ESPN, you're not helping
because i have too much free time and enjoy being frustrated, yesterday i went back and watched the last few minutes of our loss to Minnesota. i didn't learn anything new - we still can't rebound and we still can't make a play off the dribble. but i was reminded of something that really bothered me while watching the game last Thursday.
we all know NU alum Brent Musburger was doing the game, but due to his inability or unwillingness to bash his alma mater, he and Steve Lavin essentially legitimized Carmody and the Princeton-style offense. because NU played their best half of the season, it allowed those two to go on and on about how difficult it is to prepare for and play against Northwestern's style of play.
as we've discussed many times before, there is nothing formidable about Northwestern basketball, its players, or its style of play. sure, it may be effective when slow white guys are running it against slow white guys, and it is clearly finalfour-good when the offensive options include Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert. Brent and Lav admitted during the telecast that is was their first time seeing the 'cats this year, and that was obvious. if they think this can work, or is working, then they must be drunk on the Hank Bienen Kool-Aid. at least there are some local and national columnists who see things as they are, but if you were watching NU for the first and only time last week, you probably came away thinking, "Hey, this guy really has us on the right track!"
i just thank god NU plays in the middling Big Ten, or we could be even worse. by my count there were three pro's in the league this year: Kosta Koufos, DJ White and Eric Gordon (although i stand by my assertion that Gordon will have no impact at the next level). imagine if Coble and Moore actually had to match up twice a week against players of significant talent.
we all know NU alum Brent Musburger was doing the game, but due to his inability or unwillingness to bash his alma mater, he and Steve Lavin essentially legitimized Carmody and the Princeton-style offense. because NU played their best half of the season, it allowed those two to go on and on about how difficult it is to prepare for and play against Northwestern's style of play.
as we've discussed many times before, there is nothing formidable about Northwestern basketball, its players, or its style of play. sure, it may be effective when slow white guys are running it against slow white guys, and it is clearly finalfour-good when the offensive options include Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert. Brent and Lav admitted during the telecast that is was their first time seeing the 'cats this year, and that was obvious. if they think this can work, or is working, then they must be drunk on the Hank Bienen Kool-Aid. at least there are some local and national columnists who see things as they are, but if you were watching NU for the first and only time last week, you probably came away thinking, "Hey, this guy really has us on the right track!"
i just thank god NU plays in the middling Big Ten, or we could be even worse. by my count there were three pro's in the league this year: Kosta Koufos, DJ White and Eric Gordon (although i stand by my assertion that Gordon will have no impact at the next level). imagine if Coble and Moore actually had to match up twice a week against players of significant talent.
posted by Fire Bill Carmody at
4:50 PM
4 Comments:
Insightful anlaysis as always. I'm legitimately touched that Marriotti and somebody at USA Today would take the time to bash Carmody and NU. I figured that NU hoops would be too insignificant for any national media figure to bother. Marriotti may be kind of an asshat windbag, but I think he's right on with his Carmody column.
National recognition of the futility at NU makes it even more embarrassing. What about Mike Montgomery as our new coach?
Great blog… I’ve been telling people for years that our conference is just not good right now. UM, the Illini & Iowa are down. In the 90’s the conference regularly sent 5-7 teams to the dance. I think we even sent 8 one year. It’s sad that we finished 1-18 in this conference.
Check out this link and tell me what’s missing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NCAA_Men%27s_Division_I_Tournament_bids_by_school_and_conference
Yeah, I just came across this, a pre-season write-up
Carmody is 95-113 in seven seasons at Northwestern, including a miserable 35-77 mark in conference play. He has yet to get NU into the postseason, though it should be noted that no coach has ever propelled Northwestern into the NCAA Tournament. Carmody's worst season came last year, when the Wildcats tumbled to 13-18, 2-14 and tied Penn State for last in the Big Ten. The Wildcats lost steady hand Tim Doyle (11.5 ppg, 5.1 apg) to graduation, and they don't have a player on the roster who's taller than 6-8. Consecutive last-place finishes is a distinct possibility.
This was before the season. So now his conference record is 36-95, 103-134 overall. Who is allowed to lose almost 100 conference games in a career when they have won less than 40 during that same period of time? This is a coach and administration is disgrace. It makes me disgusted to be an alum
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