Northwestern Basketball

Poor Northwestern. Not only has its men's basketball team never played in the NCAA tournament, but this year's squad was a few painful losses away from doing so.

Well, I say the Wildcats will get redemption in the NIT, which perhaps is little consolation to some but is certainly better than nothing.

Colin Becht of The New York Times did a nice job of summing up Northwestern's trying year:

After an 18-13 season highlighted by an 81-74 upset of then-No. 6 Michigan State – the Spartans earned a No. 1 seed in the N.C.A.A. tournament – Northwestern’s penchant for close losses proved to be the downfall in its hopes for receiving a tournament bid. The Wildcats lost seven games by fewer than 6 points or in overtime, leaving them with just a 1-10 record against the top 50 of the Rating Percentage Index.

And most of those weren't losses to mediocre teams, either—Northwestern played some very good teams right down to the wire.

They lost to Michigan in overtime twice. They lost to Ohio State by two after Jared Sullinger hit a shot with 3.1 seconds remaining in the game. They took Indiana to the wire in a five-point loss.

Northwestern can hang with anyone. And finishing out games should prove to be easier for the Wildcats in the NIT than it was in the Big Ten, the country's toughest conference this season.

Plus, they are led by two players who have competed in their fair share of NIT games: senior John Shurna (19.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG) and junior Drew Crawford (16.1 PPG, 4.6 RPG). Shurna will be playing in his fourth NIT; Crawford in his third.

The Wildcats are due for a solid NIT. I say they get their glory at the tournament, even if it isn't the tourney they were hoping to play in.

Hit me up on Twitter—all of my tweets are Cinderella stories.

Following Northwestern's loss to Minnesota on Thursday in the first round of the Big Ten tournament, it became clear that the Wildcats—despite a decent season—aren't deserving of a coveted at-large bid to this year's Big Dance.

Granted, the Big Ten is strong, but Northwestern couldn't post even a .500 record in conference play, finishing 8-11, 18-13 overall. Furthermore, the Wildcats are just 1-10 against top 50 teams.

On top of that, there's the fact that at least six other teams from the Big Ten are likely to get a bid to the tournament, which is the second-highest total among all conferences behind the Big East (10 teams).

Like so many other contenders, Northwestern got off to a good start this season, going 10-1 through mid-December. Then, the trouble, and the mediocrity, hit. From then on, the Wildcats posted an 8-12 record, the bulk of which came during conference play.

The highlight of the season came on Jan. 14, when Northwestern topped Michigan State at home, 81-74. But is that one high point enough to justify a ticket to the Dance, especially considering the lows against Ohio State, Michigan, Indiana and, most recently, Minnesota?

Most likely, a bid to the NIT will be, and should be, in the cards for Northwestern.

Here's a look at a couple of the other bubble teams that aren't likely to be dancing in the coming weeks:

NC State

The ACC is currently slated to get four teams into the tournament, and the Wolfpack sits in fifth place in the conference. Their stock started to sink quickly in mid-February after four straight losses to Duke, Florida State, North Carolina and Clemson, but who knows?

After taking down Boston College and Virginia in the first two rounds of the ACC Tournament, the Pack are still playing, and a win against No. 4 North Carolina would put them into the finals—and possibly back in contention for a bid. (And, of course, if they win it all on Sunday, it's a done deal—which could spell doom for other teams.)

Tennessee

Much like NC State, the Volunteers are good, but just not good enough. They're in fourth place in the SEC, but the selection committee may not be able to look past a very rough start to the season, in which they went 3-6 and endured losses to Oakland, Austin Peay and Charleston. They scored big midseason wins against Florida and Connecticut, but a first-round overtime loss to Ole Miss in the SEC tournament could do them in.

Isn't it insane that Northwestern has never made the NCAA tournament?

They have been playing basketball in Evanston for over 100 years, and in 73 years of the NCAA doing their tournament they have never been part of the field.

Did you know that Northwestern hosted the first NCAA championship game in 1939?

As well as hosting that 1939 championship game they also hosted the final four in 1956.

Northwestern basketball has been so historically bad that they have only appeared in the NIT tournament six times. I assume they will make the field this season for their seventh appearance.

The Wildcats have only won the conference twice and it's been 79 years since the last time they did that.

So I ask how has Bill Carmody kept his job for 12 seasons?

He has the second longest tenure to only Arthur Lonborg, who won those two conference titles and is the last Wildcat coach to have a winning record. Lonborg coached the Wildcats from 1927 till 1950 and compiled a record of 236-203-1.

After 12 seasons in Evanston Carmody has a record of 160-177 overall and an awful record of 58-126 in the Big Ten.

Now some people may say that Northwestern just can't recruit the players to compete. I completely disagree with that.

Has it hurt the football team?

Northwestern football isn't a power house but has made it to 10 bowl games and have won the Big Ten eight times, most recently in 2000. Also it can be said that coach Pat Fitzgerald is really starting to build something having made it to bowl games in the last four seasons.

Just think about that, Fitzgerald has led the team to four bowl games and played in two other. That is six of the team's 10 bowl appearances. He was also an assistant on two of the other teams so it definitely appears that Wildcat football is on the way up.

Yet even with the success on the football field they have been unable to win on the basketball court.

Did you know that Tex Winter coached at Northwestern?

That's right the master of the triangle offense who was an assistant for the Chicago Bulls during the championship era.

The hiring of Carmody in 2000 was a smart move. He had dealt with the same academic standards at Princeton and was able to get them to the tournament in back-to-back seasons. However the Big Ten is a lot harder then the Ivy League.

The fact that Carmody has lasted this long is just a joke. During the 2007-2008 seasons he led them to an 8-22 record including a 1-17 record in the Big Ten.

He should have been fired then.

If it wasn't for the brilliant career of John Shurna over the last four seasons I think it is safe to say that Carmody would have lost his job years ago.

Northwestern has had only four All-Americans and I could only tell name two of them and I had no idea one of them played basketball. Evan Eshmeyer is probably the one everyone remembers but the other was Otto Graham, the great Cleveland Browns QB, who I didn't know played basketball.

Northwestern basketball has been a joke for too long and it is time for it to end.

If the Wildcats are serious about making the tournament and being the joke of the Big Ten then their first move should be to say goodbye to Bill Carmody. 

Damn.

Another year, another step closer to the Dance, another last second collapse.  In the eleventh hour, the Cardiac ‘Cats faced cardiac arrest.

This time, the Northwestern loss came at the hands of the flailing Minnesota Golden Gophers.  1-6 in its last seven games, Minnesota took the teams’ third meeting of the year in overtime, 75-68. 

The closest it has been in years to finally making the NCAA Tournament, Northwestern had its heart broken and will have to wait another year. 

The season is not over yet, but with hopes as high as they were, this is as disappointing as it gets.

What Happened?

Northwestern fell to every major mistake it has been making the entire year.  The ‘Cats gave up on the glass, often looked lost on defense, and could never fully get the offense moving. 

The year’s broken record replayed one more time as Northwestern grabbed 15 fewer boards than Minnesota.  The Gophers added 24 points in the paint compared to Northwestern’s 12, and zero came from Davide Curletti who only played 15 minutes. 

Unlike the usual plot, Northwestern did not win the shooting contest.  Minnesota matched the ‘Cats exactly from behind the arc, shooting 11-26, and Northwestern’s abysmal 35.1 percent field-goal percentage was well surpassed by Minnesota’s 46.8 percent. 

In addition, the ‘Cats did not score a basket from the field in the last 4:44 of regulation or in the last 3:14 of overtime. 

This inability to turn on the offense has been present since the first half of the season, but it proved crippling as Northwestern missed layup and put backs.  Dave Sobolewski was the worst offender as he went 0-of-6 from the field and 2-of-4 from the free throw line. 

Despite these woes, the game stayed tight with six lead changes and 13 ties.  However, the ‘Cats ran out of steam in overtime where they were outscored 14-7. 

The game did present some bright spots with good fan support, a stellar performance from JerShon Cobb, and another bundle of points for John Shurna’s scoring title. 

Northwestern students took advantage of the school’s offer of free tickets, and busloads of fans were present in Indianapolis to support the ‘Cats. 

JerShon Cobb’s several games back have provided the WD-40 necessary to remove his injury rust.  He grabbed eight rebounds and poured in 24 points, going 8-of-12 from the field, including 3-3 from behind the arc and 5-5 from the free throw line. 

After a poor game at Iowa, John Shurna did not look as strong and quick as his normal self, but he still added 21 and is now only nine points away from hitting 2,000. 

One Crazy Season

If anything, this season has been entertaining.  Of course, entertaining means that any diehard Northwestern fan now has the blood pressure of a professional fried chicken taste tester. 

The ‘Cats are 18-13 overall and 8-11 in conference, and there have been very few blowouts in either direction compared to the number of nail-biters. 

The season had extreme highs and extreme lows.  While the ‘Cats won the Charleston Classic and took down the seventh-ranked Michigan State Spartans, their inability to close out many Big Ten games and this quick exit from the Big Ten Tournament have pulled down the season. 

Just to keep the fans entertained, Northwestern watched its star break the school’s all-time scoring record and fought excruciatingly close to the Dance.  Yet it might seem that “Chicago’s Big Ten Team” is taking on the persona of a famous baseball organization only a few miles to the south. History lets them get closer and closer without ever quite making it. 

It is now March, and all that craziness is in the past as the real madness is about to begin. 

It Ain’t Over Until It’s Over

With Selection Sunday coming, anything can happen.  However, what will happen is the ‘Cats will be highly seeded in the NIT. 

Then, will they be hungry? 

Northwestern’s two main sports droughts, not winning a bowl game since the 1949 Rose Bowl and never making the NCAA Tournament, seem to stem from a lack of experience winning. 

Down the stretch in both sports, the ‘Cats fall apart.  In basketball this year, there were the losses to Illinois by one, Michigan in overtime, Purdue by two, Indiana by five, Michigan in overtime again, Ohio State by two, and now Minnesota in overtime in the Big Ten Tournament. 

While the team did pull out close ones over Penn State, Iowa, and Illinois, those were against Penn State, Iowa, and an Illinois team beginning to slump. 

The problem with Northwestern it lacks the knowledge of how to win to that is necessary for actually winning.  For the past four years, the ‘Cats have been tantalizingly close down the stretch, but if they do not have experience winning, then how can they break the cycle of losing? 

Next year, the team will have to move on without its big men, and without Shurna.  Carmody’s future will again be called into question by fans. 

But that was then.  Now, the ‘Cats take whatever Selection Sunday gives them, most likely a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the NIT.  Home court advantage and real talent must mix with a true, burning hunger. 

This postseason is a real chance for Northwestern to learn what it means to win, even if it is not on the highest stage.  If the ‘Cats want to experience the essence of victory, they can take this postseason with all their desire and use it to prepare for next year. 

Why not?

The college basketball gods continued to rain down uncertainty and misfortune upon the Northwestern Wildcats, this time in the form of a 75-68 overtime loss to Minnesota in the 2012 Big Ten tournament.

Oh, those Cardiac 'Cats, abusing the oft-used nickname with an abandon all too reckless for a team planted so dangerously on the NCAA tournament bubble. They toed the razor's edge against the lowly likes of Penn State, Illinois, Purdue and Iowa this season, only to fatally wound themselves against a Golden Gophers group whose case for March Madness was even more precarious.

Now, instead of breaking the Evanstonian's seal on the Big Dance, it appears as though Bill Carmody's club will be headed for its fourth consecutive trip to the NIT.

Which might as well be Wildcats speak for "Never In Tournament."

That, in itself, is a remarkable accomplishment in a way, as Stewart Mandel of Sports Illustrated points out:

How many other teams in history have played in four straight NITs? (Which is one more than its entire previous history.)

— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) March 9, 2012

Not necessarily a good accomplishment, of course. Four years in a row, the Wildcats had a golden opportunity to play their way into the NCAA tourney, and four years in a row, they've wilted:

A team that continually folds under pressure, that plays with no confidence late in close games, is a reflection of it coach.

— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) March 9, 2012

Of course, folks at Northwestern will still be waiting on pins and needles on Selection Sunday, hoping and praying that the powers that be show them some measure of mercy. That's tough to imagine even with the tough schedule the Wildcats played this season, considering this nasty tidbit from CBS college hoops commentator Seth Davis:

Northwestern had 11 chances to beat a top 50 team. The won exactly one. There simply is no case.

— Seth Davis (@SethDavisHoops) March 9, 2012

What a shame, too, to see the magnificent career of star forward John Shurna—who led Northwestern in scoring with 21 points on Thursday—go by the wayside without an invite to the Big Dance.

Bill Carmody can do little more than cross his fingers and pray, hoping that the selection committee will have mercy upon his team's soul and/or that another star will fall into his lap at some point down the line.

Until then, Northwestern's legions of proud sportswriting alumni can only mourn their alma mater's failures and return to covering the NCAA tournament. They're left wondering without end about the woulda-coulda-shouldas.

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The Northwestern Wildcats are going to make some waves in the Big Ten tournament.

While they finished up conference play just 8-10, they were playing solid basketball at the end of the season. The Wildcats were just 3-3 over their last six games, but look closer than the score, and it is pretty clear they were playing solid ball.

Their three losses were to conference heavyweights Indiana, Michigan and Ohio State. They lost to Indiana by just five on the road. They took Michigan to overtime and lost to Ohio State by just two. 

The Wildcats are improving, and they are a deep team. That will suit them well in the compact schedule of this conference tournament. 

Northwestern uses a heavy rotation with eight players. They have eight guys playing at least 18 minutes. This will allow them to not have to wear any one player down, and it will keep them fresh for their tournament run. 

That is not all they got going for them. The bracket set up in an advantageous way for them. You can view the full bracket here. 

Looking Ahead at Their Tournament Run

Northwestern plays Minnesota in the first game. While these two split in the regular season, the Golden Gophers have been coming apart at the seams. They have lost six of their last seven games. They are not going to be able to right the ship in time to hang with Northwestern.

Waiting in the wings for the Wildcats will be Michigan. As the No. 2 seed, the Wolverines have a first-round bye. That bye is going to hurt them more than it helps them. 

Northwestern will not be worn down, having only played one tournament game leading up to that. This is going to leave Michigan struggling to find their rhythm, while Northwestern will already be in their groove. 

And that is the only advantage Northwestern is going to need. These two teams played twice this season and while Michigan won both games, both contests went to overtime. 

That will set Northwestern up with a likely matchup against Ohio State: the same Ohio State they just lost to by only two points. 

At that point, Northwestern will be brimming with confidence and excited to continue their Cinderella run. 

With history on the line and all eyes on Northwestern, the Cardiac ‘Cats are not allowing a single spectator to rest, fan or hater. 

At the end of regulation over the past four games, the ‘Cats and their opponents have been exactly seven points apart. 

Now with the Big Ten Tournament imminent, Northwestern controls its own destiny: erase 73 years of frustration and make the NCAA Tournament for the first time or settle for a fourth-straight NIT appearance. 

Season Recap

The season started with a cakewalk against Texas Pan-American before the ‘Cats headed to South Carolina for the Charleston Classic.  They came home with a trophy and strong wins over LSU, Tulsa, and Seton Hall. 

Catastrophe nearly followed in a too-close-for-comfort win against Stony Brook, but the ‘Cats rebounded with a dominating performance against Georgia Tech in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge and a win over Mississippi Valley State.

The highly anticipated matchup against Baylor followed, but the contest quickly turned into embarrassment as Baylor’s size and athleticism pulverized Northwestern’s defense. 

A comfortable win over Texas Southern, an unnecessarily close win over Central Connecticut, and another easy win against Eastern Illinois had the ‘Cats back on track as they closed out their non-conference schedule at the ranked Creighton Bluejays. 

Again the ‘Cats fell, but they headed into conference play optimistic, with a 10-2 record. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-2aX9euNh4

The beginning of conference play was anything but pretty as the ‘Cats opened with a 33-point crushing defeat at the hands of the Buckeyes. A win over Penn State would only provide a temporary reprieve as a one-point loss to Illinois and a 2-point overtime loss to Michigan came next. 

Hope was restored as Northwestern took down the seventh ranked Michigan State Spartans in front of a sold out crowd at Welsh-Ryan Arena. 

However, losses at the hands of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Purdue pushed the season to the brink. The ‘Cats were not finished, though, and stormed back with a win in their first ever Big Ten meeting with Nebraska, a huge win at instate rival Illinois, and a basketball clinic of a win against Iowa. 

Again the season took a nosedive as the ‘Cats dropped two straight in the state of Indiana—Purdue then Indiana—before winning the rematch with Minnesota. Another overtime loss against Michigan, a one-point win over Penn State, a two-point loss to Ohio State, and a four-point win in Iowa City closed out Northwestern’s regular season. 

Big Ten Tournament

Finishing the regular season 18-12 overall and 8-10 in conference, the ‘Cats have one final shot to make their case for reaching March Madness. 

They head into the Big Ten Tournament with the seven seed and will play Minnesota in the first round. If they win, they draw Michigan, the two seed, in the second round. 

Northwestern must win at least one game in the Big Ten Tournament in order to remain in the conversation of going Dancing. A win over Michigan as well would most likely guarantee a berth. 

In the teams' first meeting in the Barn, Minnesota dominated with every one of its starters in double figures. In the rematch, Northwestern stole the show as Dave Sobolewski came alive in the scoring column and John Shurna broke the school’s all-time scoring record. 

Both teams won with a strong home court advantage, and Conseco Fieldhouse (maybe down the road I’ll switch to “Bankers Life Fieldhouse”) will provide an advantage to whomever can fill more seats. 

Northwestern—only a three or four hour drive away—is pushing to gain that advantage by providing free tickets and transportation to any student who wants to go. 

Although quite important, fans will not be the deciding factor in this game, and the Wildcats will have the advantage if they can control several key aspects of the contest. 

They must get the ball to their scorers, stop something—anything—on defense, and show some effort in their embarrassing rebounding. 

Drew Crawford has been getting back into rhythm, averaging 18 points per contest over the last three games. If Shurna and Crawford can provide dynamic scoring, Sobolewski and Reggie Hearn have abundant scoring prowess to provide enough firepower for the 'Cats to compete against any Big Ten team. 

The ‘Cats must get these players the ball when they are open so they can go to work and will not have to force plays as Crawford often does when driving inside. In addition, if Alex Marcotullio can add some outside sharpshooting, offense should not be a problem. 

Defense is the problem. 

It is on Bill Carmody to decide when the 1-3-1 is best and when man-to-man is best, but if Minnesota’s big men start finding easy lobs on the baseline or guards find themselves alone for threes from the corner, then it is time to man up. 

Northwestern is the worst rebounding team in the conference, and Minnesota grabbed 32 more rebounds than Northwestern over the teams’ first two meetings. 

After a miss, the ‘Cats need to stick around on the offensive end long enough to try for a rebound, and they need to box out guards slashing in to grab boards on the defensive end. 

It is time for the ‘Cats to show effort on the glass if they hope to come home with wins this postseason. 

This might be the most important game in Northwestern basketball history, and if the ‘Cats win this game, the contest against Michigan might be the most important game in Northwestern basketball history. 

The Dance

Shurna was recently named first team all-Big Ten, Crawford was named third team all-Big Ten, and Sobolewski was named to the freshman all-Big Ten team.  The ‘Cats have made three-straight NIT appearances. Shurna broke the school’s all-time scoring record and only needs 30 more points to be the first Wildcat to break 2000. 

In short, Carmody’s squad is making history. 

The last puzzle piece is the Tournament, and Northwestern holds its fate in its own hands. 

With mid-majors punching their tickets in conference championships, Northwestern risks falling lower if any upsets occur. However, two wins in the Big Ten Tournament will display that a Big Ten team in the middle of the conference deserves a berth and can take on any mid-major champion. 

The ‘Cats have the talent to play with the best in the conference, and the Big Ten Tournament is their chance to prove it.

If Northwestern is going to throw a nice wrench into selection Sunday, one of two things must happen this week in Indianapolis. The first is obvious. The second is much more difficult but much more realistic. 

The first answer is to win the tournament, which would give NU an automatic bid. But if we're talking about nabbing an at-large bid, the Wildcats' path has to be a little more specific. The worst thing about it is that the road doesn't only depend on what Northwestern does. Let's break it down round-by-round.

Round 1: Beat Minnesota

This is absolutely essential. If the Gophers pull an upset off, Northwestern has no leg to stand on in this quest. This shouldn't be a problem, but you never want to look too far ahead. The Wildcats need to have their focus exclusively on Minnesota. We can afford to look forward.

Round 2: Beat Michigan

A victory here is no less essential. A loss here would end the Wildcats' season at 19-13. They would significantly lack quality wins, as their record has largely been padded with victories over weaker teams. 

As things stand now, the only real big win Northwestern has enjoyed came against Michigan State. That will not get them to the Big Dance. 

Round 3: Beat Ohio State

This is where Northwestern has to hope for some things out of their control. Ohio State will take on the winner of Tuesday's Purdue vs. Nebraska game. The Boilermakers and Cornhuskers aren't quality enough opponents to put on an at-large resume. 

But a win against Ohio State is needed. Even with an additional win against the Wolverines, the resume is just not sexy enough. If you throw in a win against the Buckeyes, we're in business.

Round 4: Don't Get Blown Out

The existing win against Michigan State to go along with victories over Michigan and Ohio State would be great, but they can't follow it up with a 20-point loss in the finals. 

The last thing you want to put into the minds of the selection committee is a blowout loss to a strong team. That would be a huge setback on whatever progress had been made to that point. 

Unfortunately for Northwestern, if they don't win the tournament, all of these things need to happen. Now, if we're looking at how this has to happen, look at Dave Sobolewski. John Shurna and Drew Crawford have been stellar all year, but they need some help.

Opposing defenses can put all of their attention on those two. With the exception of Minnesota, all of the potential opponents would blow the Wildcats out without big contributions from Shurna and Crawford.

If Soboleski gets hot, it's not so easy to put all of the focus on those two. His shooting will be the key to this team's success in the tournament. That makes defenses have to play a more honest style against Shurna and Crawford, which opens them up for big games. 

Unfortunately, if they have to rely on Shurna and Crawford, it will lead directly to a second-round elimination, at best. If that happens, Northwestern will again be watching the NCAA Tournament from home.

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While Ohio State, Michigan State and Michigan are the runaway favorites in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament, Northwestern and other lower seeds have a better chance than many would expect.

Though Ohio State, Michigan State, Michigan and Wisconsin have all received first-round byes, Northwestern opens their tournament against No. 10 Minnesota on Thursday at 5:30 PM. So long as they can clinch an early victory, they will move on to face Michigan in their next game.

In Joe Lunardi’s updated bracketlogy, he has Northwestern as a No. 13 seed and one of the last four teams to make it into the tournament. After a relatively impressive season (18-12 overall), they go on to take Minnesota (6-12 in conference play) in round one after an abysmal showing this season.

Assuming Northwestern can beat Minnesota following their loss of Trevor Mbakwe, that’s when the rest of the tournament gets interesting for the Wildcats.

Michigan has been playing hot lately, but was slowed by Northwestern both times the teams met this season. While Michigan did come away with two victories, Northwestern carried the team to overtime in both appearances.

A potential rematch could show that Northwestern can pull away with at least one victory, this time when it would actually count.

Coming off of a big win against Illinois on the road, and having beaten Michigan State earlier this season, the streaky inconsistencies of Northwestern can be put aside and fans can instead focus on the huge potential that Northwestern has to play a spoiler in the upcoming tournament.

Northwestern, which is holding onto hopes of its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, is led by forward John Shurna. At 19.8 PPG, Shurna led the Big Ten in scoring and added 5.3 rebounds per game to boot.

As Northwestern’s all-time leading scorer, Shurna can take Northwestern to noted success so long as he continues to perform at the level that he has now grown accustomed to. Northwestern is only 8-10 in conference play this season, but a win over Michigan would put them in the conference semifinals.

Shurna continues to stand out in a conference that includes names like Jared Sullinger, Cody Zeller and Jordan Taylor. With the help of Drew Crawford (16.2 PPG) and the demand for double-teaming Shurna, the Wildcats are a realistic team to finish as this season’s Big Ten Surprise Team.

While Northwestern has yet to win the big game, Wildcats fans still hold onto hope that Shurna leads them past Minnesota and Michigan, and perhaps into the NCAA tournament.

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The 2012 Big Ten Tournament begins Thursday with the eight lowest seeds facing off.

One of those teams is Northwestern, who has had a pretty good season so far, finishing 18-12 overall and 8-10 in the Big Ten. ESPN's Joe Lunardi has the Wildcats as a 13 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

A lot of their success can be contributed to senior forward John Shurna. He led the conference in scoring at 19.8 points a game. Shurna was also first on the team in rebounding (5.3) and second on the team in assists (2.7).

Shurna is one of the most important players in this tournament as a poor showing from Northwestern could see them out of their tournament bubble pop, but a deep run will solidify its bid and possibly see them move up a seed or two.

However, he's not the only player to watch out for this week. Here are three others:

Jared Sullinger

The argument could be made that Sullinger might have made a mistake in deciding to come back for another season. His field-goal percentage, points and rebounds totals are down from last year's averages.

Ohio State was the preseason No. 3 team in the country and were No. 2 for most of the early part of the season. However, they finished with a 25-6 record and are looking at a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Sullinger's performance is key if OSU wants to win the conference tournament and avoid having to deal with Kentucky or Syracuse in its region. He's still averaging almost a double-double every game (16.9 PPG, 9.3 RPG).

Robbie Hummel

Hummel has had a pretty good season after missing all of 2010-11 with an ACL tear. He finished fourth in the Big Ten in both scoring and rebounding.

As a team, Purdue finished with an overall record of 20-11 and a Big Ten record of 10-8. The Boilermakers are surely in the NCAA Tournament, but much like Ohio State, a good showing in the conference tournament could mean a better seed.

Lunardi has Purdue as No. 9 in the South Region, which means they would face Kentucky in the Second Round.

Hummel is going to be called upon to step up. He was a part of the Purdue teams that made back-to-back Sweet Sixteen's in 2009 and 2010.

Draymond Green

Green's situation is much the same as Sullinger's in that Michigan State is probably locked in as a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Back-to-back losses against Indiana and Ohio State probably ended any shot at a No. 1 seed.

Still, Michigan State is going to need Green to continue his very good regular season form.

He showed a lot of versatility this year as he not only led the Big Ten in rebounding at 10.3 per game, but also led the Spartans in 3-pointers made and was second in assists on the team.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer believes that Green will likely win Big Ten Player of the Year.

As his stats show, he has done a little bit of everything for the Spartans this year.