Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Invade Land of Sun Devils
12/19/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 19, 2004
NU-Arizona State Game Notes in PDF Format
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EVANSTON, Ill. - Five games into the 2004-05 season, the preseason predictions of success that were bestowed upon the Northwestern men's basketball team seemed like a broken promise. After a season-opening win over Portland -- one that came at the buzzer -- the Wildcats dropped four straight decisions, a first in the four-plus years Bill Carmody has coached them.
Northwestern at Arizona State
Monday, Dec. 20 * 8 p.m. Central
TV: Fox Sports Net Arizona (game will be broadcast live on Fox Sports Chicago)
Radio: WGN 720 AM (Dave Eanet, play-by-play; Shon Morris, analyst)
However, the first sign that this team may be awakening from its slumber occured just before exams, when the 'Cats ran their way to a 78-53 win over Chicago State. Following an 11-day layoff, NU came out Wednesday and knocked off city rival DePaul (56-52), and followed that up Saturday with a nine-point decision over Seton Hall (53-44).
Which brings us to Monday night, and a road game at Arizona State. The last time these teams played here in Tempe, in 2001, the Sun Devils pressed and ran their way to an easy 77-60 victory. By contrast, last year the Wildcats escaped with a 63-61 win in Evanston when T.J. Parker went coast-to-coast and hit a jumper in the lane for the win (Parker, by the way, had the winner against Portland, as well, and now has three game-winning shots in his college career).
Arizona State enters Monday's game with a 7-1 record, and boasts arguably the best big man in the college game in Ike Diogu. Northwestern counters with an attack that was bolstered a great deal by the addition of 6-foot-10 center Mike Thompson, a Duke transfer who became eligible in time for the DePaul game. He scored 12 points in each of last week's wins, and as much as anything has provided a presence both on the glass and on defense -- for example, on Saturday he held Seton Hall's leading scorer, center Kelly Whitney, to a 2-of-15 shooting performance and a season-low six points. As a team, NU has held its last four opponents to an average of 49.3 points per game.
Now the question becomes, can they have such success on the road? That is the challenge for Monday.
Did You Know?
Northwestern is attempting to win four games in a row for the first time since the 2001-02 season, when they won six straight from Nov. 16 to Dec. 17. Since then, the 'Cats have won three in a row on four different occasions, including twice last season (Dec. 3-17; Feb. 7-14).
The Series With Arizona State
• Tonight's game represents the sixth meeting between the Wildcats and the Sun Devils in men's basketball, with Arizona State leading the series 3-2.
• NU won the last meeting, which took place last Dec. 17 in Evanston, when T.J. Parker went the length of the floor to hit a jumper in the lane at the buzzer and give the Wildcats a 63-61 victory.
• The two teams last met here in Tempe for the championship of the 2001 azcentral.com/ASU Holiday Classic, and the Sun Devils defeated the 'Cats easily, 77-60.
NU vs. the Pac-10
The Wildcats enter tonight's game with a 14-30 all-time record against the schools that currently play in the Pac-10. NU is 2-1 against conference teams during the Bill Carmody era -- in addition to the two aforementioned games with Arizona State, the 'Cats also knocked off a ranked USC team during his first season in Evanston.
Arizona 0-2
Arizona State 2-3
California 1-2
Oregon 0-2
Oregon State 1-4
Stanford 1-1
UCLA 1-3
USC 3-6
Washington 2-5
Washington State 3-2
