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2017 Masters and Baseball Preview

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on the Weekend Sports Report with Packer Dave and Steve Leventhal

Rory Spears from Golfers on Golf.com gives us a 2017 Masters preview and a report after Thursday’s opening round.  Next, Jeff Rich joins us to offer his thoughts on the 2017 NCAA basketball championship, and the NBA playoff stretch run. Lastly, John Poulter checks in from Arizona for the start of the baseball season, and a look ahead at the NHL playoffs.

Hear interviews from UNC coach Roy Williams and his players Joel Berry II and Justin Jackson, as well as Patrick Kane, and 2017 Masters first round leader Charley Hoffman.

Don’t miss cameos from Bob Uecker, Pat Hughes, and Dan Patrick.

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Northwestern Destroys Rutgers 98-59

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Northwestern
Northwestern Forward Tre Demps

The Northwestern Wildcats were back in Evanston after a 2-game road losing streak on Saturday afternoon and they took out their frustrations on a poor Rutgers squad who left their intensity on the bus. The Wildcats improved to 18 – 11 on the season and 6 – 10 in conference play with their 98-59 win over the Scarlet Knights.

It is Tre Demp’s world and we are just living in it as he dropped 24 points on 8-13 shooting while adding 8 rebounds and 4 assist. Demps was 6 for 8 from behind the arc and was left open for open threes all game long. It is not too often that Demps getting to roam free for the entire game but Rutgers were unable to put a body on him to slow the offensive onslaught by the senior.

Sophomore point guard Bryan McIntosh only scored 6 points but was able to dish out 13 assist during Demps hot shooting. Alex Olah had his third triple-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds in limited playing time. The Wildcats didn’t need much from their big three because they had balanced scoring from everyone on the roster.

Northwestern Head Coach Chris Collins
Northwestern Head Coach Chris Collins

The Wildcats were up 30 at halftime and it gave fans time to think about the future of this team under head coach Chris Collins. The Wildcats will not make the NCAA Tournament unless they are able to win the conference tournament in March, which is very unlikely.

Northwestern has not had a signature win all year and they have been blown out by some of the top tier Big Ten teams so they do not have a resume that warrants review when it comes to selection Sunday. The Wildcats had a promising start to the season, going 13 – 1 in their first 14 games but were unable to keep up the pace once the Big Ten conference play started.

The absence of second-year wing-man Vic Law hurt the Wildcats perimeter defense and stunted the team’s offensive abilities for the entire season. Olah also missed a handful of game during the middle of the season which completely decimated the interior defense and gave Northwestern no chance against Maryland and Ohio State.

Northwestern Center Alex Olah
Northwestern Center Alex Olah

The Wildcats still have two more games before the conference tournament against Penn State and Nebraska next week. Even if Northwestern is able to beat both of those teams and get to 20 wins for the season, their terrible strength of schedule and low RPI will be keep them out of the tournament again.

Hopefully Northwestern 2015-16 season will be a learning experience for some of the younger players on the team and they can provide a spark next season as they will be looking to do something no team has done in school history.

Follow Wes on Twitter @WesEvans24

 

 

 

McIntosh Goes Off in NU’s 70 – 65 Win

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Wisconsn Head Coach Greg Gard
Wisconsin Head Coach Greg Gard

The Northwestern Wildcats welcomed in the Wisconsin Badgers to Welsh-Ryan Arena on Tuesday night for the first time in 15 years without being led by head coach Bo Ryan. Ryan retired midseason after his team was runner up in the NCAA tournament last year. In his 15 seasons as the Badgers head coach, Wisconsin made the NCAA tournament every year and never finished lower then 4th in Big Ten Conference regular season standings.

Ryan left his team in the hands of his longtime assistant Greg Gard, who inherited a young team that is in transition from being one of the best teams in the country to a below average Big Ten team. The Badgers came into the game at 9 – 8 overall and 1 – 3 in conference action.

The Wildcats jumped out an early 14 – 5 lead on the Badgers, thanks to some nice shooting by sophomore sensation Bryan McIntosh and some aggressive team defense. The Badgers were able to climb their way back into the game as they were only down 26 – 28 at halftime.

NU Sophomore PG Bryant McIntosh scores 28 against Wisconsin
NU Sophomore PG Bryant McIntosh scores 28 against Wisconsin

From start to finish this was McIntosh’s game, as his was dazzling on the offensive end of the floor. Every time down the court it was a “what is he going to do next,” type of feeling. McIntosh was hitting 3’s over centers and beating his man off the dribble at will leaving Coach Gard searching for answers. McIntosh finished with a game high 28 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds.

The over laying theme of this year for the Wildcats is whether or not they make the NCAA tournament but a close second is the maturation of McIntosh. The NU point guard is leading the team in points and assist while running Coach Collins offense and becoming the leader of this team.

Wisconsin Forward Nigel Hayes
Wisconsin Forward Nigel Hayes

The Wildcats have had to change their identity the past 4 games due to a foot injury to senior center Alex Olah. The lack of a low post presence has made the Wildcats play outside-in, compared to feeding Olah when healthy to open up the outside shooters. The Badgers ran the Wildcats off the 3-point line all night and contested every long distance shot causing Northwestern to shoot 4 – 12 (.3333) from beyond the arc.

The Badgers Nigel Hayes did his best to keep his team in the game by scoring 17 points but it was not enough to beat the Wildcats. Hayes came in the game as 1 of 2 players in the Big Ten averaging over 15 ppg, 6 rpg and 3.5 apg. The junior showed his aggressiveness by getting to the line 7 times, an area he is familiar to as he leads the Big Ten in FT and FTA.

Even without Alex Olah, the Wildcats were able to break Wisconsin’s 5 game winning streak in Evanston and move to 3 – 2 in the Big Ten. Northwestern will look to extend their winning streak to 3, when they host Penn State this Saturday night at 7:30 pm.

@WesEvans24

NU vs Fairfield – Too Close for Comfort, 79 – 72

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Northwestern vs. Fairfield
NU Coach Chris Collins

Some fans might have been expecting an exhibition type game in Evanston but it sure didn’t feel like it, as the Wildcats held off the Fairfield Stags 72-79. In the end, the Cats were too big and fast for the MAAC team from Connecticut which helped the Cats improve to 2 – 0.

There were some familiarities between last year’s Cats and this 2015-16 team on the court tonight as the defense intensity was in midseason form. Half way thru last season, Coach Chris Collins instituted a 2 – 3 matchup zone defense that helped lead the Cats to a 5 – 3 record in their last 8 Big Ten games. Coach Collins has had a whole offseason to sharpen his team’s defensive prowess in the 2 – 3 zone and only time will tell if it can contain Big Ten opponents.

The Cats had freshman Aaron Falzon leading the way in scoring at half with 9 points and ended up with 13 for the game. The 6’ 8” forward from Newton, Massachusetts had another nice game after scoring 20 in the Cats season opener against UMass Lowell. Falzon brings a stretch 4 mentality to the Cats which has helped boost NU’s 3-point scoring.

With a year under his belt, point guard Bryant McIntosh looks to establish himself as a legitimate Big Ten point guard and lead this Cats team to the post season. McIntosh has bulked up from last year and continues to fill up the stat sheet as he dropped 20 points, with 5 assists, 4 steals and 5 rebounds. If it wasn’t for his heroics late in the game, NU might have been upset by Fairfield.

NU Sophomore PG Bryant McIntosh
NU Sophomore PG Bryant McIntosh

In his senior year, Alex Olah is looking to dominate down low and hopes to build off of a great junior campaign where he averaged 11.7 PPG, 6.9 RPG and 1.8 BPG. The Cats weren’t in dire need for a big game from Olah as he scored 10 points and pulled down 5 rebounds. Expect some big games from Olah this year as he will have to be one of the main contributors if the Cats want to have a great year.

The only unfamiliar part of this game was the lack of 2nd year forward Vic Law, who will miss 4 – 6 months with a torn labrum in his shoulder. The 6-7 wing averaged 7.0 points and 4.8 rebounds in 24.4 minutes per game during his freshman season.

“We’re certainly disappointed for Vic,” said Northwestern head Men’s basketball coach Chris Collins “He dedicated himself and made great progress during this offseason, and had a great summer and preseason on the court. I have no doubt that his attitude toward recovery and improvement will be relentless and that he will continue to be a tremendous teammate. We expect a full recovery in 4-6 months and Vic remains a foundational piece of our program for the future.”

Even without Law for the season, Coach Collins is trying building this program into a contender but will have to make some serious noise in the Big Ten for the tournament committee to believe his team is ready to take the next step.

WesEvans24

2015 Northwestern Basketball Preview

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Northwestern Head Coach Chris ollins
Northwestern Head Coach Chris ollins

76 years ago Northwestern hosted the first ever tournament, but they are still the only major conference school that has never made it to the post season. The 2015-16 NCAA Men’s Preseason poll came out and the Big Ten has 6 teams that make the top 25… but Northwestern is not one of them… yet.

In Coach Chris Collins first year, NU was tied for 10th in the Big Ten with a 6 – 12 record in conference play and had a 15 – 17 record overall last year. NU’s season had two “signature” wins as the Cats were able to beat Iowa and Michigan at home; both games took extra time for NU to pull the upset.

Northwestern returns five of its main contributors from last year, led by senior SG Tre Demps and sophomore PG Bryant McIntosh, the Cats look to build off of their young nucleus while hoping to get a career year from their emotional leader Demps.

Northwestern Center Alex Olah
Northwestern Center Alex Olah

Another large cog on the NU basketball wheel is 7 foot Romanian center Alex Olah, who was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection of the league’s media members. Olah averaged just over 29 minutes per game while accumulating 11.7 ppg and ranked 2nd in the Big Ten with an average of 1.8 blocked per game and 5th with 6.9 rebounds per game.

Coach Collins will look to 2nd year wing Vic Law to establish another scoring option for the Wildcats while providing some defensive prowess at the forward position. Law started 19 games during his freshman year and averaged 7.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg and shot 35.5% from 3-point range. Law was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Feb. 23 for back to back performances in wins over Minnesota and Penn State.

Collins’ safety glove Sanjay Lumpkin returns for his last year as a Wildcat as he is the Swiss Army knife for this team. Whether it is defense or an offensive spark, Lumpkin is a reliable player who will be asked to play many roles this year. Lumpkin started NU’s first exhibition game against Quincy but expect him to be moved in and out of starting line up with Law.

Northwestern Forward Joey van Zegeren
Northwestern Forward Joey van Zegeren

Another young star in the making that had a nice freshman season is Scottie Lindsay. The Fenwick High School product was not as heralded as Vic Law as a recruit, but can fill a stat sheet every once in a while when called upon. Lindsay brings another 3 point threat as he shot 35.4% last year and averaged over 40% from the field.

The Wildcats added some depth and experience up front in 6’ 10” senior Joey van Zegeren who transferred from Virginia Tech. Zegeren played in 13 games last season and was leading the Hokies in rebounding at 5.3 per game and 3rd in scoring at 9.8 points per game before getting suspended for violating team policy. He will be responsible for alleviating some of the pressure from Olah throughout the season.

Coach Collins was hired to build a program that would sustain a winning atmosphere for the foreseeable future. Collins has recruited well and is looking to take his team to the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history but it will take a couple of big wins to create a resume that can get Northwestern basketball to the promise land.

@WesEvans24

 

 

NU breaks Michigan’s Heart, 82 – 78 (2OT)

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NU 82, MICH 78 Final
NU 82, MICH 78 Final

“It’s a program building win” – Coach Collins

It was ‘senior night’ in Evanston as the Cats started the game with Dave Sobolewski and JerShon Cobb, who played their last collegiate game at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Tuesday night. The standing ovation was not the only memory the seniors would have of the night as Northwestern beat the Michigan Wolverines in double overtime.

Northwestern had their 4-game winning streak broken by in-state rival Illinois last Saturday, 86 – 60 and the game wasn’t even that close. After playing great team defense during the winning streak, the Cats seemed rushed against the Illinois and it was reflected on the scoreboard. NU was able to regroup after the loss and regain their defensive aggressiveness their fans were accustom to seeing during their victories.

NU Guard Tre Demps
NU Guard Tre Demps

The man of the night was Tre Demps who played ‘savior’ not once, but twice, as the Cats stole a victory from the Wolverines. Demps hit a 3-pointer with 2.4 seconds left to send the game to the first overtime and then did it again to send the game to a second overtime. “I am never not confident when taking those shots,” Tre Demps said after the Michigan win. Demps finished with 20 points and was 4 – 5 from three’s and was the emotional leader on the court during crunch time. If Michigan was not on the bubble before the game, they definitely are now.

NU could not contain Michigan’s 6’ 6” freshman Aubrey Dawkins, who went 7 – 11 for 2i points and hit 4 three pointers. Dawkins was effective scoring in the paint or from the outside and had no problem getting to wherever he needed to on the floor. Another year under Coach John Beilein and Dawkins could receive national attention if he keeps progressing on both ends of the court.

On the other side, Michigan had no answer for Alex Olah as he abused Ricky Doyle and Mark Donnal in the post all night. Olah ended up with 25 points on 12 – 18 shooting and pulled down a team high 12 rebounds while hitting a huge 3 pointer in the 2nd overtime.

NU’s fans should never have been under the impression that this team was going to make the dance but they should have hopes for an NIT bid after the Big Ten tournament. Coach Chris Collins and his staff have made it clear that they are in the middle of a rebuilding process and need to build off of the momentum they have created with some recent wins. This win over Michigan will hopefully be the beginning of something special in Evanston.

Coach Collins talks about the Michigan Northwestern game and NU moving up in the Big Ten

@WesEvans24

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Cats ‘Determined’ to Beat Hawkeyes in OT, 66 – 61

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Iowa-Northwestern Final, 66 - 61
Iowa-Northwestern Final, 66 – 61

Living in Chicago most of my life, driving slow and steady during the winter months is more of a way of life than an inconvenience. As I was driving to Welsh-Ryan arena this afternoon, it was abundantly clear that my 30 minute drive was going to double thanks to Mother Nature and it was time to enjoy the 15 mph drive.

Even with the traffic, I was able to make the tip off as my alma-matter (Iowa) was in town for a 2 pm showdown with the 1 – 10 Wildcats. These two teams have been evenly matched the past couple years as they have spilt the last 14 meetings. NU beat Iowa in the 2013-14 BIG Ten tournament, 67 – 62, thanks to a 20 point performance from Tre Demps.

The slow and steady pace of my day was even more evident as the Hawkeyes and Wildcats were having a hard time finding their offensive mojos. The first half seemed to drag along as neither team could sustain any offensive rhythm as the Cats took a 27 – 24 lead going into the half.

Tre Demps had 8 points in the first half and finished with 16, while adding 4 rebounds and 3 assist. Demps hit a pair of 3 pointers late in the second half to regain the lead, which they would hold for most of the second half.

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Iowa Hawkeye visiting Northwestern Wildcats

Bryant McIntosh is only 1 of 3 true freshman in the country who is averaging 11.5 points and 4.0 assist per game this season. McIntosh did not play like a freshman, as he gave Iowa all they could handle by pouring in 18 points and dishing out 4 assist.

It was McIntosh’s 2 late free throws that should have sealed the game for NU in regulation and would have given the Cats their 2nd win in conference play… but it is never that easy for Chris Collin and his squad.

Jarrod Uthoff had a game to remember as he momentarily broke the hearts of the Evanston faithful as his 3 pointer with under 3 seconds left, sent the game into overtime. Uthoff finished with a game high 25 points on 8 for 16 shooting from the field.

“I really feel that the shot by Uthoff went in to test us in a sick kind of way. We have had so many of these kind of games and we played that exactly how we wanted,” Coach Collins said in his post-game press conference. “The looks I saw in the huddle at the end of regulation were different then the looks I saw at MSU, or down the stretch against OSU or at Maryland. It was a determined look.”

NU Center Alex Olah
NU Center Alex Olah

Overtime was the Alex Olah show, as his defensive performance and clutch free throw shooting broke the Cats 8-game losing streak. In the 5 minute OT period, Olah had 3 points, 4 rebounds and added 2 key blocks to seal the victory. Olah finished with another double-double, 11 points and 13 rebounds, which puts him in the top 10 for the conference.

NU’s matchup with Iowa started off at a snail’s pace but ended up being an exciting game with a furious finish. Both teams had opportunities to win today’s game but it was the youngsters that were able to hold on in OT.

Coach Chris Collins breaks down the Iowa Northwestern game

The Cats have a couple days off until their next game in Minnesota on February 18th, where they will look to make it 2 wins in a row.

@WesEvans24

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New Year, Familiar Score… ILL 72, NU 67

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Illinois Head Coach John Groce
Illinois Head Coach John Groce

Familiarity was running rampant thru Welsh-Ryan Arena on Wednesday night as the Northwestern Wildcats took on their neighbors to the south, the University of Illinois Illini.

The familiarity vibe could have been attributed to the game, as the Cats and Illini were meeting up for the 170th time… with Illinois holding a commanding 130 – 39 lead in the series.

Or…

The yearly meeting in Evanston when households are split because Mom went to NU and Dad went to U of I… and no matter who wins, Dad will be sleeping on the couch tonight.

The above were all expected events but running into 2 high school teammates at the same game, one who played for the Cats (Jeff Ryan) and the other who now has a cat (Paul Shaer)… was something new but felt familiar all at the same time.

The last familiar sight was the final tally on the scoreboard, as Illinois was able to pull away from NU for the win.

ILL 72, NU 67 Final
ILL 72, NU 67 Final

The first half was very sloppy by NU as they turned the ball over 6 times but it felt like 20 because they gave away their early 5 point lead. Bryant McIntosh and Alex Olah were the only bright spots for the Cats all night as McIntosh dropped 16 points while adding 2 dimes. Olah filled the stat sheet with 14 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks.

Illinois’ back court came out on fire as Aaron Crosby and Kendrick Nunn combined for 27 of the Illini’s 37 first half points while shooting 7 – 13 from 3 point land. Crosby and Nunn’s shooting help Illinois establish a 37 – 33 lead over the home team.

Northwestern made a valiant effort at the end of the game but came up short as Malcolm Hill hit 2 free throws to put the game out of reach. Illinois took some terrible shots and took their foot off the gas towards the end of the game but were able to squeak by with a 5 point victory.

“That’s life in the Big Ten… you play tough hard fought games, they come down to a possession here and a possession there and that is what it was again. It was 1 point game with 4 sec to go and Nunn walks up to makes four big free throws. Got to give them credit but we got to move forward,” Coach Collins said after his team’s lose to Illinois. “It’s about finding ways to win and that is the next step for us as a team.”

Wes Evans (Left), Jeff Ryan (Center) and Paul Shaer (Right)
Wes Evans (Left), Jeff Ryan (Center) and Paul Shaer (Right)

The Cats finished with 11 turnovers and Illinois was able to capitalize with 14 points off of those TOs. For NU fans, the inconsistent play from their team has been frustrating because this team has potential to win these close contests.

Paul commented after the game that we should call up Luke Holthaus and Kevin Bulger to run fives against this Northwestern team. I believe he was being factious but his point was made, as it is obvious Chris Collins has some work to do if his team is going to pick up another win in the conference soon.

The Cats dropped their 3rd straight game and head to Ann Arbor on the 17th for their next game against the Michigan Wolverines (10-7, 3-2).

Coach Collins talks about the Illinois Northwestern game and how his team is coming up short 

@WesEvans24

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NU routs MVS, 101-49

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NU Win 101-49
NU 101-49

There is an innate sense for a son to perform to the best of his ability when his father is watching from the stands. Whether it is playing basketball or the piano, the emotional boost of having a loved one cheering you on cannot be replicated.

Hopefully the Wildcats head coach Chris Collins didn’t use up this phenomenon against Mississippi Valley State Sunday night in Evanston.

Doug Collins, ex-Bulls head coach and father of the aforementioned Chris Collins, sat in section 104 to watch his son’s team dominate an undermanned and inferior opponent from the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

The 1 – 7 Devils scored the first basket of the game and those 16 seconds was the only time they had the lead.

The Cats had a comfortable lead throughout the game and were never challenged at either end of the court. MVS’s 49 points extends NU’s streak of consecutive games of holding their opponent under 70 points to 15, which ties Virginia for the longest streak in the nation.

The blowout win was led by NU’s pair of starting freshman, Bryant McIntosh and Vic Law, who combined for 26 points and 8 assist. Law got the crowd to their feet with a monster jam off of a MVS turnover at the 7:58 mark in the first half.

Not to be outdone by the freshman, Jr. Tre Demps added 2 spectacular dunks of his own while compiling 15 points, going 3 – 6 from beyond the arc.

Tre Demps talk to the media after 101-49 win
Tre Demps talk to the media after 101-49 win

The big man, 7 foot Jr. Alex Olah also got into the action with a solid performance and another double-double. After going down early with an apparent leg injury, Olah was able to pull down 10 rebounds while scoring 17 points in only 20 minutes of work.

Northwestern does not score a 100 points often, the last time was a 100 – 89 victory over Wisconsin on March 6th, 1993. This 52 point win was not the largest margin of victory for the Cats in their history, NU beat the University of Chicago 101 – 45 in 1988.

The game might have been decided early but NU needed a win to snap their 3 game losing streak and build some confidence going into conference play later this month.

If NU’s plays this way every time Doug Collins comes to watch his son, Chris might have his father take up residence at Welsh-Ryan Arena.

NU Head Coach Chris Collins talks about the Cats win and building off this game (NU MVS)

@WesEvans24

 

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