WASHINGTON — After answering questions at the Big Ten Media Day in Washington this past October, Northwestern men’s basketball coach Chris Collins paused for a moment before wrapping up his comments for the record with a “Go Cubs!”
The eventual World Series champs were still a few weeks away from making history and were trying to avoid blowing their Division Series against San Francisco. Despite owning the best record in the majors this past season, a Cubs championship still seemed a little fanciful…just like the chances Collins’ Wildcats have of reaching their first-ever NCAA Tournament.
You read that correctly on both counts. Northwestern is the only power-five conference school never to have reached the big dance. And the former Duke assistant has the Wildcats on the cusp of history at 15-4 with a 4-2 league record. Yes, I know it’s a long way from Selection Sunday, and their conference start has been supported by wins over Rutgers and Penn State. But witness their most recent victory over Iowa (another in the crowded Big Ten middle class): a 35-point thrashing where they held the conference’s leading scorer Peter Jok to 4 points on 2-0f-9 shooting. With the junior backcourt of Bryant McIntosh and Scottie Lindsey just beginning to click and a Big Ten where there are no dominant teams (and plenty of Rutgers and Illinois), perhaps this is the year where they paint the town purple after dying the Chicago River blue. Perhaps when Cubs Manager Joe Maddon holds his first spring training media session, he wraps it up with “Go Wildcats.”
Maryland (16-2, 4-1 Big Ten) is somehow off to as good a start as it was last winter, despite a patchwork of big men in the pivot and three freshmen starting. Does this mean after impressing us in January the Terrapins will disappoint us the same way in February? This year’s team is getting it done with defense (third in the Big Ten) and the grit of Melo Trimble. The junior remains the offensive catalyst even though Anthony Cowan initiates things more often than not. The test of this freshman-infused bunch will come over the next month when they play six of their next nine away from XFINITY Center.
Georgetown (10-9, 1-5 Big East) has watched whatever momentum the Hoyas gained by consecutive wins over St. John’s and UConn evaporate in a 74-56 loss to Providence. Instead of a season-salvaging 3-1 homestand, wins over a disinterested Red Storm and a sub-.500 Huskies team appear to be isolated incidents in what could become a long winter. The regression of Bradley Hayes (8 points and 6 rebounds over 21 minutes last winter, 5 and 5 over 16 minutes a game this season) has been disappointing, and despite plenty of opportunities, sophomore Jesse Govan has yet to score in double figures in conference play. The next three foes for coach John Thompson III’s team are each in the top 25. DePaul can’t come soon enough.
#16 Virginia (13-2, 3-2 ACC) rode London Perrantes’ 25 points to beat Clemson 77-73 in always-tough Littlejohn Coliseum. The guard from Los Angeles is having the season you need from your lone senior starter. He’s averaging 17 points and 4 assists during ACC play as the Cavs have faced two ranked foes and two NCAA hopefuls (sorry, Wake — we can’t move you out of the “playing on the first day of the ACC Tournament” club just yet). Last winter, UVa had issues competing on the road; coach Tony Bennett’s team has begun conference play by winning two of three away from Charlottesville. The schedule lightens up in theory, but Boston College and Georgia Tech have both looked good in spots this year.
Virginia Tech (13-4, 2-3 ACC) is slowly becoming the ACC’s “extra” cast member that doesn’t get introduced in the opening credits. A tough, 76-71 loss at home to #20 Notre Dame puts Buzz Williams’ team under .500 in a conference that now boasts six schools in the top 18. They can still shoot (3rd in the ACC in three-point shooting) and score (26th nationally in points per game), but have issues defending and rebounding (14th in points allowed and rebounding margin in the conference). One bright spot has been the play of Chris Clarke — the sophomore guard is averaging 18 points and 9 rebounds while shooting 59 percent from the field against ACC foes thus far. Games against fellow middle-class members Georgia Tech and Clemson are up next and will determine if the Hokies will be introduced right after the opening credits…or at the end of the episode.
George Mason (12-6, 2-3 Atlantic 10) — lost to a 4-12 Saint Louis team…at home?!? What happened?!? Mason was unable to recover from a sluggish first half where they scored just 18 points and fell to the Billikens, 63-56. Chalk this up as growing pains for a program just two seasons into its rebuild under coach Dave Paulsen. But also chalk this up as one sleepless Saturday night for coach Paulsen and company, as they have a full week to stew about this one. Even in defeat, Marquise Moore still finds a way to notch 16 boards, as the rest of the A-10 wakes up each morning to see a 6-foot-2 guard leading the conference in rebounding. One benefit of the week off is that they get to prepare for the Princeton offense that Richmond runs — they’ll need every day, as the Spiders have proven to be the early class of the conference.
George Washington (9-9, 1-4 Atlantic 10) has learned that the road can be cruel in any league, as consecutive double-digit losses in the A-10 leave the Colonials at .500 on the season. Seventeen turnovers at LaSalle didn’t help in a 79-69 loss…and that’s been the rule more than the exception for a GW team that ranks last in the conference in turnover margin. The bright spot was the emergence of freshman Jair Bolden, who scored in double figures (12 points) for the first time in his career at VCU, then scored 16 against the Explorers. Maurice Joseph’s team plays three straight games against schools that are sub-500 in conference play…so the season isn’t dire yet.
American (4-13, 1-5 Patriot League) has some the good news: The Eagles won’t face the one-two-three punch of Bucknell, Lehigh and Boyston University again until next month. The bad news is they’ve proven in league play they’re not a good shooting team (8th in the conference) and they’re even worse from 3-point range (dead last). That’s not helpful when your offense is one of the more deliberate in the nation (321st in shots taken per game). Look past the here and now and you do see a solid young nucleus with sophomore Delante Jones plus freshmen Sy’eed Nelson and Mark Gasperini. Unfortunately the Patriot League is like many conferences that devour their young.
Howard (4-14, 1-2 MEAC)- so much for the James Gang Infusion. Two games into their reunion tour, James Daniel III re-injured his ankle, costing him two more weeks. Those two weeks end Saturday when the Bison visit North Carolina A&T (and we’ll see exactly how accurate the diagnosis was)…but the team has more than Daniel’s health to worry about after wasting an 18-point first half lead in a loss to Coppin State. Junior James Miller shot 2-for-9 in that loss and will need to bounce back this weekend if HU wants to prevent from sinking further in the standings.
