Trip to The Barn becomes a "should win"
after Saturday's come-from-behind victory over the Illini, Northwestern's RPI made a slight jump to 56. after Saturday's come-from-ahead loss to Sparty, Minnesota's RPI took a small slide to 66. i'll stop short of saying this road game in the Big Ten would be a bad loss, but as of today both NU and UMN are on the outside looking in. i'm sure the Wildcats would feel a lot better about their chances if they were able to pick up two wins in head-to-head competition with fellow bubble teams.
let's be clear: there is an opportunity here. look across the country, and you see some very VERY mediocre basketball teams. as SI's Andy Glockner tweeted in the wee hours of this morning, "This week's bubble is awful. Once done putting in every team that was mostly deserving for an at-large, there are still 10 spots left. blech." NU can earn some serious respect with a win in Minneapolis on Tuesday.
meanwhile, how many of you ever thought you'd read a national columnist make a logical and effective argument for why a Northwestern men's basketball team should be held in higher esteem than a University of Connecticut men's basketball team? here it is.
let's be clear: there is an opportunity here. look across the country, and you see some very VERY mediocre basketball teams. as SI's Andy Glockner tweeted in the wee hours of this morning, "This week's bubble is awful. Once done putting in every team that was mostly deserving for an at-large, there are still 10 spots left. blech." NU can earn some serious respect with a win in Minneapolis on Tuesday.
meanwhile, how many of you ever thought you'd read a national columnist make a logical and effective argument for why a Northwestern men's basketball team should be held in higher esteem than a University of Connecticut men's basketball team? here it is.
posted by Fire Bill Carmody at
12:47 PM
6 Comments:
I find the UConn/Northwestern comparison highly amusing. Looking strictly at the numbers, one could definitely make the argument. However, even as a loyal 'Cat fan, UConn is still probably the better team.
Though, we could settle this if, somehow, some way, NU faces UConn in the NCAA tournament.
Thanks, I needed a good laugh on a Monday. No one sips the purple kool-aid more than me, but c'mon. I have Bern to 6 'Cats games this season including the one in Champaign, and they would be an after thought if they played in the Big East. Ohio State, Muchigan State, and Butler proved we are still one player and one year away from bring consistently competitive. Spliting the series with a weak Illinois team and upsetting an overrated and at the time struggling Purdue team doesn't mean much when you put together the non-conference schedule that Coach C (C for casual) does. NIT this year, NCAA next.
NU should certainly be ranked ahead of Connecticut. I'm one of those people who believes that you can only judge teams by what happened on the field. How "good" or talented they are makes no difference. There have been enough upsets in the NCAA tournament to prove that.
@BupsJones - What makes you so sure Northwestern couldn't compete in the Big East? They'd almost certainly be in the top half of the conference, which would put them on the bubble (where they are now in the Big Ten). Where's your evidence that they couldn't?
We're 1-0 against Big East teams this year. And Notre Dame's not a pushover like DePaul or Rutgers.
FYI: I expect Purdue to make a deep, deep run in March. Just saying.
@G1000 Non conference strength of schedule, where we have 11 of our 14 wins...#319. UConn...#60. Can't wait 'til the Chicago State game! When Northwestern plays teams like Texas, Duke and Kentucky on their non-conference schedule I will take a little more notice. I think what we can agree on is let's get a win tonight in The Barn and not worry about the other schools until Selection Sunday, huh?!
Agreed. Go Cats!
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