[NU Sports] butler

[Eric West]

At 11:54 AM 2/9/2007, Abrahamson, Alan (NBC Universal) wrote:
>Let me just observe that when I see the likes of Butler ranked ninth,
>crushing opponents while raining in three-point shots, it makes me,
>again, confront life's big mysteries, like the big-bang theory or how
>many people will now claim a piece of Anna Nicole Smith's estate. Or,
>more to the point: why can't Northwestern field a winning basketball
>team? Butler, ladies and gentlemen. You're telling me that the weather
>is better near Indianapolis than Chicago? That Butler doesn't have
>recruiting standards?

Firstly: thank you, Alan, for giving us a sports-related subject. By the 
way: a month or so ago I thought I saw your name in the credits for an 
episode of "My Boys," although I don't remember seeing you in the show. (I 
assume it would have been part of the press box or locker room scenes.) Did 
I miss your part? Did it end up on the cutting room floor? I don't want to 
seem too prying; I'm just curious (and wondering whether I imagined the 
whole thing).

I'm going to sound obvious and pedantic when answering the first question, 
but Northwestern can field and has fielded a winning basketball team. As 
far as this year is concerned, everyone knew before the season even began 
that the Wildcats had a lot of youth and a shallow bench. It's nice to be 
optimistic, but it's hardly the world's biggest shock that we're not 
contending for this year's conference title. I'm not sure that anything 
about this year proves that we never can.

Butler is a more interesting question, but I think most people would just 
be telling you that Butler is in the Horizon League. Put NU in there, and 
even in this year of inexperience and lack of depth, the Wildcats are a 
winning basketball team. In past years, surely they win the Horizon tourney 
at least once and the whole "never made the NCAA tourney" thing is moot, 
which calls into question just how meaningful that notion really is.

That's not to say that this year's Butler team isn't good, or even that it 
isn't better than any Northwestern team has ever been. It's possible that 
even with a Big Ten schedule they could make the NCAA tournament, although 
we'll see just how many teams from our conference actually make it in this 
year. I just think it's a bit of apples and oranges, and I don't see a lot 
of relevance to this Wildcat team, this season.

Eric West
e-west at northwestern.edu