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According to the message boards on WildcatReport.com, Brandon Lee is suspended for one year and will redshirt next year. Lee has decided to serve his suspension and remain with the Northwestern program.
This is great news in that Lee has tremendous talent and could be the point guard of the future. Next year, well, the Cats are hurting a little bit at point guard.
T.J. Parker has decided to leave Northwestern and pursue a professional career, the Daily Northwestern reported. The Arlington Heights Daily Herald also reported the story.
Meanwhile, Vedran Vukusic will return for his senior season.
Parker's decision is shocking, if only because he didn't even seem to be guaranteed a starting spot next year with the potential return of walk-on Michael Jenkins. Incoming freshman Craig Moore will be counted on to be a factor in the offense.
Northwestern coach Bill Carmody did not start Parker in the season finale at the Big Ten tournament, a sure sign that his play was a disappointment this season.
The loss puts extra pressure on Northwestern to return Brandon Lee from suspension and sign an additional recruit in the spring signing period.
The Daily Northwestern article says that Parker may sign with his brother's agent, Marc Fleisher. Fleisher souned less than enthusiastic about Parker's chances professionally.
"I told him the last time I spoke to him to think about it because it is a considerable move," Fleisher told the Daily. "I told him about testing the waters professionally and not hiring an agent."
It's not hard to read his opinion about this being a colossally bad move.
As for the Cats, Moore takes on additional importance as does the potential return of suspended freshman Brandon Lee, who is reportedly suspended for the entire season and not available. Fifth-year senior Michael Jenkins could be the starter at point guard.
Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Ed McCants, a transfer from Northwestern, scored 39 points in upsets over Alabama and Boston College.
McCants, the Horizon League Player of the Year, left Northwestern in 2001, and played a year of junior college ball before landing at UWM.
The Sun-Times detailed McCants' history in Evanston before leaving.
"It was a series of unfortunate events at Northwestern, on and off the court,'' McCants said Friday.
Bill Carmody replaced O'Neill and played McCants 14 minutes a game as a freshman, enough time for him to average 4.1 points a game in an offense that McCants didn't feel suited him.
Then, in October of his sophomore year, McCants was involved in an alcohol-related altercation at an Evanston home, pleaded guilty to a battery charge and was dismissed from the team. He finished out the semester, then transferred to Paris Junior College in Texas.
"I just had to move on, to a place that would complement my style of basketball and find a coach that was going to understand me as a person and accept things that happened in the past,'' McCants said.
Stories and hearsay abound on the incident that led to McCants leaving Northwestern, but he did plead guilty to battery in a campus altercation with a neighbor.
McCants was quoted in the New York Times as saying he didn't want to contest the charges.
He was dismissed from the Northwestern team in 2001 after a fight in Evanston, Ill., with a man who had complained about a group making noise outside his house.
"It was kind of divine intervention," McCants said. "I wasn't meant to be there."
When asked to elaborate, McCants said: "It was a fighting incident and I didn't punch the guy at all. He got to press charges first because I was knocked unconscious. I didn't feel like appealing the decision, and I just moved on."
There is no doubt that McCants could have had a good career at NU. There is little doubt that the Cats would have made the NCAA tournament in Jitim Young's senior year.
So, where does Northwestern go from here?
First, the coaching staff needs to make a decision on the one scholarship likely available due to Ivan Tolic's career-ending injury. Do the Cats give the scholarship to walk-on Michael Jenkins as a fifth-year senior? Or do they see what's available on the recruiting trail?
As good as Michael Jenkins has played and no matter how great a story it is, I think the Cats' best long-term bet is to sign another player in the spring recruiting period.
Next year, the Cats have five seniors on the team. That will mean Northwestern needs to add five recruits next year. Add Jenkins to the mix and the Cats will need to fill a six-person recruiting class after next season. That puts an amazing amount of pressure on the coaching staff.
No, the best bet is to sign a spring recruit. From all indications, this appears to be what coach Bill Carmody intends to do. If not, he would have already announced that the scholarship was for Jenkins.
Then the coaches need to convince freshman point guard Brandon Lee of his future at Northwestern then influence him to work hard and stay out of trouble. Lee is the point guard of the future, if he stays. His suspensions this year added to the disappointment of the season.
For next season, expect the Cats to have a greatly changed look. Carmody should have more weapons next year and can use playing time as a great motivator.
Freshman Sterling Williams and transfer Bernard Coté will receive major playing time. Tim Doyle may see only spot minutes as a role player and point guard T.J. Parker may need to fight for his starting spot with Brandon Lee or incoming freshman Craig Moore. Mohammed Hachad had a great final month of the season, but will need to play inspired early in the season or lose playing time to Wiliams.
Center Mike Thompson has a crucial offseason to improve as an offensive presence and become a bigger factor in the Princeton offense. It's hard to believe, but due to the improvement of Vince Scott, Thompson has serious competition at his position.
Northwestern enters a crucial offseason, an offseason that will determine if 2006 will be a year for NU's first NCAA berth or if the team will fall short once again.
To gain an NCAA berth next year, Thompson needs to become the inside presence he was expected to be, Parker needs to improve as a shooter and leader, Hachad needs to play with passion for a full season, Coté needs to be the shooter the team lacks and Williams or Brandon Lee need to step up as major contributers on the team.
If so, this could be a team headed for the tournament next season.
Links:
Cats offer evidence of brighter future
By John Mullin / Chicago Tribune (subscription)
Augustine, Powell spoil NU's plan to play small ball
By Brian Hanley / Chicago Sun-Times
=======================
And, now, it's time to move on to next season.
Illinois ended Northwestern's season with a 78-55 whupping in front of an orange-clad contingent at the United Center in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals.
The Cats finished 15-16 for the year, a similar fate to the 14-15 campaign of the previous season. Just one game short of being eligible for the postseason.
The game exhibited the same fatal flaws displayed all season: poor shooting, turnovers and few offensive threats.
Mohammed Hachad had 23 points and added nine rebounds, but turned the ball over an amazing seven times. Vedran Vukusic added 15 point, but no other NU player scored more than four points.
The Cats turned the ball over 18 times against a quick Illinois defense.
"When you play a team the caliber of Illinois, I do not think you have to play perfectly to win," coach Bill Carmody said in his press conference after the game. "You certainly can not have as many turnovers as we did today. We had too many possessions where we did not even get a shot."
Vukusic admitted the team lost some winnable games early in the season that doomed the chances for a postseason berth.
"Next year we need to focus on the non-conference games," Vukusic said. "They are grounds for the Big Ten season, and if you win those that can really help improve your confidence. ... It is also important for us to work hard in the offseason on getting better team unity and chemistry."
Next: Where do we go from here?
This is what you would call a microcosm.
Northwestern (15-15) did all it could in its power to blow a game against Michigan with poor free-throw shooting (10-for-19) and terrible three-point shooting (4-of-18), but managed to defeat Michigan, 58-56. The Wildcats face top-ranked Illinois at 11 a.m. CT Friday.
Walk-on Michael Jenkins gave a convincing audition for a scholarship next year with eight points, seven assists and five steals.
"He was getting his hands on everything," Carmody said about Jenkins. "He was tying things up everywhere. He was sensational."
The free-throw shooting remained abysmal as the Cats made only 10-of-19 on the game.
"I don't have an answer," Carmody said after the game. "If there was an answer, by now, we would know. By luck, we would have hit on it."
Next up for the Cats is Illinois, who beat Northwestern by 36 in late February.
"I talked to (Michigan coach) Tom Amaker before the game and said, 'That's the prize,' " Carmody said. "You want to play the best. We're competitors and you want a shot at them. They sort of humbled us last time."
Bill Carmody expressed a common sentiment this year; the Cats miss Jitim Young.
Carmody told the Sun-Times that no leaders ever stepped up for Northwestern this year and that he expected more out of T.J. Parker, Mohammed Hachad and Davor Duvancic as leaders.
"Mohamed, T.J. and Davor Duvancic were three guys I thought were important players and were ready to go," Carmody told the Sun-Times. "They didn't do as well as I thought they could or should have done. Did you play them in the wrong positions? I don't know. I tried all sorts of different stuff."
Hachad received the most scathing criticism when Carmody said his slow starts to the season will be a factor in playing time next year.
"I know next year I'm not even counting on Mohamed until January because he just has too much of a track record [of starting slow]," Carmody said. "So I'm thinking about someone else, maybe Sterling Williams."
Sterling Williams, a player an NU team manager described as "very athletic", could start next season as a redshirt freshman. The Whitney Young product is 6-4 and would project as a shooting guard with Kentucky transfer Bernard Coté at small forward.
Is Carmody's media comments merely a ploy to motivate Hachad for the offseason? Quite possibly, but there is reason to believe that Carmody has lost his patience with several players on the squad.
T.J. Parker didn't get the message after losing playing time to walk-on Michael Jenkins, so Carmody didn't start Parker in the Big Ten opener against Michigan. Tim Doyle's playing time has been greatly reduced late in the season and Carmody hasn't seemed in a rush to bring Mike Thompson back from his foot injury. Evan Seacat? He'll be a strict garbage-time player next season.
But the coach summed it up best.
"It just never worked out. It never clicked. We didn't mesh as a team for whatever reason."
If last month's 16-point victory over Michigan was any indication, the first game of the Big Ten tournament should go Northwestern's way.
However, if we know anything about NU's year, this is no gimme. The Cats' ability to turn the ball over, miss free throws and not connect from three-point land make this a dangerous game.
Michigan guard Daniel Horton was sentenced to two years of probation on Wednesday. His suspension ruined the Wolverines' season.
Northwestern plays at 11 a.m. CT on Thursday. A win would mean a matchup Friday at 11 a.m. against top-ranked Illinois, fresh off its only loss of the season to Ohio State.
Zach Silka of the Daily Northwestern wrote a great article on the use of the Princeton offense at NU and if it is still applicable.
The major criticism of the Princeton offense is it isn't suited to Northwestern's talent level. Carmody attacked that criticism.
"We've changed some of the things we've done based on personnel," Carmody told the Daily. "But the framework is still the same. Like any coach, you look at your players and try to figure out what they can do and do well."
The problem is this year's squad doesn't shoot well and has had problems with turnovers. It hasn't been a great fit for the Princeton style.
Next year's team hopes to have a more consistent shooting threat from Kentucky transfer Bernard Cote. Center Mike Thompson should also be more acclimated to the offense by next year.
"It's been a little bit of a struggle for Mike (Thompson) because he's always been a back-to-the-basket big man," center Vince Scott told the Daily. "I think he's learning that he can do some things from up top. He's a pretty good passer, so hopefully he grows into the offense a little bit more."
We sure hope so. Overall, it's too easy to cite the Princeton offense for NU's inconsistent offense. The team doesn't shoot well enough for any offense.
Vedran Vukusic was named a third-team All-Big Ten selection. But in bigger news, Vukusic said he would be back for his senior season.
"I don't think I'm ready to go to the next level yet," Vukusic told the Arlington Daily Herald. "I'm like 90 percent back. The other 10 percent is just ... I'm pretty sure I'll be back next year."
Indiana was unconscious from three-point land in a 77-55 blowout of Northwestern (14-15, 6-10 Big Ten) on Saturday.
The Hoosiers hit 12-of-20 three-pointers and looked like an NCAA team. You have to credit coach Mike Davis for turning his team around. Indiana is playing extremely well right now, but it will still be very difficult for them to make the tournament at 15-12.
As for NU, its NIT hopes are gone. It will take two wins in the Big Ten tournament and an upset of top-ranked Illinois. That is a major longshot. Even with two wins in the Big Ten tournament, I think an NIT bid is unrealistic due to NU's low RPI.
Yet, there is a lot of hope for next year as evidenced by the play Saturday. Vince Scott continues to impress as the team's most improved player. He is an offensive threat now from the outside and even scored on a nifty hook shot against the Hoosiers.
The Cats still do not have a consistent shooter from the outside other than Vedran Vukusic. Vukusic and T.J. Parker both made three shots from outside the arc, but Parker is inconsistent with his ugly jump shot.
However, next year, Bernard Cote should be the threat from three that will add a new dimension to Northwestern's offense. Like last offseason, there are a lot of question marks, but the talent level continues to rise. Next year could be a great year due to a number of factors.
Overall, there is a ton to be encouraged by with this season. It has been disappointing, but only because expectations were raised to levels never seen before with Northwestern basketball. That's a credit to Carmody.
Interesting Cat Chat with coach Bill Carmody on Thursday as usual. Coach Carmody answered some interesting questions. Among the interesting tidbits:
Carmody gave himself a 'C' as a coach and admitted he really thought that the program would be further along at this point. He really thought the team would have made the NCAAs by now.
Carmody has basically told Mohammed Hachad to not look for the outside shot and continue to drive to the hoop. In an odd moment, Carmody said he doesn't believe Hachad's shot will improve and that he's just trying to work with the skills he has. He talked about Hachad becoming good at a few things and adequate at things like his shooting. This led to a discussion of whether shooters are made or born - and Carmody is firmly down with nature, not nurtue.
Moderator Shon Morris helped Carmody avoid questions about the officiating at Wednesday's Michigan State (of which Carmody was ejected) by saying that "officials are there to administer the game, not interject themselves in the game."
Carmody talked about walk-on Michael Jenkins persevering for years and finally gettting his chance as a senior and playing fantastic. "It's a great story," Carmody said.
Carmody talked about how Northwestern hasn't won at Indiana since the University built Assembly Hall. Without looking it up, it's 20+ years.
Carmody outlined the offseason program. The offseason breaks down like this:
- Recruiting for three weeks after the season with a focus on juniors
- Individual workouts with players until graduation (limited to two hours per player a week)
- Summer camps and tournaments in July to watch high school players
In response to another question about Croatia, Carmody said he will be going on a recruiting trip there to look at a few players this offseason. He said he would be recruiting at a "secret location" and that the players had size. As reported last week, Ivan Tolic may be a medical waiver and that may free up an extra scholarship for next year.
Northwestern's current RPI is No. 134 in the nation -- and falling. This leads
nuhoops.com to believe that the Wildcats need more than a win Saturday
against Indiana and a win in the Big Ten tournament. It really may take
a win over Indiana and two wins in the Big Ten tournament to make the
NIT. Color us doubtful.
Below are the links from Thursday's newspapers with the best quotes
from each article. Full report after tonight's final Cat chat later
tonight.
Cats can't argue with defeat
By Brian Hanley / Chicago Sun-Times
"We came out giving them a lot of respect as a ranked team," forward Vedran Vukusic said. "Everyone knows they're the most physical team in the Big Ten, and we didn't match their physicality." (nooo, really?)
Carmody gets tossed in NU loss
By John Mullin / Chicago Tribune (subscription)
"We just got off to a horrible start," said Carmody. "It was too much to overcome in the second half. Our guys had used up too much energy at the end, but I liked the effort." (the defensive effort in the second half was remarkable)
State sours senior send-off
By Zach Pilka / Daily Northwestern
"We just started playing harder," Vukusic told the Daily. "I know it sounds bad, but I wish (Carmody's ejection) would have happened earlier in the first half." (who would ever admit this?)
Slow start ruins Wildcats' night against Michigan St.
By Adam Rittenberg / Daily Herald
"I've got to work on my free throws," Mohammed Hachad said. (nomination for understatement of the year)
Losing by 11 never felt so good. Let's consider the multitude of reasons that Michigan State should have beaten Northwestern in a rout, instead of a solid 69-58 victory.
Considering the Spartans shot 50 percent from the field and outrebounded the Cats by double digits, it's a miracle that NU (14-14, 6-9 Big Ten) was able to cut the lead to six late in the second half and actually throw a scare at Michigan State.
NU's shooting is a known problem this year and we don't need to beat a dead horse, but has there ever been a team so poor at shooting that runs the Princeton offense? Bernard Coté, when are you eligible?
On the plus side, Mohammed Hachad is playing with reckless abandon again. He talked about regaining the ability to have fun and he seems to be enjoying creating his own shot off the dribble.
On the negative side, Hachad is playing with reckless abandon again. Hachad only had three turnovers, but it was hard to count how many times he took an ill-advised shot. His 1-on-4 fast break in the second half might have been the highlight of ridiculousness for the year.
Vince Scott had a decent game and battled as best he could against Michigan State's Paul Davis. Scott also had several nice passes among his five assists.
It appears the shine has worn off on Tim Doyle as he played only 10 minutes and is clearly out of favor with the coaching staff. Only honorary doghouse captain Evan Seacat played less.
The Big Ten Wonk blog pointed out that Doyle ranks in the bottom 20 of the Big Ten based on a points per weighted shot (PPWS) statistic. The statistic tries to gauge offensive efficiency by judging a player's performance by points per shot taken. And how many times has Doyle played 20 or more minutes with little or nothing to show for it? Except for one really fantastic no-look pass. And no-look passes do not show up in the stat sheet.
T.J. Parker was also stellar on the night. He even had an assist. If only he played in a position where he had a chance to distribute the ball.
It was hard to find a ton of positives on the night other than the Cats didn't give up and played with great intensity at times on the defensive end.
Other than that, it's looking bleak. Saturday is a must-win on the road against Indiana, especially with the Cats facing the spectre of playing Michigan and then Illinois in the Big Ten tournament.