the Butler did it

the box score of NU's first loss tells a confusing story. the 'Cats shot 47% from 3PT to Butler's 20% and won the rebounding battle. that should be a win, right? not when you factor in 17 turnovers and a 24-6 deficit on trips to the free throw line, the latter of which added up to a 14 point differential. that tells me NU is going back towards a smaller lineup, which won't help us against Michigan State, Wisconsin and Co.

as for the freshmen, their minutes continue to shrink - Rowley and Shurna started but combined for 7 points and 5 turnovers in just 13 minutes, and Curletti was a DNP for the second game in a row.

the Butler version of the game is much more complimentary of Northwestern, but you can feel the cynicism in the Trib's article. after all the losses and the games that slipped away in the second half last year, those poor Northwestern beat writers are beaten men by now.