By Woodrow Carroll
Storming the court has become quite fashionable in college basketball when the home team produces a victory over a high-ranking team, or fierce rival. That was the case for the Northwestern University’s men’s basketball team after the Wildcats beat the Nation’s No. 1-ranked team, Purdue, 64-58, in Evanston Sunday, Feb. 12.
Why celebrate? Well, prior to the game, Northwestern played a No. 1-ranked team 18 times, and, lost 18 times!
That is reason enough to celebrate.
In the Big Ten Conference, success is measured differently, depending on the school. For instance, Indiana University has captured five national tournament championships. In 1940 and 1953 they were led by head coach Branch McCracken, then Bobby Knight did the honors for the Hoosiers in 1976, 1981, and 1987. Northwestern’s, lone National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament appearance was in 2017 when the Wildcats beat Vanderbilt before falling to Gonzaga.
Chris Collins is in his 10th season as Northwestern’s head coach. Collins, son of former (National Basketball Association (NBA) player and head coach, Doug Collins, has found coaching in Evanston a challenge.
When Northwestern reached the NCAA tournament in 2017 the Wildcats tied for fifth place in the Big Ten. That fifth-place tie is Collins’ best Conference showing. This season Northwestern at the start of this week had improved to 18-7 overall and a tied for second place in the Big Ten with Indiana University, each 9-5. Purdue led the Big Ten with a 12-3 record. See standings on this page.
A berth in the NCAA tournament for Northwestern is well within reach. Northwestern has home games this week with Indiana, Wednesday, and Iowa, Sunday. The two games will be a continuing barometer for Northwestern’s strength.
Purdue, following the defeat Sunday at Northwestern dropped for No. 1 to No. 3 in both the Associated Poll (AP) and USA Today. Alabama, 22-3, and Houston, 23-2, moved into the top two positions. Northwestern moved up to No. 27 in the AP and. Illinois was No. 28. In the USA today Northwestern was No. 26 and Illinois No. 28.
Alabama, on the road facing determined Auburn and fans most likely ready to storm the court after an Auburn victory Saturday, Feb. 11, won, 77-69, and, suddenly, the football school we hear much about in the Fall, is newsworthy in Winter.
Coming into this week, Alabama was 22-3 overall and 12-0 in the Southeastern Conference. Alabama has the distinction as one of the three Division I schools undefeated in conference. Eastern Washington is 13-0 in the Big Sky and Oral Roberts is 14-0 in the Summit Conference.
In basketball, Alabama never has reached the Final Four in the NCAA tournament. The high water mark for Alabama in the NCAA Tournament was in 2004 with an appearance in the Elite Eight. It was a memorable run for the Crimson Tide that season when Alabama knocked off defending NCAA champion Syracuse to get to the Elite Eight. The Tide drew eventual national champion University of Connecticut (UConn) and Alabama’s run came to an end.
Nate Oats is in his fourth season as the Alabama head basketball coach coming to Tuscaloosa, Ala. after four years as the University of Buffalo’s head coach.
Northern Illinois fans might recognize Oats’ name because the Huskies and Buffalo are Mid-American Conference (MAC) rivals. Oats, one-time assistant coach at Buffalo became head coach when then-head coach Bobby Hurley took the head coaching job at Arizona State University.
In four years at Buffalo, Oats was 96-43 overall with a MAC record of 52-20. Perhaps, Oats’ most eye-catching figure was Buffalo’s 32-4 record in 2018-2019, Oats’ last year at the school. Alabama obviously took note of the record.