Who might replace Bill Carmody at Northwestern?

March 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

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There are financial advantages to letting Bill Carmody finish out his contract at Northwestern, as there won’t be a buyout. NU needs to put more money into its next coach and the program as a whole when that coach takes over. Even if Carmody makes the Big Dance next season, the school has to help him out by upgrading facilities and re-examining admission standards.

Without a buyout to deal with, NU can put all its money into the program after next season, be it with Carmody or another coach.

If the Cats fall short of expectations again next season and Carmody isn’t resigned, NU will have had time to thoroughly evaluate coaching options and have a succession plan in place.

Guest post by Kevin Trahan of bigtenorbust.com, purplewildcats.com and the Daily Northwestern.

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Should Northwestern give Bill Carmody another year?

March 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

bill carmody

Bill Carmody’s seat is warm. Warmer than he has ever felt it before and warmer than a seat typically gets for coaches at Northwestern. After yet another year in which his team failed to miss the NCAA Tournament, Carmody is taking heat.

And he certainly deserves it.

This year’s team underachieved. It failed in the clutch so many times throughout the season and couldn’t come up big in big moments and that’s a reflection of the coach. Carmody’s level-headed approach to his job is impressive, but there’s also something to be said for igniting a fire under your time to provide a spark.

However, this isn’t a call to fire Carmody. There is certainly validity to the argument for it — 12 seasons without an NCAA Tournament appearance would do it — but the timing isn’t right. A few years ago? Sure. But not now.

Guest post by Kevin Trahan of bigtenorbust.com, purplewildcats.com and the Daily Northwestern.

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Northwestern Goes for School Victory Record in NIT Quarterfinals

March 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Michael juice Thompson

Maybe this season wasn’t such a disappointment in Evanston after all? They’re the only team from the Chicago area still alive, even if it is in the consolation bracket that is the NIT. Still, by Northwestern Wildcats standards this season became a rousing success with their blowout 85-67 win at #1 seed Boston College this past weekend. It gave them win number 20, tying the school record for wins in a season, set just last year.

As much as Coach Bill Carmody has been maligned this year (mostly for not closing out any of the games in which he had ranked Big Ten opponents on the ropes and failing to reach the NCAA Tournament when the pieces seemed in place to do so) he certainly must have felt an injection of vocational capital with the last two wins.

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When Bill Carmody’s Extension Expires, Time for Northwestern to Move on?

February 18, 2011 By 3 Comments

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Two years ago, the Northwestern Wildcats won at both Michigan State and Purdue. Both opponents were highly ranked in the national college basketball polls at the time. That’s when the “NU can make it’s first ever NCAA Tournament” talk began. The Cats finished one win shy of the school record for wins, but still settled for the NIT in 2008-09.

Last season saw their first national ranking since 1969, and a promising hot start that re-kindled the NU dancing discussion. Once again they fell well short, despite getting the first 20 win season in school history.

This year saw the Cats start 8-0 and ranked in one poll, receiving votes in the other. They went 9-2 in the 2010 portion of the season, but they’ve been abysmal in the 2011 part of this campaign. Today, their only chance of reaching March Madness lies in an against all odds run through the Big Ten Tournament.

Northwestern Head Coach Bill Carmody has done a great job of taking the program from forgotten non-factor to competitive respectability, but these last three years has made it obvious that he’s not the man to take them over the hump.

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Northwestern Wildcats 73, Iowa Hawkeyes 70: Rapid Reaction

February 17, 2011 By 3 Comments

demi-and-ashton-iowa

Though many fans of the Iowa Hawkeyes were in attendance Thursday night, the most famous of the faithful: Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore were not at Welsh-Ryan Arena to see their Hawks drop yet another college basketball game; this time to the Northwestern Wildcats.

Although it was much less closer than the first meeting. The Cats shot the lights out to an almost historical level on January 12th in Iowa City, winning 90-71 in a game that was even more lopsided than it sounds.

However, the change of venue from road to home ended up in a -16 point swing. Usually, the differential in that situation goes completely the opposite.

“It wasn’t as fluid as I would have liked, or the team would have liked but we got it done,” NU Coach Bill Carmody said.

By Paul M. Banks

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