Northwestern University and Evanston's Only Daily News Source Since 1881

The Daily Northwestern

35° Evanston, IL
Northwestern University and Evanston's Only Daily News Source Since 1881

The Daily Northwestern

Northwestern University and Evanston's Only Daily News Source Since 1881

The Daily Northwestern

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No one wants to face NU — it’s too risky

Afraid of Northwestern? Maybe if you’re a lawyer for the City of Evanston. But a basketball program? About as likely as Kevin O’Neill regrowing a full head of hair naturally.

Uh, well, maybe not. Turns out the — ahem — Murderers Row known as the NU non-conference schedule is a product of good ‘ol fear.

So what do Maryland-Eastern Shore, New Hampshire, Elon and Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis have in common? Three things: A. They’re on NU’s schedule this winter. B. You didn’t know they played basketball. C. All they have to fear is fear itself.

And what do Kansas, Arizona, Connecticut and Oregon have in common? Also three things: A. They’re not on NU’s schedule this winter. B. You watched them play in last year’s NCAA Tournament. C. All they have to fear is fear and Welsh-Ryan Arena.

Yes, believe it or not, NU tried to schedule schools from all the power conferences — Pac-10, Big 12, Big East, you name it. And not one would schedule a home-and-home with NU. No one from a conference worth a couple peach buckets would have anything to do with a trip to Evanston.

Instead, the Wildcats are left with the Phoenix (Elon) and the Blackbirds (Long Island). Hey, but at least they’re home games.

“I’d like to get married to Bo Derek, but she didn’t agree, so no marriage,” NU Director of Athletics Rick Taylor said. “It takes two to make a game.”

Coach Bill Carmody and his staff were busy scheduling until August. But for all their work, virtually nothing came to show for it. Even an expected home game against Arizona State at the back end of a two-game series that began last year in the desert got delayed at the Sun Devils’ request.

“We called them all. So what do you do?” Carmody said. “My AD says it’s bad, but it’s a good sign because it means we’re getting better. We never had problems getting games against other teams, and now (we) are.”

But this isn’t just a case of the Cats getting better. It’s also a problem of no one on the outside realizing it.

Playing NU is a no-win situation for most of the big shots. Win, and you’ve beaten a program that’s been awful for decades — no one cares. Lose, and you’ve dropped a game to the Mildcats and your fans tell the coach to ponder the job market.

Whether or not that’s fair is debatable. But until NU proves that it’s a worthy winner — that is, until losing to the Cats ain’t so bad on a national scale — forget about seeing the top teams anywhere around here until the Big Dance visits Indianapolis in March. (Tickets are still available, if you’re interested.)

The sad part is that NU has almost no chance of jetting for Indy or any other opening-round locale, simply because its dreaded Ratings Percentage Index (which is really important and helped squash its 2002 postseason chances) will be shot by playing the Buffalo Bulls, among others.

The Cats probably need to win at least 21 to have any chance this year.

And that’s just not realistic this season. Somehow, NU must find a way to make a name for itself. That means stomping on the little guys and surprising a couple of the big guys in the conference until people notice.

Or, the Cats could find someone famous to travel around the country and help hype NU. I hear Bo Derek’s free these days.

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No one wants to face NU — it’s too risky