It could've been much worse
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.
- NU shot 52 percent from the free throw line
- The Cats went 3-for-16 from beyond the arc
- NU put on a clinic of how to miss a layup
- NU started a walk-on at point guard (granted, he's playing very well, but still)
- Coach Bill Carmody received two technicals and was ejected in the first half
- Center Mike Thompson sat out again with a sprained ankle
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.