The low point for Northwestern on Tuesday?
It came in the game’s final minute. And then it came again. And again.
Bryant McIntosh dribbled into a crowd, losing the ball to a change-of-possession arrow. Vic Law shot an air ball from 3-point range. Coming off a timeout, McIntosh failed to get the ball in bounds.
And there were a smattering of "I-L-L, I-N-I!" chants at Welsh-Ryan.
It was a maddening night for a team craving March Madness.
Final score: Illinois 68, Northwestern 61.
Just like that, Northwestern has lost two straight. If it grows to three Sunday at Wisconsin, the Wildcats would sink to 7-5 in the Big Ten and still have just two victories over top-80 RPI teams (Dayton, Wake Forest).
Considering they probably will need to finish 11-7 in the conference to avoid the bubble and lock down an NCAA tournament bid, the obvious question arises: Is it time for Northwestern fans to freak out?
The answer: Not yet.
Here’s why: The Wildcats are not close to the same team without Scottie Lindsey, their slashing wing.
Although there has been no public timetable for Lindsey’s return from mononucleosis, a team source said Northwestern is targeting Feb. 15 against Maryland. If that’s the case, Lindsey will miss only one more game, in Madison.
Northwestern coach Chris Collins on the loss to Illinois
Wildcats’ coach Chris Collins discusses NU’s loss to Illinois. (Paul Skrbina/Chicago Tribune)
Wildcats’ coach Chris Collins discusses NU’s loss to Illinois. (Paul Skrbina/Chicago Tribune)
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So to feel comfortable on Selection Sunday, they would need a 4-2 finish against a reasonable schedule: Maryland and Rutgers at home, Illinois and Indiana on the road, Michigan and Purdue at home.
"It’s a long year," Collins said. "Lots of ebbs and flows. Tonight wasn’t a great night; there were a lot of disappointed faces in the locker room."
Collins prepped for Tuesday by warning his players about what transpired in 1993-94, when he was a sophomore at Duke. The Blue Devils went 22-4 in the regular season, but two of those four losses were to an underachieving North Carolina team.
"They banded together," Collins said of the Tar Heels, "to kick the living (bleep) out of us twice."
The message: Illinois was capable of doing the same. The Illini entered with one victory in their last seven games, but the roster still has several talented players from Chicago.
Illinois had a strong second half, but this was really more a case of Northwestern blowing the game.
The Wildcats shot 6-for-20 on 3s, but it felt like 6-for-40.
Gavin Skelly missed all three of his 3-point attempts and was a step slow to grab a loose ball with the game tied 61-61. Maybe an ankle sprain still bothered Nate Taphorn (1-for-5). Sanjay Lumpkin played an invisible 30 minutes, uncomfortable moonlighting as a wing. McIntosh missed his first eight from the field. Isiah Brown’s shoot-first mentality got him into trouble.
Coach John Groce on Illinois’ win over Northwestern
John Groce talks about his team’s victory over the Wildcats at Welsh-Ryan Arena. (Paul Skrbina/Chicago Tribune)
John Groce talks about his team’s victory over the Wildcats at Welsh-Ryan Arena. (Paul Skrbina/Chicago Tribune)
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"Tough loss," Collins said. "The guys played really hard, but we weren’t able to finish the deal. Credit Illinois."
Northwestern basketball has become appointment viewing for its fans, who now actually plan their schedule around the games.
More evidence that Northwestern is becoming a real basketball school came before Tuesday’s tipoff, when athletic director Jim Phillips announced the renovation of Welsh-Ryan Arena would include a top-notch practice facility thanks to a $20 million gift from alum and trustee Howard J. Trienens.
The relentless Phillips has visited more than 20 basketball facilities — including those in Morgantown, W.Va., Ann Arbor and East Lansing, Mich., on Monday alone.
The Wildcats will call Allstate Arena home next season and then open the practice facility and renovated Welsh-Ryan in 2018.
Asked about the trajectory of the program, Phillips replied: "I don’t think there’s a ceiling. When Chris and I talked for the first time (about this job) in Atlanta, this wasn’t about getting to the NCAA tournament. That was part of the journey. This was about being a Big Ten program that, year in and year out, competed for Big Ten championships. We still have a ways to go to do that, but we’re taking some major steps."
On this night, "ways to go" trumped the "steps."
tgreenstein@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @TeddyGreenstein
Photos from the game on Feb. 7, 2017, at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
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