Northwestern Team Report

GETTING INSIDE

   Since Northwestern never has qualified for the NCAA Tournament, the program’s success usually has been calculated with inchworms rather than yardsticks. But after last year’s grand achievements, the Wildcats are ready to start using the same measuring system as the rest of the nation’s major-college teams.

   Northwestern tied the school record for regular-season wins (17). It earned the program’s first NIT bid since 1999. It knocked off three Top 25 teams, which included road-warrior wins at NCAA runnerup Michigan State and Sweet Sixteen participant Purdue. It entered the Big Ten tournament with an RPI of 70, which meant they held legitimate NCAA Tournament hopes until getting knocked out by Minnesota in the opening round.

Since the Wildcats welcome back everyone except third-team all-Big Ten guard Craig Moore—but add an intriguing recruit in freshman Drew Crawford who might take Moore’s spot from the start—everyone in purple is eager to see if this might be the year when Northwestern ends its unintentional NCAA boycott.

“I can just see how they feel without me saying anything,” 10th-year NU coach Bill Carmody said to the Daily Herald. “I think it’s a pretty confident bunch. I don’t know if they’re convinced, but they’re confident that they’re very capable. It’s a little different feeling, I’d say.”

With Moore and his 110 3-pointers out of the equation, senior forward Kevin Coble and junior point guard Michael “Juice” Thompson are this year’s focal points. The wiry Coble, a second-team all-Big Ten honoree last year, already owns 1,203 career points and 414 rebounds. Thompson, who has started all 61 games since arriving at NU, finished No. 3 in the Big Ten in 3-point percentage (41.7) and No. 4 in assist-turnover ratio. Then he was a standout throughout offseason workouts.

Sophomores John Shurna and Luka Mirkovic are noticeably stronger, which adds another dimension to their skillful repertoire. Crawford, a 6-foot-5 freshman who finished third in Illinois’ Mr. Basketball voting, has the build of the players Northwestern fans are accustomed to seeing on other rosters.

“Drew, he just looks like one of these guys who’s just going to be stuffing the stat sheet as they say,” Carmody said. “Maybe 10 points and six rebounds and two blocks and three steals. One of those kind of guys.”

NOTES, QUOTES

  —Sophomore F John Shurna (7.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg) spent part of his summer competing for USA Basketball’s U-19 team that went overseas and won a gold medal. He averaged 6.0 points and 3.9 rebounds in 12.2 minutes per game for that deep squad and appears to be more confident this fall, but coach Bill Carmody doesn’t want expectations to rage out of control. “He’s scoring around the basket a little more,” Carmody said. “But he’s got a long way to go.”

• In years past, Northwestern struggled to build depth. Coach Bill Carmody wouldn’t feel good about going more than 1 or 2 deep on his bench. But this year, Carmody welcomes back eight players who averaged at least 10 minutes per game. Throw in freshmen guards Drew Crawford and Alex Marcotullio—as well as intriguing junior forward Mike Capocci and sophomores Davide Curletti and Nick Fruendt—and the Wildcats are deeper than ever before in the 13-scholarship era.

• Northwestern led the Big Ten and ranked 13th nationally last year in turnover margin (plus 3.7 per game). The Wildcats could repeat that feat as senior sixth man Jeremy Nash returns as a defensive stopper, while freshman guard Drew Crawford has the wingspan to be a plus defender and everyone in the frontcourt added 5-10 pounds of muscle. One key? Getting 7-foot, 270-pound Kyle Rowley’s foot healed and getting him into the paint to affect shots.

   LAST YEAR: 17-14 overall, 8-10 in the Big Ten; lost in first round of the NIT.

   HEAD COACH: Bill Carmody (career 212-174); 10th year at Northwestern (120-149).

   QUOTE TO NOTE: “We have a veteran group, so we should be able to get going here. I think we’re going to be able to score. Are we going to be able to rebound? We’re big, we’re long. Now we have to go out and do it on the court.”—Bill Carmody to the Daily Herald.

 

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

   SCOUTING THE NEWCOMERS: The Wildcats brought in just two freshmen this year and at least one of them (6-foot-5 guard Drew Crawford) should be a crucial contributor from Day 1. The third-place finisher in Illinois’ Mr. Basketball voting (trailing only Illinois freshman Brandon Paul and future Illini Jereme Richmond) who averaged 24 points, nine rebounds and four assists as a senior, coach Bill Carmody sees Crawford as a guy who “stuffs the stat sheet” most nights. Then there’s guard Alex Marcotullio, a lefthanded combo guard who could draw comparisons to the graduated Craig Moore. Marcotullio’s deep range makes him a natural in NU’s offense.

   KEY EARLY-SEASON GAMES: Northwestern has five measuring-stick games on its pre-conference schedule, including three in a five-day span. The Wildcats play host to perennial NCAA qualifier Butler (Nov. 18) before starting their big stretch against Notre Dame in the Chicago Invitational Challenge at the neutral UIC Pavilion (Nov. 27). The following night, the Wildcats play either Iowa State or Saint Louis (Nov. 28) before heading to North Carolina State for their Big Ten-ACC Challenge game (Dec. 1). The last big test comes at home versus Stanford (Dec. 19).

   PROGRAM DIRECTION: The Wildcats never have played in the NCAA Tournament, but this team has more preseason hopes than any NU team in a generation or two. With many of their best players being freshmen and sophomores—and the team’s recruiting seemingly improving by the month—the future is brighter than at any time in the last 40 years.

   PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP: PG Michael Thompson, SG Drew Crawford, SF Kevin Coble, PF John Shurna, C Luka Mirkovic.

   ROSTER REPORT:

   —C Kyle Rowley broke his left foot in August and wasn’t scheduled to remove his walking boot until just as official practice began. The 7-foot, 280-pound Rowley will ease his way back into the fray, so it might be a little much to expect him at 100 percent when the season begins. Sophomore C Davide Curletti will get the chance to back up starter Luka Mirkovic while Rowley rounds back into shape.

• G Reggie Hearn, a freshman guard from Indiana High School Association Class 4A runnerup Fort Wayne Snider High School, joined the Wildcats as a walk-on after school began.