P-A-I-N
By Lake The Posts on
Really?
Alex – thank you for giving us hope. John and Drew -you played like warriors. However, that final posession…really? No on the ball defense pressure in the backcourt and a JerShon on Sullinger match-up?
Sorry, I can’t do this tonight. Phil…bail us out.
That ending. Not unbelievable given several other games this season, but still.
Hopefully we beat Iowa and win the first game of the Big Ten tournament.
With Iowa winning in Lincoln, Purdue coming up big today, Indiana beating MSU yesterday and South Florida winning as well I find it very difficult for NU to make it in the NCAA tourney. Let’s focus on beating Iowa on Saturday and then let’s WIN the Big10 tourney not just hope to beat Minnesota.
I can’t blame you, LTP, I’m spent after that game. I can’t count the number of times I was sure we were out of it, only to claw back in. That ending… brutal.
I was there tonight, like many of you. I have never in my time as a fan of this university been more proud to call myself a Northwestern Wildcat. We can dissect the X’s and O’s of this game until we no longer have breath to talk, but for the moment, we would be doing these young men a grave disservice if we did not simply–even if figuratively–stand and applaud. I wish I could have stayed until they turned the lights out at Welsh-Ryan Arena tonight. Heck, I wish I could have stood in the dark and silence right where I was standing for the last seven minutes of that game and just savored the magnitude of the effort that we witnessed tonight–let the electricity of the students and even the old timers in those last few minutes continue to wash through my ears, for just another few moments. These young men left absolutely everything they had in their souls on the court tonight. They had no business hanging with that other team tonight. They were smaller, weaker, a half-step slower. This team was not supposed to take one of the very best squads in the land to the final 3 seconds, and yet there they were, against all odds, standing strong against them until the very last. Maybe I’m just trying to convince myself that we earned some sort of imaginary moral victory tonight–that nobody on that selection committee could have seen what happened in Evanston and not believe that we belong–that we damn well deserve–to compete with the best this March.
This one is hard to swallow, but I firmly and defiantly believe that we are a Tournament team, and that when the 68 universities’ names are called a week from Sunday, Northwestern will be among them. I just hope they prove me right in Iowa this weekend.
You’re proud to call yourself a Northwestern Wildcat after a loss. What does that say about you?
Lets be honest, this team is not playing up to standards and the play in game IS WORTHLESS. It is the field of 64, not 68, stop settling. The play in game is NOT THE TOURNAMENT.
Just shut up. Please. If you can’t be proud of our team tonight, on a night when they almost beat Ohio State and the referees (no technical on Sullinger when he threw a ball into the stands?!?!? No foul when Sullinger PUSHED Shurna at the top of the key?!?!?!?), just go home, turn off the internet, and burn all your purple. We don’t want you.
I speak the truth. Get use to it. Be happy settling for last place.
Utterly moronic statement in every sense. I’m surprised you managed to read the “anti-spammer” password, much less type a response while breathing through your mouth.
WTF LTP
WTF BEAR 44
WTF JPH93
WTF CARMODY
WTF SLOW PAINFUL CLOSE LOSSES
WTF TO YOU TO FITZ
AND WTF TO PHILLIPS
WTF NU ATHLETICS
WTF TO MEDIOCRITY
WTF TO BAD COACHES THAT STAY TOOOOOO LONG
WTF TO NO CHANGES
WTFFFFFFFFFFFFF SULLINGER – YOU ARE GOOD!
GO NIT!
Well, it was fun. And we had no business even being in the game at the end (42-16 on rebounds). But we were. And LTP, you nailed it. What was Carmody thinking? No ball pressure and neither Shurna or Curletti on Sullinger? It took them all of FOUR seconds to go down the court and score. Unbelievable… I am numb.
AND WTF CAT IN THE HAT!
YOU GUYS ARE ALL GOOD WITH I FEEL SO PROUD TO BE A WILDCAT FAN – I WANT TO WIN DAMNIT – QUIT ALL THIS CRAP
I MEAN WTF!!!! PROUD TO LOSE TIME AND TIME AGAIN
PROUD OF THIS????
Oh shut up. We’re all disappointed.
Your a loser cat in the hat. You’re happy to win the bronze medal at the special Olympics.
I meant You’re a loser. Not your a loser. Poor grammar. My bad.
lol…oh, well in that case…
You’re a big bad internet tough guy aren’t you? It’s clearly past your bedtime, kid.
haha. I do have to get up at 4:30 for work so it kinda is past my bedtime.
perfectly said byebye
So many on this blog and so many NU fans are just so happy with the bronze metal at the Special O…….
And that is our prob. Other Big Tens Schools want that gold….but not us…..oh no…..not us
Apparently you have not read any of my previous posts where I was calling for Carmody’s head. That it needed to start from sites like this. That we can’t just let a guy have 12 years and not get it done. 7 winnable games that are all losses, I am with you, a good coach alters at least one of those, probably 2-3. But this wasnt the game. The kids played well. They arent as good as the other players, period. They werent born as good. But they kept fighting. The kids deserve some thanks, and they deserve our praise. Carmody stinks, period, and when they miss the tourney again and he is asked to come back then I will be front and center asking for somebody to give me a good reason for him to stay, which there will be none. But give the kids some credit, they gave exceptional effort all night long.
+1 Bear 44
I agree the kids play their hearts out. Not their fault that have an idiot leading them. Carmody would be a great coach at the NAIA level. He is worthless. But I guess I should be proud to be a Northwestern Wildcat after this loss. SCREW THIS!!!
I guess I need to make a better point. What I am saying is all the negative comments should be towards Carmody not the kids. You dont have to be proud of a loss or for cheering for a horrible program, and that is what this is. I am furious too. It is a joke, and Carmody is the man in charge of the program now. Respect the players for their effort, their courage. Again, they were not born as good as these other guys. That can not be helped. Who of these guys were bigtime recruits? We fell into Shurna. Carmody needs to go. Period. He is awful, but the players deserve some respect. And btw, we will be dogs at Iowa, and then would have to play Minny who kills us on the boards. So even if we happen to win both, below 50/50 chance, we then have to hope there are zero conference tourney upsets. Slim chance, unless it is a pity bid.
Right. I’m no fan of Carmody, but tonight I choose to be proud of our kids and not bitter about Bill. There will be plenty of time for that after the season, and there is still basketball left to play. Carmody has to go, but the kids left it all on the court, and it was good to see that. We haven’t necessarily seen that every game this year, so it was refreshing to see that tonight meant as much to them as would hope.
Anyway–time for me to turn off the computer and sleep this game and its aftermath off. You know things are bad when you’re arguing on the internet at 11 p.m. with people who get a kick out of responding to themselves in caps lock.
Rumor has it – they were finalizing his contract post game. Guess that “almost” win was good enough for Phillips and Shapiro
Yes Bear 44 – you called for him long ago. I called for his head pre season
11 years of losing isnt good enough for NU – they wanted 12 – or 13 – or 47
Phillips is the problem
He should have sliced heads at the Football staff after that season
But no – cause freaks like CAT IN THE HAT are just happy to be here – clutching their diploma……loving the LOSING!!!
Hey now. Lay off Cat In The Hat. He is use to his sport teams playing like his life.
This may be ridiculous to say, but honestly… the team has underachieved this season.
-OSU had more offensive rebounds (18) than we had TOTAL rebounds (16).
-We got torched in the point god-knows how many times.
-I can’t think of a SINGLE NU play (offensive or defensive) that was executed properly coming out of a coach’s timeout.
And somehow, we lose this game by two. TWO MEASLY POINTS. This is the reason why people are on the Fire Bill Carmody bandwagon. It’s not the gimmick offenses or defenses that sometimes backfire. It’s not the subpar recruiting. Hell, it’s not even the Kevin Coble incident. It’s the fact that there seems to be no preparation for execution. It’s the fact that, aside from Reggie Hearn when he’s 8 feet from the basket, no one is available to pick up an offensive board. It’s the fact that we DON’T BOX OUT. You can expect to win close games when you don’t work on the fundamentals to grit out the close games.
Like many jump-shooting teams, there will be those games where you just die by the 3 — just look at Illinois over the past 4-5 years. They’ve had 3-4 games a year that they just lose because they’re ice cold. (This year’s an exception — Bruce Weber’s got a lot of issues right now in Champaign.)
We’re not 7-10 in conference simply due to bad luck. We’re 7-10 in conference because our players don’t know how to handle the tough situations. And that is why Bill Carmody needs to be fired.
This is the basketball version of the Outback Bowl. I didn’t enjoy the outcome, but man, what a game!
Exactly!
agreed – a loser
no more pussies on this sight
expect victory boys!!!!!!
I see one more \these boys played their heart out crap\ Im gonna lose it like Luka did after game 2! And Fitx after every boy game. AND CARMODY AFTER HIS BAD GAME PLAY WITH 7.7 sec left
FIRE HIM!!!!
to both of you, using a term about female anatomy to make a derogatory statement is sexist. stop it.
The reason people are on the Fire Carmody train is this:
The players play their guts out, and Carmody manages to screw something up every game.
Against Ill- Why not call a timeout and draw up a play to allow you a better shot than a Crawford runner?
Against Mich @home- Why not go two for one under 1 minute and allow yourselves a chance to win it, and FOR GODS SAKE GET OUT OF THE 1-3-1.
Against OSU tonight- Why the fuck was there no pressure on the inbounder and why the fuck was Cobb matched up against Cobb.
JOHN SHURNA and the rest of the ‘Cats play too damn hard for Carmody to keep screwing it up. IM SICK OF THIS SHIT
FIRE CARMODY
FIRE CARMODY
FIRE CARMODY
FIRE CARMODY
FIRE CARMODY
FIRE CARMODY
FIRE CARMODY
FIRE CARMODY
FIRE CARMODY
FIRE CARMODY
FIRE CARMODY
FIRE CARMODY
FIRE CARMODY
FIRE CARMODY
FIRE CARMODY
FIRE CARMODY
FIRE CARMODY
FIRE CARMODY
FIRE CARMODY
FIRE CARMODY
FIRE CARMODY
FIRE CARMODY
FIRE CARMODY
FIRE CARMODY
FIRE CARMODY
FIRE CARMODY
FIRE CARMODY
FIRE CARMODY
FIRE CARMODY
FIRE CARMODY
FIRE CARMODY
FIRE CARMODY
ANd Fire FITZ TOO
AND PHILLIPS!!
PHILLIPS IS CLUELESS!!
I like you. Fitz so needs to go as well. He has no business coaching this team. That is another tread though.
Did I say fire Fitz? No
Did I say fire Phillips? No
But after 12 seasons at the helm and no NCAA tournament appearances, it is time for Carmody to go. For the past 4 season, we have been 2 heartbreaking wins from the tourney. 2 wins and we would have made it. This year is no exception. Michigan twice, Illinois at home, Purdue at home, OSU at home, we win 2, we are dancing.
Fire Carmody.
These post cannot be coming from long time NU FANS. We can attribute all positive results to the players and their character and all negative results to coaching? That’s ridiculous. Just think where we would be without our offense or the 1-3-1. I know where we would be…back in 1986 where we would rush the court 1x / year and go 2-16 in the conference. Those days are long gone and that is thanks to coaching. Go Cats. Let’s win at Iowa and win a few in the B1G tourney.
YES they are – and you are your IM SO HAPPY TO BE A LOSING TEAM ATTITUDE can go to Hail to the Purple
You – my friend – are the reason we SUCK!!!
I had no idea my support of the program had anything to do with our “sucking”. And i did not know that there was a delineation between LTP and Hail to Purple. I want a winning team too but if you are so damn smart than why don’t you apply for the coaching job yourself. Obviously creating a winning hoops tradition at NU is pretty freaking hard because no one has done it before…until Carmody has done it over the last four years. And we want to fire him?
what positive results? We are 7-10 in the Big Ten and are going to miss another tournament going back to forever. There are no positives. Stop with the positives and get back to being an upset fanbase at being at the bottom half of the conference. Start with the coach and move on, he clearly can’t get it done, and if we lose the 4 guys we lost tonight to graduation, who the hell is going to ever get a rebound next year. So why not start new next season instead of 2 seasons out.
By the way it was Carmody’s shitty coaching that made Crawford miss all of those free throws.
And here is Carmody still getting defended. Enjoy the NIT forever. Actually, enjoy the NIT runs, and a lot of NIT misses. 12 years is enough
YA YA YA and if Shurna hits the 3 at the end…NONE of you post anything about the coaching issues….Bottom line is they still have one to play…….and still have a chance
No, we would still hate Carmody. Where have you been? He has been trashed here all season on this site. We will just put Shurna on an even bigger perch than he already is. Carmody though we would still hate.
Been here all year Boiii!!! And I realize that. Just saying after W’s it’s never good coaching job by him. Are you telling me they have played 29 games and not ONE win was because of him?
Purple color aids?
byebyefitz usually i enjoy your comments…But this time meet me at the North End of Ryan Field so I can get my anger out and beat your Ass
haha I like my posts as well. Thanks for the compliment. Why fight? Lets just get drunk.
I would agree with your theory that Elmwood is a spot on example of the Gentrification of NU spirit!
I expect victory!
On the field!
In the classroom!
And from my Barrista when I order a no foam soy latte extra hot! And extra Go cats!
Try winning you krusty’s at least Fitz will die on the field trying to win! Not in the parking lot trying to leave early! Get a sak u worthless cats!
I bleed purple and I expect victory!
Hilarious. Gentrification of the NU spirit? That’s the definition of an oxymoron. I stay for every minute of every game and would love nothing more than perennial NCAA tourney bids. That said, prior coaching regimes have shown that it is 1) harder to hire a great coach and 2) have that coach consistently win in the Big Ten at NU.
+100000000000000
Whoa everyone. Come on. Take a step back.
Have we dropped games we could have won? Absolutely. Are we all frustrated? Absolutely.
Are we still in the tournament on March 1? Absolutely.
We’re Lunardi’s absolute last team in even despite the loss to OSU and Colorado State’s massive comeback over UNLV.
Obviously need to win the next 2 at a minimum and hope for no upsets in other conference tourneys.
But let’s at least enjoy the fact that on March 1, we’re in the national picture.
I still think that was all a bad dream. Shurna hit that shot to win it and caused Gus Johnson to lose his voice permanently, right? No? Mad, sad and confused describe my emotions in the final moments, but now it’s time to put things into perspective.
I’m sorry to say reading some of these comments that we’ve possibly entered an area I’ve never thought we’d go: the meatball fan zone. Then again, some of you might be doing your angry fan bit for everyone to get up in arms about, so I’m going with a little of both.
What did you expect? The better team won. The effort was there, and by crackie somehow, someway it came down to the last shot, but c’mon, OSU could’ve played volleyball with the rock all game.
And I still don’t understand the fire Carmody stuff, are you mad at his recruiting or his in-game coaching? Because it’s hard to guard/rebound/run offense against superior talent with mediocre talent, no matter what principles you implement. Sure, a box out here or This is like arguments we’ve had during football season. NU can’t recruit the same players the rest of the B1G can, so they have less room for error. They play 1-3-1 and run the Princeton, because they must to be competitive (the same reason why the football team runs the spread).
Call me what you want, but I’m not convinced a new coach would suddenly bring the ‘Cats to greatness, unless, magically, better recruits who qualify academically came with him (we’ve been down that road before).
Saturday is next and then the fun begins Thursday…I remain committed to the ‘Cat.
Stay hopeful and passionate my friends.
+1 Now is the time to make the coaching change. Next year at least is going to be tough regardless so let’s start rebuilding now.
Ultimately, great coaching is about the crucial end of game decisions…this is what’s been lacking. I don’t know if we can find a better coach, but you will lose fanbase by continuing the same storyline year after year. With this current administration, it seems futile to hope anymore. It seems safer to expect mediocrity.
Basketball more than football should be a sport we can be consistently competitive at.
Wait we actually have a “fanbase” to lose??
Nah I agree with you for the most part, Carmody cannot coach at the end of games, nor can he recruit. How about a 2 man game with shurna/crawford? And why not mix up defenses earlier on in the game?????
WHy not apply a little pressure at the end? Why recruit Centers that are generally useless?
So many questions, on to the NIT I guess… luckily my other school (UVA) got a new coach 2 years ago and is NCAA bound.
Yes, yes, Carmody doesn’t coach D that well and sometimes messes up tactically – obviously NU should have pressed the ball and gone for the OT. BUT – OSU is lightning quick, and we’re not. They’re big and quick, and we’re not. And we got homered at home again – Hearn had 0 FTA? Shurna had only 4? Sullinger didn’t get that T? C’mon. And I don’t have much hope for the NCAA, since I think the selectors look for reasons not to choose NU. Whatever happens in Iowa, I think we’ll now need a deep run in the conference tourney.
But. So proud of you guys, one and all.
I think you mean we got Ed Hightowered. That guy has been calling terrible games for us at W-R since at least 1998.
Carmody has done a mediocre job. He has consistently made the NIT. If the administration is happy with a mediocre team with a once a decade shot at the tournament, then keep him.
However, I hope that the administration realizes that it is now time to take this program to the next level. Consistenly beating mediocre teams (…and better than .500 in conference) and a once a decade shot at a top 10 team.
Don’t tell me it can’t be done in hoops. Harvard has a top 25 team this year and 2 years ago Cornell got into the sweet 16 and was very close to making the final 4 (IMHO). There is no way those ivy league neckbeards are sacrificing academics.
I don’t like byebyefitz’s profanity filled and ignorance laced rants, but I do very strongly agree with him. (ugh, I need a shower after that). Fire Carmody and then I would give a very serious look at some top tier assistants who KNOW what a championship team is about. Or maybe in the Ivy Leagues where these guys proved they can win with academics. Or maybe in mid-major programs that show they can recruit and coach (VCU? Creighton?)…
Finally, for all those folks saying support the kids, cheer the kids, appreciate the effort – I do. I haven’t seen anybody on here calling for one of our players to get launched into the lake. Think for a second how unfair and unsupportive it is of that kind of effort to have an oaf like Carmody consistently blowing these kids opportuntities with his incompetent boobery.
PS – in our 6 close losses:
an AVERAGE coach wins 2-3 and a better coach probably wins 4 (and we are dancing in the field of 64).
Children! We’re all rooting for the same thing..let’s not turn against one another. Name-calling – stop it! You want to make a salient point, great. You want to vent – you have every right. PLEASE don’t turn this in to the stereotypical online bully center.
I think its just one guy who keeps changing his name and responding to himself with loco talk
Fair enough. Name calling withdrawn.
Emotions got the better part of me after watching the highlights again this morning.
Go Cats
So painful. We fought and fought only to be done in by late-game execution yet again. Sigh.
Let’s lose the Carmody debate and focus on what matters for now: win at Iowa and win one in the B1G and we are likely in the play-in game. Win two in the B1G and we are dancing for real.
Our top 10 SOS, high RPI and lack of bad losses still has us closer than ever, despite all the pain. Eyes on the prize, people. If we fall short, then we can get the pitchforks.
Oh, don’t try to be level-headed and rational!!! You’re posting amidst all of the crazies! Have you seen the name calling and profanity?? How dare you make a truly legitimate point! Haha.
Anyway, I totally agree. Drop the Carmody debate. There’s work to be done. Any Carmody debating is a distraction. Save it for after the season.
We are 2 wins away from being a semi-confident tournament team. Three wins and we’re a total lock. Let’s beat the Hawkeyes on Saturday and rally behind our team! GO CATS–keep believing! Save the rioting and pitchforks for later. We ain’t dead yet!
That’s a great thought and all, but you can’t separate the two. We’re talking about counting on a terrible in-game coach to win three pressure-packed games when he’s proven time and again that he will find a way to not have his poor players prepared for those situations.
Not to mention, we will have 13 losses (barring a spectacular run) regardless, and there will be conference tourney upsets that shrink the bubble even more.
Have to admit, I thought most of these posts would be gone this morning; you know, removed while their authors were in their junior high classrooms…
Or maybe the re-captcha needs a breath test, lol.
hudhaifa, I appreciate your comment just prior to this, but the remark about AIDS is classless.
@all – congratulations. We’ve now just devolved to the point where this community is fulfilling the stereotype of the lowest common denominator in sports blogs. I’ve spent 4.5 years getting this place to be different. The comment thread on this post is an embarassment. Have some class.
You don’t like Coach Carmody? That’s your opinion. Newsflash, it carries more weight when you don’t swear or namecall while doing it.
Let’s show the power of what we can do when we work together under the assumption we want NU to be a winner. That goes for the fans as well.