Northwestern faces tall order against Tulsa in NIT opener

Northwestern vs Tulsa - Time and TV: Wed., March 18, 9 p.m. ET, ESPNU

The Northwestern Wildcats didn't make the first Big Dance in school history, but they do possess a postseason plane ticket that will take them to the state of Oklahoma. Given their historically rare opportunity to play in the third week of March, the purple people will have to confront a truly giant challenge when they travel to Tulsa for an opening-round NIT tussle.
 
Unlike Penn State, a Big Ten team that felt as though it belonged in the NCAA bracket, Northwestern will not have the temptation to sulk as Bill Carmody's club prepares for the Golden Hurricane. The NIT is a reward for a school bereft of any NCAA appearances, so the Wildcats--the fifth seed in their section of the draw--shouldn't have to worry about their mental state as they feel out the fourth-seeded squad from Conference USA. This contest, more than many other first-round NIT games, will be decided largely on the raw merits, and will not turn as a result of one team's (subpar) level of motivation.
 
Conference USA is not an elite league, a reality annually affirmed by the entirely unblemished record of reigning champion Memphis, owner of a 61-game winning streak in the conference that covers much of the Southeastern United States. With that said, Tulsa has clearly established itself as the second-best team in C-USA. Coach Doug Wojcik won last year's inaugural CBI tournament (over Bradley in the best-of-3 championship series), and has now led the Hurricane to two straight C-USA tournament finals.

This season, Tulsa--who made a darkhorse run to the 2008 C-USA final as a No. 7 seed--finished second in the conference and came within one basket of taking down the mighty Tigers. On Jan. 13, Tulsa led John Calipari's juggernaut, 54-53, with 4.5 seconds left in regulation, but then stood around and watched as Antonio Anderson drove through the lane for a game-winning layup. Memphis escaped with a 55-54 victory, a result that likely prevented Tulsa from making the NCAA Tournament field. The Golden Hurricane might not come from a first-class conference, but the Northwestern coaching staff knows it's in for a fight against a ballclub with 24 wins to its name.
 
Basketball is a two-way street, which naturally means that both ends of the floor will make a difference on Wednesday night. With that said, the most important aspect of this first-round fistfight will be the way in which Northwestern competes on defense, especially near the rim.
 
Tulsa's near-upset of Memphis was possible because of center Jerome Jordan, a 7-footer from Jamaica who exploded for 20 points and 13 boards against the Tigers' imposing front line. Northwestern doesn't match up favorably with Jordan, and has no player with the size or beef to match muscles in the low post with Tulsa's sturdy tree. Fortunately, however, the Wildcats have the style of defense that can compensate for their physical shortcomings: the 1-3-1 zone. 

Carmody has been clever at using the 1-3-1 to frustrate opponents and, just as importantly, enabling the Wildcats to be longer than they are. Getting three players aligned across the width of the court has allowed Northwestern to clog passing lanes and prevent guards from feeding the post to imposing centers. The Wildcats, therefore, have the kind of defense that can prevent Tulsa's guards from getting the ball to Jordan. Instead of using classic doubleteams, the outfit from Evanston can simply pinch hard on Jordan when the Hurricane rotate the ball to the side of the lane where Jordan is setting up shop. If Northwestern can deny low-post feeds, Jordan's impact on this game will be minimized. That's the first part of the Wildcats' path to victory.
 
The second part emerges when Tulsa's initial offensive forays don't work out. If NU can force missed shots, that won't mean much unless the Wildcats can gang rebound and fend off Jordan for loose balls. Kevin Coble is Northwestern's leading rebounder, but the 6-8 junior will have to be counted on to score the ball at the offensive end. A Wildcat win will likely occur only if Coble receives help on the defensive glass from Luka Mirkovic, who rebounded extremely well against the tall front line of Illinois, and has shown an ability to win 50-50 balls in traffic. If Mirkovic and big guards such as Jeremy Nash can indeed clean up on the boards, Coble won't feel that he has to carry the load himself, and the Wildcats--with contributions from role players as well as their stars--will be in prime position to snag a postseason victory.
 
Some NIT teams face the temptation to grumble and pout, but that's definitely not the case with Northwestern. If the Wildcats attack this game, and a talented Tulsa team, with considerable hunger and confidence, they have every chance of advancing in the NIT, and creating the kind of momentum that could lead to that other, bigger tournament in 2010.

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