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.