After Northwestern narrowly lost to then-No. 12 Penn State on Feb. 2, the team made an appearance in ESPN’s Bracketology projection under the header “Next Four Out.”
It’s a commendation for the grit the Wildcats have shown in close games all season, but also a warning that there is still work to be done to reach the NCAA Tournament. In other words, NU is firmly on the bubble.
The Cats then fell to Michigan on Feb. 6, and when the bracket projections are updated tomorrow they’ll likely fall off the list and back into postseason obscurity. But with six games left on their regular season schedule, including two against ranked opponents, NU still has plenty of time to make its case for a tournament berth.
“Every day when I walk into the gym it’s something that’s on my mind,” coach Joe McKeown said. “How can I get this team into position to have an opportunity? We’re excited about the potential of that.”
There certainly is plenty of potential on the Cats’ talented but inexperienced roster. It’s led to some impressive wins, but has also contributed to the team’s inconsistent play. Despite all the ups and downs, McKeown is still confident in his young group.
“I feel good about where we’re at,” he said. “I don’t get caught up a whole lot in our record. … I’m more concerned about our progress. When you’re starting three freshmen and sometimes two sophomores … you could be really good and playing really well and your record might not be reflecting it as much.”
NU may have impressed its coach but it still needs to inflate its win total if it wants to impress the NCAA selection committee. That road starts Monday as the Cats travel to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes.
It won’t get any easier from there, with the team’s next two opponents being Minnesota, a team that earlier this season served NU a 35-point beatdown, and a road rematch with Penn State.
As the games get tougher and more important, the Cats will have to tap the experience that lays deeper down their bench. Help may be coming in the form of junior guard Karly Roser, a team co-captain who only recently returned to the court this season from injury. McKeown, however, is being cautious about rushing her back into action.
“We’ll just see how she progresses with practice,” he said. “Right now, we’ll go slow with it; but she’s doing great.”
Junior forward Alex Cohen is also likely to see a bigger role after replacing freshman forward Nia Coffey, the team’s top scorer, when Coffey missed a game due to a foot injury. The tallest player on the team, at 6 foot 5 inches, Cohen is a big asset on defense.
“As she’s gotten more comfortable in that role, she’s started to be better positioned,” McKeown said. “She’s started to understand her timing with blocking shots. And she’s doing a much better job guarding in the low post.”
Even though it has been a bumpy ride this year, McKeown seems satisfied with where his team stands and believes it is poised to make a postseason push.
“We’d all like to be undefeated,” he said, “but I feel like we’re playing well. Our attitude is great, our energy is great. … As we go from February into March, hopefully our experience will help us finish off those games.”
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Twitter: @BobbyPillote
