Welcome back to Welsh-Ryan Arena, where NU is set to take on upstart Purdue on Greek Day. The student section was supposed to be filled with fraternity and sorority members, but just a few minutes before tip-off, the Wildside remains largely empty. Perhaps the Greek spirit was not enough to sway people to attend what looks to be, at least on paper, a blowout in the making. The Boilermakers, led by two freshmen and two sophomores, sit at the top of the Big Ten at 11-1, having one 10 consecutive games. Conversely, the Cats are winless in the Big Ten, and haven't even come close, losing every conference game by at least 10 points.
One fan is holding up a sign that reads, "Pur-due 4 an upset." We'll see if that holds true.
Here are the starting lineups:
Purdue: G- Chris Kramer, G- Keaton Grant, G- E'Twaun Moore, F- Robbie Hummel, F- Nemanja Calasan
NU: G- Craig Moore, G- Michael Thompson, G- Sterling Williams, F- Ivan Peljusic, F- Kevin Coble
Juice Thompson was mistakenly announced as being 6-foot-10. Oooooops.
Purdue fans clearly outnumber NU fans in the stands thus far. We'll see how much that effects the game.
19:20: Ivan Peljusic with an impressive offensive move for the game's first points. Who knew? He's also grabbed a couple of rebounds so far, doing much more to justify the start than in the last game.
16:17: Thompson shakes a hard foul a minute earlier to bury a 3, giving NU an early 7-4 advantage.
14:55: E'Twaun Moore does not only have the greatest name ever. He also has four straight points to pull Purdue within one.
14:21: The NU lead was short lived. At the first timeout, Purdue is back in the lead, 11-9, after a Robbie Hummel 3. The Boilermakers will also have a pair of free throws coming when play resumes.
13:15: Capocci, Baran and Nash are all in after the timeout, and NU gets a turnover and turns it into a Moore 3-pointer to go back ahead, 12-11.
11:55: Timeout on the floor with NU leading 14-11, helped by a Purdue missed dunk. The student section is still not completely full, but the Cats don't seem bothered by it and are playing some inspired basketball right now.
10:52: NU opens up a 6-point lead on a Juice 3, and Purdue looks a little flustered.
7:12: Timeout on the floor, with NU still leading 24-20, even after a 4-0 Purdue run. The combo of Baran and Peljusic is giving the Cats far more than they've gotten from that position most of the season. But Purdue is not backing down, so NU is going to have to keep up this level of play the whole game if it wants to pull the upset.
3:40: Timeout, with NU's lead shaved to 29-27. The Cats have started missing some open shots, while the Boilermakers have been knocking down some highly contested attempts. We'll see if the Cats can hold onto their lead for the rest of the half.
3:11: NU has led for most of the half, but not anymore. E'Twaun just knocked down a 3 to put Purdue ahead 30-29.
1:47: Jason Okrzesik just tried to tip in a miss, forgetting that he's generously listed as 6-foot-1. This did not turn out well for him.
0:065: NU trails 35-31, with one last chance to close the gap before halftime. We'll see what sort of magic Carmody draws up in the huddle.
0:00: The play consisted of Juice driving all the way down the court to the basket for the layup and it would have worked had he not been soundly rejected at the last second. Purdue closes the half on a 19-7 run to take the lead. Oh well......
At halftime, E'Twaun leads all players with 16 points, while Thompson and Baran lead NU with eight apiece. Thanks mostly to Nikola, the Cats lead Purdue 10-0 in bench scoring. But the Boilers are shooting 63.6 percent, while the Cats are at 42.9 percent. That's the difference so far. NU is going to have to avoid the big runs it has consistently surrendered to its opponents in the second half this season if it wants to have a shot.
18:32: NU was only 2 of 6 from the free throw line in the first half and Sterling Williams just missed one of two in the team's first trip of the second half. NU doesn't get to the line much, but when it does, it needs to capitalize. The Cats need every point they can get with Purdue shooting the way it is.
15:45: Timeout on the floor, as Purdue has started to pull away a little, leading 45-38. E'Twaun continues to torment the Cats, with 21 points. This second half is starting to look painfully familiar for NU, which has got to figure out a way to keep this game close.
14:50: Baran just tried to flop and draw an offensive foul, but the refs weren't buying his theatrics and Grant hit a 3 for Purdue on the same possession to make it a 10-point game.
11:57: Matt Painter calls a timeout for Purdue after Coble buries a beautiful baseline runner to make it a 48-43 contest, with Purdue in front. NU is playing their little hearts out and staying within striking distance, but the Boilers are a tough team. The Cats still have a shot at an upset, but it is going to be far from easy.
11:51: Another timeout, and it's LadyCat time!
11:08: NU is back within one after Nash puts in a fastbreak layup. The small lineup of Nash, Juice, JO, Baran and Coble seems to be working.
9:48: Coble buries a 3 to put NU up 50-48 and the now-mostly-full stands go crazy.
9:10: Well, that was short-lived. Purdue is right back ahead by three after a Grant trey.
8:29: Coble clanks a pair of free throws, the second time he's done that today, and Grant responds by burying another triple to make it a 56-50 game. NU calls timeout, looking a little shell-shocked.
7:46: Nash just picked up a technical foul after shoving a Purdue player after the play. That gives Purdue two free throws and the ball and puts Nash at four fouls. 58-50 Purdue, and a timeout on the floor.
6:56: Remember those big second-half runs we were talking about? Well, here we are. Purdue is son a 12-0 spurt since NU briefly took the lead and is now ahead 60-50. Moore just tried a patented Tim Doyle no-look, backwards, over-the-head pass, perhaps trying to impress his mentor, who is calling the game for the Big Ten Network. Unfortunately for him, it didn't lead to any points, as Baran missed a 3-pointer.
3:47: E'Twaun strikes again, knocking down a 3 to make it 67-52 and stick the official dagger in the Cats' hearts. It was another valiant effort by NU, but the team simply couldn't hit enough big shots or make enough big stops when it counted, and the opponent made a big run. Again. Well, there's always next year.
0:47: All the scrubs are coming in, so it's a done deal. Purdue has even put in a player with no name on the back of his jersey. This is never a good sign for the opposing team.
Final score: Purdue 71, NU 56
That's it. Until next time, be well and stay out of trouble.
Showing posts with label Andrew Simon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Andrew Simon. Show all posts
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
NU vs. Ohio State: Live Blogification
Here we are at Welsh-Ryan Arena, awaiting the tip-off of NU's contest with Ohio State. The visiting Buckeyes come in with a 16-8 mark, including 7-4 in the Big Ten, putting htem in fifth place. NU sits in the Big Ten basement at 0-10 and 7-14 overall. Can the Wildcats pull of a stunning upset. Perhaps. And they might even get a pony while they're at it.
Now on to the starting lineups:
Ohio State: G- Jamar Butler, G- Evan Turner, G- David Lighty, F- Othello Hunter, C- Kosta Koufos
NU: G - Craig Moore, G- Michael Thompson, G- Sterling Williams, F- Ivan Peljusic, F- Kevin Coble
Peljusic gets his first career start, as Carmody looks to mix things up and get his team on track.
The student section, as well as the stands in general, are no more than 1/3 full, so the atmosphere leaves something to be desired. And off we go!!!!
17:44- Othella Huner throws down a big dunk for Ohio State, and on the ensuing possession, Juice Thompson shows his freshman-ness by picking up a 10-second violation. It's a 5-5 game.
16:15: Coming down for a rebound, Sterling Williams just elbowed Othello Hunter in the crotch. For any potential Othello Hunter Jrs out there, I hope he's wearing a cup.
15:22: We're at the first TV timeout, with NU trailing 11-8. The offense looks pretty good so far, as it has recently. But the defense also looks poor, as it has recently. The team's saving grace could be turnovers, as the Cats have done a good job stepping into passing lanes thus far.
14:52: The Cats pick up their second 10-second violation. On the agenda for the next practice: how to effectively break the full-court press.
11:36: NU has pulled to within 16-14 after Kevin Coble got on the board with his first basket, then followed it up with a steal and an assist to Thompson.
10:12: Timeout on the floor. The men's soccer team is being honored. The announcer mentions that the team finished the season No. 9 in the RPI, which only serves to further contrast it from the basketball squad, which currently sits at No. 214 in the RPI, behind such power programs as Morehead State.
10:12: Jeremy Nash gets a breakaway off an OSU turnover.....and he DUNKS it! One of the rare times you see the Cats above the rim. Moore follows that up with a 3 to give NU a 19-18 lead.
5:55: Juice drains a 3 late in the shot clock to make it 23-22 OSU. NU's offense is anything but pretty right now, as it struggles to break OSU's pressure defense, but they're sticking with the Buckeyes.
3:34: REEEEEJECTION! Nash goes above the rim for the second time, this time on the defensive end. Jon Diebler was going up for a sure layup, and Nash swooped in and got his whole hand on the ball. The emphatic swat brought what little crowd there is to its feet.
0:00: It's the end of the first half, with NU trailing 29-25. OSU went on a little run at the end of the period, but Moore's 3 in the closing seconds sent NU into the locker room on a high note. Moore is tied with Thompson for the team lead with eight points, while Jamar Butler leads OSU with nine.
NU's coming out for the second half with the same lineup as the first half. That leaves Spark Plug Jeremy Nash on the bench for the time being. We'll see if he stays there long.
19:35: Moore hits a 3 to start the half, pulling NU to within one. Moore's reliable shooting has been the key in the offense's improved play of late.
15:52: At the first timeout of the half, it's 35-32. So far NU has managed to hold off the big second half run that has plagued them throughout the Big Ten season. Nash is back in the game and continues to do the little things to help the team. Even if he's not filling up the stat sheet, he always seems to be contributing something.
13:35: Nash responds to my kind words by forcing a turnover and converting the layup on the other end. By the way, he's on his way to leading the team in rebounds for the second straight game, with seven thus far. He had 10 against Michigan State.
7:40: This one could be quietly starting to slip away from the Cats, with OSU leading 46-38. NU's going to need a run soon to have a chance.
5:08: And slipping away this game is. It's 54-38 now. It's now almost 100 percent certain that NU will fall to 0-11 in the Big Ten.
Show's over, folks. NU loses again, 65-47. Same story as usual. Have a good night, and stay in school.
Now on to the starting lineups:
Ohio State: G- Jamar Butler, G- Evan Turner, G- David Lighty, F- Othello Hunter, C- Kosta Koufos
NU: G - Craig Moore, G- Michael Thompson, G- Sterling Williams, F- Ivan Peljusic, F- Kevin Coble
Peljusic gets his first career start, as Carmody looks to mix things up and get his team on track.
The student section, as well as the stands in general, are no more than 1/3 full, so the atmosphere leaves something to be desired. And off we go!!!!
17:44- Othella Huner throws down a big dunk for Ohio State, and on the ensuing possession, Juice Thompson shows his freshman-ness by picking up a 10-second violation. It's a 5-5 game.
16:15: Coming down for a rebound, Sterling Williams just elbowed Othello Hunter in the crotch. For any potential Othello Hunter Jrs out there, I hope he's wearing a cup.
15:22: We're at the first TV timeout, with NU trailing 11-8. The offense looks pretty good so far, as it has recently. But the defense also looks poor, as it has recently. The team's saving grace could be turnovers, as the Cats have done a good job stepping into passing lanes thus far.
14:52: The Cats pick up their second 10-second violation. On the agenda for the next practice: how to effectively break the full-court press.
11:36: NU has pulled to within 16-14 after Kevin Coble got on the board with his first basket, then followed it up with a steal and an assist to Thompson.
10:12: Timeout on the floor. The men's soccer team is being honored. The announcer mentions that the team finished the season No. 9 in the RPI, which only serves to further contrast it from the basketball squad, which currently sits at No. 214 in the RPI, behind such power programs as Morehead State.
10:12: Jeremy Nash gets a breakaway off an OSU turnover.....and he DUNKS it! One of the rare times you see the Cats above the rim. Moore follows that up with a 3 to give NU a 19-18 lead.
5:55: Juice drains a 3 late in the shot clock to make it 23-22 OSU. NU's offense is anything but pretty right now, as it struggles to break OSU's pressure defense, but they're sticking with the Buckeyes.
3:34: REEEEEJECTION! Nash goes above the rim for the second time, this time on the defensive end. Jon Diebler was going up for a sure layup, and Nash swooped in and got his whole hand on the ball. The emphatic swat brought what little crowd there is to its feet.
0:00: It's the end of the first half, with NU trailing 29-25. OSU went on a little run at the end of the period, but Moore's 3 in the closing seconds sent NU into the locker room on a high note. Moore is tied with Thompson for the team lead with eight points, while Jamar Butler leads OSU with nine.
NU's coming out for the second half with the same lineup as the first half. That leaves Spark Plug Jeremy Nash on the bench for the time being. We'll see if he stays there long.
19:35: Moore hits a 3 to start the half, pulling NU to within one. Moore's reliable shooting has been the key in the offense's improved play of late.
15:52: At the first timeout of the half, it's 35-32. So far NU has managed to hold off the big second half run that has plagued them throughout the Big Ten season. Nash is back in the game and continues to do the little things to help the team. Even if he's not filling up the stat sheet, he always seems to be contributing something.
13:35: Nash responds to my kind words by forcing a turnover and converting the layup on the other end. By the way, he's on his way to leading the team in rebounds for the second straight game, with seven thus far. He had 10 against Michigan State.
7:40: This one could be quietly starting to slip away from the Cats, with OSU leading 46-38. NU's going to need a run soon to have a chance.
5:08: And slipping away this game is. It's 54-38 now. It's now almost 100 percent certain that NU will fall to 0-11 in the Big Ten.
Show's over, folks. NU loses again, 65-47. Same story as usual. Have a good night, and stay in school.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Extended Interview with Deadspin's Will Leitch
Here is an extended version of my interview with Deadspin's Will Leitch that appeared in the Feb. 7 issue of The Weekly. Enjoy....
Instead of chasing a career in mainstream sports journalism,
Q: What did you think of the ending to the Super Bowl?
A: I still feel like Eli Manning should have come out of the game talking like his balls dropped or something. I feel like he's like a man now. It was disappointing to see he's still a little bit of a yokel.
Q: It’s nice of you to talk to us, considering you used to work for the Daily Illini and everything, so I thought we’d get this out of the way and let you take your best shot at Northwestern.
A: Listen, I have a lot of friends who went to Northwestern, and I understand there’s a certain insecurity involved to the point where unlike a normal person you can’t just say you go to the journalism school at Northwestern. You’ve got your fancy name. No, you’re journalism students at Northwestern, just like we’re journalism students at
Q: What prompted you to write the book?
A: I’ve written a couple books before this and was looking for my next project. And Deadspin was just sort of an accident how it happened. Gawker Media knew my work and asked me if I wanted to do a gambling site. I’ve never been much of a sports gambler, and in fact I think it’s really bad for sports, which makes me a terrible person to run a gambling site, but I said I’d do a sports site. At the time I was working at this magazine, covering the financial services industry, and I was pretending every day like I cared about Merryl Lynch, which is a hard thing to do for two and a half years. But (Gawker) liked the site I started and took it over. So once the site started to get a little bit of readership, I thought maybe we could do a book out of this. It was originally going to be just 25 of these long, dense essays about the world of sports. And I wrote about three of those and got bored with myself about halfway through writing them, which is probably not a good sign for the reader. So we broke it up a little bit…. At Deadspin, I feel like I'm more of a facilitator than a columnist. My job is to introduce topics to people rather than take some strong stance on them. So the book is a little bit more fun. I get to be a little more personal.
Q: In the book, is there a chapter you think will stir things up the most?
A: think the whole media section will stir things up…. I find it astounding that people who choose as their profession to put themselves out there, whether by writing or by broadcasting, people in the media have such thin skin, it’s unreal. If you’re really that concerned about getting made fun of once in a while, go become a banker or an accountant or something. I’ll make pretty innocuous jokes and people will flip out about it…. If you put my name into Google, like the second thing that comes up is “Will Leitch sucks.” You have to have a pretty thick skin. I think the media section is actually pretty tame and light and I’m just trying to have fun with it, but people flip out about that. It’s pretty weird. It probably didn’t help that Page 6 of the New York Post said it was like the “sleazy antics of ESPN stars,” which is like two pages of a 310-page book.
Q: After reading certain parts of the book, it’s hard for an aspiring sports journalist not to get pretty discouraged about that career choice. Is that the correct reaction?
A: I think it would be pretty discouraging if that were going to be how things were from now on, but I don’t think they are…. Newspapers are going to want to be hiring people who understand the Web and how it works. One of my best friends works for the Aurora Beacon News, and the fact that he knows how to do a blog (has helped him) shoot up the ranks, because they’re like “Oh, you know how to do Web stuff? Great, can you do all our Web stuff?” Newspapers are getting a little better, but they still don’t get it, and that can only work to everyone’s benefit.
Q: Why has Deadspin been able to cultivate such a big following?
A: I never really thought it was because of any of my brilliance or anything. I think there was a real calling for something like this, and I mostly just feel fortunate I got there first. So it wasn't so much of a thing like, 'Oh, I can't believe it! This guy's a genius! Let's follow him!' It seems so logical now that obviously people would be looking for a place where they could congregate and get the best sports news off the Web all in one place and a fun take on it.
Q: One topic the book and the Web site cover a lot is ESPN and its shortcomings. If you could change one thing about ESPN, what would it be?
A: One thing wouldn't do it, it'd have to be the ethos of the whole place. Here's what's wrong with ESPN: You're a sports fan, and I'm a sports fan - whether we like it or not, we watch ESPN. We're not going anywhere. They've got us. There's no real major competition. Either we watch ESPN or we don't watch any sports at all. They're a corporation and realize to grow, they have to start going after the more casual fan and start dumbing things down a little.
Q: Being featured in the February issue of Penthouse had to be a proud moment for you.
A: Well it was certainly a proud moment for my dad. He finally realized I don't make my living by just sitting around and e-mailing all day (laughs). Actually that kind of is how I make my money. It was kind of an odd thing to have that happen. I was pretty surprised they put my name on the cover. That was not something you would hae expected coming out of that, because, you know, it's Penthouse.
Q: If you could sit down and have a drink with any professional athlete who’s playing today, who would it be?
A: I have to go with (St. Louis Cardinals pitcher-turned-outfielder) Rick Ankiel. He is the one athlete who totally busts through my whole thing of “Who cares what athletes think? They’re paid entertainers! We’re the consumers! We’re the boss.” I try to be this man of the people and promote this empowerment, this “C’mon fans, let’s take back our game,” thing, but then I’m like “Oooh, Rick Ankiel!” He’s probably my soft spot, and I don’t even think he drinks….You have to be careful not to put athletes on too high a pedestal or bury them too much, because on a certain level, they are in fact human beings, even if sometimes we don’t want them to be.
Q: Five years down the road, where do you see the sports journalism and blogging industries?
A: Any time you try to predict things, you’re going to be wrong… But I’ll say that people who work in the sports journalism industry are finally starting to catch on. I think we’ll start seeing more deals like (former Deadspin contributor) MJD’s at Yahoo! or Henry Abbot’s at ESPN. You’re going to see more people recognizing just how talented these people are and picking them up. I think that’s great. It’s always great to see more talent coming up, but it’s a little scary because there’s always that fear that what we’re doing is going to turn into what we criticize. I think you have to be really careful about that, and what you have to do is be irascible enough not to take any of these jobs. My fear is that all the good independent voices will get swallowed up, but in the end I guess that’s ok, because more independent voices will come. As long as you have people with talent and a way to express it, I think things will get better.”
Thursday, January 24, 2008
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....
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....
Friday, January 18, 2008
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.
"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.
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