Men's Basketball: NU at Michigan State

Just about tipoff time here at the Breslin Center, and the Izzone is just about deafening. Tonight, 7-13 NU is in East Lansing to take on 19-3 Michigan State. The Cats are still looking for their first Big Ten win ... might not come tonight.

Starting Lineups:

NU - G-20 Craig Moore, G-22 Michael Thompson, F-11 Nikola Baran, F-32 Sterling Williams, F-44 Kevin Coble

MSU - G-11 Drew Neitzel, G-5 Travis Walton, C-34 Drew Naymick, F-14 Goran Suton, F-2 Raymar Morgan.

So this must be what a real college basketball game feels like...

Pregame - Press row is reeeally close to the court. So we might get wiped out at some point. But I'll play through injury. Sparty is intimidating in person.

15:05 - Five minutes, four points, all from the Spartans. The first 4:55 has been a cavalcade of missed shots and turnovers on both sides, with the only points coming when Suton realized he's far broader than anyone on NU and bullying his way to the basket. Moore airballed his first shot and now the Izzone is chanting "Airball" every time he touches the ball. Spartans, like elephants, never forget. He's also drawing ire for his purple shoes, which are a different color scheme than the rest of the team's. Izzo got t'ed up and Moore is shooting the free throws, makes both. 4-2 Spartans.

11:25 - For all the heckling, Moore is holding up pretty well, along with the rest of the Cats. While the Spartans are using brute force for points, NU is getting crafty. It's had two nice backdoor cut layups, one from Moore to Jeff Ryan and one from Ryan to Thompson. And Jeremy Nash is playing really well. He's brought down two tough boards and forced a turnover. The score is tied 8-8, with Naymick going to the line for two shots. Neitzel has yet to attempt a shot.

11:06 - The Spartans have started a full-court press. And NU looks a little uneasy. 12-8 MSU.

7:56 - Moore responds really well to heckling. He found Ryan on another backdoor cut, hit a 3 to put NU ahead 13-12, then drew an offensive foul right before the media timeout. Coble's come alive too. He hit a 3 to give NU its next lead at 16-14, then got an outlet pass after a turnover and DUNKED it to make the score 18-14, where it stands right now. And here I thought nobody on NU could dunk. 18-14 Cats. As Samuel L. Jackson famously quoth in Jurassic Park, "Hold onto your butts."

3:27 - Well, Drew Neitzel finally got to the arena. After not taking a shot for the first 12:37, Neitzel has put in 13 points over the last four minutes, on 5-of-5 shooting. And all of his 3s bring the house down. But NU is still in there. MSU leads 27-26, after a particularly enervating Neitzel 3. The backdoor cuts are working to perfection. How long can this last?

12.3 - MSU leads 33-29 and has the last possession of the half. What happens in it could mean a lot as to how the rest of the game is going to go.

00.0 - The Spartans got what they wanted, the ball in Neitzel's hands with one second left. He missed the 3, but Walton was under the bucket and tipped it in at the buzzer. So the Cats go into the half trailing 35-29.

Moore and Coble have been keeping NU afloat. The two have 21 of the Cats' 29 points. Nash also had an eventful first half, but he missed two scoring opportunities close to the hoop - one on a blocked shot and one on a flat-out miss. NU is shooting 54.2 percent from the field and is only being outrebounded by one. But the Cats have committed 11 turnovers, which is the main thing keeping them back. It's going to be an interesting second half.

MSU 35, NU 29.

14:55 - It's looked like it's been just about to get away from the Cats on several occasions, but they're hanging in there. It's 45-37 Spartans at this point, and Carmody is engaging in theater major fare on the sidelines. Complete with stamping feet and brow wipings culminating in pained grimaces. MSU 45, NU 37, Cats' ball.

11:37 - The Izzone must have made Craig Moore mad. He has just hit two 3s in a row to bring the Cats within one point, at 47-46. Moore is 7 of 9 from the field, including 5 of 7 from behind the arc, and has 21 points. He also has two steals, a block and three assists. That's filling up a box score. I wasn't at the Indiana game, but this might be the best the Cats have played all year. MSU 47-46.

11:20 - Thompson just picked up his fourth foul and Moore has three.

9:35 - A Neitzel 3 moves the lead to 54-48 for the Spartans. It just seems like every time NU gets something going, MSU is there to stop it. NU ball down by six.

7:20 - Drew Neitzel is NU cyanide. He hits another jumper, then faked a jumper and found Morgan under the basket for a dunk. 58-50 MSU. It's NU ball under its hoop, after Morgan committed his third foul on Moore.

4:43 - This one could be slip sliding away. The Spartans have built their lead up to 10 at 62-52. But the NU press forced a turnover on the first possession it was in place. So who knows?

3:08 - Michigan State is taking its time when it gets the ball, which means NU will have to force the issue a little bit on the offensive end to get more possessions. Something it isn't very good at. MSU 64, NU 52.

1:14 - Well, it was fun while it lasted. A Neitzel free throw makes it 69-55 Spartans, and 0-10 for the Cats in conference.

57.7 - Like the Indiana game, the final score is not going to do this one justice. The Spartans have gone on a 16-5 run in the last nine minutes to put this one in the icebox. Poor, poor Cats.

Final - MSU 70, NU 55.

Football - Signing Day

Christmas is over. St. Patrick's Day isn't here yet. What is there to tide you over? National college football signing day!

Coach Pat Fitzgerald announced NU's class of 2012 today at the Nicolet Center. The new class of Cats is 20 strong and brings with it a wealth of grainy high-school football footage.

It includes five offensive linemen. Five huge offensive linemen. Five huge, intimidating offensive linemen. Five huge, intimidating offensive linemen all from the Chicago suburbs. These guys look like they're as tough the Chicago winter and almost as long - nary a one is shorter than 6 feet 4. They also seem to dole out about as many pancakes as they've taken in over the years: They were punishing people on their highlight reels.

Also, the class includes a lot of players who have a father, cousin, uncle, close friend, that played professional football. NU obviously subscribes to the horse racing theory of strong pedigrees.

Here's a breakdown of all 20 players, because we know you want it:

Nick Adamle, OL, 6-4, 295, Wheaton, Ill. - Nephew of Mike Adamle, former NU star running back (and American Gladiators host). Fitzgerald: "We grew fond of the way he was able to finish blocks and move off the line." Fond, eh?

Brian Arnfelt, DE, 6-5, 250, Lake Elmo, Minn. - Four-year letterman in track and field. Hopefully in the shot put, javelin, shot put, hammer throw, or something involving strength.

Hunter Bates, S, 5-10, 175, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. - Son of Bill Bates, a punishing safety for the Cowboys for 15 years. High-school teammate of Tim Tebow, who is running for Jesus.

Martin Bayless, WR, 6-2, 205, Fresno, Texas - Son of Martin Bayless Sr., who played 13 years as a safety for the Chargers and is a cousin of the Packers' Charles Woodson. Looks like a big, physical, legitimate wideout.

Jared Carpenter, S, 6-0, 200, Bowling Green, Ky. - Also lettered in track and field and basketball, along with averaging 7.2 yards per carry during his senior year (549 yards on 72 rushes).

Alex Daniel, RB, 6-0, 200, Roswell, Ga. - Very upright, physical runner who also looks to have a mean cutback. Fitzgerald: "He can make people miss, and has the speed to take it the distance."

Neil Deiters, OL, 6-8, 310, Elmhurst, Ill. - Down from 343 pounds. Yes, 343. Member of the mathematics honor society in high school. He'll be a great ... addition (had to).

Demetrius Dugar, CB, 5-11, 175, Houston, Texas - He's little, but he's got pop. Looks like a Deante Battle type, but hopefully he can cover a little better.

Jeremy Ebert, WR, 6-0, 175, Hilliard, Ohio - Was a running quarterback in high school and ran a 4.39 40 at an NU camp last year. Could be another Eric Peterman.

Demetrius Fields, WR, 6-0, 200, Dallas, Texas - Brother Dexton Fields is a marquee wideout for Kansas. Took a screen and actually did something with it in the highlight reel. That's a good sign.

Caleb Harper, CB, 5-11, 180, Murfreesboro, Tenn. - Uncle Ed Heath played for the Bengals. Like Dugar, not afraid to hit people.

Evan Luxenburg, DT, 6-3, 275, Beechwood, Ohio - Played mostly linebacker in high school, which is kind of crazy if you think about it. Had 30 tackles for a loss in his senior year.

Jeravin Matthews, WR, 5-11, 170, Canonsburg, Pa. - A burner, letterman in track and field. Holds six school records in track and field. Dang.

Brian Mulroe, OL, 6-4, 265, Glenview, Ill. - Went to Loyola Academy and was a very early commitment for NU. Also was a pitcher in high school. I'm guessing he kind of looked like Sidney Ponson out there.

Brett Nagel, SB, 6-4, 230, Lemont, Ill. - Played safety, quarterback, tight end and linebacker in high school, and now he's a ... superback. Fitzgerald: "We call it a superback because he needs to be able to do super things." ... right.

David Nwabuisi, LB, 6-0, 215, Houston, Texas - Brother Austine Nwabuisi played at Kansas. Also played basketball and ran track and field.

Stone Pinckney, LB, 6-0, 215, Columbia, S.C. - His name is Stone. That's pretty cool. Aside from being the same size as Nwabuisi, he also was a star in basketball and track and field. And he was the class vice president.

Chuck Porcelli, OL, 6-7, 295, Oak Brook, Ill. - Freakin' huge. Gets people on the ground and doesn't let them up. Should open some big holes.

Jeff Radek, OL, 6-6, 300, Naperville, Ill. - His cousin is John Lynch, current Bronco safety and Super Bowl champion with the Buccaneers. Threw the shot and discus in high school.

Quentin Williams, LB, 6-4, 235, Pittsburgh, Pa. - Brother of Nate Williams, a redshirt sophomore linebacker for the Cats. I read on rivals.com that he got a 1590 on the SAT. If so, that's ... um ... really good. Also going to be a pitcher/outfielder for NU's baseball team.

That's enough for now.

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.