Men’s Hoops Column: Playoffs come in December for NU
This game mattered. Don’t let the calendar, or the circumstances or the players tell you differently.
Northwestern’s 73-59 win over Florida State was a statement. It was a call out to the rest of the Big Ten: Throw your best at us, the Wildcats will not roll over.
Forget last year’s disappointing 8-22 effort. That was erased like the four-point margin the Seminoles held early in the second quarter when Craig Moore unleashed his fury and energy on the Welsh-Ryan Arena floor.
It was Moore who took a charge, hit a three and then drew another offensive foul on consecutive possessions with 16:33 left that sparked a 20-2 run that gave the Cats a 56-44 lead with 11:16 left. His primal scream echoed through the rafters of the arena as the crowd grew louder, heightening the excitement and intensity of the nationally televised game.
“Any time your up against a team like Florida State where, especially when it is a first time measuring stick to see where we’re at, you’ve got to bring everything that you’ve got and try to prove to yourself that you can beat the best,” Moore said.
NU is now off to its best start since 2001, when the team went 7-1 and finished the year 16-13. It was the only season the Cats have finished with an overall winning record under coach Bill Carmody. This team with its mix of youth and veteran leaders can certainly match that team’s success.
Florida State was clearly the toughest test NU has faced so far this season. The Seminoles had athletic big men who could rotate and block shots. They had guards who could get to the basket and score.
The only thing they didn’t have was experience. And the Cats exploited that youthfulness to its fullest extent.
It was clear early on that freshmen John Shurna, Kyle Rowley and Luka Mirkovic were not ready for the atmosphere and athleticism that came from Florida State. The three combined for 12 points — eight from Shurna, the most polished of the three — on 4-of-13 shooting.
“That’s not a veteran team. They have five freshmen, we’re playing five freshmen. We should win that game,” Carmody said. “On our home court, we have some veteran guys. I tell the upper class guys: ‘Look, it’s up to you guys. The freshmen will come. There will be spikes where they will be pretty good. But it’s up to you guys.’”
Out they came. And in went the energy of Ivan Peljusic, Jeremy Nash and Jeff Ryan. Peljusic himself was a wrecking crew with eight straight points in that second-half run that gave NU the lead. But their experience did not fluster the Seminoles alone.
Carmody had the strategy to take Florida State out of their game and executed it perfectly. His pressure defense forced 22 turnovers and only allowed seven makes in the second half on 26.9 percent shooting.
“Sometimes as a coach, you have to evaluate not as much as what you didn’t do, but what the other team has done and give them the credit,” Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton said. “I thought their defensive scheme was a lot more effective against us.”
This game was when all the things that went wrong last year went right. And it was done on a national stage against a quality opponent.
It is a huge confidence boost for a team (frankly) used to losing. With the crowd in a frenzy not usually seen until Big Ten season in January, the Cats pulled through with a come-from-behind victory with the poise of a team used to winning.
Don’t expect the effects from this game to fade.
prossmanreich@u.northwestern.edu
