Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Set to Battle Spartans
2/20/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 20, 2004
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EVANSTON, Ill. - The Northwestern men's basketball team will find out today whether its midweek bye was a blessing or a curse.
On the one hand, no coach in the Big Ten would deny that having a few breaks during the rugged Big Ten season is a positive. As an example, look at today's teams and how different their conference slates set up. While Northwestern's two byes come in such a way that their Big Ten season is split almost perfectly into thirds -- the 'Cats played five games, had a bye, played six before this week's bye, and will finish with five more -- Michigan State was put in the position where their byes came before and after its 16-game run.
For the Wildcats, however, there is this little three-game winning streak they have constructed. As any coach will tell you, when your team is on a roll you do not want to stop playing.
NU head coach Bill Carmody is typically wry when asked what to make of this week's break: "If we win Saturday, I will say the break helped us, and if we lose I will say it hurt us."
If anything, the week off allowed Carmody's team to revel in the media spotlight. With a 6-5 record-NU's best after 11 conference games since 1999, and double the number of wins the 'Cats recorded in all of 2002-03-and a remaining schedule that suddenly swings the home court in the Wildcats' favor, the Chicago and regional media seem to be noticing the work Carmody, his staff, and the Wildcat players are doing in Evanston.
"There has been a lot of media attention given to us in the region this week, and that is a good thing," said Carmody, noting the phalanx of TV cameras coming at practices throughout the week. "Our guys are playing well, and they deserve the attention."
Typically, Carmody is also quick to offer a word of caution: "We are playing with confidence, but we know anyone in this conference can beat us so we need to stay sharp."
Today's game, which sets the table for NU's stretch run, will certainly be a daunting start. Michigan State is used to Big Ten success, especially in the Breslin Center, and this season has been no different. In fact, the Spartans have followed exactly the equation that Coach Carmody first espoused when he arrived at Northwestern in September 2000 -- win all of your home games, split on the road-and the result is a first-place standing heading into the weekend.
For Carmody and his team, there is also the first meeting to consider; to date, Michigan State is the only Big Ten team out of five this season to come to the Wildcats' Welsh-Ryan Arena and walk out with a win. With the site and roles reversed, Northwestern's task becomes that much tougher.
"Michigan State has played very well in the conference; in fact, they are probably playing as well as they have all year," said Carmody. "They are the best shooting team in the conference, and even with Paul Davis and four perimeter players getting most of the time they are a difficult matchup because of their athleticism."
Following today's game, Northwestern is home for three of its final four games.
GAME 23
Northwestern (11-11, 6-5 Big Ten) at Michigan State (14-9, 9-3 Big Ten)
Saturday, Feb. 21, 2004 * 12:17 p.m. EST
Breslin Center (14,759) * East Lansing, Mich.
The Coaches
Northwestern: Bill Carmody, 4th season at NU (50-60); 8th season overall (142-85)
Michigan State: Tom Izzo, 9th season at MSU (203-87); same overall
TV: ESPN Regional (Wayne Larrivee, play-by-play; Bob Ford, analyst)
RADIO: WGN Radio 720 AM (Dave Eanet, play-by-play; Bob Hildebrand, analyst)
The Fun Fact
Northwestern has won three Big Ten games in a row under Bill Carmody for the second time (it also happened in 2002). Prior to his arrival, the last time a Wildcat team won three straight conference games was 1976. The last Wildcat coach to lead his charges to a pair of three-game win streaks in the Big Ten? Larry Glass, whose teams had runs of four games in 1967 and three in 1968.
Northwestern vs. Michigan State
* The Wildcats and the Spartans are meeting for the 104th time, with Michigan State leading the series 67-36.
* Earlier this season, MSU defeated Northwestern 73-61 in Evanston (Jan. 21).
* NU head coach Bill Carmody is 1-4 against the Spartans during his tenure with the Wildcats; he also lost to MSU in the second round of the 1998 NCAA Tournament, when he was head coach at Princeton.
