Have Bill Carmody and Kevin Coble finally found the
winning touch? (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
The glow is still there. Northwestern’s men’s basketball team should be pleased with themselves.
It isn’t everyday that you end a 25-year road losing streak to one of your conference foes. And to think it could have been worse: Clemson hasn’t beaten North Carolina on the road in 54 tries.
In an interview with ESPN’s Andy Katz, coach Bill Carmody reflected on the big win, and almost dismissed it. He said Michigan State helped by turning over the ball 18 times, and that Northwestern got lucky by hitting some key shots at the right moment.
No matter the method, Northwestern was able to reverse a trend of losing leads and close games, the most recent against Purdue when the Wildcats lost 63-61.
Carmody chalked it up to nervousness.
“We have a lot of young guys out there,” he told Katz.
And Carmody knows that seasons are made on concentrating on the current game, not resting on your past victories.
That is why Saturday’s game against Michigan is so important for the Wildcats. Not only could it mean a three-game winning streak for Northwestern, but it could pull the Wildcats further into the tight middle of the conference race.
The ‘Cats get Michigan at the right time. The Wolverines have lost three straight games in conference, including a 73-58 loss to Penn State on Tuesday.
So how can Northwestern keep both streaks going? Here are three winning strategies for the Wildcats:
1. Keep up the pressure: Northwestern has benefitted from winning the turnover battle in the past three games. A big part of that has been a trapping defense that has attacked at the time line. And Michigan’s point guard Manny Harris is prone to losing the ball. Northwestern’s Jeremy Nash is key for this strategy to work with his combination of size and speed.
2. Spread the scoring: As big as Kevin Coble was on the floor against the Spartans, he needs more help earlier in the game. Getting Craig Moore going prior to the final seven minutes of the contest will go a long way to spreading the defense and allowing the Princeton offense to develop properly.
3. Slow the pace: Michigan is just 1-4 in games this season where they score less than 60 points. If Northwestern can use the majority of its shot clock each possession, as they did against Michigan State, it can reduce Michigan’s opportunities to score.
For more info: Michigan Wolverines Insider
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