[NU Sports] Last Night's Win

[Jim Bendat]

Paul makes a lot of valid points re the lack of comment on our 
basketball team.  I would say that last night's victory was pretty 
impressive, but on the whole, I have generally felt that our team is 
boring when we win and boring when we lose.  We recently beat Iowa by a 
score of 51-48.  I watched that game, too, and it was as boring as the 
final score would tend to indicate.  51-48 -- wasn't that the same exact 
score of our FOOTBALL victory over Wisconsin?!

We get excited about our football team, not only because we've been 
winning, but also because our football team is exciting.  Slowdown 
basketball just doesn't cut it with a lot of people who otherwise enjoy 
sports.  I would imagine that slowdown basketball also doesn't entice a 
whole lot of recruits to consider NU. 

We might make it to the NIT, but I have to admit I won't be impressed if 
we do.  We've been to the NIT before and, when all is said and done, who 
really cares about the NIT?  Schools like NU (referring to Duke, 
Stanford and Vanderbilt, to name some obvious ones) have succeeded in 
basketball.  Isn't 68 years of waiting to get to the NCAA tournament enough?

Jim Bendat


NEONRye at aol.com wrote:
> OK, we have a very silent (too silent, some might say) List.  Here we  go and 
> beat a team that is just out of the Top 25, and we beat them pretty  handily. 
>  And on ESPN 2, no less.  Yet nary a word from any of  us.  Since I was a 
> "Doubting Thomas" back in December when I saw the 'Cats  barely claw past Seton 
> Hall in New Jersey, let me say that I found last night's  win over Bucky to be 
> really impressive.  If we can beat the Lions tomorrow  night in Happy Valley, 
> the NIT will be in range, which, if we make it, will make  for a successful 
> hoops campaign and will certainly solidify Coach Carmody's  position and 
> stature.  
>  
> I really like how the team is improving as the season progresses.   Their 
> defense and rebounding was much better than what I saw back before  Christmas.  
> And they are playing with poise and confidence that were sorely  lacking early 
> in the season.  
>  
> I'm not suggesting that this team is going to walk off with any titles or  
> glory, but surely we can all appreciate the pluck and grit they have  displayed. 
>  Then why do we all seem to be so indifferent........Is it just  that we only 
> care about the Purple and White on the gridiron?
>  
> Paul Levinson
>