Miserable beating to Illini
The beatings keep on going for Northwestern, a team that looked helpless (hopeless?) in a 58-47 loss to Illinois on Saturday at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
After Wednesday's loss, coach Bill Carmody warned that the Cats (9-8, 2-4 Big Ten) may "go small" -- and go small they did. Backup point guard Michael Jenkins logged 24 minutes, five short of Bernard Cote and Vince Scott combined.
If it was a message Carmody hoped to send to his struggling front-court players, consider it unheard. Cote and Scott finished with four points.
The beauty of the move is that we were treated to 24 minutes of Jenkins and his two points. Do we have anyone else? Please?
Vedran Vukusic continued his shooting slump -- it was bound to happen at some point -- with a 1-for-14 day.
"I was surprised they weren't falling," Vukusic told the Associated Press. "The guys on the team kept saying, 'Shoot, shoot, shoot."'
The Cats managed only four field goals in the first half and shot 35 percent on the day. They were 3-for-20 from three-point range (15 percent).
On the plus side, Mohammed Hachad had 14 points and freshmen Sterling Williams hit double figures for the first time in his career with 10.
The next game is Wednesday at Purdue, a game that Northwestern must win.
Related Links:
Illini survive sloppy second by Herb Gould, Chicago Sun-Times
Another step in the right direction by Skip Myslenski, Chicago Tribune
Good ... and some bad for Illini, by Lindsey Willhite, Daily Herald