[NU Sports] On The Bubble

[wildelk2 at aol.com]

   Paul and List Gang,

   I missed the game last night (knew we lost) as I was in one of Paul's favorite places;  NYC for 2 days/1 night of Broadway (West Side Story) , Ground Zero, Lady Liberty and knock-out food.  Good excuse to miss the Cats.  This proves wildelk is well-rounded mentally as well as physically!:)  Of course, I took a stroll at 11:30 PM to Charlie's (49th and Broadway)  for a burger, beer, and check scores.  And I had a hot dog or two at the carts around town. So I took care of the physical well-roundedness as well.
   Anyway,  we're right where we should be, and where I thought we'd be.   I'd love to be 4-5 in conference, but 3-6 with the schuedule we've played will be OK.  
   We need to win 4 of the next 5.  Michigan, Indiana, at Iowa , Minnesota, Penn St.  As we all know, the schuedule is much more managable, as we have precisely (1) ranked team on our schuedule the rest of the way (at Wisc.) .  Hard games? Absolutely.  Winnable games?  I see no reason we should go no better than 8-2 , 7-2 in league play;  inconsistant play at center with-standing, and Mirk and Kyle will "like the change" the rest of the way.

   This leads me to another point.  I believe the boys will get hot.  We have a good (not great) team, who've showed flashes of greatness from everyone in their starting line-up.  Many of last week's posts talked about "home court advantage."
   On Feb.28 in State College, Pa. , we have a chance to to see how the home team feels with more of the visiting team's fans at the game than ours.  
   Two years ago, I saw NU at Penn St.  6,000 in attendance; all but 50-100 were PSU fans.  The Bryce Jordan Center hold 15,000.
   Say we get hot.  We're 8-8 in conference (or 9-7) and 19-9 (or 20-8).  Our team comes out for the opening introductions, and sees 5, 6,000 purple shirts.   Not only would this help our team on the road, it would be a weapon on Selection Sunday.
   Now, I know 5.6,000 Cat fans on a Sunday Noon tip-off is over-stating it.  But I'm  issuing a challenge to East Coast Cats to check their calanders and see if its "do-able".  Hotels in State College are never a problem except when the football team plays home games.  I know its a hell of a drive from NYC, Philly, Washington, Seaford, DE ("...you know who you are:) , but if we're "on the bubble", this would be a great opportunity for Wildcat Nation to get behind their team.
   I'm going to wait for comments before hitting Laketheposts, Jonathon's site, etc., because I respect the opinions on our list.   I thought other Cat fan sites may be the way to go to get the word out; some sort of Cat Mobilization Program (CMP).  Even if 200,300 NU fans come, opposed to 50-100 like there was when I was there.
   I can "taste tournement". I follow college basketball closely, and I believe we'll get hot, and if we're 10-8 in regular season, it will be enough for an 8 seed in the first round of the NCAA's.

       GO CATS!!!             Eric






-----Original Message-----
From: neonrye at aol.com
To: nwu-sports at romaine.tssi.com
Sent: Sat, Jan 30, 2010 2:12 pm
Subject: [NU Sports] On The Bubble



ust watched Seth Davis "At the Half" of Georgetown-Duke contest (where 
resident Obama and VP Biden are sitting at side court).  He had NU as one of, I 
hink it was 8, teams "on the bubble".  He had Illinois as "IN" at this point 
nd NU as "OUT", citing the fact that we are 2 games under .500 in the BT.  He 
id preface his comments about NU with "We're all rooting for them to get their 
irst bid....", so the Cinderalla sympathy factor is in play.  Obviously, a win 
onight would be so HUGE as to be a "game-changer" in terms of the Dance, 
lthough, as everyone has noted, this one looks like climbing Mt. Everest.  
owever, let's think of Fitz's boys in November in Iowa City--same problem going 
n, revenge factor and highly-ranked opponent playing at home, yet we won going 
way.  Now, do I think we will end up knocking one of Sparty's stars out in 
irst Quarter--no--but I choose to have hope that Carmody will remind 'Cats that 
hey know how to win on this hardcourt, just like Fitz (and before him, RW and 
B) knew that their squads somehow had good karma at Kinnick.  
Anyway, it's nice to at least be "on the bubble", and in the discussion, rather 
han 10 games under .500 or so.:-)
Paul Levinson

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