Any military buff worth his salt knows it’s difficult to win a war fighting on two fronts. This season the Wildcats’ guards have been trying to defend both the paint and the perimeter — and the battle theories have held true.
Going into the season, Northwestern (8-7, 0-4 Big Ten) was worried its lack of frontcourt depth would open the floodgates for opposing big men to rack up points. But good team defense has led to such successes as holding Indiana’s starting center and power forward to a combined 14 points.
But the Cats’ control of the defensive post has come at a high price, giving up 30 treys in the past three games.
The 230 points NU allowed in its last three contests are the most the Cats have given up in any three-game stretch since NU coach Bill Carmody arrived in 2000.
NU’s compact zone defense has left opposing marksmen open to swish away any hope of victory for the Cats.
“We’re a small team,” guard Jitim Young said. “Trying to play help defense and contain their guards at the same time is difficult. We’ve had to just focus on keeping the ball out of the paint.”
The Cats have dropped to last in the conference in 3-point percentage defense, allowing Big Ten opponents to make 48.6 percent of their treys.
Young said it’s hard for his team to practice the type of help defense the it has to employ in games, because it can’t simulate the inside presence it will face. The guards don’t have to be as quick in practice to get to the perimeter as they need to be in games.
As a result, the Cats’ top-ranked scoring defense in 2002 has dropped to 10th through four conference games this year. NU is allowing 74.5 points per Big Ten contest.
Not-so-free throws: The Cats have increased their free-throw percentage by more than 8 percent from last season’s mark. But the improvement has raised NU’s percentage to only 68.8 from the charity stripe.
NU is 10th in the conference in the category. Carmody said that shortcoming is highlighted even more when his team isn’t shooting well from the floor.
“It’s so important,” Carmody said. “It just keeps you in games. It’s like a drought-buster for your offense.”
Junior Jitim Young leads the Cats in free throw attempts with 61, but his 59 percent mark from the line is the lowest among the NU regulars.
Young had particular trouble in the Cats’ 77-70 loss to Michigan on Saturday, as he converted on just 2 of 8 from the line.
“Jitim makes (them) in practice, in the games he struggles,” Carmody said. “I guess there’s a lot of mental stuff to it.”
Young posted an even more dismal percentage from the line last season, but his first year in Evanston he shot 68 percent and his senior year at Gordon Tech High School in Chicago he connected on 71.4 percent of his free throw attempts.
Prophecy foretold: In Mohamed Hachad’s time on the court before NU’s loss to Michigan, the freshman had averaged a turnover for every five minutes on the floor. But in Hachad’s 11 minutes against the Wolverines, he didn’t cough up the ball once while tallying five points and a game-high three steals.
The guard’s defense was a big part of the Cats’ 10-2 run that ended the first half. Hachad’s energy was never more evident than during the final 20 seconds of the first half. With bodies flailing left and right, Hachad was in on three loose balls before the blow of the horn ended the half.
Carmdoy said he”ll have to ‘start throwing him in (more.)’
