Louisville's Swopshire to Northwestern

Donate To GopherHole

The Wildcats will miss Shurna but add a lot of players. Part of their problem this year was depth. They often played 6 and it wore them down. They add 3 freshman(including Benilde wing Sanjay Lumpkin), former TCU PF and starter Nikola Cerina, redshirts 6'8" Mike Turner and PG Tre Demps who was rated higher than All-B1G freshman PG Dave Sobolewski. They return starters Drew Crawford, Reggie Hearn, Jeshon Cobb, and Sobolewski as well as 6th man Alex Marcotulio. Swopshire was a top 150 recruit who rebounds well and played a lot minutes for Louisville. He is a big addition This is arguably the deepest NU team ever and may be a NCAA tournament team.
 

It may be an NCAA tourney team, but it is still doubtful. They just lost their all-time leading scorer and their leading rebounder from last season, and this was a team that struggled mightily in terms of rebounding. You don't just replace 20 ppg with one guy if you're Northwestern. They will need multiple guys to step up just to maintain the 20-win pace they've had going the past few years - Swopshire certainly could be one of those guys, but I don't believe in Cerina stepping up and being very good. Starter at TCU is pretty irrelevant - TCU was awful when he was there and he didn't put up big numbers, either. Cerina is a bit player on an NCAA tourney team - if he starts for NW, they're not making the tournament most likely. Swopshire gives them some reason for optimism again, but them making the tournament is something I have to see to believe in.
 

If JerShon is healthy, he and Crawford w/help from Sobolewski and friends + now Swopshire... this could be the year. NCAA will be looking to take 6-8 out of the Big 1?, but it's going to be top-heavy once again... and there are probably 5 teams that look like they could be in those 6 to 8 spots... (Ill, NW, Iowa, MN, Purdue)
 

Carmody called Cerina the most athletic and explosive player on the team. He was a solid player at TCU and with another year of maturity I think he will be more than you imagine. He is 6'8" 245 which addresses a major weakness on last year's team in that he is strong and will be a rebounding force together with Swopshire. Last year the 'Cats got 1 good game out of their bigs, that being Curletti's performance in their upset of MSU. Mirkovic was pathetic and did not play the last 10 or so games. Also remember Jershon Cobb did not play until very late in the season and then played very well. He and Crawford give the 'Cats a lot of talent on the wing. Shurna was forced to play center and as a result the team was virtually always out rebounded which allowed a lot of 2nd and 3rd chances opposing offenses. I see them finishing ahead of Nebraska, Penn St, Illinois, Iowa and Purdue. Ohio St, Michigan and MSU lose a lot and are will be far more beatable IMO. I hope the Gophers and NU can make the move to the next level and make the tournament
 


At some point should Carmody have to make a tourney to keep his job? 0 appearances. Like 2 .500 big ten seasons in 15 years?

Vanderbilt was a 5 seed this year.
 

The past 4 years have been the best in NU basketball history. They have had 2 20 win seasons in that time and have played in the NIT those 4 years.It wasn't that long ago that NU was winless in the B1G. There is little doubt that NU and Stanford have the highest academic standards amongst teams in the power conferences which makes it difficult to recruit.Their facilities are worse than the Gophers which also does not help.At their year end press conference their AD emphasized a new commitment to winning but not at all costs. Vanderbilt has lowered their academic standards for athletics. Even Harvard has less lowered its standards for athletes. My impression is that Carmody will keep his job as long as he runs a competitive program and that a NCAA tournament is not a must
 

Rosemountian said:
At some point should Carmody have to make a tourney to keep his job? 0 appearances. Like 2 .500 big ten seasons in 15 years?

Vanderbilt was a 5 seed this year.
Click to expand...
Vanderbilt has been consistently good at basketball haven't they?
 

When you can recruit players with ACTs in the teens it is a lot easier.
 



gopherMD said:
When you can recruit players with ACTs in the teens it is a lot easier.
Click to expand...

Also a lot easier with a practice facility, a new new arena, and years of history and tradition too. But hey, excuses are for losers.

I always love when people make excuse after excuse for carmody, who hasn't ever made the NCAA tourney, and then will bash Tubby who made 2 in his first 5 years. Makes no sense at all.
 

I am a Tubby fan who thinks he has bad things happen beyond his control the past 2 years. I think the Gophers will be a top 5 team in the B1G next year. That said Carmody has gotten a lot out of his teams with his zone defense and Princeton offense; he is a great Xs and Os guy. If you have been to Welch-Ryan you would understand the facility issue. The Wildcats are not losers by any stretch of the imagination over the past 4 years. NU is first and foremost about academics; it is rated 12th in the country and until recently its administration has paid little attention to the sports thing.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom