Everyone in sports journalism seems to have their pet cause: for Peter King, it was getting Ed Sabol into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, or Rick Reilly's quest to get you to roll your eyes and throw up simultaneously while writing the biggest piece of contrived, lame, cornball garbage you've ever read. But without fail, every college hoops writer's pet cause is to have Northwestern make the NCAA Tournament.
You probably know by now that Northwestern has never made the NCAA Tournament. You hear it fifty times a season - "poor guys from Evanston have never made it blah blah boohoohoo!" To that I say - who cares? Seriously, who cares? Northwestern isn't lacking for success in the private sector, as it is one of the finest schools in the country and has produced some of the brightest minds in the business world. Their football team made the Rose Bowl fifteen years ago, and makes a bowl every other year. They aren't exactly starving for success. They aren't really underdogs in sports or in life. So who cares if they don't make the tournament again? Shut up and wish for something worthwhile.
Purdue
Robbie Hummel returns for his 37th season for the Boilermakers, who had things all set up for a 2010-11 NCAA title run before he went down with a preseason knee injury. Coach Matt Painter must take a long list of role players and the still-recovering Hummel and mold them into a contender despite the loss of All-Americans E'Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson, but he has the skills needed to guide the Boilers into the NCAA Tournament.
Verdict: 8 seed
Michigan State
A lackluster 2010-11 season leaves Tom Izzo and the Spartans at a crossroads: will they revert back to their status as annual Final Four contenders, or will their brutal early-season schedule (including games with North Carolina and Duke) relegate them back to being a bubble team? Draymond Green is a nice player, but he will need help to get the Spartans off the bubble and safely into the tournament.
Verdict: 10 or 11 seed
Indiana
Well Hello, Hoosiers. Good to see you. This marks the first time that Indiana will grace TourneyBubble with their presence, as they have been absolutely awful for the past three years. Versatile freshman Cody Zeller joins Christian Watford, Verdell Jones III and Jordan Hulls in their quest to bring coach Tom Crean a winner. Not to discount the rebuilding job Crean inherited after Kelvin Sampson left the program in ruins, but the Hoosier faithful are losing patience and this team has too much talent not to contend for an NCAA bid.
Verdict: 10 or 11 seed
Northwestern
Forward John Shurna and guard Michael Thompson return for coach Bill Carmody, and it appears to be an NCAA-or-Bust season for the Wildcats. While they have proven that they can score (especially from the outside), their hopes depend on how well they can defend and rebound in a physical conference.
Verdict: Last Four In
Illinois
The Illini underachieved last year but still parlayed an early-season victory over North Carolina into an NCAA bid. Coach Bruce Weber has two returning contributors in the backcourt (Brandon Paul and DJ Williams), who must mix with a highly-regarded recruiting class in order to rise above the middle of the Big Ten pack and make a case for an at-large. Don't bet on it.
Verdict: Treading Water
Minnesota
No team flamed out as spectacularly as the Golden Gophers last year, who saw a promising November and December dissolve into a 6-12 league mark. They were a lock for the tournament as late as February, likley headed to a top-7 seed when a litany of off the court issues and inconsistent play sealed their fate. The frontcourt is fine for coach Tubby Smith with Ralph Sampson III and Trevor Mbawke back for their senior seasons, but they will need some sort of contribution from the guards to make their way into the NCAA field.
Verdict: Next Four Out
