Northwestern University Athletics
'Cats On Hunt For Hawkeyes
3/2/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 2, 2004
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EVANSTON, Ill. - Illinois, Michigan State, Wisconsin ... Northwestern?
The idea of the Wildcat basketball program being grouped with the Big Ten's elite three seemed far-fetched as recently as, say, this preseason when NU was picked anywhere from 10th to 11th by the prognosticators. However, as we head into the final week of the Big Ten's regular season, the possibility of Northwestern being the fourth seed in this year's tournament remains.
Please note Wednesday night's game will be broadcast in the Chicago area on a tape-delayed basis at 11 p.m. on WCIU-TV!
There is a catch, of course. While the Wildcats (7-7) are currently tied with Michigan and Purdue one game out of fourth place-behind tonight's opponent, Iowa (8-6)-they are also just a game in front of eighth-place Indiana (6-8). Beyond that, they are two games ahead of ninth-place Ohio State, but if the Buckeyes were to win their final two games and the 'Cats lost, OSU would gain the tiebreaker ahead of NU by virtue of its win over the 'Cats in Columbus Feb. 4.
Rather than go through the vagaries of the schedule and offer our opinion of what can and cannot happen this week, we will present the schedules of those five teams and let you draw your own conclusions (the first games are being played tonight, while the second games are Saturday except where noted). However, we will note this-of the 10 games being played this week in the conference, four feature not one but two of the teams stuck in that 4-8 glut of teams (Iowa, Northwestern, Michigan, Purdue, Indiana).
Iowa (8-6): at Northwestern (7-7), at Purdue (7-7).
Northwestern (7-7): Iowa (8-6), Michigan (7-7).
Michigan (7-7): at Indiana (6-8), at Northwestern (7-7).
Purdue (7-7): Illinois (11-3), Iowa (8-6).
Indiana (6-8): Michigan (7-7), Wisconsin (10-4).
Ohio State (5-9): Penn State (3-11), Sunday vs. Illinois (11-3).
Looking past the conference horizon, tonight's game boasts tremendous significance for Northwestern's postseason hopes-and so, for that matter, does Saturday's game with Michigan. The Wildcats enter this final week 12-13 overall, but need to finish .500 or better to even be eligible for the NIT. A pair of wins this week will make that happen-the 'Cats would enter the Big Ten Tournament with a 14-13 record, and be at .500 even with a loss in its first tourney game. Lose one this weekend, and the job becomes tougher-NU would arrive in Indianapolis at 13-14 and needing to win two games just to secure that .500 mark. Lose two, and Northwestern is not playing in the NIT; the only way to get at or above .500 is by winning four games, and that would give them the tournament title and an NCAA Tournament bid.
A reminder that Northwestern's final home game, with Michigan, will be played Saturday at 1:30 p.m. here at Welsh-Ryan Arena and be broadcast by ESPN Regional. It will also be Senior Day here at Northwestern, as the basketball program sends off the members of its senior class.
GAME 26
Northwestern (12-13, 7-7 Big Ten) vs. Iowa (15-10, 8-6 Big Ten)
Wednesday, March 3, 2004 * 7 p.m. CST
Welsh-Ryan Arena (8,117) * Evanston, Ill.
The Coaches
Northwestern: Bill Carmody, 4th season at NU (51-62); 8th season overall (143-87)
Iowa: Steve Alford, 5th season at Iowa (88-68); 13th season overall (244-145)
TV: ESPN Regional (Mike Gleason, play-by-play; Shon Morris, analyst)
RADIO: WGN Radio 720 AM (Dave Eanet, play-by-play; David Kaplan, analyst)
The Fun Fact
Northwestern senior Jitim Young is scheduled to make his 114th career start tonight; that will move him past Tavaras Hardy as the Wildcats' all-time leader in that category. Young has started every game of his college career, and his streak of consecutive starts is currently ninth-longest in the nation.
Northwestern vs. Iowa
* The Wildcats and the Hawkeyes are meeting for the 152nd time; Iowa leads the series 103-48.
* Earlier this season, Northwestern won in Iowa City 77-68 behind 22 points from Vedran Vukusic and a career-high 18 by Mohamed Hachad; see page 20 of our game notes for story and box score.
* Iowa won both meetings last year, 68-63 here in Evanston and 77-61 in Iowa City.
* NU head coach Bill Carmody is 3-4 all-time against the Hawkeyes, including a 2-1 mark here at Welsh-Ryan Arena; the 'Cats beat Iowa in both 2001 and 2002 here.
