Jay Bilas says Northwestern basketball is headed to their first NCAA Tournament ever, and now two more big name ESPN personalities have followed suit. (Here’s the link to analysis of the team’s current resume)
ESPN college basketball analysts Dick Vitale and Seth Greenberg participated in a media conference call Wednesday, and I asked them if they think NU is headed to the NCAA Tournament this season. I also asked them, being television men, how will TV cover that story if and when it happens.
Specifically, my question related to the interesting dichotomy of Northwestern basketball. Their presence in the mainstream media is huge, with so many high powered alums, who love this team in the media industry’s high places.
On the other hands, the Northwestern fan base is tiny in size, and general consumer interest in the program is quite limited.
It presents an interesting quandary for how the story would be handled and how much time it will get, should the Wildcats indeed make the big dance.
You can read the full transcript at this link, but there was some unnecessary rambling and off-topic banter, that we have to chop it down to what’s actually coherent. Both men totally evaded my second Northwestern basketball question, the one relating to media coverage and that was a bit unprofessional and rude.
Also, the moderator relegated my query to dead last on the call so that certainly sent a clear message.
DICK VITALE: “I’m rooting for Northwestern big time. I know a lot of the prominent alums would be really excited, Mr. Musburger and all the gang down here.
“Getting in — it’s in their hands. They’re in the Big Ten right now in a scenario where they’ve got to win some games. They’ll get opportunities against some good teams. The one thing the Big Ten doesn’t have, what I would call — Wisconsin is the closest to me the team that’s separated a little bit but not by much.”
“I think they’ve got a great opportunity. They can’t let this slide. I think this year you’re going to see them part of the dance. I think you’re going to see them get enough wins to be able to be a part of that big tournament.”
Greenberg’s answer was more substantial and meaningful, but nothing Earth-shattering to any of you Northwestern basketball hard cores. While Greenberg and Vitale are two of the biggest national pundits and huge names in the college basketball world, they really didn’t offer me any information that I didn’t already know. Not sure these media calls are worth much anymore.
SETH GREENBERG: “I think they’re going to get in this year. They’ve got depth. They’ve got athleticism.”
“I think getting Law back and having him be productive has been huge for them. Scottie Lindsey is giving them obviously an athletic guard, and McIntosh is really good. They have Big Ten players. They have Big Ten depth. The only thing they can’t do is they can’t have a bad loss.”
So now you have three of the biggest names in Bristol who are on the record with this is THE YEAR predictions for Northwestern basketball.
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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