With the Chicago Cubs, 1908 was the narrative that would never ever go away, no matter what.
Until it finally did on November 2nd.
With Northwestern basketball, it’s “they have never made the NCAA Tournament,” and “will they or won’t they?”
Many figures in the college basketball world have proclaimed the Northwestern Wildcats IN the field this March. Chicago State coach Tracy Dildy made the proclamation with probably more panache and extreme authority than anyone.
Switching from the coaches to the pundits, many talking heads have made the “NU is going dancing” proclamation, but some of them are hacks. In general, college hoops has a media contingent much less wonkish than in the other sports. Many college hoops media figures lack acumen, and those who possess it are just cartoonish hot-takers. Then you have others who really know their stuff, but they’re beholden to shill for the conferences or the programs.
One guy who doesn’t fit in to any of those boxes is Jay Bilas. The ESPN analyst and holder of a doctorate in jurisprudence knows the sport like Donald Trump knows evading facts and acting uncouth.
Bilas Tweeted recently: “Northwestern is a fun team to watch, and will play in the NCAA Tournament.”
When Bilas says something, it’s game on!
Northwestern basketball bubble watch articles (we’ll get this party started right here, right now) are about to become a song more overplayed than “Hotline Bling.”
If Northwestern basketball finishes the regular season with a solid tournament resume they’re in, no doubt. Conversely, if their resume isn’t up to quality, they’re out. However, what if they’re on the bubble (like they are right now)? Well, the local and national media interest in their progress would be sky high on the cusp of making the big dance.
There are so many NU alums, from the prestigious Medill of Journalism (that last word is something we’ll have to explain the meaning of to the generation that comes after millenials) in the media industry that if the Cats do make it, the story will dominate headlines.
It will be “huuuge” as Bernie Sanders would say, for attracting attention towards the tournament, and thus the selection committee would give them the nod over another bubble team with a similar resume.
If that sounds a bit conspiracy theory then ask yourself this….have you noticed what’s become of the NCAA selection show in recent years- how it degenerated from a compelling concise 30 minutes into a bloated two hours of made for TV crapola?
Also, have you wondered how every year the NCAA claims it doesn’t consider narratives when constructing the brackets, but yet we still have potential narratives overflowing?
That said, how are they looking right now?
CURRENT RESUME EVALUATION
The team is currently 15-4, 4-2 in the league, with a RPI of 39 and SOS of 67. Real Time RPI projects them to finish 22-9, 11-7 in B1G play. Reaching that benchmark checks a lot of boxes. As down as the B1G is this season, no 11-7 team is getting left out. A 10-8 team could be relegated to the NIT, but not a 11-7.
Key Wins: Wake Forest 30, Dayton 28
Bad Losses: none
Opportunities for Big Wins: at Purdue RPI 39 on February 1st, home to the Boilermakers March 5th, Maryland (RPI 22) February 15th, at Wisconsin RPI 36 February 12th
Potential pitfalls: Rutgers 2-18 (RPI 147)
While RPI at this stage of the season can often be as meaningless as the blank papers in Donald Trump’s unmarked manilla envelopes at last Wednesday’s joke of a press conference, it is still a good general indicator of a win or loss’s general value.
Bottom Line: The B1G is extremely unpredictable this season, and anyone who tells you they have it figured out is lying. Anybody can beat anybody, and while that is usually a Coachey McCoachington Coach ‘em up Coachspeak cliche, now it’s actually spot on. The league has parity, but it’s also very down.
Yes, the bottom feeders are much better, but the top is much weaker. There’s not really any elite teams in the league. Of course, it also means fewer at-large bids than usual will come from the league this year.
Of course, Northwestern basketball doesn’t really need to worry about that if they take care of their own business. They have no bad losses, and it doesn’t seem like they really will accrue any, as long as they win at Rutgers. Their losses to Notre Dame and Butler are aging quite well.
On the flip side, their Wake win isn’t aging well, and that Texas win we got excited about because the Longhorns were ranked at the the time has little value today. However, that Dayton victory should keep getting better with time and the path is now clear. Split those four key games listed above. Take half of the Purdue series and one of either Wisconsin or Maryland and you’re in.
Or to put it another way- the magic number for Northwestern basketball is seven- win 7 of your last 13 and you’re in.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, Bold and the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication, appears regularly as a guest on CGTN America, WGN CLTV News and KOZN 1620 The Zone.
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