Wildcats Finally Have Something to Laugh About

It was recently reported in the Chicago Tribune real estate section that first-year Northwestern basketball Coach Bill Carmody bought a $1.45-million, 12-room colonial home built in 1917.

While Carmody appeared to have landed on Boardwalk, the Northwestern team resided in the Big Ten’s equivalent of Mediterranean Avenue-- having only a monopoly on losing, until Saturday.

The Wildcats ended a 32-game Big Ten regular-season losing streak with a 69-61 victory over No. 14-ranked Iowa at Evanston, Ill.

Northwestern hadn’t won a regular-season conference game since defeating Penn State on Feb. 6, 1999, the longest Big Ten losing streak in 55 years. The University of Chicago went 0-56 from 1940-41 to ‘45-46, then left the conference.

Northwestern simply left its streak behind.

“We were really getting sick [of the streak],” said forward Tavaras Hardy, who had suffered through each of the losses. “This is something we’d been waiting a long time for.”

Northwestern’s players didn’t stand around and wait for something good to happen against Iowa. According to the Associated Press account of the game, “The Wildcats played a frenzied, up-tempo game, diving for every loose ball, hounding the Hawkeyes like hungry dogs and running the floor like they were doing wind sprints.”

This is quite a departure from the philosophy that Carmody brought from Princeton, where patience is preached and each move is calculated to lull the opponent into a false sense of security before slamming the back door in its face.

“I can’t tell you how happy I am for our guys because they’ve labored all year,” Carmody said. “I told them at halftime [with Northwestern ahead 26- 24] you have to get over this hump, so let’s just do it.”

Actually, Northwestern already had gotten over the hump in nonconference games, winning eight of 13--including a stunning 63-61 victory over then-No. 16 USC at Evanston on Dec. 27.

The Trojans didn’t take the loss to Northwestern nearly as hard as the Hawkeyes.

“I’m sure there’s quite a few people laughing at us now,” said guard Dean Oliver, who remarked earlier in the week that Iowa would be the “laughingstock” of the Big Ten if the Hawkeyes lost to Northwestern. “If I was a fan, I’d be laughing at us. We didn’t respect them the way we should have.”

With new-found respect, it might be more difficult for Northwestern to pass Go and collect another Big Ten victory.

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Roundabout manner: Texas A&M; came full circle to end a losing streak of its own. The Aggies defeated Texas Tech, 72-70, at Lubbock, Texas, for their first road victory in 15 games.

Texas A&M;’s previous road victory also was at Lubbock, winning 88-86 last season on a basket that was scored after the final buzzer sounded. The referee who allowed the basket to count was suspended by the Big 12 the next day.

Texas Tech fans didn’t forget the incident, holding up signs that read, “86-86 Overtime Starts Now.”

The sign of the times for the Red Raiders is this: a losing streak of their own of five games.

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Rock ‘em, sock ‘em: Here’s the pep talk that Arkansas’ Nolan Richardson and Florida’s Billy Donovan could have given their players before Saturday’s game at Gainesville, Fla.: “Men, fasten your chin straps, bang those helmets, pound some shoulder pads. Let’s get ready to rumble--it’s time for Southeastern Conference basketball.”

Yes, it turned out to be a full-tilt affair, resembling a gridiron clash of the titans instead of hardwood poetry in motion.

Two teams that have built glossy reputations with their quick-strike scoring capabilities combined for only 15 points on fast-break opportunities, choosing to engage in maneuvers more suited for the WWF. The Razorbacks tried to match the Gators body slam for body slam and ultimately lost the battle, 73-63.

The game’s defining moment came with four minutes left when Arkansas’ Brandon Dean was called for an intentional foul for yanking Matt Bonner’s jersey and pulling him to the floor as he went up for a layup. Bonner made one of two free throws and knocked down a three-point shot on the ensuing possession to give the Gators the lead for good.

The number of players knocked to the floor might have been higher than the modest total of fouls that were called (36) as officials seemed to take a no-blood-no-foul stance.

“If this game were played in December, nobody would’ve had any players left,” said Donovan, noting that SEC officiating has loosened up of late. “Nolan and I would have had to go one-on-one, full court.”

Well, if this game had been played in December, the winner would have gone on to the Sugar Bowl.

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Rock ‘em, sock ‘em II: The Big East isn’t about to concede college basketball’s pound-for-pound title to the SEC.

The St. John’s-Miami game resembled one of those Knick-Heat NBA skirmishes, and the players didn’t get off clean as a whistle as they did in the Arkansas-Florida game. Sixty-two fouls were called, six players fouled out and the Hurricanes got two technicals.

St. John’s guard Omar Cook had to go to the locker room and missed more than seven minutes in the second half after taking an elbow to the mouth from Miami’s Darius Rice. Even a Miami cheerleader had to leave the court after getting hit in the face with the ball.

In the end, Miami got floored by Cook, who kept a stiff upper lip--with five stitches in it-- and made consecutive three-point shots late in the second overtime of St. John’s 85-79 victory.