So we flip on Indiana-Pitt in the JimmyV classic on ESPN, and what do we hear within the first minute of listening? Why..... it's Jay Bilas talking about how Northwestern is an NCAA tournament team even without Kevin Coble.
There seems to be a lot of buzz resurfacing for NU right now. The NCAA had an article the other day, and ESPN had a nice tribute to Juice Thompson.
Nice.
08 December 2009
Cabin Fever setting in early for Montanans?
John over at Chicago College Basketball wrote an interesting post on NU's AP votes released this week. Carmody Court was previously unaware of this data source over at pollspeak.com so a big shout out to John for the reference.
John's post focused on some the oddities of how AP voters ranked ND and NU. We at Carmody Court also find it curious how some voters could rank ND higher than NU which runs counter to on-the-court evidence from the CIC over Turkey Weekend. In fact, we'd add the following to John's observations:
1. Nick Jezierny of The Idaho Statesman (Boise, ID) ranked ND 18 and NU 24
2. John Bohnenkamp of The Hawk Eye (Burlington, IA) ranked ND 20 and NU 21
Carmody Court puts a slightly different spin on the pollspeak.com data and compares how AP voters ranked NU vs recently vanquished NC State. Scott Mansch over at the Great Falls Tribune (Great Falls, MT) has some 'splainin to do! How exactly could he rank NC State 23rd and not rank NU? Did NC State's victory at Marquette somehow completely undo the fact that NU opened up a can of whoopass on the Wolfpack down in Raleigh just last week? What's even more amazing is that people have rated Mr Mansch a good voter to the tune of 20:3. WTF???
John's post focused on some the oddities of how AP voters ranked ND and NU. We at Carmody Court also find it curious how some voters could rank ND higher than NU which runs counter to on-the-court evidence from the CIC over Turkey Weekend. In fact, we'd add the following to John's observations:
1. Nick Jezierny of The Idaho Statesman (Boise, ID) ranked ND 18 and NU 24
2. John Bohnenkamp of The Hawk Eye (Burlington, IA) ranked ND 20 and NU 21
Carmody Court puts a slightly different spin on the pollspeak.com data and compares how AP voters ranked NU vs recently vanquished NC State. Scott Mansch over at the Great Falls Tribune (Great Falls, MT) has some 'splainin to do! How exactly could he rank NC State 23rd and not rank NU? Did NC State's victory at Marquette somehow completely undo the fact that NU opened up a can of whoopass on the Wolfpack down in Raleigh just last week? What's even more amazing is that people have rated Mr Mansch a good voter to the tune of 20:3. WTF???
07 December 2009
04 December 2009
On Manny Harris
Carmody Court watched Michigan lose to BC the other night, and we came away thoroughly unimpressed with the Wolvies. We just don't get all the love for Manny Harris. Perhaps it was an off night but for all of his athleticism he doesn't seem all that skilled. His MO is to either chuck up an ill-advised bomb or drive to the hoop and throw up a sad looking shot probably in the hope of getting fouled on the way in.
The most gamely Michigan player looked like former NU target Matt Vogrich. He was heady out there, but at this point we're happy NU landed Alex Marcotullio as AM has similar moxie but a better looking shot.
The most gamely Michigan player looked like former NU target Matt Vogrich. He was heady out there, but at this point we're happy NU landed Alex Marcotullio as AM has similar moxie but a better looking shot.
On Oregon State and the First Brother-in-Law
Coach Carmody's critics have often criticized Carmody for how long it has taken him to right the ship. This criticism is not completely from out of left field as Carmody himself has said that he didn't expect it to take this long to turn NU around. We at Carmody Court maintain both Coach Carmody's and his critic's expectations were unrealistic as they did not fully appreciate just how much work was required to overcome the program's sorry history.
One example that Carmody's critics used last year as evidence for why "it's too little, too late" for Carmody was the turnaround engineered by Craig Robinson, First Brother-In-Law and former NU assistant under Coach Carmody, at Oregon State last season. Robinson in his first year as head coach took a winless Oregon State program from the prior season and used the Princeton Offense to lead OSU to a 7-11 conference record and CBI championship. If Coach Robinson could do that in one year at OSU then how could it possibly take nine-plus years for Coach Carmody to do so at NU when using the same system? Carmody's critics even went so far as to say that NU should have fired Carmody and retained Robinson to get NU to the holy grail.
Fast forward to this year and we hear nary a word from Carmody's critics about Craig Robinson. Why? For one thing NU's performance to date has left little room to open fire on Coach Carmody so this probably explains why they've kept their powder dry so far. Oregon State's 2-3 record including a 24 point home loss to TAMU Corpus Christi and a loss to Sacramento St probably also has something to do with their amnesia.
Carmody Court wishes nothing but the best to Coach Robinson (except if he meets up with NU on the court) this year and beyond. However if Carmody's critics are going to use his season last year as reason for criticizing Carmody then it is fair game to point out that Robinson isn't doing nearly as well as Carmody this year.
One example that Carmody's critics used last year as evidence for why "it's too little, too late" for Carmody was the turnaround engineered by Craig Robinson, First Brother-In-Law and former NU assistant under Coach Carmody, at Oregon State last season. Robinson in his first year as head coach took a winless Oregon State program from the prior season and used the Princeton Offense to lead OSU to a 7-11 conference record and CBI championship. If Coach Robinson could do that in one year at OSU then how could it possibly take nine-plus years for Coach Carmody to do so at NU when using the same system? Carmody's critics even went so far as to say that NU should have fired Carmody and retained Robinson to get NU to the holy grail.
Fast forward to this year and we hear nary a word from Carmody's critics about Craig Robinson. Why? For one thing NU's performance to date has left little room to open fire on Coach Carmody so this probably explains why they've kept their powder dry so far. Oregon State's 2-3 record including a 24 point home loss to TAMU Corpus Christi and a loss to Sacramento St probably also has something to do with their amnesia.
Carmody Court wishes nothing but the best to Coach Robinson (except if he meets up with NU on the court) this year and beyond. However if Carmody's critics are going to use his season last year as reason for criticizing Carmody then it is fair game to point out that Robinson isn't doing nearly as well as Carmody this year.
03 December 2009
Countdown to NCAT at NU
The Aggies of NC A&T State University (3-5) invade the Welsh on Dec 13 at 4pm Central.
01 December 2009
Recap: NU 65 NC St 53
NC State did not look like a good team save for that beast Smith down low. The feeling of the game was that NU was in complete control and only temporarily let the game slip from their grasp after some dumb turnovers. NU's defense was suffocating and disruptive as NC State never seemed comfortable on offense. Carmody Court expects the defense to win games this year against teams that lack experience and/or above average passing skills at the collegiate level at most positions.
But, the obvious story of the game was Juice Thompson. Hands down, Juice was the best guy on the court. Period. Sure, Smith from NC State had his way down low and commanded extra NU attention. But it was Juice Thompson who came up with the big bucket or called the right play and got the ball to the right guy at the right time in this game.
Nash had a stellar game. Until the refs jobbed him with a couple of poor calls that sent him to the bench for much of the second half. To be sure, his absence played a major part in NC State mounting any semblance of a comeback in this game. Carmody Court does not like the strategy of posting Nash. He's too short and not quick enough to score against small forwards. Scrap that one, coach.
Shurna picked up where he left off and had a good first half. NC State focused on stopping him in the second half with Horner playing tight defense on the wily soph. That opened things up for the guards which Thompson took advantage of. No worries about the second half drop off -- it's more of a sign of respect for Shurna's presence and skill than poor play.
Marcotullio had what we'd call an average game. Missed some open looks, forced some shots, but made some dagger 3s at opportune times, and played good defense. He panicked a couple of times which resulted in bad turnovers and easy NC State points, but he is a frosh after all.
Rowley confounds Carmody Court. Once he had the ball under control and in position, he is tough to stop. However, he bobbles the ball way too much and doesn't get himself into position nearly enough. Still a work in process. He also needs to realize that he's 7 foot and take it hard to the hole with the ball up high. Worst thing to happen would be a foul which is ok by Carmody Court as Kyle shows nice form from the charity stripe.
Mirkovic played ok. Showed some nice offensive moves but was prone to the questionable pass that also resulted in NC State points in the second half. Still, Mirkovic deserves the majority of minutes at the center spot.
Crawford was pretty invisible. That's actually not a bad thing for a frosh. Still a work in process.
Peljusic only played because Nash got into foul trouble. It was curious that Curletti played only a couple of minutes - was he hurt or just matched-up poorly against the burly and athletic NC State front court?
Overall, a good win for NU. NC State looks to be a bottom tier ACC team, but a win on the road in a hostile environment is always a good thing. NU is off for a dozen days for finals and next hosts NC A&T on Dec 13. In the meantime enjoy basking in the glow of the last few games Cats fans.
But, the obvious story of the game was Juice Thompson. Hands down, Juice was the best guy on the court. Period. Sure, Smith from NC State had his way down low and commanded extra NU attention. But it was Juice Thompson who came up with the big bucket or called the right play and got the ball to the right guy at the right time in this game.
Nash had a stellar game. Until the refs jobbed him with a couple of poor calls that sent him to the bench for much of the second half. To be sure, his absence played a major part in NC State mounting any semblance of a comeback in this game. Carmody Court does not like the strategy of posting Nash. He's too short and not quick enough to score against small forwards. Scrap that one, coach.
Shurna picked up where he left off and had a good first half. NC State focused on stopping him in the second half with Horner playing tight defense on the wily soph. That opened things up for the guards which Thompson took advantage of. No worries about the second half drop off -- it's more of a sign of respect for Shurna's presence and skill than poor play.
Marcotullio had what we'd call an average game. Missed some open looks, forced some shots, but made some dagger 3s at opportune times, and played good defense. He panicked a couple of times which resulted in bad turnovers and easy NC State points, but he is a frosh after all.
Rowley confounds Carmody Court. Once he had the ball under control and in position, he is tough to stop. However, he bobbles the ball way too much and doesn't get himself into position nearly enough. Still a work in process. He also needs to realize that he's 7 foot and take it hard to the hole with the ball up high. Worst thing to happen would be a foul which is ok by Carmody Court as Kyle shows nice form from the charity stripe.
Mirkovic played ok. Showed some nice offensive moves but was prone to the questionable pass that also resulted in NC State points in the second half. Still, Mirkovic deserves the majority of minutes at the center spot.
Crawford was pretty invisible. That's actually not a bad thing for a frosh. Still a work in process.
Peljusic only played because Nash got into foul trouble. It was curious that Curletti played only a couple of minutes - was he hurt or just matched-up poorly against the burly and athletic NC State front court?
Overall, a good win for NU. NC State looks to be a bottom tier ACC team, but a win on the road in a hostile environment is always a good thing. NU is off for a dozen days for finals and next hosts NC A&T on Dec 13. In the meantime enjoy basking in the glow of the last few games Cats fans.
Countdown to NU @ NC State (ACC-B10 Challenge)
Carmody Court is back in the saddle, but we are still playing catch-up from the long Holiday weekend so no full scouting report for tonight's game down in Raleigh against the NC State Wolfpack. This game is part of the ACC-B10 "Challenge." The B10 has yet to win this thing in ten tries, and the pundits have pointed to this being the year that the B10 finally breaks the ACC's relentless grip in this fun series. For some good background on tonight's game, check out:
NU Official Athletic Website
Welsh-Ryan Ramblings
Chicago College Basketball
Daily Herald
Purple Reign (Scout.com)
Lake The Posts
Brief Recap of and Thoughts on This Past Week:
NU is riding high coming into game after raising some eyebrows on the way to the Chicago Invitational Challenge title this past weekend. NU took care of business in the first couple of rounds against Tennessee Tech and Liberty earlier in the week and then knocked off then-#23 Notre Dame in the semis and an undefeated and gamely Iowa State squad in the finals. John Shurna earned tourney MVP after showing off the improvement that we had heard about from insiders to the program. Keep it up, John!
Another key to NU's success has been the emergence of Alex Marcotullio. The kid is shooting a torrid 52% from distance and has also demonstrated a high "basketball IQ" in nearly all other facets of the game. NU fans are falling all over themselves for Alex. Hopefully fans will remember he is just a frosh if and when his shooting numbers come back to earth.
Carmody Court is warming up to the idea of a starting lineup of Juice, Marcotullio, Crawford, Shurna, and Mirkovic. Marcotullio has yet to crack the starting lineup, but it would only be a matter of time until he gets there if his play continues at or near its current high level. Crawford oozes potential that is not a long way off from breaking through, and we think NU should just go through the growing pains now and reap those benefits come conference time. Mirkovic has struggled a bit, but Carmody Court still thinks he deserves the bulk of the minutes in the middle.
25 November 2009
Countdown to Iowa St or St Louis
Turkey festivities are also going to prevent Carmody Court from scouring up a full scouting report for this game. The game time set on countdown clock is 430pm Central. However, the game is still shown as tbd on NU's official athletic website so it's possible that NU will be playing at the later 7pm time slot if NU were to beat to ND (and could even be playing at 7pm regardless of the NU-ND outcome as basketballtournamentinc.com seems to think will be the case).
What we do know at this point is the game will be televised on the BTN. Carmody Court recommends that you tune in to the BTN at 430pm. What's the downside of doing that after all? Less family time and more college basketball time. Heaven forbid!
Go Cats!
Countdown to Notre Dame
With the Thanksgiving Holiday bearing down on Carmody Court like Kyle Rowley on some poor Liberty player, it looks as if we will not have time to pull together a full scouting report on the Domers. We're pretty sure WRR and others will have our back.
The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
Happy Turkey everybody!
23 November 2009
Better Know An Opponent: Liberty University
On Tuesday November 24 at 5:30pm Central, NU (2-1) takes on Liberty University ("Liberty") (1-4). This will be NU's second game of the Chicago Invitational Challenge ("CIC"). The game is at the Welsh and streamlined online at bigtennetwork.com (available for $2.99).
Liberty Quick Facts:
Location: Lynchburg, VA
Nickname: Flames
Coach: Dale Layer (1st Year - was a Flame assistant coach in 2007-08 and with Marquette last season)
Team Colors: Red, White & Blue
Conference: Big South
Student Population: 11.3K
Most Famous Alum: errrr, some Christian Rock folks who may be well known in those circles?
Liberty was founded as Lynchburg Baptist College in 1971 by Rev. Jerry Falwell (beat that, Larry Flynt!). The school eventually became known as Liberty University in 1984 when it achieved full university status. Not surprisingly, the school is known as one of the most conservative schools in the country. More surprisingly, they seem to welcome everyone with open arms (or is it a self-selecting process?) in that over 95% of applicants are admitted.
Liberty had an impressive year last year finishing 23-12 overall and 12-6 in the Big South conference. They played in the CIT and lost in the second round to James Madison University. However, Liberty lost three starters from that squad including its two top scorers in Seth Curry (who is now riding out a year over in Dukeville) and Anthony Smith. Liberty has six frosh on its roster including Evan Gordon, younger brother of Eric Gordon Jr, the former Indiana star whose name shall not be mentioned down state in Shampoo-Banana, and son of Eric Gordon who himself played for the Flames back in the 1980s.
Liberty's projected starting lineup is:
PG Jesse Sanders 6'3" 200 #25 So.
G Kyle Ohman* 6'4" 200 #11 Sr.
G David Minaya 6'6" 205 #14 RS-So.
F Patrick Konan** 6'5" 205 #23 Fr.
C Carter McMasters 6'11" 210 #41 RS-Fr.
* Named to 2008-09 NABC Honors Court (sounds like he'd be a nice fit in purple with his academics and shooting prowess)
** Hails from the Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire
Liberty lost its first round game of the CIC 72-91 to Notre Dame. Luke Harangody was a one-man wrecking crew, scoring 32 points and nabbing 9 rebounds. Liberty did their best to get physical with Luke, but he responded by knocking down all 10 of his FTA's. But enough about the Domers. Liberty showed some balanced scoring with 5 players in double figures (all starters except for PG Sanders, plus reserve guard Evan Gordon). Liberty has some offensive skills with an impressive 49% overall shooting percentage including 39% from distance. PG Sanders logged the most court time (36 minutes) and racked up 8 assists (and 4 turnovers). Speaking of turnovers, they were Liberty's Achilles heel against ND as they turned it over an alarming 19 times. Defense also doesn't appear to be their strong suit as they gave up 91 points.
Players who like to chuck it from distance are Ohman, Gordon, Minaya, and Jeremy Anderson, though only Ohman and Anderson warrant keeping a close eye on until the other guys prove otherwise. Ohman is their main guy as he is a senior who can fill it up. The coach seems high on Konan, the frosh forward he inked from overseas and is already in the starting lineup.
What to expect? NU seems to have the height and experience advantage inside while Ohman helps to even the scales around the perimeter. Expect the 1-3-1 to cause some damage given how prone the Flames are to turning it over. Let's see if Shurna and Mirkovic can get it going against the Flames. If they continue to struggle, nascent concerns about the front court will begin to gain some validity.
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