals we have," Gundlach said. "A new athletic director would have to take a look at all the programs and ask again how we are aligned with the mission of the entire university and ask what it means to maintain that commitment to integrity and to strive for excellence in all the programs that we tackle. I think the main challenge is to take full fresh look at what we’re doing.”

Gundlach said he believes the new athletic director will need to have a firm commitment to NU's values as a school. They will need to balance the academic experience of student-athletes and the academic excellence the entire school strives for.

Ultimately a good athletic director is someone who is committed to the best possible experience for the student-athletes and the university.

"You need someone -- and I think we were fortunate with Mark Murphy -- who is committed to the highest quality experience for student-athletes across the whole spectrum, not only as students, but also as athletes and maybe that combination of what you learn as a student-athlete at Northwestern," Gundlach said. "It's not always easy, it's not always perfect at Northwestern. But I think to keep pushing as hard as we can for the highest quality experience for student-athletes is a good cornerstone for the quality you look for in an athletic director."

Women's Swimming vs. Michigan

This weekend, Northwestern traveled to Ann Arbor, Mich., to face No.13 Michigan in its final road dual meet of the season. Before the meet, coach Jimmy Tierney was cautiously optimistic, knowing that his team was facing what he called the "best Big Ten team at nationals last year."

After the meet against Tennessee the first weekend of the month, the coaches realized the girls were exhausted, after several hard weeks of training over Christmas break. However, Tierney knew that at this point, his girls could put up a fight, and he was excited for the showdown between the two teams.

Despite several strong swims from the Wildcats, they fell to the Wolverines, 152-134. The girls opened up the meet with a second-place showing in the 200 medley relay, with a squad consisting of freshman Katie Eschenburg, junior Hayley Fry, and seniors Katie Braun and Andrea Hupman.

The sprinters on the team had a great showing at the meet, winning four of the top-five places in the 50 free and three of the top-five spots in the 100 free.

Sophomore Kassia Shishkoff had a season-best swim in the 500 free this weekend. Shishkoff came from behind to beat Michigan's Emily Brunemann in the last 50 yards of the event, and she earned a NCAA 'B' qualifying time.

NU, now with a record of 5-4, hosts Ohio State in its senior meet this coming Saturday.

Men's Basketball: NU at Wisconsin

We're here at the Kohl Center with 5 minutes until game time. The 14-2 Badgers are running out onto the floor behind red flags each bearing a letter of the word "Wisconsin." The 6-8 Wildcats meekly trotted out onto the court just before them, possibly hoping no one would realize they're here. After finding his range in a big way against Chicago State on Wednesday, junior guard Craig Moore is clanking his warmup 3s. Don't know what that means, but it could be something.

Food for thought: Wisconsin is 101-6 at home in coach Bo Ryan's seven years at the helm.

Food for uneasy digestion: NU is being outrebounded by 12 boards oer game, and Badgers' center Brian Butch is averaging 8 per game. Yikes.

Keep with the Cats' Corner blog for some live looks into what should (could...might...very well has the possibility of being at some point in time) a closely contested game.

15:17 - First TV timeout and this is possibly the ugliest 4:43 of basketball ever...at least in this century. It's 6-5 Badgers, and with the 11 points have come 3 turnovers, a whole lot of waiting before shooting and 2 fouls from Sterling Williams. Moore hit his first 3, from about downtown Monona. Jason Okrzesik is coming in. Super sub? We'll see.

11:57 - The seeds of disaster are sown. Wisconsin finally figured out it can throw the ball from the arc, over the heads of the woefully undersized Wildcats, and into the hands of their big guys down low. Marcus Landry was just one of the beneficiaries of one of those lobs, tying the score at 8. NU isn't being run off the court, largely as a result of a verrrrrry lethargic start from the Badgers.

7:55 - More minutes pass, more potential scoring opportunities pass these teams by. Wisconsin just found Butch over top (like Landry earlier) to put the Badgers up 13-12. He also drew the second foul on Kevin Coble, who seems to have made a precipitous fall since his 34 against Michigan. He is 1 of 3 shooting (and that was a layup) and has a turnover. But he is holding his own on the boards. Butch's free throw makes it 14-12.

4:09 - NU has taken its first real punch and is still hanging in there. After falling down 18-14, Croatian sensation (sorry ... had to) Nikola Baran has made two shots in a row to tie it up again.

1:44 - Ryan commits his 3rd foul, which can mean only one thing ... Jean-Marc Melchior time. The little-used Luxembourger runs around confusedly as a teammate tries to pass it to him, leading to a turnover and a Joe Krabbenhoft jumper. Wisconsin 22, NU 18.

Halftime - ...wow. The refs are being boisterously booed by the Badger faithful because they just might have missed a foul on a desperation 3 by Flowers at the end of the half. But methinks they should be booing the team in red and white, rather than black and white. Their team, consequently ranked 17th in the nation, has matched the Cats, missed shot for missed shot and turnover for turnover. As Wisconsin senator Herb Kohl, athletic director Barry Alvarez and others congratulate the Badgers for their 10 years in the Kohl Center, Bo Ryan is probably tearing his team a new one ... in the parlance of our times.

Some numbers: Thompson leads the Cats with 7 points and 3 assists. Coble has 2 points on 1-4 shooting and looks a little off. Coach Carmody wants Jeff Ryan to get both hands on the ball on rebounds, or at least that's what he shouted at him after he picked up his third foul going over the back of Brian Butch.

Wisconsin 22, NU 20. Ugly, ugly half. 17 turnovers, 16 made shots. Eep.

15:44 - The Badgers are getting some daylight on the Cats. Wisconsin has started out the half on an 8-0 run and leads 30-20. The Cats have made two baskets in the last 8:27, spanning back to half one. And the most distressing thing is that they just seem to be running weave drills outside the 3-point line for most of their possessions. They are using allllllll of their 35 seconds and then heaving up a bad shot at the end. Every time.

11:40 - And it's almost nail-in-coffin time. After Moore and Okrzesik let a sure turnover get away (may have been a foul on Wisconsin uncalled in there somewhere), Flowers made an athletic scoop layup around Coble, frozen stiff in fear of picking up his fourth foul.

Wisconsin 37, NU 24. Someone on NU just got T'ed up. I think it's Carmody.

10:27 - Ryan fouls out after Landry gets another offensive rebound. Landry hits both free throws and the Badgers lead 40-27.

7:21 - The Cats keep trying to come back, but the Badgers always have an answer. And his name is Marcus Landry. The 6-7 forward, averaging 10.3 points per game on the year, has 17 against NU, as he just put in an easy layup down low. The score is Wisconsin 44, NU 34.

4:40 - And Moore fouls out trying to take a charge. Could a Tonjua Jones sighting be in the cards? Wisconsin 49, NU 39.

3:27 - So ends the ugliest 48 seconds of basketball in the great annals of the game. Here is a recap: Jeremy Nash barely draws iron on a 3, Thompson rebounds, misses a layup, Flowers gets his hands on it, but lands out of bounds. Coble makes a shot for himself, which rims out, and the Badgers push it up the floor. Butch misses down low, misses the follow, and the Cats recover. Thompson gets a shot from beyond the arc ... and barely draws iron. Then Trevon Hughes travels.

Wisconsin 49, NU 39.

1:10 - The Cats are showing some life again. But it's probably much too little, much too late. A Thompson layup cuts the deficit to 58-47.

53.0 - We've reached the fouling stage. That means this one is over. Wisconsin 60-47.

Women's Basketball - Preview of NU vs. Purdue

The Wildcats will face the Purdue Boilermakers at 1 p.m. CT Sunday. While many of you undoubtedly will be watching the San Diego Chargers attempt to topple the evil empire from New England, the game will be easily accessible for all you Big Ten fanatics. It will be broadcast on WNUR (89.3 FM), as well as on the Big Ten Network.

While Purdue (8-9) has the second-worst overall record in the Big Ten, the Boilermakers are currently in fourth place in the conference with a 4-2 record against Big Ten opponents. The game will be the third for NU in the last week, and it will be another chance to break what now has become a seven-game losing streak.

The tandem of Amy and Ellen Jaeschke is as close to becoming a sure thing for NU as anything, but as the last few games have shown, quality play from just two players does not guarantee a victory. On Thursday against Michigan State, the two Jaeschkes put up a combined 38 points - but the rest of the team only put up 24.

The keys to victory for NU are still being able to limit turnovers and get consistent play out of guards Nadia Bibbs, Jenny Eckhart, and Meshia Reed. If the Cats can do that, they might just get their first Big Ten win.

Notes: Amy Jaeschke is averaging a stellar 25 points the last two games and even outscored 6-foot-9 MSU giant Allyssa DeHaan on Thursday...The Wildcats haven't defeated the Boilermakers in more than a decade...Purdue has endured a rough start to their 2007-08 campaign, in which they have lost four former starters and have had to face three of the top 17 teams in the nation.

Women's Fencing: Jill Mahen profile continued...

Recovering from her shoulder injury has been a difficult process for Jill Mahen, especially because fencing has been a huge part of her life. Mahen’s brother Andy was a four-time national finalist fencer at Duke and brother Jay was on Penn State’s fencing team. Jill Mahen even founded the fencing program at West Morris Mendham High School in Chester, N.J.

While Mahen’s collegiate career has been put on hold, her high school career was filled with success. In 2006 Mahen placed third in the Under-20 Junior Olympic qualifiers. In 2005 she earned all-conference and all-state honors en route to a 26-9 record. Her high school team finished ninth at the state tournament in 2005.

Mahen hopes to get her collegiate career underway shortly. Mahen has been practicing and taking big strides in the rehabilitation process, but her body doesn’t seem to be fully cooperating. That is the reason why the date she returns to the lineup is so questionable at this point.

“Getting back is just awful. I feel like my body doesn’t move. I can’t get it to cooperate. I know what I want it to do, but I can’t get it to do that,” said Mahen.

Football: New coordinators introduced at press conference

New offensive coordinator Mick McCall and new defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz were officially introduced at a press conference Friday morning, sitting alongside coach Pat Fitzgerald. Here are some of the highlights:

"Things go in cycles in college football. I’ve been around long enough that I remember when the wishbone came in, and that was unique, and people had to defend that."
-Hankwitz, leading into a discussion of the currently popular spread offense.

"We’re not trying to fit the old round peg in the square hole."
-Hankwtiz, saying his decision on whether to run more 3-4 or 4-3 defense will depend on the strengths of its personnel.

"I felt the same way walking out of my meetings and interviews with both Mike and Mick. When I walked out, I said, ‘Those are two guys who fit what I’m trying to do from a values structure and leadership style for our players, for our program, for the young men we’re trying to recruit and attract to our program for the future.’"
- Fitzgerald

"We’re going to spread the field, just like Mike talked about, and we’re going to be able to throw it and run it equally as well."
- McCall, in what has to be good news for running back Tyrell Sutton

"Obviously, we’ve got a lot of skill guys coming back. We’ve got a fifth-year quarterback coming back. That’s important to have that experience there, so there’s a lot of things in place for us to be successful, and we’re going to try to get all the pieces fit in the puzzle for us to make it work, and we’ll have a good ol’ time here in the spring, I’ll guarantee you that."
- McCall

"I like it, and I don't like the color red..."
- Hankwitz, describing his feelings regarding purple and white. He last coached at red-clad Wisconsin.

Men's Swimming: Getting Ready for the Irish

NOTRE DAME SCOUTING REPORT:
No.22 Notre Dame comes into Evanston this weekend a bit of a mystery. Despite cracking the top-25, the Irish are 3-4 and have yet to produce a significant victory. Their victories have come against schools like Cleveland State, Oakland, and Pittsburgh, and they have fallen to prominent programs such as Minnesota, USC, and LSU, among others.
The prospect of facing Notre Dame this weekend is a scary one for the Wildcats because they really don’t know what to expect. In past years, the Irish have swam both brilliant and awful races against Northwestern, and there doesn’t seem to be a middle ground.
"It’s like facing a schizophrenic,” NU coach Bob Groseth said. “You just don’t know what you’re going to get.”
That being said, Notre Dame does possess some good swimmers. Sophomore Ross Moore is a force in 200 fly, setting the school record in the event at the Ohio State Invitational in November. Moore’s classmate John Lytle also has been a solid contributor for Notre Dame. His specialty is freestyle and he holds the school’s best times in the 50, 100, and 200 free. He should give NU swimmers some good races.
Where the Irish can really give the Cats problems is in diving. Junior Michael Bulfin made the NCAA Championships as a freshman and finished just short last year. He has continued his strong play this year and has become a source of guaranteed points for the Irish. NU counters with two of the best divers in the Big Ten, Ryan McIntosh and Alex Kiaie, but both will have to be at their best.
Given the unpredictability of this year’s Notre Dame team, NU will have to bear down and swim fast. As has been the case with the Irish in the past, the race will ultimately be decided by the efforts of the Cats’ secondary swimmers. If guys like Adam Beckman and John Franklin can post good times, NU will be in a good position to win.

Men's Swimming: A "Decent" Day in Evanston

Because my printed article focused exclusively on Northwestern's performance at The Classic at SMU in Dallas last weekend, here is a brief recap of NU's second meet of the weekend.
With half the team in Dallas, the remaining swimmers stayed in Evanston to take on Division III schools Carthage and Olivet. While the Wildcats won easily, finishing 1-2 in every race except one, their performance left something to be desired.
“It was difficult for the guys to get up emotionally for this meet,” assistant coach John Pontz said. “So based on that I thought, they swam decently.”
Having not raced in nearly a month, NU looked a little sluggish. The splits were a little slower than usual, and the team lacked that extra push. This is due, in part, to the swimmers still operating in what the coaches call “training mode.” Practices have focused on fitness and technique rather than race simulation, which, although important, made it difficult for the Cats to get ready for a clearly inferior opponent.
That being said, the meet did showcase some of NU’s up-and-coming swimmers, as well as guys who wouldn’t normally take on primary roles. Freshman Sean Mathews and senior Daniel Walls won two individual events and the Cats won both relays by at least two seconds.
“It was a good meet,” sophomore Bryan Pinkston said. “We got some races in, and it helped us get ready for Notre Dance this weekend.”
With the team reunited, the Cats must refocus this week to prepare for a beatable Notre Dame squad. With the season coming to close, it could be a defining meet for NU.

Men's Tennis: Australian Open Picks

The Australian Open runs from January 14-27. After talking to the freshmen about their college tennis careers, let’s see who they think will come out on top in Melbourne.

Andrew McCarthy’s picks

Winner: Rafael Nadal

“If injuries don’t get in the way, I always like to see Nadal do well because I can relate with him. … I know he works his tail off to meet his goals and I really look up to someone like that. I really like his style. He’s overall a really good player.”

Dark horse: Sam Querrey

“He’s like a Todd Martin. He’s a tall player. He’s got a heavy forehand. He works hard and has a great mind.”

Peter Rispoli’s picks:

Winner: Roger Federer

“I like his attitude. (He’s) very professional.”

Dark horse: Pablo Cuevas

“He’s a young (up-and-comer) and he’s got one of the greatest backhands I’ve ever seen.”

David Seyferth’s picks:

Winner: Fernando Gonzalez

“He has the flashiest game on tour and he’s the most fun to watch. I think one of these times he’s going to break through.”

Dark horse: Sam Querrey

“He’s young, he’s energetic and he’s fun to watch. I’ve been in the same tournaments as him so it’s fun to see him play at that level.”

Men's Basketball: Cats Change Game Plan

Coach Bill Carmody said at the beginning of the season Northwestern would try and push the ball more with a true point guard in freshman Michael Thompson starting. The team did fairly well in the non-conference schedule, going 5-4 and shooting 48 percent in the first nine games of the season.

But the shooting has dropped off and the team has struggled since then, losing four straight entering Wednesday’s game against Chicago State. Now Carmody is beginning to re-think the strategy.

“I think maybe we’re just putting too much emphasis on pushing the ball downcourt and trying to get some shots,” Carmody said. “I think that helped us early in the year because Craig (Moore) and Jason (Okrzesik) were getting some early looks and knocking them down. Now I think it’s more (that) we’re doing that, but the other teams are doing it too and they like that kind of game. It helps them more than it helps us.”

Carmody said he feels more comfortable running a half-court offense with sophomore forward Kevin Coble back in the lineup. He said Coble gives the team a guy who can put the ball in the basket in a half-court setting. He is now worried about the team’s defense, getting the ball on rebounds and executing on offense.

The faster pace will still be there, but Carmody said it will be used more judiciously.…

With a four-game losing streak, Carmody might be looking to shake the lineup a little bit. He said Saturday sophomore guard Jeremy Nash could see more playing time as the team continues to struggle defensively.

“(I am) probably going to have to look to get him in there a little bit,” Carmody said. “Defensively he gives us something. We’re not getting much offense from the other guys. He has always been a smart player. He’s very healthy now.”

Nash missed the first eight games of the season with a back injury and has struggled to crack the rotation after averaging 2.4 points and 0.7 steals per game in 26 games as a freshman. He is averaging 2.7 points per game in three games this season and scored a season-high six points in three minutes late during Saturday’s game.…

Sophomore Kevin Coble missed practice Monday to be with his mother for her final round of chemotherapy. The sophomore forward took a leave of absence from the team for the first nine games of the season to be with his mother in Arizona while she recovered from breast cancer.

He returned to the team Jan. 2 against Penn State and is averaging 18.3 points per game since returning, including a career-high 34 points Saturday.