By Teddy Greenstein
When it comes to NCAA tournament talk, Northwestern coach Bill Carmody keeps his blinders on. His players, that's a different matter.
"They read a lot more than I do and they understand it," Carmody said Monday on the Big Ten conference call. "They realize what affects them."
Carmody said his team's two top "bracketologists" might be John Shurna and Drew Crawford. But he added that most or all of his players examine how certain teams the Wildcats beat in non-conference play -- say, Notre Dame, North Carolina State, Iowa State -- are faring. (Of the three, only Notre Dame has legitimate hope to make the field of 65.)
When it comes to NCAA tournament talk, Northwestern coach Bill Carmody keeps his blinders on. His players, that's a different matter.
"They read a lot more than I do and they understand it," Carmody said Monday on the Big Ten conference call. "They realize what affects them."
Carmody said his team's two top "bracketologists" might be John Shurna and Drew Crawford. But he added that most or all of his players examine how certain teams the Wildcats beat in non-conference play -- say, Notre Dame, North Carolina State, Iowa State -- are faring. (Of the three, only Notre Dame has legitimate hope to make the field of 65.)
If the season ended today, Northwestern (16-7, 5-6 in the Big Ten) surely would fall on the wrong side of the NCAA tournament bubble. But
of NU's seven remaining league games, five are against the bottom three
teams (Indiana, Iowa, Penn State) in the league. First up is a
Wednesday date at Iowa.
Asked if he thinks a 10-8 conference record would be enough, Carmody at first said it would depend on other conference tournaments, namely whether certain leagues get one or two teams in the field.
Then he added: "10-8, I think, in the Big Ten this year would certainly get you in."
Asked if he thinks a 10-8 conference record would be enough, Carmody at first said it would depend on other conference tournaments, namely whether certain leagues get one or two teams in the field.
Then he added: "10-8, I think, in the Big Ten this year would certainly get you in."
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