No matter where his career heads in the future, Northwestern basketball coach Chris Collins will always be “the guy that did the thing.” He led the program to their first three NCAA Tournament berths. Priot to his arrival, Northwestern basketball was regarded to be a program with very little, some would even say no, real history, and Collins changed all that. This season may indeed be off to a rough start, but there is still time to course correct.
The first big chance comes tomorrow night when the Wildcats (8-6, 0-3 Big Ten) travel to No. 12 Michigan State (13-2, 3-1 Big Ten). The game at 5:30 p.m. CT on Thursday, Jan. 8 on Big Ten Network (Chris Vosters, play-by-play and LaPhonso Ellis, analyst) and WGN Radio 720 (Dave Eanet, play-by-play and Billy McKinney, analyst).
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo made waves nationally, last week, when he called out a loophole exploited by Baylor to add a previously NBA Draft selected player (James Nnaji) to their current roster. Izzo said “shame on the NCAA” and “shame on the coaches” that made this move happen.
Izzo also went on to say that he would reach out to Baylor head coach Scott Drew, one of his close friends, in order to further discuss and understand the addition of Nnaji to the Bears roster.
Drew would later publicly comment that he and Izzo had a friendly, productive conversation on the topic.
Izzo is somebody who just does not hold back.
From social media to the idiot statue vandals to the Louisville prostitution scandal to analytics and how they affect personal responsibility, there is no topic that Izzo won’t get candid on. And perhaps he may not be too long for this brave new college basketball world.
“Honestly, what I love about Coach Izzo is how much he values our game,” Collins responded to a reporter query about Izzo’s commentary on the Nanji signing.
“You know everything that he says comes from the heart. He loves college basketball. He’s trying to preserve any semblance of what college basketball was, is, is becoming, and like I’ve said, I don’t know enough to be able to fully comment.
“There’s so much, like, what are the rules? What aren’t the rules? Why is this guy eligible? Why isn’t that guy eligible?
“I think for us in all these situations, it’s trying to figure out, okay, the guys that they are deeming eligible, how is this happening, and how can that potentially be a market for us?
“I think everyone’s looking within their own programs.”
It definitely is the wild, wild west out there right now, and Izzo is one of the very few trying to swim against the currents.
To quote the 1980s Chevy Chase movie Fletch, “I’d say we’re in a grey area.”
“How grey?
“Charcoal.”
Chris Collins also went on say how much he looks up to Izzo, and models his program on his MIchigan State juggernaut.
“Man, I love Coach Izzo’s passion,” Collins continued.
“He’s one of the guys that I’ve always looked up to. He’s been great to me ever since I’ve been here. I think he feels like we’re kind of wired a little bit similarly, the way we go about things and the way we try to do things.
“I’m nowhere near in his ballpark (in terms of career CV), but I’ve used him as a model.
“I said that from the start when I came to the Big 10, he was the benchmark. He was the standard.
“His program was the standard for excellence.
“And I’ve hated competing against them, because we haven’t had a whole lot of success.
“But he’s been a great mentor of mine, and everything he says comes from the heart, and he just wants the game to be good, and he wants college basketball to stay special, and that’s what’s great about him.”
Thursday night’s clash at Michigan State is the first of eight remaining against teams that are currently ranked.
So there will be lots of opportunities for signature wins, and plenty of chances to build up that postseason resume.
Tightening up, a lot, on defense, could get the Wildcats season turned around. Northwestern still has two against #16 Illinois and #10 Nebraska. They will also host #5 Purdue and #2 Michigan, as well as travel to #19 Iowa. Look out for the Hawkeyes especially, as they are dangerous with NBA Draft prospect and point guard Bennett Stirtz leading the way.
“I think I can really shoot it,” Stirtz responded, when asked about his specific skill set during an exclusive with RG.org. “There’s more space on the NBA court too.
“So I’m not used to all that space, and I’ve always had the ball in my hands in college. So if I can play off-ball, I can really shoot it out there. And then in ball screens too, I can pick and choose my spots. Obviously, get the big involved and pick-and-pop. So just a threat in the ball screen as well.”
Containing Stirtz will be key for Chris Collins and his team.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.