Northwestern University Athletics
Drew's Views
1/18/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 18, 2010
Hello Wildcat Fans!
This past week was a big one for our team. We played two difficult games at home against Wisconsin and Purdue. We split the games, losing on Wednesday against Wisconsin and winning Saturday afternoon against Purdue. The fan support for these games was unbelievable. Coach Carmody made a point that we haven't really played a great game as a team at home, but on Saturday we were able to do that. Our fans have really been coming out to support us at home, so we were glad to get such a big win in front of them.
It was a very close game against Wisconsin, but in the end they pulled it out. We struggled to get rebounds in the last couple minutes and their shooters got hot. Every single game is important in the Big Ten, so it was upsetting to lose in such a close game against Wisconsin. We've been so close in two of our three conference losses, so it hurts when we play well all game but come up short at the end.
After the loss to Wisconsin, we needed a big effort against Purdue to give us our second Big Ten win. Ranked as a top-ten team in the country, Purdue was a very difficult opponent, but we showed the necessary toughness to beat them. Basketball is largely a game of skill, but when it comes down to it, toughness is often the final factor in who wins a game. Defense and rebounding are all about toughness, and we had an edge in the game against Purdue because we were tough as a team. We beat them in rebounds, 42-23, and our matchup defense held them in check for a good part of the game.
Throughout my basketball career I've believed that playing good defense and working hard on the boards leads to good offense. On Saturday, I didn't take many shots early on because I was trying to establish myself on defense and get rebounds, but in the second half my offense came along and I was able to score late in the game. Overall, we played great as a team and it was a huge win for us.
When the final buzzer sounded our fans rushed the court and our whole team was immediately embraced by hundreds of Northwestern students. The atmosphere was the loudest I have ever heard it. It was an awesome feeling to know we have so many people supporting our team. The last time the crowd stormed the court after one of my games was my final high school game, but it was the other teams crowd. I finally know what it feels to be on the other side! In the next couple of days students and fans constantly congratulated my teammates and me. It feels great to know that we have so much support behind our team. I hope that everyone will continue to come out to the games and keep helping us win!
In the upcoming week we play Ohio State on the road on Tuesday, and Saturday's game is against Illinois at home. In the next couple of days we will continue to work hard in practice to get ready for Ohio State. They have a talented team, and to win we have to bring our intensity and toughness on the road. So far we have played well on the road with only one loss. Hopefully we can continue that streak with a win on Tuesday. Although I don't like to look ahead of the game at hand, I am especially excited to get a chance for revenge against Illinois on Saturday. We need the fans' support again and I can't wait to see you all there!
Until Next Time!
